1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
I recently purchased a knife that I found out were developed for an interesting time in history.
Over half a century ago the United States Air Force was America's primary nuclear deterrent. This was accomplished by its long range bomber aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command, the B-36, the B-47 and later on the B-52. ICBMs came along even later. To maintain razor sharp proficiency in the nuclear mission long range training missions were an daily occurrence and took airmen over every corner of the world. The Air Force became interested in refining its survival kits and equipment, particularly for arctic and alpine regions, as the fastest way to the targets in the Soviet Union was often over the polar route. Training missions sometimes turned into real life survival events.
In the late 1940's, General Curtis LeMay, the head of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), authorized the creation of a survival kit for the crews of the long range bombers. Requirements were to be an effective tool for survival in the wild, with the ability to perform a number of functions to include field dressing and cleaning fish. As part of that effort the Air Force in the early 1950s adopted a sheath knife for use in the E-1 Survival Kit. It was intended to be a tool, not a weapon, and weight was a major consideration. That knife was the Boker 155, a blade that is little known today among blade collectors. Indeed, but for researcher/author Frank Trzaska's efforts the history of this knife would likely have remained lost in the mists of time. In 2002 Frank wrote an article published in Knife World which finally revealed the identity of this little knife. The Boker 155 had never before appeared in any of the major military blade books.
The Boker had an overall length of 8 3/4", a 4 1/2" blade, a stacked leather handle, and aluminum guard and pommel. It was carried in a unique pouch or tube shaped leather sheath.
For more info: http://fitzwillies.com/abner-fitzwillies-blog/
Over half a century ago the United States Air Force was America's primary nuclear deterrent. This was accomplished by its long range bomber aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command, the B-36, the B-47 and later on the B-52. ICBMs came along even later. To maintain razor sharp proficiency in the nuclear mission long range training missions were an daily occurrence and took airmen over every corner of the world. The Air Force became interested in refining its survival kits and equipment, particularly for arctic and alpine regions, as the fastest way to the targets in the Soviet Union was often over the polar route. Training missions sometimes turned into real life survival events.
In the late 1940's, General Curtis LeMay, the head of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), authorized the creation of a survival kit for the crews of the long range bombers. Requirements were to be an effective tool for survival in the wild, with the ability to perform a number of functions to include field dressing and cleaning fish. As part of that effort the Air Force in the early 1950s adopted a sheath knife for use in the E-1 Survival Kit. It was intended to be a tool, not a weapon, and weight was a major consideration. That knife was the Boker 155, a blade that is little known today among blade collectors. Indeed, but for researcher/author Frank Trzaska's efforts the history of this knife would likely have remained lost in the mists of time. In 2002 Frank wrote an article published in Knife World which finally revealed the identity of this little knife. The Boker 155 had never before appeared in any of the major military blade books.
The Boker had an overall length of 8 3/4", a 4 1/2" blade, a stacked leather handle, and aluminum guard and pommel. It was carried in a unique pouch or tube shaped leather sheath.
For more info: http://fitzwillies.com/abner-fitzwillies-blog/
- rangerbluedog
- Posts: 3589
- Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:42 pm
- Contact:
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
Great find, congratulations!
Yours is in better shape than mine.
Yours is in better shape than mine.
-
- Posts: 13373
- Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
- Location: West Kootenays, B.C.
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
Thank you. I very much enjoy reading about knife history and this is one i had not heard of.
kj
kj
- Sharpnshinyknives
- Gold Tier
- Posts: 5106
- Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:32 am
- Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
Very interesting. I like Bokers and didn’t realize they were used in these survival kits. I wonder why they didn’t go w/ a USA made knife?onehikes wrote:I recently purchased a knife that I found out were developed for an interesting time in history.
Over half a century ago the United States Air Force was America's primary nuclear deterrent. This was accomplished by its long range bomber aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command, the B-36, the B-47 and later on the B-52. ICBMs came along even later. To maintain razor sharp proficiency in the nuclear mission long range training missions were an daily occurrence and took airmen over every corner of the world. The Air Force became interested in refining its survival kits and equipment, particularly for arctic and alpine regions, as the fastest way to the targets in the Soviet Union was often over the polar route. Training missions sometimes turned into real life survival events.
In the late 1940's, General Curtis LeMay, the head of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), authorized the creation of a survival kit for the crews of the long range bombers. Requirements were to be an effective tool for survival in the wild, with the ability to perform a number of functions to include field dressing and cleaning fish. As part of that effort the Air Force in the early 1950s adopted a sheath knife for use in the E-1 Survival Kit. It was intended to be a tool, not a weapon, and weight was a major consideration. That knife was the Boker 155, a blade that is little known today among blade collectors. Indeed, but for researcher/author Frank Trzaska's efforts the history of this knife would likely have remained lost in the mists of time. In 2002 Frank wrote an article published in Knife World which finally revealed the identity of this little knife. The Boker 155 had never before appeared in any of the major military blade books.
The Boker had an overall length of 8 3/4", a 4 1/2" blade, a stacked leather handle, and aluminum guard and pommel. It was carried in a unique pouch or tube shaped leather sheath.
For more info: http://fitzwillies.com/abner-fitzwillies-blog/
It’s a nice knife. Thank you for sharing. I always love history.
SSk
SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
- rangerbluedog
- Posts: 3589
- Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:42 pm
- Contact:
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
SharpnShiny, these were made in BOKER USA plant in New Jersey!Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Very interesting. I like Bokers and didn’t realize they were used in these survival kits. I wonder why they didn’t go w/ a USA made knife?
It’s a nice knife. Thank you for sharing. I always love history.
SSk
That's one of the odd things about Boker. They started in Solingen Germany, but they also had a "somewhat" separate company in the United States (only attached via family ties and bloodlines) that made knives in Maplewood, New Jersey from 1899 to around 1978. They then moved the knife manufacturing to Statesboro, Georgia from 1978 to 1984, before ending knife manufacturing in the U.S.
- Sharpnshinyknives
- Gold Tier
- Posts: 5106
- Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:32 am
- Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
Thank you, I never looked up that part of Bokers history.rangerbluedog wrote:SharpnShiny, these were made in BOKER USA plant in New Jersey!Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Very interesting. I like Bokers and didn’t realize they were used in these survival kits. I wonder why they didn’t go w/ a USA made knife?
It’s a nice knife. Thank you for sharing. I always love history.
SSk
That's one of the odd things about Boker. They started in Solingen Germany, but they also had a "somewhat" separate company in the United States (only attached via family ties and bloodlines) that made knives in Maplewood, New Jersey from 1899 to around 1978. They then moved the knife manufacturing to Statesboro, Georgia from 1978 to 1984, before ending knife manufacturing in the U.S.
SSk
SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
I have the regular old civilian 155 (I think mine is from the late 1970s), and it's a pretty nice knife. I'll carry it more as soon as I can replace the sheath (I'm hoping to get something like the one sold with the Plus line reproduction). I can see why the USAF went with it, and that's weight. I mean, the thing doesn't weigh any more than my plastic handle 4" Mora. Boker's 1085 holds and edge forever and is tough. While cutting some string working on a model forklift, I caught a piece of its pressed steel frame with the tip, fearing I'd broken, or at least bent the blade of my 3588 Serpentine Pen. No damage whatsoever. I put a good edge on it when I got it two months ago, and that's held up still, given it's been my primary EDC knife in that period, and cut a lot of cardboard.
Re: 1950's Cold War Strategic Air Command (SAC) Long Range Bomber Crew Survival Knife!
Very interesting knife and information, Onehikes. That knife is a lot cooler and more functional looking than any fixed blades that I saw when I was in the Navy in the 1970s.
Mel