This is a duplicate of a hand-wrought survival knife made by the Randall Knives Co., a maker of speciality knives of all types. One was carried as equipment on Alan Shepard's "Freedom 7" suborbital Mercury mission on May 5, 1961. On this flight, Shepard became the first American, and second human (after Yuri Gagarin), in space. The original survival knife was lost when the hatch was jettisoned after landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
W.D. Randall, Jr., gave this knife to the Smithsonian.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
EQUIPMENT-Survival
Manufacturer
W. D. Randall Jr.
Dimensions
3-D: 24.1 × 8.3 × 2.5cm (9 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 1 in.)
Materials
Steel, leather, micarta
Inventory Number
A19620001000
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. W.D. Randall, Jr.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
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