thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Share #1 Posted January 20, 2015 Years ago, when I bought my Cattaraugus 225-Q knife, there was some discussion among collectors as to whether this was a military issue knife or a private purchase one. The discussion was spurred by ads describing the 225-Q knife as a “Commando” knife and showing drawings of soldiers jumping out of airplanes. At some point someone (I’m not sure who) was able to find the contracts showing that the “Q” in the designation of the 225-Q and the Case 337-6"Q knife meant a Quartermaster knife that was for use by the military in WWII. I just recently added the Case 337-6"Q knife to my collection, as I’ve been looking for a reasonably affordable and reasonably conditioned 337-Q for several years. I’ve noticed that the 225-Q knives have been fairly easy to find, with 4 or 5 available on Ebay in an average week. The 337-6"Q, on the other hand, seems to average one or two for sale every two weeks, and generally is priced higher. I’m not sure if that is because more of the 225-Q knives were made, or because the 337-6"Q knives appeal to both military and Case collectors, and is therefore in higher demand. The prices on the 225-Q knives can run from $40-50 up to $100-125, depending somewhat upon condition, but often on the “its old and military so it must be worth a lot of money” reasoning. The 337-6"Q knives tend to run from around $100 or so up to $350 at shows depending mostly upon condition. As far as I know, these are only the two knives with the “Q” designation, and they only come in these configurations with bright blades and thick pommels (which I believe were for hammering small nails and large tacks used in securing plywood boxes for transportation and storage of military goods). I believe these are the right sheaths, and you can see the indentations from the 337-6"Q knife’s ribbed handle in its sheath. Also, the 225-Q knife’s smooth handle has been altered by rough cutting of some grooves in the middle to allow a better grip. There has been a discussion about this as many of the 225-Q knives are found this way. I’m not sure if this was done at some point by the manufacturer, the military before issue, or by the user as a suggested modification. The location and manner of the cuts in the leather grip suggests that this was a standard alteration. Here are the two knives: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted January 20, 2015 Here are the knives with their sheaths: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted January 20, 2015 The markings: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted January 20, 2015 Other side: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted January 20, 2015 The handles showing the cutting of the Cattaraugus leather washers. Also it shows the thick pommels that seem to be unique to these knives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted January 20, 2015 Finally the pommel dimpled surfaces and the different ways the pommels are attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted January 20, 2015 Share #7 Posted January 20, 2015 Maybe someday we'll manage to dispel the urban legend that the Q knives were ordered for the use of the Quartermaster Corp. Also there are 337-6 Q knives that are only marked (CASE). There are even fewer of these than the CASE XX and usually go for more in similar condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccyooper Posted January 20, 2015 Share #8 Posted January 20, 2015 Thorin6, I've had several of the Cattaraugus Q knives in excellent condition and as you have pointed out, every one of them had the buff scuff as I call it on the middle of the handle. Maybe Frank or someone else may know why it was done at the factory (assumption). Also if I recall doesn't the CASE normally come in a right hand sheath? A great sturdy knife that you can depend on. Thanks for sharing. Regards, CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted January 20, 2015 Okay, here's the write up from Frank Trzaska: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/119854-cattaraugus-225q/?hl=cattaraugus Military issue, ordered by the US Army Quartermaster for general use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccyooper Posted January 20, 2015 Share #10 Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks for posting that link. I must have missed it way back when. Great info... Regards, CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchcollector Posted January 20, 2015 Share #11 Posted January 20, 2015 Great post.A nice "study" of these stout workhorses!These are great all purpose knives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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