Camillis USAF Pilots Survival Knife - Can It Bushcraft?

[@Roosterdad50]

I have a small collection of these, and they are among my favorites.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Cool

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

Owned mine since 1995, made in 1994 by Ontario. Put it through hell, including hard battoning. Trust it completely.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Cool

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

This was designed for the US NAVY when jets came into use with high ditch rates. They Were initially 6” and eventually issued to all Five branches aircrews.they are superb ergonomically for egressing a pranged aircraft. The bolt is designed to lock into the liferaft oar for fighting off great white sharks. The upper guard lashings are not do much a crappy spear, but improvised machete and Tool for knocking down coconuts, chaga and bird nests. Camillus had a higher Rockwell @ 58 than Ontario @ 56 but a more exaggerated tip prone to snapping. The sheaths were made in Mexico and are high quality. The metal Cover was to prevent the knife tearing through and injuring the crewman. Military issue have the date, but if they needed more, unmarked civilian units were purchased the sawback is superb making magnesium shavings and we substituted the recently discontinued DOANS that came on mid 1970s for the lousy stone. The grind is A sabre. The blood groove isn’t to reduce weight, but compresses the steel for greater strength like a construction I beam. It has it’s flaws, but compared to the AK47 Bayonet carried by our foes far superior. I used mine in Arctic Survival School. You put a razor edge on it, didn’t do nonsense like batoning and it would get you through the average time for rescue. We had these things called RADIOS. The pilots over Vietnam would carry up to THREE . They got picked up. The ones with pearl handled revolvers Not so quick. Chris Kavanaugh

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Cheers Chris, great comment

[@SoldierDrew]

Plenty military pilots have effectively used them in survival training courses. With more skill any knife can be used to bushcraft and survive 72 hrs in the wilderness til rescue / extraction can get to you. I've never broken any knife using it as it's intended to be used. The Camillus Pilot Survival knife is a good tool in the hands of properly trained personnel.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Excellent stuff

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

I need to PS more observations based on using one of these IN down aircraft situations. If you examine one dismantled, the blade turns into a 90 degree angle at the tang. THIS Is the weak point shared by the USMC knife And source of snapping. I had one snap in survival school. It had been issued to countless trainees who used and abused it. Interesting fact: Any survival gear that survives rescue is SURVEYED ie trashed. My New Camillus is still just fine after a half century if rational use. Aside from thenprimary objective of egres, that upswept point was to say das va dan ya to any tovariches named Vladimir. The sawback CAN make very precise grooves in wood that happily match the diameter of paracord. The blade is Easily brought to a very sharp edge. IF you use proper stones and save the pocket stone for field touch ups- or swap out. Again. Mine carries a DOANS mag bar. The broad sheathback and a bit of tape will store needles, fishhooks etc. you may want to add a rangerbandbor cord lash to supplement the snap in rough country. Its a forgotten fact: Post WW Ii Aussie BUSHMEN adopted the Marine knife for the outback. The major modification was amputated upper guard. The UK sees the ADDAMS mk 4 toolkit knife mis sold as a commando tool and used for bushcrafting. It shares a basic pattern with an earlier, more refined blade and a Martindale machete.It’s a beast and the only thing that will break is your arm from fatique. Cutting thebupper guard on all three blades will loosen the remaining lower guar assembly. I can state this. Mine stayed on my kit as we opened the hatch on our C130 after a forced landing. It also cut up a Piper siluper cub to extract the deceased pilot; town butcher delivering meat when a heart attack took him. There were Kodiiak brownies on scene about to access the meat too. I didnt make a spear with my Camillus. Thee rounds from a .375HH close to their feet ( and quickly reloading) worked better. We did leave the meat behind as apology. Chris

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Cheers buddy, great comment

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

Bottom line- if something isn’t total rubbish LEARN it’s limits. You will get it to do things ithers can’t.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

@sharzadgabbai4408 good pont

[@ricardodafonseca9043]

When I was a kid my dad bought us these 'Rambo' survival knives at a flea market. You know with the hollow handle and compass on the back. I spent hours trying to sharpen that thing... But no luck. Useless knife with a useless stone in tbe sheath. Not even sure the blade classified as steel. When I saw these for the first time I always felt like it was a proper version of that knife and have always wanted one... But I know I won't use it, or even probably like it, so never bought one. Maybe I will one day, just for the childhood memories.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

some knives are just nice to have

[@wildnessoutdoors]

Badass looking knife even if it's not great for bushcraft!!

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

It's a cool knife

[@ChiefScout_Outdoors]

It might have worked had you put the knife down and drew the rod back over it 😊👊⭐️

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Might have, good call

[@johnheller5786]

Ok lets talk the truth. The knife is a piece of shit camilus knife better then the okc. Poor quality control mine broke in SERE trainig they replaced it and that one broke. I did 12 years in ait force ( i was one of the people who picked up down pilots). If i heard right the SERE are now issued esse 4 knives

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

They certainly have flaws

[@johnheller5786]

@RedBranchBushcraft that's an understatement try to pit an edge on one

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

It takes effort, but my service issue 1972 is more than sharp enough. Chris K

[@stevemcdermott6199]

Ive always liked them, I don't think I'd bother with the new Ontario version though.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

I'll send you over mine for a loan

[@stevemcdermott6199]

@@RedBranchBushcraft I'd be afraid what if the dog chews the handle off it or something

[@adammcguinness9950]

I have fancy HHS strikers that I put handles on. They work extremely well but 99 times out of 100, I’ll use the little orange striker like yours. It’s attached to my ferro rod, so its easier than getting my others out. The fancy ones are big and bulky. The HSS strikers take off lots of material on the ferro rod. I think I need to trim down the handles. Even my big ferro rods have huge handles. That’s my job for today.👍🏼

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Excellent Adam

[@Tracy81258]

I got the Navy version (blunted tip) for free when a bunch of us “liberated” everything not nailed down on a decommissioned destroyer. HORRIBLE knife in the field. The only reason the military kept using them was because you could bend the hell out of them and it could be straightened back out. If you have nothing else though, you make do.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Exactly buddy

[@NothingToNoOneInParticular]

Bruno split the wood better than the knife did! lol

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Lol, he's a champion

[@woodsroamer6175]

Spent 3 years with a knife like this in the jungles of Latin America. You have no idea what constitutes “ bushcraft.” You do not understand this knife. Go home.

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

Thanks buddy

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

Wally IS Home. I too spent time in the Yucatan and SA. THE blade is a Tramontina. The military issued MACHETES and several other tools. Bushcraft has turned into a parochial eastern woodlands, paint by number perform holy communion with the firesteel Cash cow by a group that couldn’t last in other environments. Those are the people you should tell off, not Wally. His summation was hardly negative. Chris Kavanaugh

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

Wally is home. I soent time in the Yucatan and Brazil- archaeologist. THE knife is a TRAMONTINA. Bushcraft has been stolen by eastern woodlands alpha males fighting over a slice of supermarket pie income. Wally is only guilty of pursuing outdoor skills by the parochialism and cult behaviors ( making fore with fero rods a near holy communion.) pushed by these srlf prockaimed experts. Wally did a fair appraisal within that mindset. You owe him a n apology. Go after those other fools. Chris K

[@RedBranchBushcraft]

@sharzadgabbai4408 cheers buddy