bryson152 Posted January 11, 2007 Share #1 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi All, Can anyone please tell me approximately when the first WWll V-44 Kinfolks Fighting Pilot Survival Knives were made and approximately when they would have been in use? Regards Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted January 11, 2007 Share #2 Posted January 11, 2007 Allan first of all V-44 is not right for the nomenclature.These are the collins #18 machete original patterned by collins and copied by other manufacturers such as Kinfolk,Case and Western also by other aussie manufacturers.The NO. 18 machete dates to 1926.The Army Air Corp first used the NO.18 in a jungle seat kit in 1934 for pilots later changed to a back pad kit in 1938.It wasn't till WWII that other manufacturers started making thier version on the NO.18 to help fill AAC orders.Yuor NO.18 was probably not made before 1942.The 10" folding machete replaced the NO.18 machete with he adoption of the B-2 jungle back pad kit in 1942 which was standardized in january though the NO.18 was still being produced as contracts were already made and being filled.DE Henry has a detailed article on this misconcept of the V-44 confusion. The real V-44 was a fixed machete developed for the USN for the M-592 back pad kit.The M-592 kit has the only listed application of the V-44 machete.V-44 is simply the Case official pattern number.The first picture is the jungle back pad kit from 1938 and the second picture is the M-592 with V-44 machete. The interesting thing is that the Kinfolks machete's do not fit in the insert in the jungle back pad kit it is larger.One thing i am not sure of is Kinfolks even had AAC contracts.They might have sold them as private purchase or open marketThe NO.18's were popular because they look cool on your belt this was one complaint from overseas is that the people issued these kits were taking out the machete, it was recommended that the kits be sealed but never happened.The explaination for the aussie copies is simply that these early style jungle kits were being sent overseas empty, left to the local command to fill kit which prompted the aussie's to make the machete to sell openly and for AAC orders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryson152 Posted January 11, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted January 11, 2007 Hi Dustin, Thank you for your very informative post. The reason I asked is because I have just bought one of these knives, which has had an airborne scabard made for it and the handle has been replaced by a plexiglas and Aluminium handle depicting a 101st airborne eagle. Don Burgett 506th remembers these knives being made to order at Camp Mackall in 1942. Do you know anything about these tailored fighting knives? Regards Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted January 12, 2007 Share #4 Posted January 12, 2007 That is a new one on me Allan maybe an airborne collector could help you out.I assume you are trying to authenticate your knife as a war time tailor made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryson152 Posted January 12, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted January 12, 2007 That is a new one on me Allan maybe an airborne collector could help you out.I assume you are trying to authenticate your knife as a war time tailor made? Hi Dustin, I know it is original, but I am trying to find out if it is 506th or 511th Parachute Infantry Regt. It came with a 101st uniform in London, but the uniform had no history. However, the handle really looks like a 101st eagle. Regards Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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