UTON is an acronym used for the vz. 75 military combat knife. It was used by soldiers of the former Czechoslovak People’s Army, who, until 1989, were on the opposite side of the Cold War from the legendary James Bond. It served scouts, paratroopers, and pilots of the socialist bloc for self-defense and the silent elimination of enemies.
Development of the knife likely began sometime in 1972. Of the several versions created at the time at the military Research and Testing Institute in Slavičín, the one we know today was ultimately selected. And since there was no competition among manufacturers during the era of the planned economy, the Ministry of National Defense commissioned the then-state-owned enterprise Mikov to produce the UTON. Thus, the UTON made its way from Wallachia to Bohemian Switzerland.
At that time, the military fixed-blade knife was manufactured from 17029 stainless steel, which was heat-treated using the MARTFROST process. This involved deep-freezing the steel after hardening, which imparted the desired properties to the material. For security reasons, the blade was not allowed to bear the manufacturer’s logo, only a serial number (from 0001 to 0007). Every hundredth knife underwent testing and hardness measurements. The military administration’s emblem was then stamped onto the knives that passed these inspections.
Soldiers carried the knives in sheaths made of five layers of cowhide riveted together. The sheath had two metal cuffs. These prevented the knife from falling out on its own. The sheath was also not allowed to bear the manufacturer’s logo, which at the time was the state-owned enterprise KOZAK. The sheath also had openings for a saw and a file, which were inserted into the rear part of the knife’s handle. The handle was made of vulcanized rubber marked “137,” which was reportedly imported from Cuba. To prevent the knife from slipping in the hand, the handle was textured with fine grooves.
Over the course of its existence, the knife gained great popularity among soldiers. When the senseless secrecy ended in 1989 with the fall of communism, it became possible to offer it on the civilian market as well, though now bearing the manufacturer’s logo. This “civilian” UTON differs from the original not only in its logo but also in the material used for the handle, where the original hard rubber has been replaced by a softer, more textured rubber grip.
Since 1989, limited editions of the UTON have also been produced, either specifically for certain units or to mark significant historical occasions. Mikov released its most recent limited edition from Mikulášovice in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.