One of a Kind Knives

2002 SOG X 42 Field Knife; 5” BG-42 Steel

The X-42 Field Knife is constructed from an exotic, stainless steel called BG-42 that custom knife makers have raved about. BG-42 is extremely hard, durable, and takes an incredible edge. The drop point, 5.4" flat ground blade is perfectly shaped and balanced for hunting, fishing, and camping chores. The full tang handle is a sandwich of Zytel glass reinforced slabs and steel while the finger grips and handle’s geometry provide a secure feel with or without gloves. The X-42 Field Knife’s black leather scabbard is designed for a friction fit with retention strap." Made in USA.

For more information https://fitzwillies.com/2002-sog-x-42-field-knife-5-bg-42-steel-blade-usa/

Vintage '78 Aitor 21 Survival Knife - Spain

This knife or it's twin came up in an online auction 2 years ago and caught my attention due to it's design and craftsmanship. It was too expensive at the time and I followed it many times before winning a bid.

The company in Spain has been producing knives for military groups for a long time and has an excellent reputation and rightfully so. Per Wikipedia: Aitor is a Spanish company that specialises in manufacturing knives for consumer and military markets. The company was founded in 1939 in Ermua, Eibar, the Basque Country by Izaguirre brothers Máximo, Eugenio and Alejandro. According to the company, Aitor also provides equipment to the United Nations , UNESCO, the security services and armed forces of several countries.

For more information: https://fitzwillies.com/products/vintage-78-aitor-21-survival-knife-spain.html

2007 Ka-bar 1273 Bob Dozier (KBD1) Army Fighting Knife.

“I saw these back in 2007 and loved the blade design and made a note to investigate them later. The spear point is perfect for pe*******on, but the blade can handle cutting tasks as well. By the time I got back to investigate them, Ka-Bar discontinued them.” "It is an impressive Bob Dozier design.” The blade is versatile and the sheath design holds the blade securely in place and is easy to release."

More details: https://fitzwillies.com/products/2007-ka-bar-1273-bob-dozier-designed-combat-knife-nos.html

Vintage Rigid USA Amigo Boot Knife R60

1970s Amigo manufactured by Rigid Knives, formerly of Lake Hamilton, Arkansas. It was a time when manufacturer were hiring designers like Blackie Collins for S&W and Gil Hibben for Browning. Their knife designs had great aesthetics and Rigid followed that direction. The blades of choice were 440 stainless steels tempered to perform in the field. Brass and silver guards and pommels were common, exotic hardwood handles and leather sheaths.

More details: https://fitzwillies.com/products/vintage-rigid-usa-amigo-boot-knife-black-canvas-micarta-r60.html

1970's Rigid USA Sidewinder Knife R1

1970s Sidewinder manufactured by Rigid Knives, formerly of Lake Hamilton, Arkansas. The Sidewinder has a contoured South American hardwood handle, solid brass bolsters, and a semi-hollow ground 440 stainless surgical steel blade with a sturdy harness leather sheath.

Blade Length: 4 1/4 inches
Overall Length: 9 1/4 inches
Weight: 9.8 oz
Leather Sheath: with Belt Loop
More information: https://fitzwillies.com/products/1970s-rigid-usa-sidewinder-knife-r1.html

SOG Creed CD-1
One of the more dramatic blade shapes in the SOG arsenal, the Creed delivers on its promises of high-level performance. The very stout front-end weights the knife forward for chopping and piercing. The big belly on the blade maximizes the cutting edge for extreme wilderness and hunting situation. Includes satin finished Stainless Steel AUS 8 blade, tactile Kraton rubber handle with white washers and comes with a sturdy leather sheath.
It's design is similar to the weight forward Puma White Hunter.
More details: https://fitzwillies.com/products/sog-creed-cd-1-satin-finish-knife.html

'77 Smith & Wesson Bowie verses the '89 Puma Original Bowie knife
S&W 6" 440 Stainless Steel Blade, 10.5" Overall, 13 oz.
Puma 6.5" 440 Stainless Steel Blade, 11" Overall, 7 oz
S&W: https://fitzwillies.com/1977-smith-wesson-bowie-model-6010/
Puma: https://fitzwillies.com/1989-puma-bowie-knife-solingen-germany/

1989 Puma Original Bowie knife 6396

The Puma Classic Series Fixed Blade Knives are hand made in Solingen Germany and have long set the standard for the ultimate hunting knife. The stag handles are made from the shed antlers of stag deer, making each stag handled knife truly unique. Each handle scale is individually cut, and hand fitted to each knife. The 440C German Stainless-Steel blades are razor sharp and extremely durable. Each blade is proof tested for a Rockwell Hardness of 55-57 to ensure the quality of the blades.
More details; https://fitzwillies.com/1989-puma-bowie-knife-solingen-germany/

Vintage Kershaw Elk Hunter 1034

In the mid-1970s, Peter Kershaw, formerly a marketing representative at Ge**er Legendary Knives formed his own company together with his wife Judy and shipped their first knife in 1974. He had sent a Made in USA Ge**er fixed Blade to Ichiro Hattori to serve as a design basis for the series of knives that became the Kershaw 10X0 series. The blades were all Aus8 and while the original models had wood handles, the basic production models used a phenolic resin handle.
More info: https://fitzwillies.com/knives/vintage-kershaw-elk-hunter-1034/

Ka-Bar Baconmaker 5601- No longer Produced

In 2010 Ka-Bar introduced 3 knives designed by Steve Johnson of Adventure Blades. The Baconmaker is the most aggressive knife in the line. The original was built for a friend in the Special Operations community and designed for sticking things, with no concern of it ever breaking. The spirit of that design comes through in the Baconmaker. With a 7-1/8" 1095 Cro-Van recurve blade, it has Persian influence and is built to provide a very ergonomically sound underhand thrust. The recurved blade also cuts exceptionally well in slashing situations. This knife goes through boar shields like the proverbial hot knife through butter; we tried it. The handle is large enough for the biggest hands but designed to fit smaller hands as well and gives the average hand multiple methods of manipulating the knife. The handle is textured with our new Adventuregrip.
More information: https://fitzwillies.com/knives/ka-bar-baconmaker-5601/

When banks gave customers knives and guns.

In the 1990's Banks across the country were offering everything from $50 gift certificates and books to casserole dishes and clocks - even toasters - to lure back customers and stem a seven-year decline in deposits as Americans shifted money into stocks and mutual funds.

U.S. time deposits, including CDs, totaled about $1.05 trillion at the end of last year, down from $1.17 trillion in 1990, according to the Federal Reserve. In the decade, assets in mutual funds surged to $6.82 trillion at the end of November from $1.07 trillion at the end of 1990, the Investment Company Institute said. Opening the door

Offering freebies for deposits gives banks "a way to get the customer in front of us," says Ken Lewis, president and chief operating officer of Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America Corp., which has more deposits than any other U.S. bank. Just getting customers back in the door "gives us an opportunity to sell other products as well," he said. Chairman's brainchild

North Country's arrangement with Weatherby in Atascadero, Calif., is the brainchild of Ronald G. Ford, the bank's chairman and chief executive.

"It's a high-end product that fits the lifestyle here," said Ford.
more information: https://fitzwillies.com/knives/bank-gives-knives-and-guns/

2019 Buck 651 Nighthawk Intruder

This knife is a 2019 issue Buck USA Nighthawk Intruder Fixed Blade, 13" overall with a 7 1/2" blade. The blade features a blood groove.

The story was that the Buck 651 was a special order from Australia of 300 knives. The design caught on and additional knives were produced.

Looks similar to a Chris Reeves 7" green beret. Awesome knife.
https://fitzwillies.com/

Benchmade 153BK Jungle Bolo- no longer produced

As the name implies, some serious brush clearing may be in order. The Benchmade 153 Jungle Bolo was designed by knife maker Warren Osborne. It features a 9.69" bolo point 1095 spring steel blade with a Santoprene handle. These are big, impressive knives designed for brush clearing in jungle warfare situations and survival situations. Made in USA.

1970 Schrade Walden Buffalo Bill Knife

In 1968 Schrade Walden, under the direction of Uncle Henry Baer, designed, produced and sold a Buffalo Bill Commemorative Large Bowie BB166. This was done in cooperation with the W. F. Cody Museum. as a cooperative venture and fund raiser for the W.F. Cody Museum, the museum helping with the artwork and marketing, receiving a portion of the proceeds from both Schrade Walden and the selected jobbers who handled the first sales. The knife appeared for open retail sale first in the 1970 Schrade Walden catalog, and for a second and final time in the 1971 catalog. The matching antique finish gaucho style sheaths for the knives were produced by El Cid of Santa Monica, California.
More information: https://fitzwillies.com/1970-schrade-walden-buffalo-bill-knife/

5 Vintage Survival Knives- no longer in production.

Over the past 13 years I have bought and sold hundreds of great knives. Out of all of those, here are my 5 favorite Survival Knives no longer in production.
More details on each knife available at the Fitzwillies Blog: https://fitzwillies.com/pages/fitzwillies-blog.html5-vintage-survival-knives-no-longer-produced/

Ithacagun Track Knives, Wilderness Model

TRACK KNIVES, ITHACAGUN WHITEFISH, Montana. HANDMADE “WILDERNESS” MODEL (191005) KNIFE, c. 1960-70’S

8 7/8” KNIFE, 3 ¾” Flat saber ground drop point blade, bright mirror polish, with “bear paw” logo on the front. Thick nickel silver guard, extending below the handle. Beautiful smooth Pacca Wood (laminated) handle, with one finger groove. Original brown leather sheath with “TRACK KNIVES BY ITHACAGUN.” stamp on the back.
More details: https://fitzwillies.com/ithaca-track-knife-wilderness-model/

"Outback" Bowie: Down Under Knives

The Outback™ features a forged, dual heat treated 440C stainless blade honed to a razor-sharp edge. The back retains some spring to it while the edge has been made hard enough to withstand hundreds or thousands of cuts with no perceptible dulling. This is not a wall hanger - we set out to create the most devastatingly effective Bowie knife ever produced and designed every detail like we mean it. Hack, slash, chop, cut, crush... This is one blade that will never let you down. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is, so we back this claim with a full five-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

The handle is skillfully crafted out of genuine ebony, leather and brass with an ultra-strong tang that will not twist or break in heavy use. More details: https://fitzwillies.com/outback-bowie-down-under-knives/

SOG S2- Trident Bowie Seki, Japan

Here's the *second* ever knife that SOG produced! One of those good old SOG knife models. Building on its branding with the US Special Forces, SOG produced the 'Trident' knife in honor of the US Navy SEALs. This knife bears a striking resemblance to the original S1 Bowie, except that it uses a different blade steel and micarta handles - a very much modern make-over of the S1 Bowie. The Navy SEAL emblem can be found engraved on the right side of the blade. Unlike other old SOG bowies, the Trident does not have 'S.M.CA' or 'EDM.WA' engraved below the SOG logo which some other knives may have.
MORE INFORMATION; https://fitzwillies.com/sog-s2-trident-bowie-seki-japan/

SOG Recon Bowie; Seki, Japan

The SOG Recon Bowie, in the view of most SOG collectors, is the most interestingly shaped and sexiest knife that SOG ever produced. One cannot escape from the beauty of its gun-blued polished blade coupled with its leather washer handles, gleaming brass guard and butt. It is the most elegant knife of all the Seki Japan SOGs. The "Vietnam-era Recon Knife" shape is an especially attractive and collectible one, and some companies have sold knives based on that design, for example Randall and SOG.

According to old tales, most combat knives had a blade length of around 6 inches. However, fierce close-quarter hand-to-hand combat in Vietnam by the MACVSOG Special Forces soldiers saw them requesting an additional inch of blade for an edge (pun intended) over their enemies. This knife is a must-have in every SOG knife collector's collection. Owners of this knife cannot stop singing praises about the wicked edge this knife keeps and the great shape it has. Sleek and deadly indeed. This is the reason why it is one of the most sought after SOG knives today and one of those that sell at high prices.
More information: https://fitzwillies.com/sog-recon-bowie-sbr-80-seki-japan/

Gryphon Knives M10; Bob Terzuola designed 4" VG-10 Blade

Bob Terzuola began making knives in 1979 and joined the Knifemakers’ Guild in 1981 on an endorsement from Bob Loveless. Terzuola’s first knives were fixed blade designs made for soldiers in Guatemala. He is credited with developing the term Tactical knives.

M-10 by Gryphon Knives is a Bob Terzuola design, it has a VG-10 San Mai black spear point blade with notched thumb rest, .172" blade stock and .886" blade depth, hidden tang construction. Comes with Boltaron sheath and belt clip.

Purchase: https://fitzwillies.com/gryphon-knives-m10-bob-terzuola-designed/

1970's Browning Sportsman model 5518

While Browning is naturally known for its fi****ms, its knives are also well known to collectors. Several models were designed in the late 1960s for Browning by a young Gil Hibben decades before Rambo III or Star Trek movies made him famous. Designated the Sportsman’s Series they were outright hunting knives, both folding and fixed blades made to complement Browning’s fi****ms in the field. Like many other U.S. knife companies at the time, Browning had knives made in the U.S., Germany, and Japan.

The 5518 was the biggest knife Gil Hibben designed for Browning.
more details: https://fitzwillies.com/70s-browning-sportsman-series-model-5518/