COLONIAL PROV. R.I. J 316 Military knife

[Ishrub]

Has anyone heard of this knife or have any information on its use in the military?

I did a Google for my large 5" lock back with black rubber handles, 3 3/4" long and 1/8" wide clip point, half serrated blade with COLONIAL PROV. R.I. on front tang and J 316 on pile side? I certainly didn't expect to find a military association.

I found this reference below at bottom of link http://www.colonialknifecorp.com/History/history.html

"In 2001, some of the employees of the former Colonial Knife started Colonial Cutlery international (CCI) and began manufacturing the
M-724 auto knives and the J-316 for the military. "

[tltt]

http://www.parttarget.com/5110-01-36...340_06079.html .

http://handtools.tpub.com/28/01-369-9340.htm .

The federal ordering numbers have them or the Gerber Gator listed as a general purpose pocket knife available for issue.

[Ishrub]

Thanks tltt, were they for sale to the public as well as the Gerber Gator was and is there any way to differentiate military from civilian versions? I'll have to dig my Gator out to compare but I thought it looked very similar.

[tltt]

I know that they were a standard knife you could find around, I don't think there is anyway to differentiate between mil. and civilian versions, many times they're standard knives that just get diverted for military use. Hard knife to find information on.

[Still-a-Marine]

The same knife is sold to the military and civilians. The J-316 stands for John 3:16. The M-724 stands for Matthew 7:24.

Bill

[Still-a-Marine]

Frank Trzaska covers the M-724 & J-316 in his Knife Notes 11. Its mainly about the M-724 but does touch on the J-316 at the end.

http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Tabl...20Contents.htm

"Colonial Cutlery

Recently we have seen a few knives made by Colonial arrive on the scene. The first to catch our attention looked like the well known and loved MC-1 aircrew knife. At first we didn’t even pay attention to it as it was assumed to be one of the above. Then we were told to take a closer look… The knife is completely different and in fact made by Colonial, a whole new government contractor to this knife. While it may resemble the MC-1 it is a horse of a different color on the inside. The familiar bright International Orange scales are at first glance the same but they hold the secret. Made of a high tech composite fiberglass type material they do the work of the metal liners on the older style knife. In fact this knife does not have any liners, all the inner workings are held together by the scales. The steel push button is recessed into the scale and operate the mechanism which is also anchored into the scale. The machined lock slider button is still made from the familiar brass as on the older knives, a nice touch and a factor in eliminating rust and corrosion on a knife likely to see sea duty as well as humid areas. The older style relied on a typical pocket knife type back spring while the new knife advances into the typical for today coil spring era. A coil spring will last and retain it’s character much longer then the back spring type and will also hold it’s tension while in the closed position without taking a set like the linear spring. A half back spring is still used for the hook blade. By eliminating the metal in the knife another positive is the reduction in weight, a factor used in the aircraft and what the man can comfortably wear in the survival vest. A couple of ounces left off the knife may mean a couple of more ounces of water the man can carry or any other useful product. The knife is assembled using small screws instead of the typical steel pins. This is also a rather new approach and a necessary one as the pins would need to be peened in place, not a very reliable way to secure the assembly with a composite scale. The screws are a definite plus as the knife and also be repaired or serviced at a much lower level they returning it to the factory. We got to flick open the knife a few times and can tell you it has a good snap and a positive lock for a knife of this type. In all a rather well designed knife. As for the knife itself it is of the familiar design having two blades, a clip blade and a hook type canopy cutter blade. The clip blade is not of the typical design as the former knives, it features a different profile. The hook blade is right from 1960 in approach and is well suited to doing the job. As we stated above the hook blade uses the typical back spring but it does not run the entire length of the handle, it covers a little more then half the back and is recessed into the scales. Again a well thought out design. One thing we did not see on the examples shown was a bail. The scales had holes for one, and on the correct side, the clip point side, but one was not present on either of the two examples we examined. Speaking of two, one was Black while the other was Orange, that was the only difference. The blade markings are as follows: COLONIAL / PROV. U.S.A. in two lines on the front while on the reverse is M724 in large deep stampings. At first we thought the M724 was the designation of the new knife and had to find the answer. Several folks queried did not have an answer. It does not show in any official literature or as part of an NSN or Part Number. Just what was the M724 designation. Well after a few e-mails with our old friend Steve Palantonio of Colonial Cutlery we arrived at the answer. Good thing we didn’t guess at it. It is a name chosen by the folks at Colonial for the new product, an inspired name if I have ever heard one before and Steve told us the whole story behind it. You see a few years ago when all this was in the planning and bidding stages things at Colonial were not going too well as with most other cutlery companies. Retailers going out of business, 9/11, and importation is having a very deep effect on the US and cutlery is no different, in fact it is being hit as hard as any industry in the entire US. Not only labor but also steel prices and new computer controlled equipment, in some cases state purchased, is hard to compete against. Suffice it to say things were pretty dark in those days at Colonial. Layoffs were all too common among the skilled work force, time was running out. According to Steve "All those things brought us together at Colonial and the more difficult business got the more it united all of us in prayer. It was something to see, tool makers praying with those that they once felt were less then them (non-skilled workers) sitting together at lunch praying and talking about God. I'd walk past them, stop and say to myself, I don't believe it! Then they'd get me to join in, it brings back great memories during a difficult time."

The knife was redesigned at Colonial by dissecting a typical MC-1 and working out what new materials and machinery could do. A lot of serious thinking was going on and long hours to do it. Steve continued "Yes, we are currently manufacturing what you refer to as the MC-1 or what we at Colonial call the M-724 (Matthew 7:24 from the Bible) Strange how people assume the M means military ..isn't it? We had a bunch of Christians working on the design of the auto knife and during bible study at Colonial the new auto knife came in to question (don't ask me how) What are we going to call it? We were discussing the book of Matthew and how 7:24 talks about staying in the word will keep you out of trouble. Then someone said much like the auto knife we are designing for the military, it's designed to keep the user out of trouble." In the e-mail Steve also offered up the following tidbit for us military knife folks; "Since you seem interested in the M724 model number we also have the J-316 that we belt for the government… The J-316 is from John 3:16 that model number came up almost during the same time period. We geared up to make the J-316 for the US government.

Long story on that whole deal…"

So there we have it, a new MC-1 type knife made for aircrews in trouble from high tech designs and high tech material. A fascinating story…"

[sstriker]

Frank Trzaska covers the M-724 & J-316 in his Knife Notes 11. Its mainly about the M-724 but does touch on the J-316 at the end.

http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Tabl...20Contents.htm

"Colonial Cutlery

.....We were discussing the book of Matthew and how 7:24 talks about staying in the word will keep you out of trouble. Then someone said much like the auto knife we are designing for the military, it's designed to keep the user out of trouble." In the e-mail Steve also offered up the following tidbit for us military knife folks; "Since you seem interested in the M724 model number we also have the J-316 that we belt for the government… The J-316 is from John 3:16 that model number came up almost during the same time period....

Long story on that whole deal…"

So there we have it, a new MC-1 type knife made for aircrews in trouble from high tech designs and high tech material. A fascinating story…"

For reference and context, Jesus speaking both times:

Matthew 7:24
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Steve S

[Thomas Linton]

So who actually makes the knives?

[Still-a-Marine]

So who actually makes the knives?

http://www.colonialknifecorp.com/

[Thomas Linton]

Google Earth allows a look at the location. No factory. So who actually makes the knives?

[Still-a-Marine]

Could this be them?

Colonial Knife CO Inc
287 Oak Street
Providence, RI 02909-2819

[Thomas Linton]

http://www.megjturner.com/portfolio/...knife-factory/

http://abandoneddreams2011.blogspot....e-company.html

http://abandoneddreams2010.blogspot....revisited.html

Currently: 61 Dewey Avenue, Suite A, Warwick, RI 02886 http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16050...ve-Warwick-RI/

Suite A is part of a 2300 square foot office building (Shatz Building) and also holds Colonial's wholesale jewelry business. http://www.macraesbluebook.com/searc...company=759042

So who actually makes the knives?