Machete with sheath type A-1 by Imperial

Us Ww2 Folding Machete With Sheath Type A-1
This is an excellent example of a World War II U.S. Army Air Force Type A-1 folding machete survival knife. Imperial Knife Co. Providence RI. These were manufactured as stamped on the left ricasso: IMPERIAL / PROV. R.I.
Adopted by the US Military in 1942 for the B-4 emergency bail-out kit usually attached to the parachute harness. The machete has checkered black plastic grip panels and a blued steel blade. There is a guard system built into the machete that when closed, metal guard protects the edge. When open, the guard flips closed to lock the blade with a small thumb button, which must be pushed back to release the guard and close the edge.