I am still learning by far and am no expert, but something just don’t seem right to me. The scales do not look like typical Ka-bar handles to me, I am not familiar with this style either. The bolsters appear polished, but the scale material is scratched. The stamp seems a bit off too. The blades appear to be ground also and not Ka-bar style. If I am wrong, please tell me!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185722235250?h ... R5aO7Ia0YQ
Questionable Ka-bar
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Whitneyrifle
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Questionable Ka-bar
You have to be trusted by the people that lie to you. So that when they turn their backs on you, You'll get the chance to put the knife in….
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Gunsil
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Re: Questionable Ka-bar
Looks proper to me, but the seller is in the messed with knife capital of the world. KA-BAR did make slick black scales, yes the bolsters have been buffed.
The seller's date is incorrect, knife was only made for a couple years with that tang stamp and construction. The KA-BAR over Olean, NY mark began in 1943 but if knife were wartime it would have iron bolsters. The mark ended in 1947-48 so this knife could only have been made late 1945-47 or 48. Along with this blade mark came a drastic drop in quality, blade grinds fewer, knives just don't look as good. Now the modern iteration of KA-BAR has used the KA-BAR over Olean NY stamping over again on some of their club knives so there are things to watch for with this mark.
The seller's date is incorrect, knife was only made for a couple years with that tang stamp and construction. The KA-BAR over Olean, NY mark began in 1943 but if knife were wartime it would have iron bolsters. The mark ended in 1947-48 so this knife could only have been made late 1945-47 or 48. Along with this blade mark came a drastic drop in quality, blade grinds fewer, knives just don't look as good. Now the modern iteration of KA-BAR has used the KA-BAR over Olean NY stamping over again on some of their club knives so there are things to watch for with this mark.
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1967redrider
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Re: Questionable Ka-bar
A few pictures for future reference.
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- s-l400(1).jpg (21.84 KiB) Viewed 517 times
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!
You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
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Whitneyrifle
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Re: Questionable Ka-bar
Gunsil wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 2:31 pm Looks proper to me, but the seller is in the messed with knife capital of the world. KA-BAR did make slick black scales, yes the bolsters have been buffed.
The seller's date is incorrect, knife was only made for a couple years with that tang stamp and construction. The KA-BAR over Olean, NY mark began in 1943 but if knife were wartime it would have iron bolsters. The mark ended in 1947-48 so this knife could only have been made late 1945-47 or 48. Along with this blade mark came a drastic drop in quality, blade grinds fewer, knives just don't look as good. Now the modern iteration of KA-BAR has used the KA-BAR over Olean NY stamping over again on some of their club knives so there are things to watch for with this mark.
Thank you for the detailed response. There were a few things that popped out at me, nut I just could not place them. Thank you for the clarification, this auction will go to the junk pile for me.
You have to be trusted by the people that lie to you. So that when they turn their backs on you, You'll get the chance to put the knife in….
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Gunsil
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- Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:25 pm
- Location: Lower Hudson River valley, N.Y.
Re: Questionable Ka-bar
Anytime! The war was the end of the really nice KA-BARs. Neither the folders or the fixed blades ever recovered their pre war quality and build. I have collected all pre KA-BAR Inc. hunting knives but I shy away from the "Oleans" (the mark shown on posted knife) and the USAs (those marked KA-BAR over USA) pocket knives because they just aren't as nice as the pre war versions.