World War 2 Era Colonial Survival Knife

R

RQKnives

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Sep 20, 2015
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13
I found this in a box of old tools that was sitting outside. I did my best to clean it up and restore it with the tools I have. The saw also looks different from any other I have seen, and the tip doesn't appear to have been broken off.

These are some pictures of the condition I found the knife in. It was completely rusted shut.




And here are the after shots.










Note the odd shape of the saw.




All teeth intact.


 
I don't think it was. It has the same coating as the rest of the saw. It isn't bare metal on the end.
 
Great save and a real rugged beauty it is !! What is the closed length? i know one has been posted before a while back. It looks like a great tool
 
Thanks for finding that. I knew I'd seen that pattern posted here, but could not find the thread.
 
You did a great job cleaning that up. Nice save for sure!



Your saw blade has definitely been broken and rounded off, its shorter than its supposed to be. But I bet it still works fine like that.


I have a website where I document Colonial Knife history. I will copy and paste some information here from it for anyone interested.




The US Navy pilots survival knife, nicknamed the giant jack knife by the men who used it, was a big folding knife with 2 blades, one of which was a saw. The US Navy discovered that in many emergency’s such as being under attack, a ship sinking or a plane going down the men didn’t have their fixed blades on them and they would not have them when they needed them most.



The US Navy ordered the pilots survival knife from Colonial to go in the C-1 Sustenance/Survival Vest. During this time Antonio Paolantonio served on the war production board in Washington D.C where he oversaw the allocation of steel to the cutlery industry.


Pictured below is the giant jack knife with its original sheath.


Colonial%20Jumbo%20Jack2_zps7iwuncro.jpg


These were made with and without a bail.

Colonial%20Jumbo%20Jack%203_zpsyxp9aezy.jpg




Below is the C-1 Sustenance/Survival Vest.

C1%20vest%20with%20Colonial_zpshhpapj0g.jpg




Below is a picture of Antonio Paolantonio pointing at the Colonial knife that was included in the C-1 survival vest.


wardept1942-full_zpsb6dvcifr.png
 
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Here's a NOS example that I picked up several years ago. It was coated with cosmoline and wrapped in paper.
 
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The one I have has a broken saw blade. I wish I could find and original saw blade to be able to repair it because other than the saw it's in great shape. I don't want to put anything but an original back on it. Oh well maybe I'll find one someday.


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Didn't we decide that it's best use might come as an anchor? Truly a fine job of enormous restoration, RQknives. Those are one of the most interesting, my opinion, WWII knives. Not to take anything away from standouts like the Ka-bar. Really my other favorite is the Marine Raider Bowie V-44. I recall Jake and I discussing them, and being surprised at how many examples of it there still were, given the relatively low production numbers for them.
Thanks, Neal
 
Interesting knife, looks like something that makes even toenail knives pale in comparison. :D
And I have to agree with others that you did amazing recovery job on that knife!
 
Thank you for all of the kind words! It's a funny thing that I found this knife, because my grandfather was a gunner on the aircraft carrier USS Wasp during World War 2. So, the pilots that would have also been on the carrier with him would have all had these. Just an interesting coincidence.
 
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