All About Pocket Knives

Version #15 – Camillus Western W49 Variation – Thick guard version.

Date of production is unknown.

It appears to be a hybrid of the standard W49 with a guard reminiscent of but not really like that found on Legitimus Collins #18 Machete/CASE/Kinfolks copies referenced in post # 2.

Put PIC Here

Version 16 – Camillus Produced Remington Bowie.

2002 to 2003 based on a couple of ads seen on the internet.

The Remington version was made to the same specifications as the Camillus SS Western W49, the following cosmetic differences -
Jimping along the spine and ricasso stamp.


Put Pic Here

Mini-W49s

There were three “miniature” versions of the W49 produced in 1990 (year code “N”) and also with the “no year code” Camillus style stamp.

These were the W47, the W45 and the W43.

These knives had 7 inch, 5 inch and 3 inch blades, respectively.

The guard for the W47 is nearly identical to that of the W49, just slightly smaller.

*********************
Put W47 Pics Here

The W45 and W43 have unique guards not found on any other Western knife.

***********************
Put W45 Pics Here

*****************
Put W43 Pics Here

Most of these knives were most often produced with the standard W49 laminated rosewood handles. They were also made with Delrin Stag handles, but those are as rare as hen’s teeth and have never ended up being available in my price range.

This post is reserved to hold future oddballs/commemorative/special editions as they pop up in the future.

WOW !
zzyzzgoten you have made a significant contribution to the knife world with your definitive W49 history post. There is no where on line that all this information is given until now. Your contribution also serves to make AAPK even more significant in the knife world than it already is.
Thank you.
Although i read the entire post i cannot find 'my' W49. Likely it is there and i missed it ?
Marked on tang, mark side: Western/Boulder, Colo, USA & on pile side "BOWIE" upside down, i.e. read with tip of blade pointing towards yourself.
sheath is not the dangler. These markings are the same as what you are calling "Western Bowie #4" except #4 has markings on the guard and mine is marked on the tang.
You describe an early version that is marked similarly on the tang, but no "USA".
Do i have another variation ?
kj

Joe, that's what is called a typo.

Your knife is a version 2, 1964 to 1965.

This is an example of why I have taken so long to publish this thing. I keep going over it only to find more mistakes on my part.

The USA was in there at some point and I must have managed to delete it.

Edit - Fixed

Thank you for clarifying this.
My collecting began as wanting "one of everything" and so i only have this one Western Bowie. It was just luck that i ended up with an early one. If it stops snowing i will picture it & post. (i like verbing nouns)
kj
Edit to add pics of Version 2 Western W49

Hey zzyzzogeton thanks for all the info it’s so hard to find good info on early Bowie’s but I think I have a correction for you, on Western Bowie #5 Version 1 stainless steel Bowie - It should be blade marked not guard marked WESTERN BOWIE on top of STAINLESS STEEL on top of U.S.A. markings on only one side. I own one like this and I believe it’s version 1, there is a second stainless steel version that came out shortly after guard marked STAINLESS STEEL over BOWIE just like you said but I believe that to be version 2, let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for all the information! You’ve done your homework for sure. Here’s mine with box and paper works as well as the original sales receipt from December of 68.

Wow Colonel, that is very special. I have never seen an original box & papers for a W49 Bowie. And the sales receipt is proof of age. Great 'package'.
kj

And the Colonel's pic shows that originally, the knives came with a leather thigh strap.

These were almost immediately "lost" or removed by any one who tried to wear the sheath and knife. When tied down, the thigh strap impedes the free swing of the sheath that the dangler allowed.

I am happy to see this thread ! I’ve had this knife since I
Was a kid ,all I know about it was it was my fathers
And he passed away in in 1976 and I’ve had possession of it
Since!

kootenay joe wrote:Wow Colonel, that is very special. I have never seen an original box & papers for a W49 Bowie. And the sales receipt is proof of age. Great 'package'.
kj

zzyzzogeton wrote:And the Colonel's pic shows that originally, the knives came with a leather thigh strap.

These were almost immediately "lost" or removed by any one who tried to wear the sheath and knife. When tied down, the thigh strap impedes the free swing of the sheath that the dangler allowed.

Thanks guys. The back story to this one is that a couple of years ago my Dad bought it at an Estate auction for $35! He bought it for me as a Christmas gift since he knew I collected Western knives. He had no idea what it was worth, but figured it was worth the $35, lol.

It is a treasure to me, and it will stay a safe queen as long as I own it.

Wow, $35 !
I think it would still be a good deal at $350. I doubt there are more than 10-20 of these complete with paper work & box (and sales receipt with this one as well).
kj

You'd be surprised, Joe.

They are starting to pop out of the woodwork as baby boomers start dying off and their heirs are disposing of keepsakes like this. Not a lot, but 1 or 2 every 4 to 5 months. Most are missing the receipt itself but some of the boxes have the price tags still on them.

Many a "early" baby boomer got these during the 60s and 70s, either as gifts or self-purchase but never got around to using them, just as "nostalgia keepsakes".

The knives don't have a hold on the heirs emotions so "out the door they go".

I have had 1/2 dozen of these 49's,, in my opinion,,a truly great knife as well of the sheaths..
this one I never could figure out, it has a stainless guard, but is only stamped on one side,
Western Bowie U.S.A.
the ones at the start of your post with stainless guard are stamped both sides, I am still confused ???
Very nice as KJ said with you putting the time in to clear up one of the greatest patterns
of knives ever made by a equally great knife outfit... a real (Plus) to AAPK's library of info

Stag
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/stagman

I saw this forum on the Western Bowie knife. My father was a metallurgist associated this knife as well as others from Western. He passed away in 1970. He worked for Sharon Steel in Sharon PA.

As a token of appreciation for his work Western presented him with a personalized copy that does not have any series markings on it. It included a display plaque and sheath.

After he passed away another metallurgist from Sharon Steel took over the Western Cutlery account and Wester eventually also presented him with a personalized version of this knife. He also married my mother and became my step-father. When he passed away I ended up with both knives that I have kept under lock and key since we had children and if they ever dislodged the knife from the plaque something bad could happen.

However both of my kids are now adults and I thought it was time to display them in my home office. So, when I got them out I searched on the internet and happily found this forum. I thought you might like to hear my connection to this knife and see a picture. I’m honored to know people are still appreciating something my father and step-father had a hand in so many years later. Thanks!! [image][/im]

Amazing story and amazing knives too! Thanks for sharing.

Great story and what a treasure. Thanks for sharing.

Hey, JB... Great story and Excellent examples of "early" Western Bowies.

Do they have the standard Western ricasso/guard stamps? Or were the knives made stampless? I am assuming they have stamps.

The older version on the left does not appear to have any stamps in the guard or an inverted "BOWIE" on the pile side ricasso, so that would put it as one of my "version 3" bowies from 1965/1966 to 1967.

The slightly newer version on the right would be an S-649. 1968. That version was the only one to have the Delrin fake stag handles and stainless steel blades.


EDIT - Just re-read your post. I am now assuming that your "no series marks" comments means no stamps on the ricassos or guard of the left hand knife. That makes it a little harder to identify the year it was made - The 3 early 1960s version are readily identified by the smaller handle rivets. The 3 versions are identical except for the stamps. We'd have to use your personal knowledge of the timing as to when Western gave presented the knife to your father to get more specific.

stagman wrote:I have had 1/2 dozen of these 49's,, in my opinion,,a truly great knife as well of the sheaths..
this one I never could figure out, it has a stainless guard, but is only stamped on one side,
Western Bowie U.S.A.
the ones at the start of your post with stainless guard are stamped both sides, I am still confused ???
Very nice as KJ said with you putting the time in to clear up one of the greatest patterns
of knives ever made by a equally great knife outfit... a real (Plus) to AAPK's library of info

Stag
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/stagman

Stagman - I apologize for the tardiness of my reply - somehow I missed seeing your post.

That is a 1965/1966-1967 "version 3" Western Bowie, but it has been rehandled and, apparently "re-guarded".

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, Western never used SS for guards on the W49s. And that handle is a rehandle job. And an after-market blade super-buffing job. Nicely done, but Western never put out mirror finishes and they would have NEVER let that handle out the door, not with that large flaw in the left handle slab. The SS guard was probably added when the handle replacement and buffing jobs were done.

Now to the speculation part - I suspect that the handle developed issues - came loose from chopping, etc. and to "save the knife" repairs and changes occurred.

zzyzzogeton,
I was mistaken and didn't really understand the identifying marks until I re-read all your postings. There are markings on the left side and I will include a photo below. It appears that the newer one had part of the stamping buffed off or was not complete when done. Thanks again for keeping this really amazing knife alive and well.
JB

Reading your posts it appears the wood handle is 1965-1968 and the other is 1968-1969?

The wood handled one is late 1965 or early 1966 to middle/late 1967. Late 1967 to early 1968, guard stamping started on the Western Bowie and transitioned to all models by August 1968.

The 1967/68 small rivet version (3rd small rivet/4th overall Bowie), which was the one after yours, had stamps of WESTERN over BOULDER COLO on one side of the guard and BOWIE on the other side of the guard. Then in August of 1968, when the new catalogs came out, the Western Bowie officially became the W49 for advertising purposes and the "BOWIE" stamp was replaced with a "W49" stamp.

Next question for you - is your Delrin handled version stamped S-649 on the guard or on the pile side ricasso?

Thanks for the update. As far as I can see the Delrin handle one has no "S-649" stamp anywhere on the knife. The only stamp on either side of the ricasso is the partial one in the photo I included in the last post. The other side doesn't have any stamp at all and that side that is the side that is engraved with my step-father's name. There are no other markings on the knife anywhere that I can see.

Then that is one they specifically assembled that way, with a blank guard. VERY unusual. Possible that others were made for other special presentation Bowies, but relatively few S-649s as they were only made for a single year.