Knife for military explorers - a milestone on the way to contemporary UTON

19. srpna 2024

The UTON military knife is one of the most famous and popular knives that Mikov produces. Its introduction into the armament of the then Czechoslovak People's Army in the mid-1970s was the result of many years of development. During the development process, a reconnaissance knife was also tested, which, although it did not eventually make it into mass production, was in many ways superior in function and design to the UTON.

Only three pieces of the original test series can be traced, one of which can still be seen in the Museum of Cutlery Tradition, which Mikov runs in Mikulášovice. The knife was intended primarily for use by reconnaissance and special forces who needed robust, reliable and multi-purpose tools to perform their tasks in a variety of situations.It was therefore designed to meet the demands of universal use in the field, including survival, first aid, and defence.

At first glance, it differs from the current UTON with its plastic sheath and drop-shaped blade, which houses an oval-shaped creature. When the blade was fitted to a special pin on the sheath, the soldier gained a pair of metal shears with which he could cut his way through, say, wire mesh. The blade also had special serrations that the scout could use to saw through thick wires before cutting them. When the knife was accompanied by the additional tools that are common to even the existing UTON - a file, a stab and a saw - the warrior had a truly multifunctional tool that also met all the parameters of a military cold weapon.

There could be a number of reasons why the knife, despite all its positive aspects and undeniable quality, did not make it into the mass production of the Mikov, and the existing UTON vz. 75 was preferred. Unfortunately, today we probably cannot reveal them exactly. However, when visiting the museum or viewing its photographs, we can say with certainty that it is a great pity.

But we don't have to stick to nostalgic reminiscing! In fact, Mikov is preparing a limited edition of this type of knife in the autumn. It will be an accurate and fully functional reconstruction based on the original drawings, which will be appreciated especially by collectors of historical weapons.