Early model Pilot's Knife info requested

[flynndoman]

I recently won on a Ebay auciton for I think a decent price, what I believe is a early model Camillus 5" pilot survival knife. The knife is marked "CAMILLUS N.Y.", is a 5" model, and has the plain leather sheath (no metal tip), but with sharpening stone pocket, and a rounded end of the sheath (no tie-down tabs), and with the retaining strap located just above the lower part of the sheath. Can someone pelase tell me what is the approximate manufacturing date of this model of pilot's knife, and if it is as rare as I think it is?

Thanks,

Dayle F.

 

[rev_jch]

is the pommel round or hex shaped? also do you have a pic of it? early model pilot knives blades varied from 5-6". They had standard type leather sheaths without sharpening stones. The first "offical" adopted pilot survival knife was made by (or designed by?) marble's. The teeth were used for cutting through sheet metal. Early pommels were screwed, pinned, then "peened" on. The Early ones used by pilots in ww2 had round pommels. Yours could be a late 1950's?

 

[not2sharp]

Does it look like these?

If so, it sounds like you have an early Vietnam era example. It was probably made between 1963 and 1966.

n2s

 

[flynndoman]

Hi,

If you go to Ebay, and enter #2199871897 in the search engine, you can see photos of the knife and sheath. The knife has a hex pommel, and the sheath is similar to the early 6" model, with the retaining strap located just above the hand guard, on the sheath.

thanks