USAF Air Crew Survival Knife

Officially the Knife, Hunting, Sheathed, Survival, Pilot. Summary and examination of this famous piece of hardware.
NOTE: The research and development started in 1953. The knife wasn't fielded until 1957. The US Navy does appear to have taken lead on the project, but it addresses the other branches also.
The production date is on the pommel. I'll wear my reading glasses next time.
Photographer Oleg Volk can be found at olegvolk.net

[@michaelsarkisian1047]

I was a Flight Engineer on P-3s for 15 years, and a SERE Instructor for my last 5 years. I have tons of experience with this knife from both jobs. it isn't a bad knife considering it has a stick tang. But many of these knives were poorly tempered and would break off at the tip or at the cross guard. After I broke mine during TEST School(Tropical Environment Survival Training) I tossed it and got a Cold steel SRK but that was too long for the sheath so I finally replaced it with the cold steel master hunter and never looked back. While at SERE we would lose 2 to 3 to breakage during a class. Remember this is a survival knife and is used for digging, mainly Dakota holes. Also because many were tempered too soft, they had terrible edge retention, easy to put an edge on it, but it will fall off.

[@SharpPointyThings]

The M7 bayonet has the same issue with tip breakage. We'll cover that at some point. Breakage is a function of too hard a temper, vs too soft, which yields a bend. And the factory edge geometry isn't great.

[@texasstadium]

I carried one of these jewels in the military (sea going service) in 1970. Sure wish I had it right now; I don't remember what mfg it was back then. A while back, I purchased one from Wal-Mart that was manufactured by Ontario. It is the real thing except for the lack of a blood groove. I have thrown the unit into my automobile survival kit. I can vouch that the Wal-Mart knife could do anything the military knife did. Same steel and specs basically.

[@m1k3droid]

might want to turn up the gain on the mic, and put some sound absorption panels behind the cameras to absorb the echoes. Otherwise excellent work.

[@Sygma6]

I like the nice back and forth.

[@MrErictank]

WAY more difficult to look you up on the YT app than should have been the case. But subscribed. My family lives in Camillus. Sadly, I'm given to understand that their knives are not what they used to be.

[@stolman2197]

I noticed the same

[@SharpPointyThings]

They tried valiantly to compete with China, but couldn't. Walmart's business model killed them.

[@MrErictank]

Wish I could say I was surprised.

[@stolman2197]

Mad Mike doing the knife version of a guntuber! Already subbed. I don't own one of these(yet), but I've always appreciated the basic no nonsense approach of them.

[@BattleChemist]

Good stuff, Mike! Also good to see Oleg helping out, as well!

[@petesheppard1709]

Good overview! I have a Camillus '83 and actually used the serrated back recently to cut a lanyard groove around my hiking staff. While not a good saw, it is pretty good for notching wood--which can be very handy for building a shelter.

[@cargosquid]

I've got a couple of these.... good knives

[@robertvancel]

Great presentation!

[@camohawk6703]

42nd subscriber.

[@crawtrapmanthompson4718]

Very informative.

[@dirtyscoundrel2013]

It doesn't have a thick Tang. It has a rattail Tang. There's a video on here of a guy very easily breaking a new one

[@SharpPointyThings]

It's about a half inch wide, full thickness, which is not "rat tail." It's more substantial than a lot of Cold Steel products, or the M7 bayonet. I will discuss tang designs in an upcoming video. Certainly a full tang of sufficient thickness is stronger. That is not the design of most military knives. Anything can be broken with enough lateral force. I was unable to duplicate the video's claim. Possibly he has a rejected item, or tampered with it. Given the multiple fractures he accomplishes it certainly appears to be a non-spec product. Also see our following video that a knife is not a pry bar. It is made for cutting. My tire iron won't split firewood, either. Use the correct tool for the job.

[@THEMARTIALARTSCHANNEL-bb4fx]

​@@SharpPointyThingswell spoken!

[@preparedmindstrongspirit5724]

When I was in the 82nd Airborne, that knife was ALSO the traditional Jumpmaster knife. All the Jumpmasters I ever saw had one on their ankle. By the way, thank you for your service, all the C-130's I had to throw myself out of, and all the hot Air Force chicks. Subscribed.

[@SharpPointyThings]

I was a mechanical section chief in engineer units. I rode in them as cargo/passenger, not as crew. Thanks for your support.