Found a "U.S" Embossed Pocket Knife Today. Military Issue? WWII? WWI? Any Ideas?

FreeBirdTim

FreeBirdTim

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Found a "U.S" Embossed Pocket Knife Today. Military Issue? WWII? WWI? Any Ideas?

Found a crusty pocket knife in the woods today. It's 3" long and only 1/4" thick. Looked like the outer wooden handles were rotted off, so I just stuffed it my pocket and didn't really check it out. But when I got home and cleaned it up, I realized it was a very thin knife with "U.S." embossed on the sides. It also has stars going around the outer edges of the sides. Is this some sort of military issue knife? Could be a cool find or maybe it's just junk. Any input would be appreciated.


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Er
Oddjob said:
Man that makes the find even better. Who ever purchased this must have had some extra money to want a US pocket knife.

So way back then would it be safe to say that mostly Officers (lifers) would have made such a purchase?
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Despite their utilitarian purpose , knives make great gifts to those heading out.
Too, despite a seeming Northern influence , prewar civil war era such may have been a familiar possession that was simply kept with user .
Divided families existed and had similar roots and a pocket knife would be wanted for any travel,even to enter military life.
I made sure a friend had one of fine quality and meaning to head over seas with , as he for whatever reason did not have one.
Then there is the plunder aspect. Entire wagons of goods abandon on occasion .
Maybe honest barter or gambling winning, or prisoners relieved of possessions.
Just thoughts.
Diggumup's mention of context is a good one when a find raises questions as to the era it was lost in.
Whatever the time and manner of loss ,pocket knives were ,and still are personal items.
More than a coin maybe ,unless holed ,or engraved ,ect..
 

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FBT... what was the search "term" which kicked that pic
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It came up when I did a search for "Edward Barnes Civil War Pen Knife".
 

Thanks for all the help, guys! And if it wasn't for UserName Is Valid, I never would have found a photo of it.
 

Treasure_Hunter said:
Members, please post by our rules, no insults and NO talking down to other members just because you disagree with them...




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Saying "arm-chair know-it-alls" like Worm-Slicer did is certainly condescending, haughty and talking down.
I have been collecting militaria for 3 decades and served 12 years in USMC, no arm chairs here though CW items are not in my area of collecting.
You deleted a post of mine cause I asked a guy who was getting sassy with me if he was a bit thick in the head ,,, I can easily see your point about keeping civil but would like to see the rules evenly enforced.

OP is hoping against hope that the find is not only military issue but CW related, all knowledge from us know-it-alls points to it having almost 0 chance of being military, and there is as of yet no way to nail down even an approximate era, much less tied to the CW.
 

AARC said:
You must have missed my edits. :P
OR...
You chose to only use that part... heh
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I doubt that I "chose only to use that part...heh".
Let's see you replied at 5:44 am, I replied at 5:56 am. Your editing was done at 5:55 am. Last time I checked I don't type anywhere near 60-70 words a minute especially that early in the morning. I do pretty good at 30-40 with 2 fingers though...heh

Worm-Slicer said:
Despite the arm-chair know-it-alls, there were in fact some military issued pocket knives during the Civil War. This is a Union Civil War U.S. Navy pocket knife and so marked as can be seen in the photo. This particular knife came off the sunken Union gunboat USS Cairo. Although I don't think the patriotic knife on here was military issue, but who knows. I go by facts and I love it when I am wrong if I find out the truth on something. View attachment 1351782
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Me too, I was wrong. Congratulations, you're pretty good at "arm chairing" yourself it seems. You found the one and only single type of folding knife that was ever issued to any "military" during the Civil War, the U.S. Navy rope knife. Hail Mary!

Xraywolf said:
Saying "arm-chair know-it-alls" like Worm-Slicer did is certainly condescending, haughty and talking down.
I have been collecting militaria for 3 decades and served 12 years in USMC, no arm chairs here though CW items are not in my area of collecting.
You deleted a post of mine cause I asked a guy who was getting sassy with me if he was a bit thick in the head ,,, I can easily see your point about keeping civil but would like to see the rules evenly enforced.

OP is hoping against hope that the find is not only military issue but CW related, all knowledge from us know-it-alls points to it having almost 0 chance of being military, and there is as of yet no way to nail down even an approximate era, much less tied to the CW.
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Although I never saw your reply before it was deleted, I believe he was referring to me about being the arm chair know it all. Specifically because I said there were never any pocket knives made or issued for the military during the Civil War.
Obviously I was wrong when it comes to the U.S. Navy rope knives that were issued to sailors. His reply was more of an 'I'll show you, nanny nanny boo boo, look at this Civil War era US Navy issued pocket Knife that I found' type of answer, than anything else. Yes condescending.
 

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I found the knife ! ! !

Was a Cracker Jack Box Toy :P :P :P
 

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Worm-Slicer said:
Ummm...here's your quote with a ton of misinformation about trouser pockets and saying most pocket knives are not Civil War related. Your words not mine and you clearly say THEY WERE NEVER MADE FOR THE MILITARY! ----


"I am not trying to be a stick in the mud here, but if the knife was found in RI it was likely just purchased and lost there. These were never made for the military, sorry Tim, I repeat NEVER. They were just cheap pocket knives with a patriotic logo and likely made well after the war. I see many many posts here about pocket knives found on battlefields, yet have been able to identify most of them as 1900s knives. Remember, most pants at the time of the CW and for some time afterwards didn't have pockets! I do not recall ever seeing pockets on CW Union GI trousers. Most of those battlefields had plenty of hunting and farming activity before and after the war, and many things lost there before and after the war. We find minie balls regularly here in NY state, doesn't meant they are CW at all. "


I love it when someone's words are left previously like this. lol
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I suppose you must think you are very perceptive, but my statement says " These (the knife found and being discussed here) were never made for the military". This is 100% true and you just seem to wish to be a PITA by stating it isn't. The early US Navy folding knives were stout stag handled knives not cheaply made little metal handled knives like the one found which are usually referred to as "boy's knives" by knife collectors. I do not know you and you do not know me, but I am a life member of the Northeast Cutlery Collectors Association and am well respected in the field of antique knives so please leave your disrespectful unfounded remarks elsewhere.
 

This is a great Civil War era patriotic knife find (which I've said from the start) and glad everyone agrees! Congrats on the ID of it!
 

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diggummup said:
Although I never saw your reply before it was deleted, I believe he was referring to me about being the arm chair know it all. Specifically because I said there were never any pocket knives made or issued for the military during the Civil War.
Obviously I was wrong when it comes to the U.S. Navy rope knives that were issued to sailors. His reply was more of an 'I'll show you, nanny nanny boo boo, look at this Civil War era US Navy issued pocket Knife that I found' type of answer, than anything else. Yes condescending.
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There is an old adage in militaria collecting - And that is "Buy the item, never the story".
It is for sure not military, dubious if it made during the CW era. A cool find but basically worthless. They can go on pondering that it just might have been a gift from Lincoln to Custer who gave it to his stepsons nephew who lost it in RI, all I have seen from them is aimless and pointless speculation. "I go by facts and I love it when I am wrong if I find out the truth" Uhh yeah, right.
 

The top three knifes or parts were found in war for southern independence sitesknifes 001.JPG and the lone ranger knife was found in one also, Must have been a Texas soldier that lost it :laughing7:
 

Very cool find... simple as that.
 

It is for sure not military, dubious if it made during the CW era. A cool find but basically worthless.
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Still harping about my knife? Let it go. It may be "worthless" to you, but I think it's a really cool find. This knife is at least 128 years old and could be up to 183 years old. Great find in anyone's book, unless you're just into detecting to make a buck...
 

Awesome! Congrats!
That is really cool!
 

I second the don't try to open it remark. I didn't try to open mine but it did fall apart rather easy after handling it a bit. Do we know who the maker of these was?
 

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