Zodiac Killer Knife

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Yes, that's accurate. The Old Hickory butcher knife is a better fit for size of blade. Was it sharpened on both edges at the top?
 
old hickory definitly had blades in the 12" range
and a wooden sheath for a kitchen knife, is definitely not unheard of.
My great uncle made many kitchen and butcher style knives with wooden sheaths.
 
Great info. Thanks.

In regards to the bayonet, it seems as if most (at least American) bayonets had one rivet in the handle - the M1 for example. Are there any bayonet types with wooden handles with two (brass) rivets? With a long 9"+ blade?
 
Chaucer1 said:
Great info. Thanks.

In regards to the bayonet, it seems as if most (at least American) bayonets had one rivet in the handle - the M1 for example. Are there any bayonet types with wooden handles with two (brass) rivets? With a long 9"+ blade?
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The problem you are going to run into looking at bayonets is that Zodiac happened during the primetime of surplus sales. Their would've been 100's of types of bayonets from all over the World that could fit. Not to mention long bayonets that were cut down into fighting knives, bush wackers, etc..... It was common to play with and modify them.

It could be anything from a 1888 Lee Metford -

lee_metford_ba582.jpg
.

To a 1903 Krag -

attachment.php
.


To lots of Mauser bayonets.

Etc......
 
tltt said:
The problem you are going to run into looking at bayonets is that Zodiac happened during the primetime of surplus sales. Their would've been 100's of types of bayonets from all over the World that could fit. Not to mention long bayonets that were cut down into fighting knives, bush wackers, etc..... It was common to play with and modify them.

It could be anything from a 1888 Lee Metford -

lee_metford_ba582.jpg
.

To a 1903 Krag -

attachment.php
.


To lots of Mauser bayonets.

Etc......
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That's true. Those would have been all over the surplus stores and flea markets back then, for cheap!
 
DrHenley said:
Who described it as a bayonet? In the autopsy notes it said "possibly sharpened on both sides on the top of the blade similar to a bayonet type weapon." Which is a far cry from saying it was a bayonet.

I read that as "possibly had a false edge".
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Just responding to op's I intial description his opening post. Bayonet was one of the descriptions listed.


The autopsy said possibly bayonet based on the wounds.

I have a stout bayonet with a 12 inch blade, riveted wood handle, and a sharpened clip (false edge for about 2 inches).

My bayonet also has a stiff, stout spine.
 
Bigfattyt said:
Just responding to op's I intial description his opening post. Bayonet was one of the descriptions listed.


The autopsy said possibly bayonet based on the wounds.

I have a stout bayonet with a 12 inch blade, riveted wood handle, and a sharpened clip (false edge for about 2 inches).

My bayonet also has a stiff, stout spine.
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What type of bayonet? Picture?
 
Chaucer1 said:
What type of bayonet? Picture?
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Find a copy of Paul Kiesling's "Bayonets of the Word" (it's a 4 volume set of books) and thumb through the list of bayonets with 300mm blade lengths. Also, consider that it could have been broken or otherwise cut down from a longer bayonet.

n2s
 
Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps investigators are onto Zodiac and this fella is actually him trying to figure out how easily discernible the known facts are? For instance,”Damn, they’re keying on the knife. I wonder if it’s nondescript enough? Let me get on the knife forum and see how well the experts do.”
 
Murdamook said:
Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps investigators are onto Zodiac and this fella is actually him trying to figure out how easily discernible the known facts are? For instance,”Damn, they’re keying on the knife. I wonder if it’s nondescript enough? Let me get on the knife forum and see how well the experts do.”
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What occurs to me is that for every 1,000 people claiming to be "operators" and "Rangers" and "spec ops" etc here, 999 of them are making it up.
 
Murdamook said:
Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps investigators are onto Zodiac and this fella is actually him trying to figure out how easily discernible the known facts are? For instance,”Damn, they’re keying on the knife. I wonder if it’s nondescript enough? Let me get on the knife forum and see how well the experts do.”
Click to expand...

It's much more likely that C Chaucer1 is a copycat trying to properly recreate the original Zodiac Killer's crimes by using the proper knife.
 
marcinek said:
What occurs to me is that for every 1,000 people claiming to be "operators" and "Rangers" and "spec ops" etc here, 999 of them are making it up.
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Not true, they just look more like this type of "operator":
telephone-operator-working-at-switchboard-D1832G.jpg
 
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Japanese Arisaka bayonets have 2 metal studs in the handle and some had bamboo sheaths. Also, if late war the hilt is rather small vs the early war ones which had a loop on one side.

94053d1270101251-wwii-japanese-bayonet-p4013439.jpg
 
Lol us knife guys will use any excuse to talk about knives.

Really the only answer to this thread is and has been: there is no way of knowing.
 
I agree it isn't likely to be figured out. This September will mark the 50th anniversary of the Lake Berryessa stabbing/murder. Most of the original investigators, witnesses, and even the murderer are probably dead by now.
 
I mean, the Zodiac Killer seemed to be a pretty handy person, making that hood and writing those codes. Stands to reason it'd be a homemade knife, or just a big slicer out of the kitchen.

As for the surgical tape, I had always thought he probably wrapped some tape around the handle as an improvised guard to keep his hand from slipping onto the blade.
 
CPP said:
It's much more likely that C Chaucer1 is a copycat trying to properly recreate the original Zodiac Killer's crimes by using the proper knife.
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Or some dude into serial killers.

Or an anti-knife person trying to show knife folks are into serial killers.

Or not.

We don't know.

What I do know if that our expertise/passion is being used to figure out/discuss what kind of knife a serial killer used. Personally, not comfortable with that. Personally.
 
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