Case Astro: Space Traveler!
Case Astro: Space Traveler!
W.R. Case & Sons did an extraordinary job of reproducing the Astronaut Knife M-1,
both on the knife itself and the packaging.
He was just a kid of 11 or 12, visiting a mall store which sold knives and sword canes, hunting clothes, guns and other cool stuff. Malls were rare for those times. He remembers vividly staring up at it in awe, bigger than life, sitting there on the shelf — the Case Astronaut Knife M-1. It was way out of reach pricewise for this kid who had to save up his allowance just to buy a gun magazine. Then, one day he went into the store to admire his Holy Grail knife and, much to his dismay, it was gone.
The kid in question was GUNS Publisher Roy Huntington and he was delighted when W.R. Case & Sons released a 50th-year commemorative of the Astronaut Knife M-1 to celebrate the Apollo 11 landing and man’s first steps on the moon. The commemorative edition, 17″ overall, is a very accurate reproduction of the space knife, right down to its 11.75″ machete-like Tru-Sharp stainless-steel blade with sawtooth back spine and white synthetic, brass-pinned handle.
Two versions of the M-1 were produced — a Standard boxed set and a ready-to-display limited edition Shadowbox version of 250 pieces. The Standard version comes with a sleeved certificate of authenticity while the Shadowbox includes a serial-numbered certificate.
The standard Case Astronaut Knife M-1 comes with a certificate of authenticity, shown here,
while the Shadowbox Limited Editions are serial numbered.
Why You’ll Like It
If you’re like Roy and like to hold a piece of space history in your hands, even if it is a reproduction, the Case Astronaut Knife M-1 is sure to scratch your astral itch. Case did a jam-up job of reproducing this knife to their usual exacting standards and the packaging on both versions is first class. Both editions quickly sold out to Case dealers but a little time on the internet would likely produce results from online dealers and it’s always worth checking your local outdoors stores that sell knives. MSRP for the Standard edition is $232.99, the Shadowbox Limited edition $399.99. A little pricey yes, but the fond memories are worth it.
