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couple WW2 US Knives

Imperial M3 , second variation , first variation had date 1943 on blade

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Permalink Reply by db 3 hours ago

i do not know of a Springfield connection ,i know other manufacturers used flaming bombs , the style would change from company to company , i collect ammo cans too and they have flaming bombs as well when i acquired them some folks on a firearm forum told me to look them over for one , and low and behold there was a uneven strike on the imperial , the Mk1 USN knives are about the same size of the bolt type pilot survivals , i do not believe PAL produced anymore military or hunting knives post ww2 so all PAL Knives are war knives , so when they stopped producing the PAL RH 35 the military needed another pilot knife so Camillus started with what is now the transition knife , i believe the earliest bolt type known is 1968 ,they replaced the transition , the PAL RH35 is smaller than the Mk2

1941 sounds right for Remington selling their cuttlery division so they could concentrate on weapons and munitions for the US entering the war , PAL put RH (Remington Hunting) on the knives because they were patterned after the hunting knives they had been selling commercially , not sure if that was a Patent thing or homage to Remington

the 225Q i have read that "supposedly" will fit a leather Mk2 sheath , it will not fit a mk 2 scabbard , they are really hard to find with the leather handle not roughed up , im told that the users did this to assist the grip , the smooth leather grip was slippery so they would groove the center and as it was used they ended up looking like the handle on mine , ive seen some pics of pristine examples but they were undoubtedly unissued

here is some info on the M3 knives that explains the evolution

WOOOO!

It sounds like somebody has my number! I just got home and checked out iKC...

Very nice collection! I have not acquired a pilot survival knife yet, but yours are looking good! :)

A few random thoughts?

The Catt 225Q? The VAST majority of the sheaths were for the left hand side. But there were a few that were made for right hand side. Salt water environment caused a lot of the leather sheaths do rot out rather quickly. CASE made a 'Quartermaster's Knife" as well - called the 337. I am still looking for a good one.

PAL acquired the Remington Cutlery division in 1941.

The MK Is were also made by multiple companies.

I had not heard of a transition knife between the MK I and the Pilots Survival before. For whatever reason, I thought the PS knives were closer in size to the MK IIs... But there again, I do not have a PS knife either. LOL.

The RCC Mk II was made by Robeson Cutlery Co. The Mk II was actually designed by Camillus, but Union made the most of them.

I am not real knowledgeable about the M3s, But I believe the flaming bomb was normally seen on things from the Springfield Armory. Did Springfield make M3s for Imperial?

YEP! I am really liking these!