Camillus combat knife

O

ordnancerestorations

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Dec 9, 2011
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I am looking for info on a Camillus combat knife I have.It is marked Camillus NY on one side and USN on the other.The butt has an inset round nut that takes some type 2 pin tool to hold the leather handles.

Thanks

Dallas
 
Pictures make it much easier to respond with useful information. A Camillus marked knife with USN would be a strong indication of a WW2 era knife. What is the length of the blade? For reference M.H. Coles books are a good place to research. You may find them through your library. Again with pictures I'm sure we can be of more help.
 
I don't have any good pictures and I don't know how to post them.It looks linke a standard 7" Navy MkII but only marked USN and Camillus N.Y. and has the butt held on with an inset round nut not pinned .The scabard is black leather stiched and riveted and unmarked with a leatler strap for tie down like the 1911 Colt holsters.

Dallas
 
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The knife that you described is a first deisgn Mark II knife with the threaded tang. This knife was made for the U.S. Navy in 1943. The threaded tang knives were redisgned and the pommel was then fastened by a single pin.

Tom Williams
 
edbeau said:
If it is a WWII knife check this out. http://www.collectors-of-camillus.us/History/Camillus-Military-1941-1945s.pdf
Click to expand...

I've got a question regarding the last drawing from the above document. It shows a pocket knife that looks an awful lot like the all metal engineers knife. This drawing has dates from 41-45. I understood that Camillus made their first version of one of these knives in 1949. I believe the only two types of these knives from the WW2 period where marked Kingston or Stevenson-45. Is this a different knife than what I think the drawing is depicting? The all metal knives are the only one I've seen with the pin protruding from the screw driver blade. Is it possible that Camillus was involved in the manufacture of some of these early knives? I guess that's two questions.
 
Camillus made only prototypes of the all metal camp knife during WWII. The all metal camp knife appears in Camillus' WWII records but never advanced beyond the sample stage and never went into production until 1949. I acquired some of the production records for Camillus after the company closed in 2007 and I discovered an order for several hundred thousand of the all metal camp knives in August, 1945, but these were cancelled after the two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. The order was placed and cancelled in the first weeks of August, 1945. Camillus was geared up to produce this knife and even ordered some of the dies for production. The true story of this knife can be credited to Frank Trzaska.

Tom Williams
 
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