Why Did NASA Send a 17-Inch Knife to the Moon?
Because the knives they already had weren’t good enough.
During the space race, NASA needed a purpose-built survival knife for its astronauts. So it turned to Case.
The result was the Astronaut Knife M-1 — a massive, unmistakable survival knife that became part of the Gemini and Apollo programs and traveled to the Moon and back multiple times between 1968 and 1972.
This wasn’t a souvenir dreamed up after the fact.
The original M-1 was designed as real survival equipment, stored aboard the Command Module in case astronauts splashed down off course and had to wait for recovery.
Today, Case has recreated that historic design in the Case 12019 Astronaut Knife.
At nearly 17 inches overall, it features:
- An 11¾” machete-style high-carbon stainless blade
- Saw teeth along the spine
- Smooth white synthetic handle
- Individual serialization
- One of the most unusual stories in Case history
It’s part knife, part Americana, part space-race history.
For Case collectors, NASA fans, military-history buffs, and anyone who appreciates a knife with a story, this is one of those pieces that earns its place in a collection before you ever get to the blade.
Members Get More
This week, Knife Depot members receive an exclusive members-only offer on the Case Astronaut Knife.
Add it to your cart to reveal your special member price.
Shop the Case Astronaut Knife M-1
Want the Rest of the Story?
The M-1 wasn’t the only knife to leave Earth.
We dug into the surprising history of knives carried into space — including the Case Astronaut Knife — over on The Cutting Edge.
From Bradford, Pennsylvania to the Moon.
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