Pilot's Survival

D

dullone

Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
860
For a beater, I just picked up a "Military Surplus. New, un-issued" Camillus 5" Pilot's survival knife from Cabelas for a penny under $20.00.

It's labeled by Camillus as supplied 8/83. For being stored in it's leather sheath for 22 years, it's in remarkable shape. A few specks of rust on its edge, a very little green around the snaps, that rubbed right off. The coating has a mottled look to it. I'm sure it will clean up nicely.

For the money, a good solid bargain.
 
I was looking at one in the Sportsman's Guide for about $30. Thanks for the tip!
 
I did the same thing and have a question. The stacked leather handle is **very** dry. I've done some searches, but the hits all discuss how to seal leather, not moisturize it. What would be the best way to treat it? Soak in mineral oil?

I agree, good value for the money, I'm anxious to sharpen and use this one!
 
The handle on mine is **very** HARD, but I don't think it's from being dried out. I would think I'd see some signs of shrinkage (which I don't, leather is very tight at seams etc) if it where dried out. I'd suspect some type of treatment at the factory that yielded this "hardness". Maybe waterproofing treatment??? Anybody have real info on this???
I'd think you wouldn't necessarily want a soft, softer handle.

Mine sharpened up EXTREMELY well. I also cut the top finger guard flush with the handle, and shortened the bottom about 1/2". Seems to give better control and comfort. YMMV
 
Thanks, I'll try those mods! They sound good. It was such a good deal that I got a couple... I'm sure that the steel will be great when I put a stone to it.

My washers aren't hard, they're more like a boot that needs polishing. I don't really want to make it soft, but perhaps moisturize the leather before I wax/seal it.

Enjoy!
 
dullone: I'm glad you posted on this knife. I've been a little bummed out that Camillus hasn't featured any year end closeout models on their website, thereby allowing cheap bastiges like myself to scarf up a nice Camillus at a great discounted price. ;)

Come to think of it, I don't think they've changed the "closeout knives" in about a year. :grumpy:

Could you please tell me if your knife is the same as this one, posted by a dealer over at ARFCOM?

Surplus Pilot's Survival Knife

I'm extremely tempted to buy one, since, it sounds like a great deal. Thanks, Paul
 
geegee,

That's the ONE, right down to the plastic bag, and lo and behold, even a broken snap on the stone pocket!!!!!! :eek: :eek:

Coincidence? You decide. :rolleyes:

I just cut the stitching and removed the stone pocket, makes for a slimmer profile. Then I gave the sheath a wax bath that turned it a dark brown, waterproofed and stiffened the leather considerably.
 
dullone said:
geegee,

That's the ONE, right down to the plastic bag, and lo and behold, even a broken snap on the stone pocket!!!!!! :eek: :eek:

Coincidence? You decide. :rolleyes:

I just cut the stitching and removed the stone pocket, makes for a slimmer profile. Then I gave the sheath a wax bath that turned it a dark brown, waterproofed and stiffened the leather considerably.
Click to expand...

Could you describe this wax bath? Is it like straight paraffin or do you thin it out with something? Looks like we're the only 3 guys who like this knife, but that's ok.

Thanks!
 
Sodak... make that four of us that like this knife. My own experience with it goes back to a hot and muddy place some thirty five years ago. It served me well there. Remains one of my favorites, and if you do a search in this forum, you'll find many posts about it. I've posted some pics of different issues from Camillus. I must have at least a dozen of them. Search word: PILOT

Saw another post here about the guard getting loose... it is because the leather dries out, it is the pressure of the leather and pommel that hold the knife together. Just about all of mine are loose right now, including some of the newer special and limited editions. It's winter, the heat is on, and it's very dry. In combat or utility use, with hand-oil and sweat and moisture in the air, they stay very tight. A good leather preservative will keep the handles moisturized, but so will an occassional wetting with a water damp rag. I have a big container of mineral oil, and a surplus '84 Ontario, so I will try that right now. I'll report on what happens.

You can high polish the handles of those surplus ones on a buffing wheel with some medium compound. Can really make them shine. You can also sand them down to make them fit your hand better or give a better grip. I spray painted the handle of one of them black, then used a small belt sander to remove the paint from the high places on the leather washers, then polished it. It made for a striking looking knife.

Also... depending on where you live, bear in mind that with the sharpened clip, this can be called a double edged knife, hence illegal in most places. A careful grinding or hand sanding will remove the edge. We all hardly ever knife fight anyway, right?

Good buys, guys. Seems to be a glut of those from '83 and 84 right now, by both Camillus and Ontario. excellent buys.
Phil
 
I use paraffin mixed with about 25% beeswax. Heat in a double boiler type of arrangment and soaked the sheath for a minute or so (rare- medium rare??? :D )

Here's a tip for getting the harden wax off the metal shield portion. I used the wife's hair dryer to heat a section at a time and soaked up/wiped off the reliquidfied wax with a paper towel.

p.s. I used some files to "lower" the clip point and take the edge off the back of the blade as suggested above.
 
dullone: How was the overall condition of the knife itself? An old sheath that needs the stone pocket removed I can live with, as long as the knife is in good condition. I mean, cmon...$20.00? :eek:
 
geegee,


As i mentioned originally, the knife was in very good condition. Had a single spot of surface rust on the sharpened edge that disappeared with honing. The coating had a mottled look that mostly evened out with an application of Tuf Coat. It's no beauty queen. But for 20 bux, you'd be very pleased with it.
 
coating the handle in anything waxy will result in the substance seeping out and onto everything when it gets warm. use paraffin or beeswax and if you're near a campfire, you could have the handle ignite into a makeshift candle.

at twenty bucks, I think we can safely assume this knife is a disposable item and let it face the elements without any home treatments. Leather itself is quite durable and you'll get quite a few years of hard use from it before it falls apart.
 
Guys,

Thanks for all the helpful hints! I'll give them a try. I can't wait to file the guard and condition the handle. Mine is marked 1984, and although the blade wasn't still sharp, a couple of passes on the diamond stone changed that pretty quick! The tip is still fine enough to take your breath away. Textoothpk, thanks for the sanding tip! I'm definitely too old too be attempting backcuts with the clip.

I really don't know why I like this knife so much. Call me crazy, but the smell of the leather reminds me of the countless Army supply rooms where I got my gear issued many years ago.

Maybe I'm just getting old enough where nostalgia is more important than other things, I don't know. This looks like a **very** functional blade shape.
 
Here's a link from the 'other' knife forum and Frank Trzaska (A real expert on Millitary knives) gives his suggestion for tightening up a leathr handle. I use a different leather conditioner, but he does suggest the best.

http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthrea...=512896&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

I heavily soaked the handle of one of mine with Mineral Oil as I promised I would try it. Left it overnight to dry, and nothing... So count that treatment out.

Good advice given above, to make sure whatever treatment you use on your leather washer handle is not flammable, if you are going to be around an open fire.

Phil
 
Well, looks like my procrastination has cost me. The same knife that was $19.95 a few days ago, is now listed at $25.00. :grumpy:
 
I always wanted a Air Force Survival knife. I remember being 12 (29 years ago) and seeing the ads for them in the back of Outdoor Life magazine. I never ordered one and if I did it would have been confiscated by the parents.

I saw them in Cabelas and I ordered one. The knife was in decent shape but the sheath snabs were not functioning. The nipple on the two retention snaps corroded away. Oh well I will just have to look for another. I wonder if there will still be some Air Force Survival Knives tucked in a warehouse 29 years from now?
 
I use to work in survival equipment in the AF for 8 years (active duty 88-96). Camillus, although they still make the pilot's knife, have not supplied it since the early 80's to the military, ontario has. Of course the camillus ones, were around for quite a time afterword. Then usually, like other surplus, eventually auctioned off the the highest bidder at the fed. auctions.

The handles come dry, the sheaths are plain dried leather also. We would soak them in neats foot oil for a few days and pull them out and wipe excess oil and let them dry out (as much as possible). This was usually done on an individaul basis though. It was never written that the knife handles, or sheath (of the pilot's surv. knife) were to be treated. The only knife handles and sheaths that were treated with the "anti-jungle rot" dressing, were the F/U's and that was started in the 60's (to the present).

Some would also dip the handle in a hot can of beeswax, some used parafin, to help treat them. In my own experience. neats foot oil works well on the handles, and most any leather conditoner works well on the sheath. neats foots on the sheath tends to make it to "bendable", "pliable", etc.

As far as snaps coming off, you can go to most any home depot, or fabric store and buy a snap ans tud kit and replace them yourslef, all you need is a pair of pliers and a small hammer. We would replace the snaps with the same regualr, standard size snaps you find in the store (which tend to be a little bigger than the ones that come on the knife sheaths, but they work fine).

As far as knives being stuck in a warehouse, it happens all the time. the military has always been known to stock pile and "forget about it".

They were still issueing mark 2's from ww2 in Korea and some in vietnam!!!

I rememeber issueing old ww2 metal utility folders in survival kits in the late 80's and 90's!!! As long as it works its used, unless, its broken, rusted beyond repair, or its been held up in a warehouse and someone wanted to order the "new toys" from the NSN catalogue instead of using the old. Than it eventually makes into the fed. auction after its been forgotten and "obsolete".

And in case anyone is wondering the saw back is for cutting through aircraft aluminum, i.e. the cockpit area, not for sawing wood.
 
I use to work in survival equipment in the AF for 8 years (active duty 88-96). Camillus, although they still make the pilot's knife, have not supplied it since the early 80's to the military, ontario has. Of course the camillus ones, were around for quite a time afterword. Then usually, like other surplus, eventually auctioned off the the highest bidder at the fed. auctions.

The handles come dry, the sheaths are plain dried leather also. We would soak them in neats foot oil for a few days and pull them out and wipe excess oil and let them dry out (as much as possible). This was usually done on an individaul basis though. It was never written that the knife handles, or sheath (of the pilot's surv. knife) were to be treated. As far as procedures, they are usually "deviated" from. The only knife handles and sheaths that were treated with the "anti-jungle rot" dressing, were the F/U's and that was started in the 60's (to the present).

Some would also dip the handle in a hot can of beeswax, some used parafin, to help treat them. In my own experience. neats foot oil works well on the handles, and most any leather conditoner works well on the sheath. neats foots on the sheath tends to make it to "bendable", "pliable", etc.

As far as snaps coming off, you can go to most any home depot, or fabric store and buy a snap and stud kit and replace them yourself, all you need is a pair of pliers and a small hammer. We would replace the snaps with the same regular, standard size snaps you find in the store (which tend to be a little bigger than the ones that come on the knife sheaths, but they work fine).

As far as knives being stuck in a warehouse, it happens all the time. the military has always been known to stock pile and "forget about it".

They were still issueing mark 2's from ww2 in Korea and some in vietnam!!!

I rememeber issueing old ww2 metal utility folders in survival kits in the late 80's and 90's!!! As long as it works its used, unless, its broken, rusted beyond repair, obsolete, or its been held up in a warehouse and someone wanted to order the "new toys" from the NSN catalogue instead of using the old. Than it eventually makes into the fed. auction after its been forgotten and "obsolete".

And in case anyone is wondering, the saw back is for cutting through aircraft aluminum, i.e. the cockpit area in an emergency, not for sawing wood.
 
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