The left one you have seen before -- a quick and dirty rehab of a junk WW2 Navy KaBar blade. On the right is a 1981 example of the Camillus issued as an air crew survival knife. Each has been called a Bowie, despite being somewhat small for the mythical breed. The Camillus design is simply the KaBar* cut down to dimensions more practical for wear in cramped aircraft . The serrations on the dull side are for sawing through air frame skin.For one more view of a clip point Bowie, see the early one here. You will note it is much longer and slimmer than most modern examples, catering to the tin horn with its slim handle and shiny bolsters fore and aft.
But our confidence that a Bowie is a clipper begins to fade as we look at another pretty-boy Bowie -- this one with a blade a planet away from what we've been seeing. (TBC)
* "KaBar" here is handy shorthand for all the makes of similar WW2 U.S. fighting knives.
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Question for real specialists in that air crew knife. What is the purpose of the two 1/4 - inch holes in the upper quillion? Lanyard tie-on comes to mind, but it seems to me a lanyard amidships there would be awfully awkward.
2 comments:
It was to assist in lashing the knife to a pole for making an improvised spear for fishing and suchlike.
I had one of those things from middle school to... I can't remember what happened to it. I think I have a replacement in my box o' knives now.
Very reasonable, and I should have thought of it myself. One of these days I may sit myself down and devote an hour to trying to dream up a small arms question you can't answer. :)
This knife was like a gift. It had a full coat of light new rust and was in a box with KaBar blade, which is the one I wanted. I assumed the AC model was one of the Oriental knockoffs, and apparently so did the seller. Three bucks and a little blarney bought them both, and I grinned when I found the Camillus logo.
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