PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVT. (Kutmaster) ... Who Do I Return it To ??

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BrotherJim

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A month or so ago, I picked up several knives from an Estate/Consignment/Thrift store here in town. There happens to be an Army Aviation Post here too (Fort Rucker). One of the knives I purchased is a three-blade Kutmaster Stockman.

Previous research concerning "Kutmaster" only revealed that Utica Cutlery Company first used the trade name "Kutmaster" in 1937. I'd been totally unable to pin down any estimate of age on my Kutmaster Stockman. I THOUGHT the only marks on the knife was the tang stamp: KUTMASTER UTICA N.Y. U.S.A. on the tang of the main blade and no other tang stamps of any kind on any blade.

Earlier this evening I was getting the Kutmaster ready for a possible Thrifty Thursday tote and happened to snap a picture. THEN ... looking closely at the picture, something POPPED out that I hadn't noticed before and you can BARELY just see it in the picture below. All the cleaning and sharpening I'd done on this knife and never once in hand did I notice a very VERY faint blade etch on the main blade. This evening, I had to get out a magnifying glass and get the light precisely just right to make out: PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVT. !!!

SOooo ... off to do research and learned ...
1) There is a book called "Pocket Knives of the United States Military" by Michael Silvey and he dates the knife 1950's or 1960's on page 125 of his book.
2) There is no "Workcenter Code" scribed into the knife, like with one of those electric vibration scribes. So the knife either spent little to no time in a tool crib or was issued before around 1970 ... or both.

On another knife forum, a member with a forum name of "Papa Bones" had this to share ...
A friend of mine who retired in 2015, started working in the Tool Issue Branch in 1965. I called him the other day asking about these knives. He said that he thought most of them were from the late 1950's into the early 60's. At that time, probably within the requirements of the contract with the maker, these came with the "Property Of U.S. Government" marking on the blades. But by 1970, and probably through a different contract, and probably also as a cost saving, the "Property of U.S. Government" was dropped from the knives. In the 70's a change of accountability and inventory requirements were put in the "DMWR Regulations" (Depot Maintenance Work Requirements) and the "NMWR" (National Maintenance Work Requirements) concerning accountability. Hence, in the 1970's was when they started inscribing the work center codes somewhere on the knife at the Depot Level. Also, and I can attest, that by 1990, the types of pocket knives you could sign out had been reduced to only the Electricians Knife, and if you worked in the Upholstery or Cable shop, you could get a rope knife. All others could only sign out a box cutter, a single blade Stanley Razor Knife. So basically to sum it up. These knives were Government Contract Knives, that were at one time within the G.S.A. (Government Services Administration) Catalogs, and were most likely a late 50's early 60's contract.

Now, I DO NOT want Andy and Barney called out to come kicking down my door. I'm too old to watch the world go by from behind bars !!! Since this knife was once available through the G.S.A., many different branches and agencies could have ordered the knife ... military, Forest Service, USDA and on and on. So who do I return this knife to?? ... anybody got a gub'ment address?? The knife is good and tight and still has tons of use left in it ... it's sharp too. Thanks !!!

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Thinking back to my military days ... DRMO (Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office)

That's who we turned everything over to like when we decommissioned a ship or something.
Often DRMO puts items in lots and up for bids to any buyer and this knife MAY have been included in some sale or other. Who knows, ya know.

DRMO is responsible for the disposal of excess DOD personal property, foreign excess personal property (FEPP), scrap, hazardous waste, and property requiring demilitarization.
That's how a lot of military surplus such as you might see in Army Surplus stores out in town might end up.

EDIT: I had NO idea Stockman knives were at one time in the government supply chain. When I was in 1986-2006, you could find and get any number of different knives ... but never saw a Stockman.
I think that knife ended up right where it was meant to be, under the circumstances ;) ... and it isn't going anywhere LOL
 
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Edit : I thought I remembered these having been in a 70's era US issue survival kit I saw, but I was mistaken.
The kit I remembered was 1983 dated and the stockman included in the kit was a Colonial.


Cool knife there, Utica knew how to make a pretty good economical pocket knife.
 
When I left my last duty station in the USAF, I had to turn in a tool box. You paid for what was missing. I left that crummy knife. What I shoulda kept were the safety wire pliers. No “Property of the US Government” stamping.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Edit : I thought I remembered these having been in a 70's era US issue survival kit I saw, but I was mistaken.
The kit I remembered was 1983 dated and the stockman included in the kit was a Colonial.


Cool knife there, Utica knew how to make a pretty good economical pocket knife.
Click to expand...

As a young sailor (career wise) back in the 80's, I happened to be present when some old Naval survival gear was opened up. I remember a knife being among the survival gear but that's all I now remember. Can't remember even if it was a fixed blade or folder ... I was "in it" for the smokes. They actually used to pack cigarettes in the survival gear and since they were air tight, still "worked" just fine :D
 
jakemex said:
When I left my last duty station in the USAF, I had to turn in a tool box. You paid for what was missing. I left that crummy knife. What I shoulda kept were the safety wire pliers. No “Property of the US Government” stamping.
Click to expand...

Yep, whenever I transferred from one duty station to another, part of the "check-out" was turning in the tool bag/box for inventory. I have a Demo knife and a Marlin Spike rope knife but the only knife I was ever actually issued as far as tool inventory, was a TL-29.
 
Military issues out knives all the time, some on property book and hand receipts….and some aren’t and some get DRMOd and sold to contractors who then sell to the public. You’re not in any jeopardy, I say put the knife in your pocket and enjoy.
 
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BrotherJim said:
They actually used to pack cigarettes in the survival gear and since they were air tight, still "worked" just fine :D
Click to expand...
I always wondered why they'd wanna put cigarettes in the C ration or MCI and in survival kits, but I realized that withdrawal symptoms would be pretty bad for a soldier to be going through in combat.
 
Probably sold by Unker Sam decades ago at an auction of surplus goods, and resold at a Army/Navy surplus store shortly after (or included for "free" with a surplus Dodge Pickup or Power Wagon, Jeep, Duce Anna Half, Truck Crane/Tank Recovery Truck, Landing Craft, PT boat, life raft, ocean going tug boat, etc.)

Even if the "Gov. Property" etch stood out like a bare pinkie toe that at full speed just located the coffee table or other hard immovable by kicking it furniture leg in a very dark room, I wouldn't worry about it.  The  THEY/THEM aren't going around collecting those that have M-1 Garands and earlier rifles marked "Property of The US Government" or "US" ... nor the pistols and revolvers, bazookas, 81mm mortars, towed Howitzers, tanks, bayonets and fixed blade knives, folding entrenching shovels, uniforms, helmets, pistol belts, holsters ... and other items that are also marked "Government Property". 😁

Utica made a good stockman. 👍
 
Hickory n steel said:
I always wondered why they'd wanna put cigarettes in the C ration or MCI and in survival kits, but I realized that withdrawal symptoms would be pretty bad for a soldier to be going through in combat.
Click to expand...

There weren't that many smokes in each kit. It was one of those "sample" size packs with only 5 (or 6?) sticks in each little box. All of them were Marlboro reds. The thing I always "marveled at" was that there was a knife in the kits. Yep, ya prolly would need one but the thing is, the survival kits we got into were wrapped up in RUBBER life rafts stored onboad ships. Someone highly responsible and sane would have to be in charge of that knife in a survival situation in a rubber raft. D'OH ... and the cigarettes and flame and cherry on the end of that butt.

The rafts and associated survival kits were onboard my first (of four) ship. We were in the Yards for maintenance and upkeep and the rafts and kits were being replaced with brand new ones. The USS Bainbridge CGN-25, a nuclear powered missile cruiser, was commissioned in 1962 and by the late 80's, some things needed upgrading. The old life rafts were one of them.
 
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Pretty cool score if you ask me. Over the years a lot people have posted about knives they were issued in the military. I spent my time in the Marines in the late 80’s and never saw a knife issued to anyone. Guess they figured Marines were lethal enough without a knife☠️😁 I’d really be curious to see how many of those ended up in landfills when they were trying to just get rid of stuff?
 
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