The V-44 survival knife was issued to US Army Air Force personnel in case that they were shot down and needed to survive in the jungles of the South Pacific. The knife was first ordered in 1934. It was considered to be a machete. The knife featured here was manufactured by the Kinfolks company.

The design of the knife was very imposing. It consisted of a black horn handle secured to the tang via the use of three brass rivets.

The crossguard consists of two equal length arms that extend to the left and right and are terminated with circular ends. The blade is of single edge construction. The tip is of bolo type. Two horizontal lines extend for almost half of the length of the body. The manufacturer's logo is found near the base on the spine of the blade.

The scabbard is made of brown leather. A seam is placed in the back section. A separate piece of leather is riveted to the back to form the belt loop.

This is a US Army Air Force folding machete. As issued during WW2. The machete was part of the B-4 emergency bailout kit. The kit came in a square canvis container which also included other survival items such as a fishing kit, signal mirror, etc. The kit was normally attached to the parachute harness.

The folding machete consisted of a black horn handle which was secured by a series of different size rivets. A locking mechanism is found in the handle. Pressing the lever allowed for the machete blade to be folded or unfolded. The blade is of single edge construction. it measures approximately 10 inches in length.

length of the machete when folded is approximately 11 inches. Even when folded the blade extended beyond the protection of the handle. To avoid any cuts or injuries to the user a metal blade cover was also issued with the machete. The cover fits the blade snuggly. The problem with the blade cover is that it was a loose piece that could easily be misplaced.

Machetes are very useful for clearing brush, building shelters and other survival activities.

The WW2 US AAF folding machete was manufactured by Camillus, case and hte cattaraugus company. The manufacturer's logo was found on the side of the blade. an example of such marking is provided in the above photo.

This is a US Air Force pilot survival knife. These type of knives began to be issued during the Vietnam war. It was determined that pilots needed a blade that could help them survived in case they were shot down. The space in the modern jet fighters was very limited. The knife had to be small but sturdy.

Pilots were issued a survival vest. The knife was attached to the vest.

The scabbard is made of brown leather. The tip is re-enforced with a metal lip that is riveted in multiple places. The front has a small pouch with a flap that has a snap. This is where the flint/sharpening stone is placed. The scabbard is very heavy duty. It has multipe rivets and stiching on the sides. The top section has a couple of slits to allow the belt to pass through. The back of the main body of the scabbard is covered with a metal plate.

The design of the knife consists of a brown leather handle. Several indentations are carved into the handle in order to provide better gripping. The pommel has a hexagonal shape. One side normally has the date of construction and the manufacturer's name. Sometimes the date is not present. The pommel could be employed as a hammer.

The crossguard is of rectangular shape. One side has two small holes. The blade is of single edge construction. The spine is serraed. This feature is particularly useful for cutting branches and similar things. Great for building traps or shelters.

The tip is Bowie type with it pointing slightly up.