Why everyone should have a 50 cent P-38

[Jeritall]

It's the best EDC tool there is!!!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Got my P-38 for free eating Army field rations in Alaska in 1967 while on winter maneuvers and I still have it. I prefer a rotating cutter to the P-38 because it's hard to use with a cold thumb. Try opening a can in sub-zero weather. It sure was better than nothing though. I always carried it while camping in the lower 48 when I separated from the service. Travels in my mess kit.

 

[Gadget Guy]

The P-38 was probably my first edc item. It was the one item that I could afford to buy at the Army/Navy surplus store when I was a kid. I usually keep about 4 or 5 on then on various keychains and I also keep them in all of our vehicles. It's is a very handy tool indeed! :twothumbs

 

[Closet_Flashaholic]

One on my keychain..gouges my leg though

+1

 

[Illum]

what is a p38?

heh, when I first saw the thread title [without looking at the subforum] I thould we're talking about the Walter P-38, then I thought whats 50-cent [[SIZE=-1]Curtis James Jackson III] [/SIZE]gotta do with it? then oh, a multitool, nice:thumbsup:

 

[reptiles]

Also makes a good spark plug gapper in a pinch.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Lmtfi]

For bonus points:

Anyone here actually know how they were distributed to the troops?

 

[MarNav1]

When I was in the Army there were 2 or 3 in every case of C-rations. We coveted those things. What you want is the P-51, a larger version of it and quite a bit easier to use. Most surplus stores will have em.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

I have plastic bins that we use for storm/emergency gear. Several of these bins have P-38s taped on the inside of their lids.

 

[Crenshaw]

i have no idea where to get these, and as they are US issued P-38s, i doubt any army surplus store in my country will carry it.. and i dont need 500 pieces, i want like 5?

can anyone send me some? im willing to pay for it...and seeing as they are really small, they could almost be sent in a regular envelope...

pm me? thanks

Crenshaw

 

[medicmerlynn]

i read this post yesterday and realized my dad had one of these things on his keychain while i was growing up, along with a little circular piece of metal with 4 different size flathead screwdrivers on it. anyway, i finally realized what this was and i went and picked one up today. i got home and showed my dad and his eyes lit up... he served our great nation in Vietnam... he said he'd like a few so i'm going to buy and handful tomorrow. i honestly can't think of any reason to not carry one any where you go. however, the only problem, if it can really be considered a problem, is that they only had the larger P-51s, but my dad said that was actually probably better anyway. just something to consider, if you don't have one, make it your next EDC purchase... i did.

 

[spaceconvoy]

FYI, Walmart carries the P-51 in a two-pack for a buck and change in their camping section.

 

[Burgess]

Thanks, guys !


Very interesting. :twothumbs

_

 

[kaichu dento]

I've always had one in my pocket since I was probably 8 years old.

The little military ones are made of incredibly strong steel and I have done a lot of screwdriver work with one before I got my first Leatherman back in the 80's.

The flat part works as an extremely powerful flat blade and the corner gives you your Philips driver.

 

[GarageBoy]

The current shelby ones are brass (I think)
Am I the only one who prefers the SAK can opener?

 

[TORCH_BOY]

I remember was given one of those, I cut my finger trying to open a can of baked beans OUCH!!!

 

[Buster Bodine]

I've been carrying the same P-38 since 1975. It's travelled everywhere with me from Alaska to Panama, Europe to China, and all over the US. I can't imagine how anyone gets along without one.

The SAK can openers are slow and clumsy by comparison.

Trivia question...

What does the "38" in P-38 signify?

 

[kaichu dento]

The number of cuts to open a rations can?

(I just read that recently)

I've been carrying a P-38 since I was about 10 or so and can never remember being without one, other than after 9/11 when the guy in Anchorage put the point to his finger and said "That's kind of sharp", while I was thinking "You're not"!

 

[Buster Bodine]

The number of cuts to open a rations can?

Now see? I'll bet when you read that, you thought it would end up being useless information!

The old joke went like this...

The first symptom of mental retardation was needing more than 38 cuts to open a can of C-rations with your P-38.

The second symptom was counting how many cuts it took to open a can of C-rations with your P-38.

 

[wwglen]

We called the "John Waynes" in the Marine Corps.


wwglen