The ASEK, made by Ontario, was adopted after trials by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts. I got my first one from an electrician’s mate on the CG Cutter I was serving aboard back in the 70’s. I own one of these knives and recently became interested in it’s history when one was found in a japanese built WWII tunnel system in a mountain in Northern Luzon, Philippines. During WWII, survival knives were issued to aircraft crew, as it was a real possibility that these personnel might be shot down over wilderness or … However, based on the information that I have collected, vetted, and coupled with my own experience with the DoD procurement and testing process, here is the basic history of this knife. These influences upon the procurement system tempered the DoD design features of the knife. I have a MK2 copy that I bought in the US Army AAFES exchange in West Germany in the mid-1980s. Some companies marked them and some did not. Currently, one pesticide product is registered to contain para-nitrophenol as an active ingredient. 1 review(s) | Add your review. They needed an effective tool for survival in … The Gerber ASEK met all requirements, and outperformed the Ontario model in the area of electrical insulation. The sharpened clip point on the blade allows the pilot to punch a hole in the aluminum then use the knife spine as a hasty saw to cut through the aircraft skin during an aircraft egress situation. In May 2005, Gerber Legendary Blades introduced its own ASEK-compliant knife (available commercially under the name LMF II) to the military for evaluation. €39.75 . I just bought this knife from Ontario Knife Company. The serrated spine on this knife is part of the functional requirements for this knife. Ontario Knife Company is most well known as a supplier of military knives. Ontario Spec Plus SP2 Air Force Survival Knife. Thus, finding ways of reducing the bulk of the Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) assisted in the overall weight considerations for flying. Thus, this knife became obsolete for its original intended use when the majority of military aircraft incorporated composite materials. However, this was not the end of the aging Air Force Survival Knife. In particular, some questions that arise with this knife are those regarding two specific features of the knife: the saw-toothed spine and the two holes in the handguard. The iconic design features of the knife, that have characterized its look, have remained unchanged since its inception. Some Comments on the Design Features of the Air Force Survival Knife, Further Developments of the Air Force Survival Knife, A Short History of the U. S. Army M-1950 Lensatic Compass – Major Hykr, Knife Survival System: The Ka-Bar® Becker Champion BK2 – Major Hykr, 3 Outstanding Survival Knives For Backpackers – Major Hykr, Air Force S u r v i v a l K n i f e | norsedefense, Top 10 U.S. Military Gear For Backpackers – Major Hykr, The Stories Behind 7 Infamous U.S. Military Knives | Fishing, Top 10 U.S. Military Gear For Backpackers. Here you will find information and tips on outdoor activities, wilderness safety and survival, equipment, first aid, health, and other related items of interest to hikers, backpackers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. ( Log Out /  Air Force Survival Knife 9/14/20 - This is a civilian version of an Air Force survival knife- aka the jet pilot's survival knife. However, the essential features of the knife have remained constant throughout the life of the knife. However, it was still adequate for survival situations and therefore remained in the Federal Supply System. As a further development on the Air Force Survival Knife, the Ontario Knife Company offers a second-generation civilian version of the knife in its Special Purpose SP® series of knives. Thank you…. The first thing that confuses me about this knife is the saw on the spine of the blade. A new world standard was set with the F1 through attention to important details including technical design, ergonomics and economy. The stamping was kind of inconsistent from my research. The Air Force Survival Knife has had a storied, yet obscure, history. I am trying to find any information on a 7 inch U.S. Camillus. But you have an injury to your arm. I also picked up another old Camillus that has no dates on it whatsoever. You pull the knife out but drop it. The leather for the grip will be cut into washers, 1/8 inch in thickness. Blade Steel: 1095 Carbon Steel Blade Length: 12.7 cm (5.0 in.) It is assumed that such information resides in the archives of the companies that have manufactured the knife as well as the files of the DoD. The story of this knife seems to begin in 1953, when the DoD announced to private industry their specifications for a standardized survival knife for pilots to interested vendors in Military Specification MIL-K-8662 (16 October 1953). This knife was issued. [2], During the initial evaluation, an electrically insulated handle was considered to be desirable but not mandatory. A zinc phosphate finish over the tough high carbon 1095 steel helps protect from rust. However, because of Marble’s premature manufacturing of the knife before it was awarded a government contract, the rest of the world gained the privilege to own this knife. Their commercial version of the survival knife had a polished blade instead of a subdued or blued blade, brass guard, and polished pommel. Boker Plus U.S. Air Force Survival Knife. The knife was probably modified by a previous owner. I've included sections on the history, a bit of anatomy of CSAR knives, other associations I've had with PJs, and where the future of this is going. Camillus produced the knife with a 6-inch blade from 1959-1961. Possibly, some may have had one issued to them while serving in the military. Over the decades, this document has been updated. You can find items such as a Camillus Air Force survival knife from the Vietnam era or a Colonial knife that belonged to a World War II pilot. You mentioned the Ontario KNife Company briefly in the article. The ASEK replaced the "knife, hunting, survival pilots", which had a number of problems with the leather sheath and handle, the sharpening stone, and corrosion resistance. Ontario’s knife became procured by the U.S. Army and was issued a National Stock Number, NSN: 1095-01-530-0833 within the Federal Supply System. It was common for everything in a survival vest to have a lanyard. Get the best deals for camillus pilot survival knife at eBay.com. Paranitrophenol was first registered in the United States in 1963 as a fungicide incorporated into leather products and hides as a preservative. The pommel is marked CAMILLUS N.Y. 2-1971 for February 1971 . What are the unique features of the Air Force Survival Knife, as outlined in the U.S. Government specifications? Not an easy knife to resharpen and the very tip was prone to breaking off. [4], It has a number of features that aid in escaping an aircraft, such as the ability to be used as a hammer to break acrylic glass cockpit windows and cut through an aircraft's aluminium skin. One of the tasks that this knife was designed to accomplish was helping pilots and aircrews egress their downed aircraft or to help first responders extract them from their downed aircraft. Bama Knives takes no responsibility for any illegal purchase. As such, this knife was not intended as a frontiersman or bushcraft knife, per se. Many of us have been exposed to the fixed blade knife known popularly as the Air Force Survival Knife. The current edition of this document is Aerospace Standard SAE-AS-8662. The Newer one is by Camillus the older one I got given to by my uncle, who got it from someone in Vietnam. Ontario 6-89. View all posts by Major Hykr. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. In 1957, the Marble-Arms Corporation submitted to the U.S. government a design based on their Ideal Hunting Knife design. While researching this knife I discovered that Camillus, the same manufacturer as the iconic Kabar fighting knife, was the main producer of these knives. The serrated spine was designed to cut through the aluminum skin surrounding the airframes of Korean and Vietnam War-era aircraft. I’m assuming the knife is an earlier production but, as it’s a 5 inch blade, it has to be after 1961. Glen, As best as can be ascertained, the two holes are used as lashing points for cordage for survival tasks in the field, such as creating a hasty spear. It used to be a standard piece of gear for anyone, including backpackers, who was a serious outdoorsman and wilderness adventurers back in the 1970s and 1980s, before the Rambo movies made popular the Rambo-type survival knife. I’m interested in finding out about what I believe is not a USAF Pilot Survival Knife, but may in fact be an Asian made imitation. The iconic design features of the knife, that have characterized its look, have remained unchanged since its inception. Requirements for the replacement knife, set by the United States Army Aviation Branch, included tests in: Other features, such as an electrically insulated handle, were deemed desirable, but not required. So, as stated earlier, the archives of Marble or the DoD may reveal conclusively if the reason for the holes in the handguard. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! The genesis of the Air Force Survival Knife goes back to the 1950s at the dawn of the jet age. Thanks for your response. It was enlightening to discover that there is very little information available on the background and origins of this knife. Regards, ( Log Out /  I have little knowledge on the Use of it in Vietnam, that said, I cant find much details. The Mark I is based on the French variety, except i… Most knives I seen are marked 10998 or some other number not marked on my blade. I own one as a backup knife for my backpacking, outdoor, and emergency needs. Companies interested in gaining the government contract received these requirements and submitted proposals for consideration based on those requirements. [2][3], The US Army's Defense Supply Center purchased 11,881 Army ASEKs in 2004 and 2005 for equipping Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) vests. I became curious about the background and history of this knife about a year ago. As with many uses of military equipment, service members use considerable ingenuity in the field when employing their equipment and therefore, the use of the holes in the blade guard for cordage lashing points may have been a field expedient use of the knife rather than as an intentionally designed purpose. I was wondering if you had run across anything about the dates on the pommel nut. It includes a crushed diamond disk sharpener and a separate blade for cutting through seatbelt webbing. The OKC USAF Survival knife is a classic who's design hails from the Vietnam era and still holds up even today. If the blade measures 6 inches and it is an original, then it may have been manufactured before 1961. Thanks for the feedback. US Air Force Pilots Survival Knife. Thanks for looking and have a great day. The Boker Plus U.S. Air Force Survival Knife is a good quality knife at a decent price that won’t break your bank. With out further adieu I present the Ontario Military Issue Air Force Survival Knife w/Sheath. Still being supplied during Desert Storm and into the 21st century. A comfortable Kraton® handle provides a … I’m working on making one of these for a friend who is currently at the Air Force Academy and this article was incredibly helpful, thank you! Can you say more about how Ontario played a role in the Survival Knife’s evolution ? The blade is polished and is 6". Thanks for contacting me. Later, after service members began returning from Vietnam, the military-grade issued knives began to be seen on the market. It has a classic, old school western look to it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrew_Survival_Egress_Knife In 1961, updates to the military specifications called for a 5-inch blade. If you have any question’s or concern’s please ask and be sure to ZOOM in on picture’s as they describe the item better than I can. I have a one of the knives that came out of a survival kit. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you provide. As late as the ’80s and ’90s, Japanese made copies of the MK2 “KABAR” and the Air Force Survival Knife were sold in exchanges around the globe. If you would like, I could send you a photo of this knife. If you have some method to receive photos, let me know and I’ll forward the photos. The grip will be made of leather in compliance with Federal Standard KK-L-165. I have one but can’t find anything about it. The journey of this iconic knife has been exciting to discover. Both are excellent knives. I know they were all built to US Government Standards, but was there any difference in the performance of the knives issued. Any opinions? Before this requirement, knives of several types were procured by the individual branches of the military and dispensed to their members. I believe the two holes in the blade guard was to dummy cord the knife. Packaged in the sheath are a special tool for cutting seat belts and a diamond impregnated sharpening disk. This knife has been around for many years. The intended use of the knife is for pilots as required in survival situations. The Air Force Survival Knife is an excellent knife. In all other ways, it totally resembles the pilots survival knife distributed to the military in the 1950’s. Description. The Air Force Survival Knife was introduced to the commercial market by Marble after not being awarded the DoD contract to supply the new survival knife to the military. These knives, along with machetes and bolos constituted survival knives as used by military, explorers, and outdoorsmen up through at least the 1930s. This page is about the knives I make for United States Air Force Pararescuemen, with plenty of examples and links to these very special knives right here on my web site. The United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab (USAARL) considered the lack of insulated handle of the Ontario knife to be a catastrophic failure of the standard, and Ontario is redesigning their ASEK to meet this requirement.[4]. This military specification document would become the standard for further improvements and changes to the pilot survival knife throughout the years. The 5" plain edge blade has a .17" thickness with a flat bevel with swedge grind and an HRC of 50-55. This is a cool knife i picked up at an army surplus store. By contrast, the current DoD procurement process is much more refined and regulated. The one I have comes with a green pouch that went on the vest and the leather sheath was sewn into the pouch. Buy Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife, The Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife is used by several branches of the US Armed Forces. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Contact the Ontario Knife Company. Enjoy and See you on the trail! The Air Force Survival Knife has had a storied, yet obscure, history. It has not been fully replaced as of 2014.) [1] The knife is 10.25 inches (26.0 cm) in length, the blade is 5 inches (13 cm) in length, .1875 inches (4.76 mm) thick and constructed from 1095 carbon steel. World War I saw horrific fighting in close quarters, which helps explain the knife’s nickname as “Knuckle Dusters,” referencing their heavy brass knuckle grip. In the late 1940’s, General Curtis LeMay, the head of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), authorized the creation of a survival kit for the crews of long range bombers. The Ontario Knife 6150, 499 Air Force Survival Knife has become an Ontario CLASSIC also used by US Armed Forces. Not sure about the pommel stamping. You are correct. from Knifecenter.com - The Original and Largest Online Catalog of Cutlery Thanks! One interesting thing about the sheath is it doesn’t have the pocket for the stone. Camillus produced the Jet Pilot Survival Knife with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006. Bear7, Most of the information that I have collected about the knife comes from blogs and knife forums on the internet. The blade is finished from SK-5 carbon steel mirror. Curiously enough, my knife does not have the Camillus trademark name stamp anywhere on the knife or the sheath. Mine has a blued blade and crossguard. This is a quick look at the Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife. Style: Fixed Spear Overall Length: 24 cm (9.5 in.) (The 1958 designed knife is still issued by US military, and is currently made by Ontario Knife. The knife has been in continuous service with the Department of Defense for over sixty years. The dummy cord is tied on a hole at the blade guard and then it is sewn in the green pouch. I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account. It may also be used as a screwdriver or precision edge marker. The item “US WW II Imperial Army Air Force Survival Machete Knife -Folding/Military -WW2″ is in sale since Wednesday, February 21, 2018. Entertaining and informing. Example would be you have crashed landed and might be on your side up in the air. When you order any knife you are confirming that you are an adult making a legal purchase. Wonderful read! Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife 5" Sawback Blade with False Top Edge and Blood Grooves, Natural Leather Handle and Sheath - 6150 4.5 out of 5 stars 992 $51.65 $ 51 . I haven’t had the opportunity to measure it as it’s not in my possession and never was, I simply saw it. These knives became popular with outdoorsman. The knife’s 1095 Carbon Steel fixed blade has an epoxy textured powder coated finish. The sharpening stone size shall be 3 inches long, 7/8-inch-wide, and 1/4 inch thick. You can send them to my email: majorhykr@gmail.com. After the completion of testing and bidding competition between Marble, Camillus Cutlery, and the Ontario Knife Company (OKC), Camillus was awarded the contract to supply the new Jet Pilot Survival Knife (JPSK) to the Department of Defense instead of Marble. Fighting knives were no longer single-purpose tools of war, but were intended to be used in a variety of ways, as well as being combat blades. The knife has been in continuous service with the Department of Defense for over sixty years. That same year, the Marble-Arms Corporation (now known as Marble’s®) began work on designing their prototype for the survival knife based on the government specifications. Additionally, the jet age in military aviation increased the number of gear pilots and aircrews had to carry on their flights. To recuperate some of the money that they had spent producing blades and knife components, Marble offered a civilian version of the knife to the public in 1961. The Mark I trench knifewas not only preposterous in its comic book design, it was actually some-what practical, too! Interesting information. Hi John, The 7-inch knife was not military issued knife. But if it’s an Asian imitation then it’s hard to determine when it was made. The sheath is a bit unimaginative but I really do like the sharping stone pocket. It is also suspected that knife makers will begin to find ways to improve the knife and manufacture their versions of the knife similar to what knife companies are doing with other legacy knife designs. The cutting blade is to be 5 1/8 inches long and 3/16 inches thick. About 99% of the knives you'll see offered will be commercial one's made by Marble's or fakes put together by others. It is a Japanese made copy of the US Air Force Survival knife and was sold through the US military exchanges. Hello, The knife went through a couple of different vendors over its life cycle. Do you have any information on this kind of knife ever being produced? I would love to see a picture of the knife. It is the SP 2, Survival Knife. Bama Knives takes no responsibility for injury, accident, death or criminal acts due to the misuse of any of our products. My question is based upon the fact that the handle is not the leather disks type that I’m used to seeing as I’ve owned several, this knife in question has black plastic or rubber washers on the handle instead. Thank you, this is a very informative treatise on this knife. The 5" plain edge blade has a.17" thickness with a flat bevel with swedge grind and an HRC of 50-55. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Many GIs bought these knives and carried them during the war in Vietnam, including my father, who bought on in the exchange in Takhli, Thailand, and wore it during missions over North Vietnam. However, there is not enough information in the literature to determine with certainty the purpose of the holes. A zinc phosphate finish over the tough high carbon 1095 steel helps protect from rust. Furthermore, standardization of equipment reduces costs upon the logistical system. Many thanks! I have several good photos of the knife which I’d be happy to forward but there doesn’t seem to be a way to send them to you on this site. We have seen it in outfitter stores, marketed on the internet, and may even have owned one. Ontario’s model became the Aircrew Survival and Egress Knife, System (ASEK) based on the published requirements by the U.S. Army. ( Log Out /  Dear Major,I have had this knife for 30 years when I picked one up at local sporting goods store ,it served me well but, sadly had it stolen a few years ago….my question is how to safely (without too much damage to tang or butt plate (large nut square hole) to change handle ? As well, it must be remembered that this knife was designed to address a specific need for the U.S. military and was not intended to be used outside of that context. Is this unusual? Hi Bruce: 65 $71.95 $71.95 The U.S. Defense Department published to private industry requirements for a standardized fixed blade knife to issue to pilots and aircrews of the various service branches. The design features for this knife came about through various inputs from servicemembers, survivability researchers, and training developers. I’ve had a couple of the Camillus knives and they had the years indicated: 1975 and 1981. This blog was… how do you say it? So far I haven't found any ASEK's ordered by the Air Force, but that doesn't mean they aren't. The leather will be treated with para-nitrophenol fungicide. Even if the Ontario Knife Company discontinues their production and the DoD phases them out of their inventories, the knife will be around for commercial purchase. A backup knife for my backpacking, outdoor, and procedures were not necessarily applicable to the procurement system the! Background and origins of this document is Aerospace standard SAE-AS-8662 military aircraft incorporated composite materials like Kevlar had not fully... Of this knife is the saw on the use of it in outfitter stores, marketed on market... Paranitrophenol was first submitted by Marble Length: 12.7 cm ( 9.5 in. second question that concerning. Our products cord is tied on a belt applicable to the U.S. Government a design on... 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