KNIFE COLLECTOR FROM THE NORTHWOODS

 Every year I enjoy going to the local military show.  Besides viewing the vintage vehicles (including a tank this year!), and possibly even a reenactment, I especially like browsing through the various booths of the vendors.  I am now on the lookout for military knives.  Last year I picked up a 1973 US Army Camillus "Demo" folding knife and a KA-BAR knife, both of which I believe have their own posts on this blog.  This year I picked up a second "Demo" knife, but my celebrated purchase was a US Navy Pilot's Survival Knife, often referred to as the "Giant Jack" for "Jumbo Jack" for its size and weight (about 13 oz.!). It dates from the WWII era, which makes it special to me considering my father served in that war.   These knives were made by Colonial Cutlery Co., Providence, RI and United Machine Tool Co., Grand Rapids, MI .  My knife was made by the latter.  I understand there are also versions of this knife without any manufacturer's ...

 I'll be honest, as a newbie knife collector knife steel is one area where I often glaze over.  Obviously, my less expensive collections fall within the lower end.  But now even so-called 'budget knives', say Ozark Trails from Walmart, are upping their game and providing better steel and other features.   So, I thought I'd put some charts and info here as much for myself as anyone else who might stumble on this site.... On Gearjunkie.com  (https://gearjunkie.com/knives/common-knife-blade-steels) I found one of the more helpful comparisons for those of us who do not regularly purchase the really high end knives.  Here's their info:    420HC Soft steel with low carbon content Relatively stain-resistant and tough, but doesn’t hold an edge well Easy to sharpen 1095 Old high-carbon (non-stainless) steel, known for toughness Prone to staining and corrosion, often coated Performance varies with heat treatment AUS-8 Common st...

 Besides knives I have developed the related interest in multitools.  SAK (Swiss Army Knives) provides one of the best, although they lack a good, robust set of pliers.  My SAK Champ does have pliers, but they are small.  I have now settled on two multitools - one a smaller EDC, and one more robust, especially for work at the fire department and on calls.  The first is the SOG Powerpint , the second is the GERBER Dual Force.   One thing I have learned, however, in reading reviews of multitools, is that everyone has an opinion and they vary widely from high praise to disapproving mockery.  If I went with some reviews I would not only have passed on these two good tools, but I would never have learned firsthand their value.     I have also learned that you need different multitools for different settings.  My  Powerpint  is perfect for EDC where I might need smaller tools for limited uses.  The  Dual Force  h...

 Like BUCK knives, CASE knives also have a way to be dated by checking the stamp on the blade.  Below is a chart I found that goes from 2020 to 2029.