Original U.S. WWII LC-14-B Woodman Pal Survival Axe by Victor Tool Company with Belt Scabbard & Manuals
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent original U.S. WWII LC-14-B Woodman’s Pal Model 280, manufactured by the Victor Tool Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, complete with its original belt scabbard and two period instruction manuals. Originally developed by engineer Frederick Ehrsam as a civilian forestry and land-management tool, the Woodman’s Pal was adopted by the U.S. military during WWII as the Knife, LC-14-B, where its combination of chopping, cutting, pruning, and brush-clearing capabilities made it useful for field engineering, communications work, camouflage preparation, and general camp duties. The manufacturer’s current historical archive likewise traces the tool’s introduction to 1941 and its subsequent military adoption during WWII.
The LC-14-B Woodman's Pal served through the Vietnam War and is still part of the military inventory of edged tools in the 21st Century. This example is in great service-used condition, with little corrosion and a great blade finish. The edges are all still solid, with no chipping. The stacked leather handle is intact without any loss.
The blade itself is marked:
WOODMAN'S PAL
280
TRADE MARK - PAT. APPLIED FOR
VICTOR TOOL CO. - READING, PA.
It is further marked on the outside of the handguard with LC-14-B. The absence of a patent number on the blade indicates production before 11-30-1943, when the patent was approved. The belt scabbard is also marked on the interior:
LC - 14 - B
U.S. PAT. 133851 MFG. BY
VICTOR TOOL COMPANY
READING, PA.
The scabbard is fully functional, with all snaps and the zipper still intact, but the leather tab on the zipper is gone. There is some wear on the canvas, as expected of any item that was used in service.in long time storage. still retains the OD Green color well. The sharpening stone is missing on this example but the interior pockets still contain two small manuals: CARE, USE AND SHARPENING OF KNIFE LC-14-B and FIGHTING WITH U.S.A. KNIFE LC-14-B (THE WOODMAN'S PAL) both written by Frederick Ehrsam, C.E., and copyrighted 1942 and 1943. The booklets are in great condition and are completely legible.
This example is particularly noteworthy for the combination of its early PAT. APPLIED FOR Victor Tool Co. markings, LC-14-B military designation, Model 280 blade, intact stacked-leather grip, original canvas belt scabbard, and two surviving Frederick Ehrsam instruction manuals. Together, these features make it a strong and well-documented example of the multi-purpose edged tool adopted by the U.S. military during WWII.
Dimensions
Blade Length: 12”
Handle Length: 4 ½”
Overall Length: 16 ½”
Scabbard Length: 13”
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