I recently came across this knife. I read some where that there is supposed to be 23 death head links molded into the handle some where. It is a Vietnam Paratrooper Knife made by Camillus New York. Any Ideas on these death head links?

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Just glad to be here

Sounds like a 1960s/70s rumor/urban legend to me.

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Come and take it!!

Never saw that on any of the examples I've examined.

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The best I can with what I got

Missing the cord/rope hook.

Carried the Orange Handle Switchers for years in the AF.
Never heard of any ‘Death Heads.’
How many does your knife have?
If you find some, I’ll have to look and see if mine have any.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Looks like something from Colonial Knife Co. which made/makes a lot of autos for the US military.

Made on military contract during the 1960s and 1970s, originally for the US Air Force. Two blades, one a clip-point operated by the switch-blade and secured by the safety, the other a hooked cutting tool. Usually carried with the hooked blade opened in a pouch or pocket on the aircrewman's uniform, allowing rapid access to the hooked cutting edge to sever parachute suspension lines or harness. Nothing quite like being hung up in a tree or being dragged across the ground after a parachute jump.

The switch-blade (clip-point knife blade) was incidental to the primary function of the knife, probably as part of the survival equipment carried by each aircrewman.

These were also used by US Army parachute riggers, the specialists who prepared parachutes for use. The hooked blade was very handy for cutting parachute cord and other little tasks necessary while inspecting and re-packing hundreds of parachutes during a typical day's work.

Camillus was a major producer. I think Imperial also made the same product on military contracts, perhaps other makers participated.

Very collectible, especially if complete and in operable condition. As others noted, yours appears to be missing the hooked blade (primary purpose of the tool).

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

In the early 80’s the Navy Air crews carried them in their gear. Unfortunately my tip snapped a while ago and cannot find a replacement blade. It’s one of my Navy keepsakes.

In the early 80's these knives were carried by our Marine Corps pilots in a small pocket in their flight suits, and were attached with a cord. The knife shown may or may not be missing the hook, as it is not visible, but it is missing the lanyard loop on the bottom of the knife.
I have one in a tool box some where.

Yes- standard way to carry was in a thigh pocket just above your Left Knee,
Hook Blade open. Designed as a Shroud line cutter if you get hung up on something.
Shroud Line now of course called Paracord.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Our aircrews had them. We had a drawer full of them in our Flight Equipment Shop. Never took one, always got more use of my TL28 or TL29.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

The US Military has been buying these for a long time.
They have been made by a number of manufacturers.
Here's one of mine.
It was made by Shrade.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

My Colonial

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I used to have one of those. No idea where it went.

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No baby we aint

As mentioned by diyj98 above the Current issue replacement:
5110-00-526-8740 Military Spec. Switchblade M-724 replaces the MC-1 Sw – Colonial Outdoor Gear

A $150.00 for something I could have taken out of a parts drawer in the Flight Equipment shop??

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I'm still waiting for pictures of the deaths heads. I haven't forgotten that's where this started.

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Come and take it!!

31645900-59AA-4B33-92EB-8547B9E0547E.jpg
From the “ bible” of US Military knives, Coles book # III, offically name is MC-1 Survival Knife. Have been collecting US militaria since the late 70’s and have had many of theses. Used to be a vendor at the flea market in the drive in movie theater on N. side of Chicago that had 100’s of these.

I was an Air Force brat in the 60s and 70s and recall that my father procured a few orange artic survival flight suits which we just called pumpkin suits. They had lots of pockets, including a narrow one containing one of these knives on a long white lanyard.

We have a lot of knives between us and you'd think the vivid orange ones would be hard to lose but I've not seen one in decades.

We were issued the orange handled knife in SF, although to be honest, the demo knife was much more useful out in the field. I still have most of my issue knives out in the garage somewhere, but I did find this photo of the flipper on my computer as well as a demo knife, lighter and my old ground to air strobe light that I carried in the field for emergencies.

I'm not sure what is meant by the "death heads." I never heard that one.

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Keep your powder dry.

Never heard of the “ Death Heads” thing either, IMHO its some made up malarky.

I left for Nam from Ft. Campbell with the 101st in Dec. 1967 and apparently paratroopers were to be issued one but when they started handing them out so many guys got cut they immediately took them back. They never made it to my unit before they took them back.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

My uncle who retired from the AF gave me one of these in 1984.

Unfortunately, the spring that opens the clip blade has broken.
Does anyone know where I could get it repaired?

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

The story I was told is that the switch blade was intended to quickly deflate a life raft which had been accidentally inflated in an aircraft. The shroud cutter blade was the main tool.