Professional Soldiers ® - Hackman CIA Butterfly Knife ???

I need a new and bigger safe...

While doing a little spring cleaning in the safe, I found an old friend.

The story: While on an FTX in the Nantahala, 1969, one of the NCO's on my team was witling some tinder for a fire and I commented that I really like the knife. It's only a couple oz, as opposed to the Buck 110 most of us carried. It was the 1st butterfly opening I had ever seen and it had no brass to clean.

After we got back, I asked if he remembered where he had purchased the knife, so I could go find one.. he said he could not remember,, but said it was a free-bee and proceeded to give me the knife... It was my EDC for 10 years.. It has sat in the safe with my Randall ever sence..

Being curious and needing to practice my google-foo talent, I did a little search.

Quote:

Hackman CIA Butterfly Knife
The old name for this knife was "Linkkupuukko",
Sandvik 12C27 stainless blade steel, Pins are made from x5CrNi189 SS and closing maillot from 18/8 SS.
The knife was marketed by Hackman as "retkiveitsi", loosely translated as "camping knife".
Ristinen's book on Finnish knives says this was used by the CIA and given to a lot of Vietnamese who supposed really liked them.
On the blade and handle: "HACKMAN-FINLAND STAINLESS."
There are several variant blade shapes amd both a Red and Black handle.
I found a bunch of red pictures but only references to a black.
The company has changed names, but the knife is still in production. << no longer made

My question to the senior QP's and Edged Weapon X-spurts..

Is the CIA bit true?

Backside: The case and watch band are a couple of my early attempts to fashion A7A strap into something other than a belt. The watch band was for my 1st Rolex Submariner, I purchased at Bragg for 100 USD. It was a pre date-date version. I splurged on myself after graduation from scuba school..