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I never managed to get one of these when I was actually in the service because I kept forgetting about them. Finally found a decent one at an Antique Shop today.
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you're not going to believe this i just bookmarked one on FB market , same one 1960
I think mine are all gone. I carried a Swiss knife for years instead and then the Gerber tool when originally issued.
I have Swiss knives I carry. Usually the mini ones but I have several of the larger pocket knives. I just wanted one of these for the US aspect of it. The Swiss knives are superior in quality.
I have a 1958 marked one. Were they all made by Camillus?
there is a company that makes knockoffs , at least i think its a knock off , it was on FB market as well , the other was a Camillus 1960Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapper740
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Marbles once held military contracts, but these appear to be modern reproductions made for the civilian market. Look to be in the $20 range. I don't know if Camillus is the only manufacturer of Military issue knives. Good question.
Looks like China is making these, BEWARE.
You can find many different manufacturers, Marbles, Case, Camillus, Imperial...called the model 1961. Stainless was military requirement and started in 1961. There were civilian models that weren't stainless... Look up the "Model 1961 soldier knife" and have a look.
here is the one im looking at for $50 on FB market locally , says 1960
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i have a Camillus Marlin Spike knife they issued me when i was in the Navy , i was on the Alabama a Trident , came to the boat as a non rate so assigned to deck div they, gave us the knife,managed to hold onto it all those years , 1985
I'm not sure 1961 refers to a year, I think it's just a model number. I don't collect these at all, too much other stuff on the go.Quote:
Originally Posted by micmacman
"Roll tide!"Quote:
Originally Posted by micmacman
I was issued a huge clasp knife originally too.
theres a YT vid that discusses it , says the model # is #1760 , they started handing them out in 1945 and continued to do so untin 2007 and the number on the blade is the year according to him , his is a 1993Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
Camillus US Military 1760 Knife - YouTube
Yes, these are not Model 1961 Knives, these came about much earlier. 1944 for the USMC made by Kingston which was a unification of two other knife companies with the purpose of making these. I don't think the Kingston knives had the dates on the blades but were made in either 1944 or 1945. Only early ones can be dated to 1944 because they had the can opener and the screw driver swapped. Camillus wanted to take over the contract and in 1949 made a small run of which only 10 are known to exist. True production didn't start until I think 1957 and they all have the date on the blade. Speculation is that they had so many Kingston surplus to issue all those years they didn't need to make any more. But they aren't clear on that or if Kingston continued production after 1945 without dating them.
The were lumped in with the 1961 Swiss knives because Swiss collectors tend to get at least an example of these as they are the exact same type knife. That's what I read on the link that was provided. Very interesting. I need to get a Kingston now.
Yes, those I can place, never needed one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
Be very careful. With the dated blades you may fall into the "Need one of each" trap.
I did.
I thought of that briefly but quickly dropped it. Birth year maybe, year entered the service maybe. Only thing I'm collecting year and manufacture variations of are canteens and mess kits.
im going to grab the one listed locally this payday if its still available , that woud be a pretty impressive collection to have each year , they have been issuing them for a long time
What would that be? Eighty of each maker, times six?Quote:
Originally Posted by micmacman
lol, i will just be happy with a earlyish nice exampleQuote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
Found my birth year recently. Perhaps that will curb my enthusiasm. We will see.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
I need 1963 and 1985, then I would be good. 1966 is actually my wife's birth year so that's one. Could get the girls birth years but I don't remember what they are. Have to ask mom.
Perhaps is would be wise to ask someone else? Don't want you in the dog house.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
It's no secret I can't remember their birth years. I remember all their birthdays, that's what's important. I can figure them out through a process of elimination. My oldest was born two weeks before our first wedding anniversary, the youngest is 7 years younger. Now I just have to remember when we got married. I graduated college in 1985, proposed on Christmas Eve that year, and attended Officer Basic at APG Maryland. We had a 1 year, 4-month engagement. so were married in 1987, daughter born in 1988. Second daughter born in 1994.
And yes, I had that all wrong and just ask my wife for the correct years.
i got acouple in use also, great for a boat and tackle box
$8, hard to believe they once only cost that much.
Greetings:
The military name for for this 4-blade, stainless steel, folding utility knife was Knife, Pocket, General Purpose MIL-K-818, based upon the written specification for this blade. There were A-B-C-D revisions to the spec. with the last in 1985.
Before 1958, the all metal knives had brass liners and carbon steel blades. They were made by Kingston and Stevenson during WW2 and marked on the clevis/bail/shackle.
Later on military contract makers for the MIL-K-818s, all stainless, were Camillus, Imperial, and Queen (1986 only for Queen). Camillus started with the first all stainless MIL-K-818 (rev.A) in 1958. 1961 is the first year Imperial made the all stainless MIL-K-818. It was the revision B. Imperial called it the Model X-611. Imperial's last year to make them was 1979.
Camillus made them up until they went out of business some years ago.
Quite a few similar knives have shown up in recent years made by or for companies that did not have military contracts but wanted to sell them on the commercial market. These include Western (made after Western Cutlery failed and had its intellectual property bought by Camillus which then made these marked Western) and Ontario. Doubtless other MIL-K-818 style blades can now be found with other maker names, mostly of Chinese origin, made for non-military buyers.
Regards,
Charlie
Ours have received the Gerber tool since about 2000 or just before. We did the trials in '93 in Gagetown NB and I kept one of the originals, Gerber against Leatherman. Gerber won...everyone still has their opinion on the best one...
[QUOTE=ordnanceguy;537335]Greetings:
The military name for for this 4-blade, stainless steel, folding utility knife was Knife, Pocket, General Purpose MIL-K-818, based upon the written specification for this blade. There were A-B-C-D revisions to the spec. with the last in 1985.
Thanks for the details, Ordnanceguy. I have three, 80, 82 and 85. At the govt contractor org I worked they were available from stores for the techs, machinists etc. When folks retired and cleaned out their desks they often set a cardboard box out in the hallways with stuff for the custodian to dump. Sometimes treasures with the junk.
Good to have some history, I’ll print out your post and stick it alongside the knives.
Quote:
Originally Posted by micmacman
Micmacman: would be interested in how your USN Camillus marlin spike compares to my civilian version. Purchased mine maybe early 1990’s at a west coast marine supply store.
Helped quite a few Boy Scouts with Pioneering Merit Badge with this one.