Found in a safe

[Tom-ADC]

My brother has had the old safe from our grandfathers store sitting in a shed in his backyard for many years, thought it was empty, well he found the combination to it and opened it, there was a old gas mask bag full of knives that when our dad put them in there were like new, look what time and weather changes has done to them.

[Tom-ADC]

I'm told these are US WWII COMBAT KNIFE CATTARAUGUS 225Q not sure if that's the maker or just what they were called?

[Hawg]

A little info here. http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/fighting_knives/225q.html

[Mad Dog Stafford]

Clean and oil those Babies up! 

[Captainkirk]

Wow.....time marches on, even when locked up tight.....

[Tom-ADC]

I think the major cause of this was the canvas gas mask bag knives were stored in! it had to attract moisture big time. It was a tattered rotted mess.

[Dryball]

What a sad sight but.  It's always neat to see things about or come from where I live. 

[Tom-ADC]

Been working on a few of these, I cleaned the blades with rubbing compound and a buffing wheel, the handles are still a work in progress.The sheath was made by our own Mike116, I have a order in for two more.

[Tom-ADC]

Last one in work seated the washer today.
I should have remembered the more you do something the better you get at it, thus I should have started with the worst blade and finished with the best, not that any of them were that good.

[Tom-ADC]

New sheathes are back and are left-handed!! And my hats off to our very own Mike116 for making these for me.

[Captainkirk]

Wow....knives AND sheaths look great, Tom!

[rbertalotto]

Got to be careful with safes designed to protect paper documents in a fire. These type of safe have hydroscopic material within the walls, designed to keep the humidity at a few % above the local humidity. Objects prone to rust will be damaged in short order

We recently saw this at our gun club. A member bought a document safe at an office supply store and loaded it with his pistol collection. Upon opening it some months later the entire collection was destroyed. Including a couple nice colt pythons.......

[Tom-ADC]

This safe was my grandfathers, it used to stay in the store I'd bet it is over 80 years old now.
I did not know that about document safes, good info.

[Tom-ADC]

Tang stamping, all three are readable.

[Dryball]

Nice restoration and sheaths.  The factory is about 8miles from my headquarters.  They are getting harder to find now a days.