Steve--great idea and looks very nice.

Any chance you are selling these?

no, sorry. I found an old brass freezer lock key; it was just the right shape to be filed down to size, so I have only the one.

Thanks Steve....I'll have to work one up....appreciate the idea.

Bo and Gary Randall look at Gordon Cooper's Model 17 which he carried on his Nasa Mission.

I "borrowed" the image from another post here and posted it into the Model 17 Forum.
If such piracy is not allowed, delete it and ban me...But not for long!

Where is the knife today and whats on the handle that's not on the current designs?

I thought that was gary and bo

The knife was or is at the shop in the display area. And what is on the handle is the NASA supplied keeper strap for the survival kit that the knife was attached to. 29r

Id's hopefully corrected.

Here's a pre-owned Model 17 I just got. Comparing it to my newer 17, the handle is noticeably thicker, and the hilt is more symetrical.


I didn't realize there were changes in the design, or is it just each unit is a little different since they are not on a mechanized assembly line?

I just had this conversation with Jason at RMK last week. The new Model 17s have a thinner handle, asymmetrical hilt and hump on the top of the blade. The old 17 looks more like a Model 15.

I can definitely see the difference on all 3 changes: The Blade Hump is much smaller, the hilt is almost mirror-imaged, and the micarta handle is either less rounded or a bit thicker.
As a carrier/user..I like the thicker handle, it makes it feel like a much "bigger" knife than the thinner, new-style handle.

Any explanation why the changes and which is closer to the actual "Flight Spec'd Astro"..any idea how old it may be?