Case astronaut m-1 1966 different blade w sheath extremely rare Help?

[foundinthedort]

I won at an auction this Case astronaut m-1. It is not a collectors display model in the case. This one has a different notches blade and an actual sheath. I have heard that is because it is the real deal and not a retail collectors knife. It was purchased at an estate of a gentleman that has many items guns/ knifes from historically significant events WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, with bring back documents, pictures etc so this person was a collector of very high end items. Also it is the only one I have seen with the sheath. I can not even find a picture of one like it. Any info or help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance from a Padawan leaner. Steve

[edge213]

I won at an auction this Case astronaut m-1. It is not a collectors display model in the case. This one has a different notches blade and an actual sheath. I have heard that is because it is the real deal and not a retail collectors knife. It was purchased at an estate of a gentleman that has many items guns/ knifes from historically significant events WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, with bring back documents, pictures etc so this person was a collector of very high end items. Also it is the only one I have seen with the sheath. I can not even find a picture of one like it. Any info or help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance from a Padawan leaner. Steve

Looks like a broken blade and homemade sheath to me.

[1967redrider]

This picture definitely looks odd . . .

[Mumbleypeg]

Welcome to AAPK.

You are correct that the version of the knife carried on the Apollo space missions was slightly different from those later sold to the public. One of the original versions is on display at the Smithsonian.

Your knife however is a standard “retail collector’s” version of the commemorative knife Case made for sale to the public. And in poor condition. They were all serial numbered - yours is number 1041. They were sold in a shadow box display and did not have a sheath. Looks to me as though someone had a sheath made for yours, attached the lanyard cord, and used it. In the process they broke chunks out of the blade, thus severely diminishing its value IMHO.

Below is a picture of the genuine article as carried on the Apollo missions. (Courtesy of the Case Collector’s Club forum). Note the cross-hatched aluminum handle and aluminum sheath. Also, here is a link to an article about the knife from Knife Magazine https://www.knifemagazine.com/knife-of- ... _122125/1/

Ken

[foundinthedort]

Thank you for the information. I am a rookie picker and do buy a lot of knives. I appreciate the information. That is the way it was looking. Steve

[Mumbleypeg]

There is a wealth of information on this site. Hope you'll find it beneficial. We were all novices once, and we're all still learning. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Look around the site and familiarize yourself with the resources here. There is a keyword search function accessible under Quicklinks at the upper left. And a fairly comprehensive Research section accessible by clicking on Research in the header at the top of the page.

Ken