Hello All,
tltt was correct - it is a Van Adestine, and I'm the man who wrote the book on them. Use my book as a guide to help me find more examples of Grampa Van Adestine's Knives.
I have only a few books left. see my link > >
http://yostaction.com/vanadestine.html
This knife will be added to my study and will appear in the next printing - complete with its interesting story. The story will read as follows:
This next Van Adestine knife is the 3rd collected in 2015 and the first Fighting Knife collected this year. It represents the 17th Fighting Knife added to the study to date.
This knife has a very interesting story to tell. It was brought to this Authors attention via an email from an unknown Internet surfer who discovered it as the topic of discussion in a December 2014 inquiry posted on an Internet Knife Collecting Forum. The email read; "You might want to see if its for sale - I see its from December. Not sure if he would want to sell it or not." (and gave the link to the posting)
Following the link showed that the poster was looking for help identifying the knife in the picture, and any suggestions on how to care for the knife after having mistreated it for over 55 years. He writes: I'm ashamed of myself for mistreating this knife. I abused it since I was a kid. I'm now pushing 65.
....................
.................... This badly mistreated Fighting Knife was used as a garden tool for almost 50 years before the owner discovered its true identity.
Another poster on the Forum identified the knife. He wrote; "It's a Van Adestine, the stamps can be weak or broken on them so they sneak past a lot of collectors. You can read more above. (link) Don't go selling it for a song, they bring decent money. Just oil the blade with some mineral oil."
The knife's owner wrote; Well, you win the prize. A few years ago I posted these pictures at another Forum. ... with no hits. Now I know. It almost saddens me that as a kid still in single digits, I found this in an attic trunk. ... I used it as a throwing knife, busted the tip, and then as an adult, plucked weed after weed never attending to it - - clean, dry, and lightly oil. ... Thanks for the identification. I won't be selling it. I think that I will do as you suggested. Clean it up with some mineral oil...Norton's, and retire it next to his 45. My wife says that I should just keep using it as a garden tool so long as it functions well. Thanks for the link."
This Author contacted the owner, and after a few days of amicable negotiations, I convinced him not to follow the wife's suggestion. Rather, that this knife should live out the rest of its days in comfort with all its brothers and sisters, as part of this Authors Collection / Study. The owner agreed, and was very pleasantly surprised at the handsome sum he received for his much abused garden tool.
....................
.................... The Van Adestine Name Stamp shows only a few leading squiggles, with only the ending STIN remaining clearly visible. The blade was still covered with last year's vegetable garden mud.
The seller added the following History of the knife after the sale; My father was Dr. Ben J. Phillips. He entered the Army after finishing his Medical training from Tulane University. His parents lived in Winnetka, IL. Dad was assigned to various campaigns in the Pacific. After five years of service he retired as Lieutenant Colonel and raised a family in New Orleans. The knife sent to you belonged to him. I played with it as a child and for whatever reason stayed with me wherever I moved as an adult. I had vegetable gardens and I'm ashamed to say that I re-purposed this fighting knife as a garden knife, then, and all the way up to the last growing season in Louisville. Of all the tools I have used, my hands have more hours on this knife than any one object that I have ever owned. To my surprise, I never sharpened it nor ... kept it on my belt while in the garden."
....................
.................... Aluminum Guard and Butt Cap are cast using steel molds blocks, show post 1942 construction.
Since Winnetka, IL. is located only 19 miles north of Chicago, it is likely that either Dr. Phillips himself, or one of his parents or family friend, purchased this knife for him at the Von Lengerke and Antoine (VL&A) store in Chicago, IL, sometime during his time in Service. The knife's handle construction shows post-1942 construction.
....................
.................... This knife was likely purchased from the VL&A store in Chicago, IL.
Fortunately the fellow posters on the Internet forum advised the owner against using any harsh clean-up efforts which would have destroyed the knife's unique patina. They recommended only an oiling with mineral oil, which the owner had planned to do. However, the sale evolved before this was accomplished, and the knife arrived with its original coating of last Falls vegetable garden mud.
As a follow-up, since the knife was ultimately purchased through the lead of the unknown emailer, and as has been done in the past with other knives located for this Author, a finder's fee was in order. A search for his identity was conducted, and it was discovered that it was none-other than the Author's own son-in-law - who did received a finder's fee.
This Van Adestine Fighting Knife represents one of the longest 'continuously serving' knives in this Authors Collection / Study, although only a small portion of its service was in a Military capacity.
....................
.................... Fortunately this Author had an extra VL&A Fighting Knife Sheath acquired from a man who had lost his knife.
With each newly acquired example of Grampa Van Adestine's hand forged knives, comes an understanding of his history and handicraft, of days gone by.
....................
.................... The Hunt for Van Adestine knifes continues.
. 
