Took this in on a trade yesterday...???

[Ribbit]

Although the handle needs a bit of work, I liked it. Any ideas of age or othe information? I'm assuming it's genuine?
The age interests me more than anything.

[Gunsil]

Early 1950s pilot survival knife. They were made by Schrade and Imperial.

[kootenay joe]

It looks like a Schrade-Walden H-15. The Jet Pilots Survival Knife was introduced in 1957, made by Marbles and later by Camillus, Milpar, Ontario & Utica.
The S-W H-15 was a civilian knife but some enlisted men carried it.
kj

[Gunsil]

Joe, it is not an H 15 which was a civilian knife and had a half guard. It is a pilot survival knife made for the military and pre dates the "jet pilot's" survival knife adopted in 1956. Better get your military knife ID books out and do a little studying. These were made post WW2 and many were issued during the Korea police action.

[kootenay joe]

It has red spacers which were not part of the military specs for black or brown spacers.
kj

[WelderBob]

Nice one Ribbit, it is a pilot survival knife, military trials on these started in 1953. Camillus, Imperial and Schrade all competed for the contract.
From what I've read Schrade made the least amount of these knives.

[kootenay joe]

Bob are the spacers on your knife considered to be red or brown ? (they look brownish-red, or reddish brown on my monitor). These were made for military & civilian use. The only differences i know of is color of spacers and the grooved leather washer handle on military.
kj

[WelderBob]

They are a light brown, same as the OP knife.

[kootenay joe]

Here are 2 Schrade-Walden made knives. The one branded "Craftsman" has the double guard but is a civilian knife. The exact same knife exists branded as "Schrade-Walden".
The other is a Schrade-Walden H-15 which has the brown spacers which is what the S-W military version have. It also has the 6 rivet sheath which was also a military spec. First ones issued had the usual 5 rivets, but the specs were soon changed to 6 rivets.
I don't know much about military knives. My purpose posting here is to learn, not teach or preach.
I think the line between military & civilian examples of this knife is fuzzy. Likely once the military contract ended in 1957 Schrade-Walden had lots of knife parts & partly finished knives left over and these were then assembled and sold to Sears and Schrade-Walden dealers, some having red spacers and others, brown.
kj

[Gunsil]

Joe also note the grooved handles on the pilot survival knife which do not appear on the later civilian market knives you show. You are correct in that the civilian knives have the bright red spacers but the OP knife does not have red spacers.

[kootenay joe]

The 2 knives i posted have spacers that are clearly red & brown. To me the O.P. knife has reddish-brown spacers. They are not the bright red or the 'brown' brown of my civilian versions. Is the spacer color on the O.P. knife typical for the military versions of this knife ?
kj

[Ribbit]

Just for the record, the top and bottom spacers on mine are reddish-brown. Note that one side of the top spacer is broken. I took it in on this trade with the intent of taking it apart and placing leather where the top spacer is. Now I'm having second thoughts.
If any of you Schrade collectors are interested in trading something from WWII, let me know.
Thanks for the information.

[Gunsil]

I too have a mint one and the spacers are the same as Ribbit's. Joe, the H15 with brown spacers has an aluminum guard and butt cap unlike the military knives. I don't think the H15 came out until the 1960s. The OP pilot knife seems to have been shortened a bit and the point re-profiled. Another thing Joe, is the military issue knives will always have the parkerized finish blades while the civilian models are always bright blades.

[kootenay joe]

Thanks Gunsil.
Frank Trzaska in his review of the "Jet Pilot Knife" says that altho specs say dark blade he has seen some with a bright blade finish that were original, not the result of buffing. But this is so rare it hardly merits mentioning.
kj

[tongueriver]

Sorry I am late; I have been out in the woods and 1000 miles from home. Gunsil is correct. Both the blade and the guard on these 1953 genuine military contract knives are significantly thicker than the civilian versions. I have posted images of the military specs and images of another knife either in the fixed blade section of the larger AAPK forum or in the fixed blade thread of this Schrade subforum, sometime within maybe a year ago.