Camillus

Vintage Camillus Pilot Survival Knife - Camillus N.Y. 2-1984 with Leather Sheath

$249.00

Only one in the case

Ships from our Austin, TX showroom in 1–2 business days.
Standard, express and overnight shipping at checkout.
30-day returns in as-received condition. Adult signature on delivery.
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This is the knife that rode on the survival vests of U.S. Navy and Air Force aircrews for decades. The Pilot Survival Knife was adopted in 1957 and refined into its classic 5" saw-back form in the early 1960s. Camillus Cutlery of New York was a primary maker, and every one was built to a strict government pattern. The design had to work as a weapon, a tool, a saw and a pry bar for a downed pilot with nothing else to rely on. This example has a crisp three-line pommel stamp, CAMILLUS / N.Y. / 2-1984, dating it to February 1984, the final year of Camillus's government contract for the pattern. That makes it one of the last of the contract-era knives. It has the original stacked leather washer handle, heavy hex pommel, and dark-finished saw-back blade. It comes with a tan leather sheath that has a retention strap and a front pouch for the sharpening stone. The blade shows honest age with spots of surface patina and rust, as seen in the photos. A genuine piece of American military history from one of the country's oldest knife makers. Vintage, pre-owned. Includes leather sheath. No box.