Lowered prices.
Updated to add "Or Best Offer"
Time to thin the herd. These M8A1 bayonet sheaths are excess to my accumulation. Although all show signs of use, none have any damage. Click images for a larger view. All prices include postage.
1. $21.00 OBO - The first is a less common sheath manufactured by VIZ. According to Gary Cunningham's Bayonet Points #18, Viz Manufacturing was located at 335 E Price Street, Philadelphia PA 19144. VIZ Manufacturing made radiosonde and related meteorological products -- devices that measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity and wind speed. It supplied instruments to the National Weather Service and U.S. Defense Department. Sippican Inc. of Marion Mass bought them out in 1997 and the Philadelphia plant was closed.
In the mid to late 1960s they made both M8A1 scabbards and plastic sheathes for the 18 inch machete. In 1997 I [Gary Cunningham] spoke to a long time employee, Mr. Maury Friedman. To the best of his recollection, the VIZ contract was about 1967 (the machete sheath in a friend's collection is marked 1967 on the throat), and ran about 18 months. He did not recall that they sold any commercially, although he could not say for certain if any leftovers were sold after the contract was filled.
#3 SPF
2. $18.00 OBO - The next two are marked PWH. Gary Cunningham's Bayonet Points #18 says that, according to various sources, including a now retired owner of a surplus company during the 1960s and 70s, this was the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind. So far I [Gary Cunningham] have been able to find little solid information on this contract. During the Vietnam War period a lot of military gear was produced by various companies that worked with the blind, so this is certainly in line with that policy. If this is the case, it is quite likely that PWH only assembled the components and packaged the scabbards as the prime contractor, with the actual parts being supplied on sub-contract.
The Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men was established in 1874 on Lancaster Avenue below 36th Street in Philadelphia. Some sources say the name was the Industrial Home for the Working Blind, which may have been an earlier name. In the CAGE code system, the code 86465 was assigned to the Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men.
The glove fasteners on the PWH scabbards are marked either RAU FASTENER CO PROV RI or RAU CO.
SPF
Thank you,
Richard
|
   
   
|
|
