The Imperial is an improvement over the three WW2 machetes. Better grip, intrical folding blade guard, leather scabbard with a sharpening stone stored in an inside pocket. The WW2 machete's all came with a sheet metal blade guard, that could easily be lost, and were only intended to be carried inside of the B2 kit. DESCRIPTION: World War II era US Army Air Force Type A-1 folding machete/survival knife. Manufactured by Imperial Knife Co. As stamped on left ricasso. Adopted by the US Military in 1942 for the B-4 emergency bail out kit usually attached to the parachute harness. Checkered black plastic grip panels. Blued steel blade. WW2 Case xx Knife United States Marine Corps personalised - Blade marked 'Case XX' - Brass cross-guard - original issue, brown leather, machete style sheath with 'N' monogram to the obverse and Marine Corps serviceman number '804373' to reverse - Tropical wood grip - this knife was originally sourced from a veteran who served in the pacific. T are a few small places on the blade and guard with a bit of rust but nothing deep The 10 inch blade is straight and tight with a perfect edge. The opened machete is 17 inches long and weighs 1 pound 11 ounces. Has quite a heft to it! Crystal reports viewer online. The blade is marked 'Imperial Prov., R.I.' On the left side. The handle material is flawless. DESCRIPTION: World War II era US Army Air Force Type A-1 folding machete/survival knife. Manufactured by Imperial Knife Co. As stamped on left ricasso. Adopted by the US Military in 1942 for the B-4 emergency bail out kit usually attached to the parachute harness. Checkered black plastic grip panels. Blued steel blade.
Ww2 Folding Imperial Machete Sales Parts
If seems like months since I've posted anything it is probably because it has been months since i posted anything. One reason is because i just have purchased a knife recently that I felt was worth talking about. I guess that happens now and then when you have over 500 knives.
That all changed over the week-end when I finally decided it was time to buy one of the knives on my bucket list. And man am I so happy I did. I finally got around to picking up a Army Air force Folding Machete! 2 chainz b.o.a.t.s 2 me time zip full. And this is no replica, this one is the real deal:
In 1942, the Army Air Force adopted a Folding Machete for use in the B-2 and B-4 Bail out kits. This machete was designed to replace the Model 18 Collins machete. The reason for the adoption was to reduce space in the emergency kit. When folded, the AAF Folding Machete measures only 11 inches. Omnifocus pro 3 for mac.
Case, Camillus, and Cattaraugus were the 3 makers of the WW2 model folding machete. (I’ve also read Kinfolks made them but until I see one by them I’m going with the “3 C’s”.) All three are nearly identical to each other. As such all three suffer from the same flaws.
The shape of the handle is not especially comfortable. The edges are squared off and cut into the hand over time. The liner lock on the blade was not trusted by the users and was subject to failure. To make matters worse, the blade guard was a separate item and was subject to being lost. However, due to the war, these minor issues would have to wait until after the war to be resolved.
The folding machetes were called “Jungle Knives” by the crews who carried them. Despite their flaws, they did work. In some instances, crew members would reshape the plastic grips to make them more comfortable. However, the other problems remained an issue; especially losing the blade guard.
For the most part, the AAF folding Machetes were issued to crews operating in the South Pacific. However, I have seen accounts of them being used in European theater. I assume this was later in the war when survival kits were becoming more standardized or perhaps when certain Bomber Groups were transferred from the Pacific to Europe.
I’ve been looking for the AAF’s nomenclature for this item. I have seen at least on instance of it being called the M1942 Folding Machete but most sources have called it the AAF Folding Machete.
From what I understand, The USN and USMC flight crews also used the Folding Machete in their bail out kits. Again, I’ve yet to be able to verify this.
The Royal Air Force and Commonwealth forces also adopted the folding machete for the air crews. They not only bought ones made in the US but produced them under license in Sheffield, England. The British made folding machetes normally had a lanyard hole added to the handle.
After WWII had ended trials were conducted to address issues with folding machetes. Problems with the poor shape of the grip and loose blade guard were the top issues. Imperial submitted a design with an improved grip and integral folding blade guard in 1947 and this would later be adopted by the newly established U.S. Air Force as replacement. The new Imperial Folding Machete was known as the A-1 Folding Machete. The A-1 also rreplaced the canvas bag of the previous model with a soft leather sheath that included a sharpening stone enclosed it a small pouch on the sheath. The A-1 was adopted in 1948 and remained in service throughout the 1950s. During this time, the older AAF folding machetes were phased out.
The liner lock on the folding machete is very stiff and extremely strong, The blade has absolutely no movement when opened or closed. It really seems to be as good as the day it left the factory which was at least 71 years ago! On top of that the blade is close to razor sharp! The blade guard is also nice and snug with no warping. I'm totally psyched by just how well made this machete. I've seen you tube videos of people using them and I have no doubt they are as rugged as Sherman Tank! While i don't plan on using it I know eventually I'm going to have to just cut something to smithereens with it!
The Machetes were normally just stamped along the spine by the Maker. This one was made by Case
One of the other knives often packed with the folding machete was the AAF folding fish knife. Essentially this was a large toothpick with a scaler back used for dressing fish and small game.
And the Folding Machete compared to my Boker E-1 USAF survival knife. If your sensing a theme, you are correct. I like Army Air Force and U. S. Air Force knives.
Wwii Imperial Folding Machete
Knives have been a key fighting weapon in every war. No matter how advanced the technology, a good knife always has a place in battle.A special breed of knives saw extensive development during WWII. Known as the 'fighting knife'. While it could be employed for the uses of a regular knife, its primary goal was for hand-to-hand combat. The design, balance and materials employed varied from the run of the mill knife.
This page provides a sample of the various fighting knives used during WWI and beyond. The samples displayed here cover various countries that participated in the war. Information provided includes the identification of fighting knives and pricing of fighting knives. THE V-44 SURVIVAL KNIFE
The V-44 survival knife was issued to US Army Air Force personnel in case that they were shot down and needed to survive in the jungles of the South Pacific. The knife was first ordered in 1934. It was considered to be a machete. The knife featured here was manufactured by the Kinfolks company.
The design of the knife was very imposing. It consisted of a black horn handle secured to the tang via the use of three brass rivets.
The crossguard consists of two equal length arms that extend to the left and right and are terminated with circular ends. The blade is of single edge construction. The tip is of bolo type. Two horizontal lines extend for almost half of the length of the body. The manufacturer's logo is found near the base on the spine of the blade.
The scabbard is made of brown leather. A seam is placed in the back section. A separate piece of leather is riveted to the back to form the belt loop.
WWII US AAF SURVIVAL MACHETE
This is a US Army Air Force folding machete. As issued during WW2. The machete was part of the B-4 emergency bailout kit. The kit came in a square canvis container which also included other survival items such as a fishing kit, signal mirror, etc. The kit was normally attached to the parachute harness.
The folding machete consisted of a black horn handle which was secured by a series of different size rivets. A locking mechanism is found in the handle. Pressing the lever allowed for the machete blade to be folded or unfolded. The blade is of single edge construction. it measures approximately 10 inches in length.
length of the machete when folded is approximately 11 inches. Even when folded the blade extended beyond the protection of the handle. To avoid any cuts or injuries to the user a metal blade cover was also issued with the machete. The cover fits the blade snuggly. The problem with the blade cover is that it was a loose piece that could easily be misplaced.
Machetes are very useful for clearing brush, building shelters and other survival activities.
The WW2 US AAF folding machete was manufactured by Camillus, case and hte cattaraugus company. The manufacturer's logo was found on the side of the blade. an example of such marking is provided in the above photo.
US AIR FORCE PILOT SURVIVAL KNIFE
This is a US Air Force pilot survival knife. These type of knives began to be issued during the Vietnam war. It was determined that pilots needed a blade that could help them survived in case they were shot down. The space in the modern jet fighters was very limited. The knife had to be small but sturdy.
Pilots were issued a survival vest. The knife was attached to the vest.
The scabbard is made of brown leather. The tip is re-enforced with a metal lip that is riveted in multiple places. The front has a small pouch with a flap that has a snap. This is where the flint/sharpening stone is placed. The scabbard is very heavy duty. It has multipe rivets and stiching on the sides. The top section has a couple of slits to allow the belt to pass through. The back of the main body of the scabbard is covered with a metal plate.
The design of the knife consists of a brown leather handle. Several indentations are carved into the handle in order to provide better gripping. The pommel has a hexagonal shape. One side normally has the date of construction and the manufacturer's name. Sometimes the date is not present. The pommel could be employed as a hammer.
The crossguard is of rectangular shape. One side has two small holes. The blade is of single edge construction. The spine is serraed. This feature is particularly useful for cutting branches and similar things. Great for building traps or shelters.
The tip is Bowie type with it pointing slightly up.
If you have an interest is seeing other fighting knives, you can do so by going to our Military Fighting Knives Price Guide
Ww2 Folding Machete
identification page. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force, USMC and other military groups.While the knives shown on this page are not for sale, you can visit our website, MilitaryItems.com , to see other military and non-military knives available for sale.