Everyone Owned This Vintage Camping Knife In The 80s — Now It's A Collector's Item To Look Out For At Estate Sales

In 1982, the world met Rambo, a Vietnam vet with a survivalist knife that became the must-have item for every Scout and wannabe action hero in the 1980s. Although the first movie, "First Blood," is an anti-war film that explores PTSD and toxic masculinity, the franchise turned "Rambo" into shorthand for a jacked ball of testosterone shooting machine guns into a jungle. Whatever the scenario, though, Rambo has his knife that became the most iconic in the world, a symbol of survival and self-reliance. 

Master knifemaker Jimmy Lile designed the original Rambo knife based on the Randall Model 18. Produced in the 1960s for pilots, the Model 18 had a serrated edge to cut your way out of a plane if it went down and a hollow handle with survival supplies like a compass, fish hook and line, and matches. In the first two movies, Stallone's hollow-handled knife is filled with these survival tools, which kicked off a craze to get a Rambo-style camping knife.

The non-hollow knife designed by Gil Hibben for "Rambo III" (1988) was the most popular. But for many, the hollow knives with survival kits are a core memory. They capture that feeling of youth when you genuinely believe you might need a huge knife with a compass, matches, and a fishing hook just in case you ever get lost in the woods despite living in a New Jersey suburb. By the way, that's not to say they always worked. As one Reddit user writes, their cheap knife is "sharp as a marshmallow!" and due to its design and weight, it's not recommended by survivalists. So, you may want to skip including this knife in your DIY disaster kit made of Dollar Tree essentials, but instead, you can look out for it as a vintage collector's item at estate sales.

In the '80s, you could get a hollow "Rambo" survivalist knife almost anywhere, from gas stations to the "Scout Life Magazine" (formerly "Boys' Life"). Knifeco's ad for its camouflage handle knife with a compass, matches, wire saw, and more (just $19.95!) was everywhere and one of the more beloved objects of '80s kids. People on Reddit reminisce about this poorly made knife "that was terrible but looked cool" and exploded upon impact when it was thrown at a tree. These cheap replicas came mostly from China and Taiwan, so if you come across one of them at a sale or market, know it's more of a nostalgia item than a collector's one.

United Cutlery made the official replicas of the knives from the first two movies. These days, a vintage United Cutlery "First Blood" knife goes for about $150. Companies like Buck started making their own pricier and more functional versions. The waterproof stainless steel BuckMaster 184 was made for Navy SEALs and stands out with its two screws on the guard that allow you to use it to rappel. The production of this model stopped in 1997, so the BuckMaster 184 is a real collector's item that can go from several hundred dollars to thousands if it's in mint condition. If you're exploring estate sales or flea markets in the 10 "antique capitals" in America, keep an eye out for those screws sticking out of the handle; it's a telltale sign of a BuckMaster 184 that's worth snatching up. 

While people have found Rambo-style camping knives in basements, attics, flea markets, and eBay, it's unlikely you'll just stumble upon the holy grail of these collector's items: the Jimmy Lile originals. For the first movie, Lile made 113 knives: Six were used for the film, he kept seven for himself, and 100 were sold as limited edition pieces. In 2021, Sylvester Stallone auctioned off some of his props, including an original "First Blood" Jimmy Lile knife, which sold for $128,000, and another went for $51,200 (via Rolling Stone). 

For many, however, Lile's customized knife from the second film, "First Blood Part II," is his finest film knife and the ultimate collector's item. Known as "The Mission," this hollow-handled knife is identifiable by its black-coated blade. As with the first film, a handful were made for production, and Lile made 100 numbered ones for collectors. "The Mission" #51 sold for $13,750, so perhaps you'll want to keep an eye out for the estate sale of a knife enthusiast or carefully browse the treasures at Southern California's famous flea market to see if an old Hollywood prop master has any of these rare "Rambo" knives for sale.