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An interesting aluminum handled knife I picked up this morning


kfields
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So I hit the Sunday morning flea market and purchased this knife for $7.00. We haggled a bit but he wouldn't take less! It was only when I got it home that I found the original owner had etched his name and serial number into the blade. Based on the serial number, I suspect he was WW2 Navy.

Can anyone help to identify a maker or maybe anything about the guy who etched his name into the blade?

Thank you!

Kim

 

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stratasfan

Well, I got it! His full name is Roland Eugene Orth. That is his service number. In July 1945, he was a F1c V6-SV on the USS Vestal (AR4). He was on the Vestal through Apr 1946.

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Well thank you very much Stratasfan! I owe you now!!! I'm so thrilled to have a little bit of history on the guy!

Kim

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stratasfan

I am finding two that would be a good age. One from Dayton, he would live there through the 1950s at least, working at McCall's. There is another, from Nebraska and Kansas, but I don't think that is your guy.

 

I love knowing a bit about an item! Super cool thing you got there! I love knives! Let alone one with a name!

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Misfit 45

That looks like a Murphy knife which is very collectible. This is not my area and I have seen similar knives that were not the real deal and do not know the difference. I look forward to the experts weighing in on the subject.

Marv

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Stratasfan: It is probably the guy from Dayton as that is where the flea market I picked it up at is located. Thank you! Just a tidbit of history but the VESTAL was right alongside the ARIZONA the morning of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It barely was able to get away from the ARIZONA before it went down. The VESTEL's commander received the MOH for his actions that day.

Misfit45: Thanks for the info. another avenue for me to research!

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stratasfan

The Ohio one lived at 3613 Hoover Ave. in Dayton.

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Yes the handle looks like one cast piece of aluminum and of course the blade is steel. It's a sturdy blade, no bending to it. The blade is approximately 6 3/4 inches long. It almost looks like wording cast into the handle on the right side but can't make it out.

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Yep, Dave Murphy taught a few people how to cast aluminum handles. The list supposedly includes Gerber.

Congratulations Kim, if you had paid 10X that amount for the knife with a period sheath it would have been considered stealing out here in the Pacific Northwest.

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byf41, aznation, doyler, sactroop,

Thanks guys for the information and your comments! Looks like I have a keeper!

Kim

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  • 1 month later...

An update.

I wrote to this gentleman last month and received a reply back this week that talks about how he acquired the knife - and lost it. Here is the pertinent part of the letter as told to and written by his caretaker. And no at 92, he doesn't want it back!

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Thanks for sharing this too. Sounds like your gathering some pretty good information to display with the knife.

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Thanks for the comments. I had probably a small window of opportunity to approach the original owner and I'm so glad I did.

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