Postal Finger Knife

[SKIPH]

Would have loved to have been given a case of those. Cool! SKIP

[TRR]

Yes, it was probably 5-6 years ago before I was truly in the collector mindset or else I may have held on to them. I will have to look, but I am sure I still have a few in a tool box somewhere.

[SKIPH]

They really had some brittle blades. Saw quite a few with points broken off over the years. SKIP

[TRR]

Sure did, almost looked like grain you would see when a piece of cast iron broke. Lowest bidder they say

[Jack's Son]

It's surprising how much mileage we can get out of a finger blade that was in an old box of Militaria. The GI has always been the best "alternative use" guys in the world.

[Ronnie]

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.

Sactroop has nailed it. Who knows why these troopers chose to jump from this plane with these rings but my old buddy said he saw it and he is of the old breed.....a man of honor, courage and faith. I cannot argue with that.

Skip I guess you didn't call anyone a liar but you did say,"I have my doubts."

As for research....as far as I'm concerned, there doesn't need to be any research.....when Sgt. James Hardy told me he had seen paratroopers jump with these rings I knew exactly why this old paratrooper who earned his wings in 1955 had one of these things in his box of airborne items.

Still friends. Everything is ok.

Ronnie

[SKIPH]

Jack's Son- That's a statement we can all agree on. This is an interesting thread and my interest is peaking. I want to find out more about these. SKIP

[Frank Trzaska]

Handy Twine Knife made for clerks. They come in multiple ring sizes. In the photo are three sizes 7, 8 and 9. They have been around since the late 1800's at least and have a Patent dated to 1912.

 

 

The MC-1 was not a paratroopers knife like the M2 was. It was an emergency tool used by an aircrew member that did not go up in the air with the intention of jumping out of the aircraft. The hook blade was for cutting suspension lines and risers that you could not see well like behind your head while in the water. It was developed to be used while wearing a May West vest so it would not puncture the vest or harm the user cutting behind his head. Worn in the open position it would not poke the wearer with the rounded outer radius as well.

 

I have read may post crash reports before the development of the MC-1 that were included with the design documents. One common theme was the jumper lost his knife that was strapped to his leg or to his belt in the prop blast or the chute opening shock. Many had the belt knife hang up on the exit door or in contact with the canopy if in a jet. They wanted to do away with knives worn on the exterior position anywhere hence the location of the knife pocket was on the inner thigh. The main theme was to have the knife with you when you landed and really needed it not lost before you hit the ground.

 

Just rambling on now... in any case not really a "Jumpers" knife like in Skip's case where he intended to jump out of the aircraft.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

[SKIPH]

Frank- I have seen it all. You have a box of finger knives. SKIP

[Jack's Son]

Jack's Son- That's a statement we can all agree on. This is an interesting thread and my interest is peaking. I want to find out more about these. SKIP

 

Please Skip, just JS!

[gunbarrel]

Logan/Smyth MC-1 hook blade knife

 

[SKIPH]

I have a Logan/Smyth, and as cheesy as they are compared to a Camillus or Schrade, It actually has a more positive opening. Maybe to clarify this I should say it has a better track record of locking on opening than the others. Granted, the idea is to get the blade out with a broken or injured hand, but there is something about the positive "snap", locking the blade in place. Hate it when a blade bounces back, unsecured. Drifting! LOL! Jack"s Son, thank you for the abbreviation. SKIP

[e19]

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

I agree with Skip. If it was in fact used by paras, you'd think there would be one on display in the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville I don't recall seeing one there, or ever hearing any of the WWII, or Korean War paras I jumped with mention a "finger knife".

[Ronnie]

I have no evidence that it was ever used in WWII only during the early to mid fifties. It was probably a fad kinda thing and I don't believe you would ever see one in the Airborne Museum. My cousin, 1st. Lt. Waverly W. Wray carried, along with his .45 pistol, a nickel plated .38 on all four jumps that he made during WWII and it isn't on display in the Airborne Museum either.

I don't know why this is causing some of you so much consternation.

Ronnie

[Jack's Son]

?......... Drifting! LOL! Jack"s Son, thank you for the abbreviation. SKIP

Hey Skip.....I'm just a casual kinda guy.

[TRR]

......I don't know why this is causing some of you so much consternation.

Ronnie

It is just people expressing their opinions and observations. You have take it with a grain of salt because only about 10% are ever going to agree with you 100% on a good day. It is one of those "never seen it, so it must not exist" scenerio.

[Ronnie]

Thanks TRR. I just find this all amazing.

RD

[SKIPH]

Ronnie- You introduced a great topic for discussion. Cause right now, all of us are thinking, "Did we miss something?". I live less than 10 miles from the ABN /Spec Ops Museum. I will keep my eyes open. Great thread! SKIP

[Jack's Son]

I was so excited about the discovery made in this thread, that I went the Post Office stagnant storage building with a postal worker friend on mine. I couldn't let Frank corner the market on these finger knives, I just had to have one. Soon after arriving I moved a collapsed shelf, and low and behold.....there was a mint box full of the treasure! The box label read, "Handy Twine Knife Co. 1911, patents pending, box contains 25 ea count." I was in heaven, and asked my friend what I had to do to get this from the Postal Service. He said we should go to the Postal Inspectors' office and ask. The inspector said I could have them after he ran the box through inventory to clear the system, he said that would take about a year, I wailed in defiance, but rules are rules he quipped. He then told me that after they cleared to postal system, they would be subject to public auction for another year,( gots to be fair!!) the public auction would start at the postal service annual clearance auction. If the box, or any part of it was not sold there, it would then go to Christi's auction house for sale, and if by some chance it did not sell there, it would go to the postal service on line auction store on eBay!!

 

I'm crushed! I'd cut myself, but I don't have a blade!!

[TRR]

BS,...I mean JS (hit the wrong key trying to use the short version). That was a great story

[Jack's Son]

BS,...I mean JS (hit the wrong key trying to use the short version). That was a great story

HA! HA! HA!........

[Ronnie]

Ronnie- You introduced a great topic for discussion. Cause right now, all of us are thinking, "Did we miss something?". I live less than 10 miles from the ABN /Spec Ops Museum. I will keep my eyes open. Great thread! SKIP

Thanks Skip but I don't think you are likely to find one there. Not likely to find a Rolex either . But it's part of many Special Forces Troopers gear.

Thanks again.

Ronnie