Dutch Army Knives

[Wspeed]

Nice one 

[glenfiddich1983]

Every year (except for this year - Covid 19) there is a National Veterans Day over here in the Netherlands. I always go here to see my old B.I.A.

Because I want to make my collection of DAKs "complete" I make an overview of (as far as I know) the knives I still miss. The knives of the Royal Netherlands Air Force are now on this list.

Where can you better be than with the old users of these knives: Air Force guys. So, during lunch I went to their "tent" and hung in strategic places the overview and spoke with various (old) Air Force men.

A few weeks ago, an Air Force officer comes to my house asking if I was still looking for the KLU knives. Of course, I look for it and then he takes a blue Victorinox alox Master Craftsman (3rd model) out of his pocket and asks if I want it. He did indicate that the tweezers were missing. I notice then laughing that the value then becomes "less". After some back and forth the deal is closed on 3 pints (Heineken). A deal we are both happy with.

Are you kidding me? You are sooo lucky! 

Congrats on this amazing find!

[Myron]

This is great, Agamemnon!  Congratulations, and I'm glad to see you sealed the deal with a great Dutch beer! 

[Reinier]

Whaaaaaat!!!

That's the deal of the century

Congrats!

[Agamemnon]

 

As you know, this year I have the pocket knives of the Dutch Air Force on my list.
And this is what happens when you tap the right source: a big extension of my air force knives.

The knives come from the original owner and all have their own story.

In addition, 2 camo army knives also arrived.
My weekend can't go wrong.

[Reinier]

That alox Master Craftsman

I think I saw one listed on eBay for a quazillion dollars.

[EMZ]

That alox Master Craftsman

I think I saw one listed on eBay for a quazillion dollars.

Back in 1978 I served a few month on RNLAF base Gilze-Rijen, the place where the survival training section of Dutch pilots still is based. One day I carried a full box with DOZENS of these knives to a storage building! I should have run away with it, hide a few decades, and by now I could have been a millionaire.
 

BTW: Beautiful collection of RNLAF knives and multi-tools!

[Agamemnon]

  quite expensive, if I may say so

[Agamemnon]

Back in 1978 I served a few month on RNLAF base Gilze-Rijen, the place where the survival training section of Dutch pilots still is based. One day I carried a full box with DOZENS of these knives to a storage building! I should have run away with it, hide a few decades, and by now I could have been a millionaire.
 

BTW: Beautiful collection of RNLAF knives and multi-tools!

And the story continues:
After you delivered these knives, they were all destroyed (by driving over them with a roller and then "buried" under a layer of cement).
So they are now an integral part of the base Gilze-Rijen (according to an eyewitness). 

[Reinier]

[Reinier]

Also: why?

[Agamemnon]

Also: why?

 
I think it is their nature

And shortly after these knives were destroyed, there was a shortage of these knives.  An order was placed at Victorinox for knives with the more scratch-resistant blue “Cellidor” plates.

Another example:
The successor to the storm dagger.
Imported in the 1960s for the Marine Corps and made in America.
This dagger is the unique successor of the famous Dutch Hembrug M1917 storm dagger (1917 - 1942). It was a Dutch sidearm from 1960 till about 1995.

It is a conversion based on the American M4 carbine bayonet, with American handle made of composite leather rings, modified aluminum hilt knob and slim Dutch guard; in addition, an American or German plastic sheath model US M8A1, with webbing carrier and mostly metal tip reinforcement of NAVIMETAAL.

It was provided as a personal sidearm (storm dagger / fighting knife) for the non-rifle bearers (men and officers) who did not have a bayonet in the equipment.
Has been used by the Royal Netherlands Navy resp. the Marine Corps, and outside the Netherlands, including New Guinea (1961 - 1962).

Conversion, assembly and finishing were done at the "Small Arms" department of the Marine Bewapeningswerkplaats (Marine Armament Workshop) in Den Helder.
There was only a limited edition (approx. 5,000 pieces), after putting out of commission it was destroyed around 1997 at SEWACO (was Bewapeningswerkplaats) in Den Helder.

[EMZ]

The Dutch Army ('Koninklijke Landmacht') also had these SwissCards, probably as gifts.
This one was being offered for sale on the internet, but at the time I showed interest it was already sold.
Sorry for the bad quality of the picture. I 'stole' it from the advertisement.

[EMZ]

Personalized DAK 'KL 1993' model.
This knife belonged to a colonel of the Dutch Army. The front has the service number of the colonel engraved (and painted black), the back has his name (I subdued his full name).
Supposedly this was a representation gift.
The blade stamp is a very early type.

[Agamemnon]

 
And now something completely different: the (not really a) Dutch Army Knife

During and in the first years after World War II, there was a shortage of everything in the Netherlands, including the equipment of the Dutch soldier.
For that reason, the "War Department" (Ministerie van Oorlog) authorized the use of equipment from the Canadian military e.g. Model X-611, Canadian Utility Knife (the Canadian called this knife: C5) and the P 6365/1905; and the British Jack knife / Clasp knife.

In these years there were also problems in the Dutch East Indies and Dutch soldiers were sent to the Indies to put things in order. The soldiers who went there were equipped with British and Canadian pocket knives.
I got some of these knives (see pictures) from these veterans (along with their stories).

In addition, there was also the Korean War (1950-1954).
On June 25, 1950, Korean Time (June 24, American Time), North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on June 26, which marked this invasion as a peace-break and called for immediate cessation of hostilities. In a resolution of 27 June, the Council called on members of the United Nations to assist the Republic of Korea to countering the attack by North Korean forces and contributing to the recovery of order and safety in the area concerned.
Dutch United Nations Detachment in Korea. (NDVN)
The Netherlands United Nations Detachment in Korea (Van Heutsz Battalion) was established in 1950 as part of the United Nations Armed Forces. The NDVN was assigned to the American infantry. (38th Reg. 2nd 'Indianhead' Inf. Div. - 8th Army).
The Dutch soldiers were equipped with an English clasp knife, nicknamed the 'Churchill' (see pictures). I got this knife and his story from a ‘Korea-ganger’ (a soldier who went to Korea).

And now the connection to the "real" Dutch Army Knives. The army switched to the well-known Amefa pocket knives, while the navy remained "loyal" to the navy knife, especially because this knife was equipped with a "marlin spike"; tools that were standard on board of (sailing) ships.

From about 1965 the Royal Navy used the knife from the firm Adler. I got this knife from a former Marine and used this knife in the period 1993-2000.
This knife is my latest acquisition.

[Agamemnon]

And my latest DAK: the Adler

[Wspeed]

Nice knives and excellent information 

[Guardian]

 

[EMZ]

The latest batch of DAK Spirit S BO have an all black nylon pouch. This one came in today.
Unfortunately the seller had removed the sticker on the box which indicates it's Army issue.
The user's manual ('gebruikershandleiding') is in Dutch, dated 2018.
The handles have the Vic shield logo above the Victorinox stamping. Pliers without cross.

Note the black 'flat felled seam' of the flap piece. Normally this seam is dark brown or grey.

[EMZ]

It took me a while, but finally I found one!
This is the black leather pouch WITH Dutch defence Interservice logo for the SwissTool.
Unfortunately the toll was not included and I don't know for which Victorinox multi-tool exactly it was ment for. I know EOD had the standard version of the SwissTool, but I don;t know the exact type/model.

[EMZ]

Small promotional pocket knife from Dutch 'Korps Mariniers' (Marine Corps).
Unknown manufacturier (probably Chinese).

[EMZ]

Vintage pocket knife with emblem of Dutch military police ('Koninklijke Marechaussee').
Blade stamp is "Adola roestvry" ('rust free'). I date this knife around 1950-1960, but that's just a wild guess.

The Adola company was founded in 1930 by a Dutchman named Adolf Keizer. The company started with selling luxury pocket knives, scissors and bakelite flashlights. Nowadays it is a wholesale company (importer of Leatherman and others).

[glenfiddich1983]

It took me a while, but finally I found one!
This is the black leather pouch WITH Dutch defence Interservice logo for the SwissTool.
Unfortunately the toll was not included and I don't know for which Victorinox multi-tool exactly it was ment for. I know EOD had the standard version of the SwissTool, but I don;t know the exact type/model.

That’s awesome, never knew it existed! Would love to find one 

[Agamemnon]

 
As you all know, we use the Victorinox Spirit BS Multi-tool in the Netherlands. Very satisfactory and we like this tool. Unless you are very thirsty. (the explanation follows).

Today I received my new Spirit BS and immediately "converted" it into a Multi-multi-tool by adding a corkscrew. It is now possible to open a bottle of wine. The problem of severe thirst has now been solved.

The corkscrew is slid into the slot and can also be removed immediately. So, no "fixed" adjustment.

Cheers.

[Agamemnon]

 

My latest acquisition arrived today: a multi-tool of the 1 Division '7 December'. A division with a special place in my heart.

I now have 4 of these multi-tools, but I know there are more. The search continues.

And, as always, first the story and then the photos.

The First Division 7 December (Dutch: Eerste Divisie "7 December") was a division of the Royal Netherlands Army, active from at least 1946 to 2004. It was sent to Indonesia in 1946 to restore "peace, order and security" after the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945.

The division was named after the speech of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in London on 7 December 1942
The base of the “First Division 7 December” was in England, where, from August 6, 1945, Dutch troops were trained in the Mary Hill Barracks at 9 Primary Center in Glasgow and assigned to the "Expeditionary Force".

During the Second World War, the emblem of the first division was designed for the expeditionary force to be set up after the liberation of the Netherlands for the fight against Japan.

The emblem consists of the coat of arms of Batavia, being the capital of the Dutch East Indies. An upright sword with laurel wreath and the letters E M of Expeditionaire Macht. This abbreviation later became symbolic of the term Every Man, Every Moment.

In the Dutch East Indies, the "Eerste Divisie 7 December" on West Java began its arduous task. It was known here under the name "C-Division 7 December", with the area between Batavia and Buitenzorg as the area of operations.

On January 1, 2004, 1 Division '7 December' was disbanded but the name lives on in the 11 LMB AASLT "7 December". (11 Air Assault Brigade)

[Frailer]

Excellent story!

As a veteran of the US Army's 1st Division (AKA "The Big Red One"--whose patch is my avatar), I found the history particularly enjoyable.

[Mechanickal]

Excellent story!

As a veteran of the US Army's 1st Division (AKA "The Big Red One"--whose patch is my avatar), I found the history particularly enjoyable.

I have a poster up in my office including a patch in honor of their actions on D-Day...

[Agamemnon]

Excellent story!

As a veteran of the US Army's 1st Division (AKA "The Big Red One"--whose patch is my avatar), I found the history particularly enjoyable.

 
Semper Fi BRO

[Frailer]

Semper Fi BRO

 

[EMZ]

Great multi-tools, Agamemnon!
Ik like all the different logo's.