THE JUNGLE KING KNIFE OF AITOR

One of the most famous knives on both the national and international market is the Jungle King knife from the prestigious brand Aitor. It first made an appearance in the 1980s and gained fame thanks to the release of the films starred in by the popular Sylvester Stallone.

The Rambo films were not an original idea, but were based on the novels by the Canadian author David Morrell. The battle-hardened star Rambo represents a veteran US soldier who forged his personality and character during the Vietnam War. This long-lasting war constituted yet another piece in the complicated puzzle of the Cold War in which two "heavyweights" came head to head: United States and the USSR. The Cold War was a historical period which lasted from the end of the Second World War to the end of the 1980s; it was characterised by an international climate of constant tension between Russian Communism and the capitalism led by the United States. The confrontation between both powers never went as far as being direct but instead they used the processes of decolonization which were taking place in both Africa and in Asia to carry out their battle. Both the U. S.A. and the USSR joined forces with different groups of new emerging countries encouraging the confrontation and fight.

The Vietnam War was, along with others, one of the typical conflicts of the period. Part of the old French colony of Indochina consisting of Laos, Cambodia, Annam, Tonkin and Cochinchina was the setting for a brutal war which broke out at the end of the 1950s and continued until the middle of the 1970s. Both generally and in detail, the Vietnam war can be summarised as a confrontation between the two areas into which Vietnam territory was divided due to the colonial conflict with France. South Vietnam with a government allied with the U. S.A. fought against North Vietnam which was predominantly Communist; both sides, like in most armed conflicts throughout history, defended their predominance and hegemony over the other.

The Vietnam War was one of the most violent wars of the second half of the 20th century. During it, systematic bombings were targeted not only at key military points but also at the civilian population, communications and factory infrastructures... the U. S.A. used traditional weapons: submachine guns, rifles, knives; but also chemical weapons such as the feared napalm or "agent orange" which affected the health of civilians and soldiers, as well as the environment which suffered serious attacks given the high levels of contamination. In the region, the consequences of the war were tremendous, with more than two million Vietnamese killed, thousands injured and orphaned. As for the American victims, it was not just limited to the over 5000 dead and 150 000 injured, but also as the years passed those who survived experienced psychological problems which lasted for the rest of their lives.

The Vietnam War was one of the first conflicts portrayed by international media

The war seriously affected American prestige on the international stage. The defeat branded its foreign policy for several years. In addition, within the country itself the citizens rejected and marginalised the veterans of the Vietnam War, stigmatised and isolated them from society. They didn't welcome them as heroes as the soldiers had expected. In addition, the soldiers didn't know how to reintegrate into civilian life and in many of their minds there always remained the bloody memory of the war.

The character Rambo is all part of this context of confrontation and the consequences subsequent to his return to the United States. The figure John Rambo carried out his military career in Vietnam. The weapons attributed to this soldier are extremely varied. In the films we have seen him use weapons such as bows, mortars, mines, machine guns, machetes, revolvers and knives. Due to the hype amongst the global population as a result of the release of the saga of Rambo films, bladed weapons industries set to work to manufacture reproductions of the knives and machetes used by the star Rambo, an expert in guerilla warfare and survival techniques. One of these companies was Aitor knives, which in 1985 launched the Jungle King knife onto the market. Prior to this Aitor model, it had created two other versions, the Jungla 463 knife and the Jungla 464 knife, weapons which could be considered "relatives" of the later Jungle King knife.

Jungle King I knife includes a survival kit for emergencies

The Jungle King II knife is the little brother of the knife Jungle King I

• Compass: Stored in the screwed top of the hilt of the knife. A compass is an essential piece which must form part of the equipment of any adventurer and excursionist as it helps to determine the direction in which the holder is facing.

• Fishing kit: Includes, hooks, fishing line, weights and thread. When we are in situations of danger food is an urgent necessity. Therefore, the Jungle King knife includes these items to help the user to obtain solid food to eat.

• Sewing kit: needles, safety pins and thread. In the course of the adventure we can experience tears in our clothing which can be repaired using this sewing kit which is included with the JK knife.

• First aid box: Dressings, scalpel and tweezers which could come in very useful if any injuries are sustained during the journey.

• Skinner multi-purpose knife: This is an auxiliary knife which can be used as a tin opener, screwdriver and key for screws and nuts.

• Other items included in the Jungle King knife are a pencil, magnesium tablet, SOS symbols, mirror, ruler, capsule, tubes of latex (ideal for use as catapults), pins and nylon cord. In addition, the cover of the knife which is made from polyamide with fibreglass includes a grindstone.

The tactical knife Jungle King III has smaller dimensions than the others and also includes survival kit

The Jungle King knife has had two successors: the Jungle King II knife and the Jungle King III knife. The essential difference between them resides in the measurements. The JKI has a blade measuring 20.5cm in length, the JKII has a 13.5cm blade, whilst the JKIII has a blade development of 10.5cm. The survival kits also vary considerably, as can be seen in the photographs. The knife company Aitor also offers spares if any of the accessories that accompany the Jungle King knife are mislaid. When buying a knife Jungle King, depending on the model, we can choose different finishes: white, black or camouflage.

The kits of the Jungle King knives vary considerably, however, include the essential elements in distress.

It has been several bodies of the armed forces of different countries that have included the Jungle King knife as part of basic military equipment. Thanks to its usefulness and quality of materials the knife Jungle King has a foothold in the market as one of survival knives most desired by collectors and fans of the weapons.

The Special Operations Unit of Marine Spanish Armed Forces Jungle King used the knife in their military operations

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