Colonial Knife Company's M-724

**langston302** · 01-07-2011, 12:57 PM

Ok so this is going to be a short history lesson on the pattern and a review of the CKC M-724.

In December 1940 George Schrade's Presto Snap knife made its way into the inventory of the US Military under the numerical nomenclature of M2 or commonly known as the Parachutist Knife. One blade and a bail with a button release for one hand use by the trooper in the event of emergency. The final delivery of the M2 was in 1944.

In 1958 the MC1 was adopted by the US Air Force as a bail out kit knife for air crews. The main difference between the M2 and MC1 is the addition of the shroud line cutter. Contrary to popular belief the shroud cutter is the main blade of the MC2 not the clip point springblade. Hence the bail on the blade end and not shroud cutter end. On June 15 1993 the MC1 was dropped from official inventory and no replacement was chosen at that time.

Fast forward to early 2000. Welcome the Colonial M-724.

This knife is a copy of the MC1 with some distinct differences. The first glaring difference is the omission of the bright orange handles. The M-724 does not have liners and is made almost completely of composite handles. Both use a button release but the springs are vastly different. The MC1 used a torsion spring versus the 724's coil spring. The 724 is lighter and has a much more pronounced snap to it. the blade is much tighter with very little wiggle to it unlike the MC1 which has a lot of play in the blade (it is rumored that this is so the blade will always open no matter how much dirt or grime is around the pivot).

Both knives are very unique and I like the 724 for actual everyday use. It is inexpensive enough that I dont really worry about it as much as a much higher end knife. It has a nice clip point but you can see a few finish issues in the grind but they do not affect the usability of the knife.

here is a pic...

I ordered the 724 a few days ago and while some sources say its current issue for the military I have found no confirmation of this in any form anywhere. I will carry this knife on duty for awhile and post how well it holds up.