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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)
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.