Postal Finger Knife

[Ronnie]

Yesterday a man brought to my office a couple of boxes of stuff from an estate sale. The first box had documents including a Jump School Certificate from Ft. Benning. There were other documents as well so I was obviously looking at stuff that once belonged to a paratrooper. The other box had goodies like insignia, name tapes, photos, foreign coins, and other items. One item was an aluminum ring that had a hook or sickle blade. I had never seen one before but immediately thought about a shroud line cutter. Why else would it be in a paratroopers gear? After I purchased the stuff I started researching the little knife. I find out that it is as stated above, a postal finger knife.....for cutting twine. I didn't think that the paratrooper worked at the base post office so I was looking forward to visiting with an older friend who flew on C-119's during the 50's and dropped thousands of para's. This guy graduated from jump school in 1955. When I showed the little ring knife to my friend he immediately said "I've seen plenty of those....paratroopers would jump with one on their finger just in case they had to use one in an emergency. Pretty cool. If you google "postal finger knife" there is a very interesting article about these at the "blade forums." seems like there were several makers. Including Logan/Smyth that made the MC-1 Survival switch blade knife.

Sorry I can't post a photo but maybe someone else can from that web site I listed. Also that article said the largest purchaser of these knives was the U.S. Government.

Thanks.

Ronnie

[doyler]

Ronnie

 

We had boxes of these at my previous job(in another life)we used them to open boxes that were taped shut.Worked pretty well to split the packing tape seal especially the the fiberglass reinforced tape.Lot easier than using a utility knife.

 

RD

[Jack's Son]

Very common in the PO and small parcel dept. of mailing houses, for the reason RD stated.

[Ronnie]

Yes I understand that but pretty cool that paratroopers also found a use for the little tool. That's what I find fascinating about it.

Thanks for the replys.

Ronnie

[Jack's Son]

Yes I understand that but pretty cool that paratroopers also found a use for the little tool. That's what I find fascinating about it.

Thanks for the replys.

Ronnie

Perhaps this paratrooper had one on hand incase his chute got tangled and he had to cut the lines??

[Ronnie]

Perhaps this paratrooper had one on hand incase his chute got tangled and he had to cut the lines??

That was at least one of the reasons. Another was if a chute malfunctioned and he had enough time to cut it away....this according to my buddy who dropped these guys.

I just think it is unique that paratroopers had the insight into adapting this to their jump gear. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to dig a knife out of your jump jacket! This thing was right there.

Ronnie

[gunbarrel]

If you google "postal finger knife" there is a very interesting article about these at the "blade forums." seems like there were several makers. Including Logan/Smyth that made the MC-1 Survival switch blade knife.

 

Hopefully the PFK was better than their MC1...they made the sorry one.

[Ronnie]

That's true gunbarrel. It seems the ones I've owned (Logan/Smith) were of a less quality that the Camillus and the Schrade versions.

Ronnie

[SKIPH]

I have never seen or heard of one of these rings. Someone post a picture-please. Now, as far as paratroopers using a ring w/ an exposed edge. I doubt it very much. I did 20 years in the army as a paratrooper, and a jumpmaster. Never saw or heard of this one. You can't imagine the danger of jumping with an exposed cutting edge. The ring has the potential for snagging on clothing and equipment, injuring self, and other jumpers. Also, rings, normal rings pose problems. Had a wedding band get hung up on a small nail jumping down from a truck. I hung there, by my ring finger, until my buddies helped me. Keep in mind you manuever your chute by hand, pulling risers to turn the canopy (toggles now). An exposed edge again could snag or cut lines. Also there is danger of bad landings, high winds (getting dragged). Tree landings require you place your hands under your arm pits, to protect from branches puncturing your arteries. An exposed edge on a ring would do that for you. That ring would be more of a liability than an asset. I never once in 20 years had to cut my way out of a chute. I've made plenty of tree landings, water landings, rocks, buildings, pavement, and snow. I served with guys who jumped in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, and Panama. Never heard of the ring. Based on a lot of personal experience. SKIP

[ccyooper]

I'm with SKIP on this one. I have never heard of or read about a knife ring ever being worn while jumping. A jumpmaster would have kicked some butt if he found anything sharp exposed like that being worn while jumping. I too almost lost a finger with a regular ring while jumping off a track and have the scar to prove it. After that I never wore a ring in the field or during a jump, etc. I've talked to many WWII paratrooper vets and they have never mentioned it. I'll have to double check with a couple of them the next time I see them as I know modern paratroopers don't do it.

 

CC

[TRR]

As a mortarman I agree with the others, rings in the field are bad news all around. I think things like this get made into myths by 2nd, 3rd, ect...accounts of someone using one. I have seen them used and probably have a few in a box somewhere, but it was by supply and logistics guys cutting strapping material and boxes. Though the initial idea sounds right, I think the others have dispelled why it would be a bad idea to wear. They also do not fit comfortably because it is a one size fits all tool.

 

Here is a stock image of one:

[SKIPH]

TRR- Thanks for the pic. That's pretty much how I guessed it looked. Checked with a fellow retiree/collector buddy at work. He's also a mega airborne collector, and jumpmaster. He has never seen or heard of one. Based upon the picture, that's a lethal weapon to jump exposed on a finger. I would have failed w/o hesitation, a jumper at my inspection station with one of those. Not "no" but "hell no". That thing could snag on a jump door and rip a finger off. Could also cut, or fray a static line with ease, creating a major malfunction. That thing is bad news in conjunction with a parachute. SKIP

[Ronnie]

Skip you are probably right! My buddy probably made this up. Pulled my leg. Pulled the wool over my head. Shot me a line of poppycock. He is 80 years old he has dropped thousands of paratroopers during the fifties out of C-199's. When I held this little device up and he saw it he immediately said....."I know what that is. I've seen a lot of paratroopers jump with that thing. Now for the record......he is NO liar nor am I. He said some did it and that's it.....there are exceptions to every rule.....end of story.

[gunbarrel]

Also, rings, normal rings pose problems. Had a wedding band get hung up on a small nail jumping down from a truck. I hung there, by my ring finger, until my buddies helped me.

 

SKIP

 

Skip, you were lucky. When I was a kid, a friend of the family was a switchman. One day he came over and had his hand completely bandaged. He had jumped off the train to do his thing and his ring caught on something. Yanked his finger right off his hand. Will never forget it. For many years now we have not been allowed to wear rings at the plant where I work.

[gunbarrel]

That's true gunbarrel. It seems the ones I've owned (Logan/Smith) were of a less quality that the Camillus and the Schrade versions.

Ronnie

 

Ronnie, LS are known to be second rate MC1's. Supposed to be an example of the government in the 1960's trying to save money by accepting the lowest bid without meeting certain specs.

[SKIPH]

Ronnie-Lighten up! No one has been called a liar here. I stated , and others have also, that we have never seen nor heard of anyone jumping with "finger ring knives". As a US Army Retired Special Forces Master Sergeant, with somewhere between 300-500 static line and HALO jumps, and a parachute jumpmaster, I have some credibility too. That is an unsafe piece of equipment to jump with. I have quite a few older friends who are still around, believe me they will be questioned. My neighbor across the street started jumping in 1953, he retired in 83. He will know for sure. This is not an indictment of your friends story. I have seen guys do crazier things jumping. Relax. We are all friends here. This is just another subject to research. SKIP

[gunbarrel]

Skip you are probably right.....there are exceptions to every rule.....end of story.

 

Guys,

 

C'mon, let's not get mad about this. We have a good group here and we can agree to disagree like friends.

[gunbarrel]

I see that Skip and I posted at the same time.

[cutiger83]

I never once in 20 years had to cut my way out of a chute.

 

 

I understand what you are saying about the ring.

 

However, I have read of stories where people had to cut their way out of a chute. I read one story where during WWII the soldier serving in the CBI would parachute into the jungle to help downed aviators find their way out. While walking thru the jungle, he came upon a man who was hanging upside down over an ant bed. The aviator had tried to shoot his way out of the harness but was unsuccessful. He had saved the last bullet for himself because of the ants.

[SKIPH]

cutiger83- Lots of bad things can happen on a jump. Heard of a guy who jumped into Normandy,landed in a tree, and cut his own throat with his M2 and bled to death right in the chute trying to get out of it Seen guys drive branches through their arms, also static lines wrap around arms and literally tear the bicep and pull it down to the wrist. Also guys reserve deploys in plane near jump door, and is decapitated getting pulled out. That's not counting malfunctions or any other problems. SKIP

[gunbarrel]

Geez, Skip--I thought my lost finger story was bad!

[sactroop]

I'm kind of wondering if this is an example of someone coming up with what amounts to, (it seemed like a good idea at the time), but because of the many points that others have made on this thread it just as quickly went away. Still I like the OP and I can see where this might have happened.

[TRR]

So what would a MC-1 be used for?

[SKIPH]

TRR- MC-1 Survival knife, especially the hook, is a difficult piece to use. It's designed to cut parachute suspension lines.. If your hanging in a tree, you have 30 suspension lines to cut, 15 on each riser. The risers are more than an arms length above you head, and are made of heavy, double or triple nylon straps, sewn together. No small task to cut your way out of a chute with one of those knives. We were trained if you were high enough up to simply deploy your reserve, release any equipment, undue your harness, and climb down the outside of the reserve to the ground. Much safer than cutting away. As a rule, we were not issued MC-1's, for obvious reasons. SKIP

[TRR]

Thanks SKIPH. I was a grunt but not airborne. A friend of mine that was a supply sgt was clearing a storage container and gave me a box of them. I passed them out to my guys and we used them for cutting paracord and all kinds of rough stuff a knife wasn't meant for. They felt kind of cheap but they worked and no one cried if you broke a free knife over an expensive one. I could see how it would be a pain to use if you were hanging there and I for one wouldn't want to fall more than a few feet, so climbing down sounds a lot better.