Mystery knives from the great unknown

not2sharp

not2sharp

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We understandably spend a great deal of time discussing the various brands, makers and steels. However, there is a wide population of knives for which we will likely never have any of that information. Some of these may be simple goofs, where a maker forgot apply his stamp before finishing or marked them so poorly as to be difficult for collectors to place them; others have been worned or stripped to the point where the original marking are no longer legiable . Then again, there are always the cheap imported flea market junk that was never worthy of a brand; as well as, those steril knives that are said to be for those operators on clandestine missions and the so called theater knives.

We can only surmise how these knives came to be. But, mixed in in this mass lot are the occassional gems. Lets share some pictures of these unknown knives.

n2s
 
This is why it blows my mind when a knife like the VDK "Pioneer of the Nile" has no markings anywhere.
 
Here we have anther knife of unknown origins. I have reason to believe that it would have been carried by its original owner in Vietnam, where he served 2 tours around 1969-1970. The handle is neatly leather wrapped and it has an unusual sheath design.

Vietnam era fighter.jpg
 
This next one screams of the 1980s. Somebody's supersized version of the Puma White Hunter. The only marking on the blade and sheath are the two letters FL, FI or perhaps F1. The blade on this is a full 1/2" thick immediately behind the point of precussion.

F1 knife sm.jpg
 
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Here is one that is branded Abercrombie and Fitch and marked "Hecho en Mexico". Now if we only knew who made it, when it was made and what it was made from....

abercrombie__fitch_randall_type_9-001.JPG
 
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not2sharp said:
This next one screams of the 1980s. Somebody's supersized version of the Puma White Hunter. The only marking on the blade and sheath are the two letters FL, FI or perhaps F1. The blade on this is a full 1/2" thick immediately behind the point of precussion.

View attachment 843325
Click to expand...
1/2 inch thick?? Or do you mean 1/2 cm? If you're talking metric, it's a little less confusing to say 0,5 cm. :)
 
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Here is another strange and unmarked knife. The unverified story on this is that it is a WWII theater knife made aboard ship for the Murmansk run. It is an integral all steel knife with a heavy chrome plate. The blade is about 9/16" thick at the base. I was told that the original owner used it primarily to help chip ice off of the ship during these runs.

MURMASK DAGGER SM.jpg

Convoys on these runs operated under Artic conditions.
article-0-11865A7E000005DC-147_634x400.jpg
 
Unlikely it was chromed aboard ship or in any theater of war.
An interesting knife, nonetheless. :)
 
not2sharp said:
Here we have anther knife of unknown origins. I have reason to believe that it would have been carried by its original owner in Vietnam, where he served 2 tours around 1969-1970. The handle is neatly leather wrapped and it has an unusual sheath design.

View attachment 843323
Click to expand...

Thats not a bad looking knife. I like that a lot.

You mention an. unusual sheath design.

I suggest the slits migt have been an attempt to emulate this military-style knife retention design shown here on a Randall of mine but often seen else where on military styled knives of yore.

This corroborated by a previous owners background in 'Nam, which would be period correct for the military-/Randall-style knife retaining design of the sheath.

1ogQfzW.jpg

mo9Vrlx.jpg
 
This knife was likely made by whom ever made the knife NCCNC posted about above. Again, yet another unknown.

l-b-atkins-1994-jpg.843788


n2s
 
BladeScout said:
....You mention an. unusual sheath design....
Click to expand...

The sheath is similar in style to what we see used by Randall, but the construction is heavier. There are 5 heavy leather layers that stack almost an inch thick. The stone is held in place by a small strap which is attached via screws and there is a screw on the right side of the sheath which may have been originally used to adjust blade tension or rattle.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
The sheath is similar in style to what we see used by Randall, but the construction is heavier. There are 5 heavy leather layers that stack almost an inch thick. The stone is held in place by a small strap which is attached via screws and there is a screw on the right side of the sheath which may have been originally used to adjust blade tension or rattle.

n2s
Click to expand...
Ahh, I of course had no way of knowing that from the pic. Thought you referred to the slits and the hole in the top of the sheath.

Ive seen MIL-inspired sheaths about that thickness but the stone retention and the screw possibly to eliminate rattle is indeed unusual.

Interesting design.
 
not2sharp said:
Here is another strange and unmarked knife. The unverified story on this is that it is a WWII theater knife made aboard ship for the Murmansk run. It is an integral all steel knife with a heavy chrome plate. The blade is about 9/16" thick at the base. I was told that the original owner used it primarily to help chip ice off of the ship during these runs.

View attachment 843708

Convoys on these runs operated under Artic conditions.
article-0-11865A7E000005DC-147_634x400.jpg
Click to expand...

Not keen on chrome but thats not a bad looking knife design either.
 
Lets get the photos going...

This is a small and unusual hunting knife, with a blade shaped like a 19th century "buffalo skinner". The blade is a full 3/8" thick at the base and it wears an Ivory handle.

View attachment 843323[/QUOTE]
This is clearly for skinning buffalo around corners...
 
I bet the knife in post 4 was done by some one that liked Type D British Survival Knives -

british-military-early-issue-wilkinson-sword-type-d-survival-knife.-ref.no.d1700-[3]-1836-p.jpg
.

That A & F knife I've adored ever since I saw it. Candidates for maker are Hank Bizet, an American ex-pat that made knives in Morelia, Mexico post WWII - 70's. Bizet made mainly carving sets, but occasionally made a combat knife when asked. He did some work for A and F, circa 50's - 60's.

CASA Charles is another Mexican maker, I regretfully don't have info on, that made nice knives in an American style -

s-l1600.jpg
.
 
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