03hemi
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I do, here he is after his first solo carrier (The Ticonderoga)landing at age 21. He's standing by the wing of a T-6 trainer.
ID These Navy Pilots' Knives
- Thread starter Texas Star
- Start date
I do, here he is after his first solo carrier (The Ticonderoga)landing at age 21. He's standing by the wing of a T-6 trainer.
Well, 30-30, I spent some time today digging through fifty years of junk in my workshop, and here is the un-cleaned dirty, rusted forgotten about knife that I carried on board two different US Destroyers from about 1968 through 1969.
I remember that I did the "fancy-work" on the fid and around the sheath myself. Somewhere I still have some other examples of this stuff that I had learned how to do from the Bosun's Mates. I'll remember not to over clean these items, but some cleaning is necessary, the green verdigris on the copper rivets is getting all over everything, and the blades will barely open. Probably haven't opened in over forty years.
T. Star, I sure didn't mean to hijack your thread, but you got me thinking in so many directions with your post about the movie and the knives the pilots were wearing. Also, I have been doing some research on my uncle Gene, who was a Navy Lt JG on a submarine who was killed in action off the coast of Japan in December 1944. I think that this has helped me to realize that I should spend a little time getting some of my stuff in order.
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OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Les-
Looks like a nice Schrade Uncle Henry large pocketknife. I think it's a large Trapper pattern. Two blades? One? They came both ways. Staglon handle, a version of DuPont Delrin. What's that in the sheath with it?
I think the Uncle Henry knives used 440A stainless steel. They were good knives, a cut above the cheaper Old Timer knives.
Don't worry about cleaning affecting value. This isn't that sort of collectable rare old knife. Oil the joints and clean internally with a pipe cleaner. Working the blades open and closed after joint oiling will probably restore normal function. Wipe off any crud the oil flushes out. I use Break-Free CLP oil.
Kleenex is mildly abrasive and may polish the bolsters okay. If not, use Simichrome or similar metal polish. A handkerchief will thereafter serve to keep them bright.
Store it in your bedroom, not in the garage. Hey, just start wearing it again, too. It'll still do well by you.
A moist toothbrush will clean the sheath, then use Kiwi polish.
Looks like a nice Schrade Uncle Henry large pocketknife. I think it's a large Trapper pattern. Two blades? One? They came both ways. Staglon handle, a version of DuPont Delrin. What's that in the sheath with it?
I think the Uncle Henry knives used 440A stainless steel. They were good knives, a cut above the cheaper Old Timer knives.
Don't worry about cleaning affecting value. This isn't that sort of collectable rare old knife. Oil the joints and clean internally with a pipe cleaner. Working the blades open and closed after joint oiling will probably restore normal function. Wipe off any crud the oil flushes out. I use Break-Free CLP oil.
Kleenex is mildly abrasive and may polish the bolsters okay. If not, use Simichrome or similar metal polish. A handkerchief will thereafter serve to keep them bright.
Store it in your bedroom, not in the garage. Hey, just start wearing it again, too. It'll still do well by you.
A moist toothbrush will clean the sheath, then use Kiwi polish.
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eveled
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T. Star: Thanks for the kind comments. Here is a picture of the knife and the item with it I first called a "fid", but I think I was wrong, it is a "marlinspike", both are used to work ropes and cables, but the marlinspike, I think, is metal, and usually smaller, and the fid is usually made of wood or bone.
Here is a picture of the items out of the sheath (which I made from scrap leather).
If I remember correctly, I bought the knife in the ship's store. Same place that, when we were over three miles off the coast of the US, we could buy Camel's for 10 cents a pack. I was an Electronics Technician, so I really didn't need a marlinspike for my work, but I got into rope work and fancywork (as seen on the sheath and around the marlinspike) as a hobby to pass the time at sea. Thanks also for the tips on cleaning up these items.
Here is a picture of the items out of the sheath (which I made from scrap leather).
If I remember correctly, I bought the knife in the ship's store. Same place that, when we were over three miles off the coast of the US, we could buy Camel's for 10 cents a pack. I was an Electronics Technician, so I really didn't need a marlinspike for my work, but I got into rope work and fancywork (as seen on the sheath and around the marlinspike) as a hobby to pass the time at sea. Thanks also for the tips on cleaning up these items.
Good grief, eveled, now that's a collection of knives!!! Wow. Very nice.
I thought the blades had darkened and rusted too much be to be stainless. Being a Ka-Bar rather than an Uncle Henry explains it. All manufacturers call the basic pattern a Folding Hunter.
I was never in the military but I also carried a Folding Hunter while working as a deck hand. I had to cut a hole in the bottom of my Case stag Folding Hunter's pouch so the tropical rainstorms couldn't fill it to the brim. I spliced the eyes at the ends of a new set of nylon mooring lines with a big wood marlin spike. I do not remember it being called a fid.
I would clean the leather pouch with saddle soap. Kiwi brand is in most stores. I also see no reason to preserve your Ka-Bar's rust like it was a Roman Artifact. It's a common knife that you can buy off eBay most any day of the week. I might clean and polish the blades all the way to bright then put it back in use long enough for mother nature to restore and even patina. I'd use a thin piece of wood and steel wool to get the rust off the springs on the inside. All the steel will turn brown again soon enough.
I was never in the military but I also carried a Folding Hunter while working as a deck hand. I had to cut a hole in the bottom of my Case stag Folding Hunter's pouch so the tropical rainstorms couldn't fill it to the brim. I spliced the eyes at the ends of a new set of nylon mooring lines with a big wood marlin spike. I do not remember it being called a fid.
I would clean the leather pouch with saddle soap. Kiwi brand is in most stores. I also see no reason to preserve your Ka-Bar's rust like it was a Roman Artifact. It's a common knife that you can buy off eBay most any day of the week. I might clean and polish the blades all the way to bright then put it back in use long enough for mother nature to restore and even patina. I'd use a thin piece of wood and steel wool to get the rust off the springs on the inside. All the steel will turn brown again soon enough.
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OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Hmpf! So, it is really a Ka-Bar that closely resembles the Schrade Uncle Henry! I've never seen the Ka-Bar version, but guess they wanted a competing knife.
No idea if that blade is stainless, but it sure needs cleaning bad.
No idea if that blade is stainless, but it sure needs cleaning bad.
Thanks, guys, if not for this thread, I would probably have never even remembered having this knife. I will clean it up, just for the memories. K22fan, I think that marlinspike was pretty much the common term for all of those sorts of tools, as you remember. I'll post a picture after I get this thing cleaned up. You know when I joined the forum, I never even thought beyond Smith and Wesson related info and posts, and of course that is the main thrust of what goes on here. But I have come to appreciate the fellowship that exists in the S&W world. Lots of good stuff here. Thanks for the advice and comments. T. Star, the blades appear to be carbon steel, but they may have had a light chrome plate to them back then. I have a Puma fixed blade from back in the day, with "Pumaster" steel, which if I remember, was a carbon steel with a chrome finish to inhibit rust. Later Pumas had stainless steel blades.
Black chrome? I don't think so. Chrome would not rust through. The blades might be blued, just like a S&W. If so preserving as much bluing as you can while cleaning off the rust makes sense.
I still like Folding Hunters. Unlike modern quick opening knives and most lock backs they give you two blades to dull before you have to go back to the sharpening stone. While using knives that do not have them blade locks are never missed.
I still like Folding Hunters. Unlike modern quick opening knives and most lock backs they give you two blades to dull before you have to go back to the sharpening stone. While using knives that do not have them blade locks are never missed.
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Yes it is, I don't know a Mr. Yetman but that little yellow dozer caught my eye!
Don't have any more but I never out grew my liking for Tonka Toys.
EVELED, thanks for playing along. As said I have a few tubs of US military knives but only 2 or 3 have any ID. When the wife gets home Tuesday I think I will start a new thread. The wife does the photography work. Your YETMAN knife is one brand I have never acquired. I have few outlets to look for acquiring new examples. I have only such Mark 1. The Geneva's allude me. I have one knife that has mans name and serial number. With some research I found out he was a band leader in the Atlantic theater.
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OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Pumaster Stahl is normal high carbon with a chrome plate. I have in front of me tonight my Hunter's Pal model with that type of blade. Showed it to a visitor today.
Most of my Pumas have stainless, made along with non-stainless knives. The Outdoor is stainless/Rostfrei; the almost identical Hunter's Friend has the Pumaster steel.
There have been versions of the famous White Hunter model with both normal and stainless blades. The model numbers differ. Also, the Auto Messer (car knife) is basically the same, but with wooden handle scales, in lieu of sambar stag.
I have an old Hunters Pal, but I don't have a picture of it right now. Here is my Hunter's Friend, however.
.
As you can see, it has been around. The Pal is in almost new condition, and both are the old style "Pumaster" steel. The code number on the Friend, which I have with me is 96083, which I think I looked up once and it is supposed to indicate manufacture in if I remember correctly, 1980, maybe the 3 indicates third quarter. Not sure about this last, though.
11:36PM...Correction... I just went to Puma's website, and they have an interactive feature that lets you look up the manufacturing date. Mine was made third quarter of 1968. Really cool. Here is the web address for the site: Frequently asked questions of puma knives hunting knife outdoor knife. I thought it was older than 1980....
I have never had a White Hunter, although I wanted one when I was a teenager, and couldn't afford one. After I could afford Pumas, I had decided they were too large, and opted for the Pal, and the Friend. These are the only Pumas I have ever had.
. As you can see, it has been around. The Pal is in almost new condition, and both are the old style "Pumaster" steel. The code number on the Friend, which I have with me is 96083, which I think I looked up once and it is supposed to indicate manufacture in if I remember correctly, 1980, maybe the 3 indicates third quarter. Not sure about this last, though.
11:36PM...Correction... I just went to Puma's website, and they have an interactive feature that lets you look up the manufacturing date. Mine was made third quarter of 1968. Really cool. Here is the web address for the site: Frequently asked questions of puma knives hunting knife outdoor knife. I thought it was older than 1980....
I have never had a White Hunter, although I wanted one when I was a teenager, and couldn't afford one. After I could afford Pumas, I had decided they were too large, and opted for the Pal, and the Friend. These are the only Pumas I have ever had.
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OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Les-
Those two are among the best Puma choices, I think, and may be my favorites.
There's a fancier version of the Friend/Outdoor, with a wider guard and a small monogram plate in one stag scale. That's the Model 3589 if you want to see one. But it's no better for use than the Outdoor. The latter is already a nice knife, although I do like the Model 3589, too.
Those two are among the best Puma choices, I think, and may be my favorites.
There's a fancier version of the Friend/Outdoor, with a wider guard and a small monogram plate in one stag scale. That's the Model 3589 if you want to see one. But it's no better for use than the Outdoor. The latter is already a nice knife, although I do like the Model 3589, too.
Texas Star:
Here's an update on my KaBar knife. If not for this thread, I would probably never have remembered that I even had this knife that I used to carry in the Navy 50 years ago or so. I took advise from the various posters here, and the knife is now fully functional, cleaned it some, but not too much, sharpened, lubricated. Cleaned out the interior and polished insides, cleaned the leather, got rid of the verdigris, and it is now a treasured memento of my Navy days. Also, of course a working knife.
Here's an update on my KaBar knife. If not for this thread, I would probably never have remembered that I even had this knife that I used to carry in the Navy 50 years ago or so. I took advise from the various posters here, and the knife is now fully functional, cleaned it some, but not too much, sharpened, lubricated. Cleaned out the interior and polished insides, cleaned the leather, got rid of the verdigris, and it is now a treasured memento of my Navy days. Also, of course a working knife.
Les, old friends are the best.
