Straight-line...big muskrat

[prairiedog]

Picked this up today...really pleased with it! It's a big knife...4 3/4" long...nice bone, old shield, 3eyed, straight-line stamp. I have a question though...some straight lines have "rustless" on the reverse side of the tang...and some have an eyeball...does this help narrow the age of the knife?? The couple knives I have with an eyeball on the backside of the tang look older to me. I'm just curious when the "rustless" started...and also when the eyeball ended??
Trying to narrow down the timeline of these older eyes seems quite tricky. ...but I love em'!

Thanks,
PerryWayne

[Capt. Farrel]

Sorry, I can´t help you but that´s a beautiful knife for sure!

[Paladin]

It is a beautiful knife, for sure. Not to be picky but I have always called that pattern a moose but it is your knife and you can call it a muskrat if you want to.
The shield is old style and the straight line is their earliest stamp of which I am aware. The Eye Logo on the back side of the tang identifies it as one of the oldest of the old. Not really sure how far back it might go but maybe back into the 1950s. Also not sure when stainless blades showed up but likely sometime later than the knife you show here.
I have one knife that is stainless and also has a straight line stamp and it is the only one I have seen. Their stainless was good steel and head and shoulders above most of the stainless of the day. I am reasonably certain they were the first to call it "Surgical Steel".

Ray

[prairiedog]

Thanks Frank and Ray...finding it made my day!
And thanks Ray for the info...your knowledge on German Eyes is greatly appreciated! Always look forward to y'all's feedback!

Thanks again,
PerryWayne