Old Ka-Bar's

The KA-BAR brand originated as a trademark of the Tidioute Cutlery Company. Tidioute was later taken over & renamed the Union Cutlery Company which continued making the brand until Union eventually adopted it as the company name in 1952. Cutco Corporation later acquired the company in 1996.
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Bret888
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Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Bret888 »

I got a couple of great Ka-Bar's at the Lewisburg knife show. I love the ones from this era. They have my favorite jigging, and both had very little use!
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Ka-Bar jack1.jpg
Ka-Bar Senator.jpg
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FRJ
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by FRJ »

Bret, those are beautiful knives. That big jack is right up my ally. And hardly used!

It sounds like you guys had a great time at the show, especially Kathys son.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by big monk »

Brett___________ Very,Very_________ Nice !!!!!!!!!!

I love that jiggin' myself,and the colors of the bone,are just,not to be found,on the newer knives___awesome finds ::tu::
I'm not young enough,____to know everything !!!!!!!!!!!!

MONK****
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Bret888
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Bret888 »

Thanks Joe, and Monk. I wasn't happy with the scanner's color and went outside and took a couple more with the camera this morning. The knives are darker than the scans show.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by gino »

Great looking old KaBars Brett! I love the older ones.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Aimus Moses »

Brett, that Kabar jack reminds me a lot of the older Case 31 1/2 jack pattern for some reason. ::hmm:: ::shrug:: Possibly a Case made contract knife for Kabar, maybe? Really nice knives you have there. ::tu::

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Bret888
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Bret888 »

Aimus, that big jack is VERY much like a 31 1/2 Case. I only have a modern Delrin one to compare, but the frame appears to be the same. I know a lot of these companies contracted knives from one another, but I can only guess who made what?
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by knifeaholic »

Aimus Moses wrote:Brett, that Kabar jack reminds me a lot of the older Case 31 1/2 jack pattern for some reason. ::hmm:: ::shrug:: Possibly a Case made contract knife for Kabar, maybe? Really nice knives you have there. ::tu::

Aimus
Many Case and Kabar patterns from that era are similar, and even the pattern numbering was similar, but there are enough differences in tooling and handle material to make me believe that for the most part the companies did not make knives for each other. I believe that due to the close family ties and some family members working as sale reps for both firms at various times, that Case and Kabar used similar tooling to produce similar knives.
Steve Pfeiffer, author of Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide published by Krause Publications.
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Elvis
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Elvis »

Having repaired a lot of very old knives of both brands, a lot of models were similar (as any knife book will bear out), but I can tell you for certain that parts weren't interchangeable. Kind of looks like I've proven Steve's theory in the workshop " the companies did not make knives for each other". One thing is for certain. Some of the knives I see are closing in on a hunderd years old and have been in use the whole time. Amazing quality.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Toejammer »

Nice knives, wish I could afford those older ones ! ::tu::
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Miller Bro's »

Here is one I have..............
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by bladeguy58 »

Here is a Union Cutlery/Kabar Scout knife that got a few years ago. Great knife and even nice stag handle.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Miller Bro's »

Stag Handle ::tu:: ::drool::
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by knife7knut »

Here's a few of mine;some newer than others but mostly old and/or unusual.
First up is a 1977 reproduction folding hunter with beautiful stag scales.I think I paid $25 for it when I got it at a flea market.They were selling for a bit more than that at the time.
Second is what I can only describe as a floating hunting knife.Normally fish knives are made with cork handles but this one has no scaler edge so I'm assuming it is a hunter.The cutout in the blade I guess is to ensure that it is light enough to float should it fall in the water.
Next is a yellow scaled T-49 fish knife.This is the largest of the fish knives being about an inch longer than the standard size.I have all 3 sizes.
Fourth is an old Fly fisherman's knife.The scales are actually yellow;for some reason they photographed orange.
Fifth is an old folding hunter that originally had celluloid scales that were badly outgassing.I bought it for $3 and made a set of jigged scales from black Lexan.Did a how-to on it in another thread.
Six and seven are a couple of rigger's knives.
Eight is a standard T-29.
Nine and ten are the smaller T-75's.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by knife7knut »

A few more:
The second T-75 that I neglected to post in the first post.
Second is a T-29 with the "Endorsed by Zane Grey" etch.
Third is the KA-BAR Knife Collector's Club 1990 knife.
Fourth is what I believe are 2 KA-BAR knives made for L.L.Bean Company.
Fifth is a Union Cutlery Co OLCUT knife that has a very unusual wood handle that is jigged to simulate stag.
Sixth is another fixed blade marked Union Cutlery Co Dardevele which if I remember correctly was the name of an outfitter similar to L.L.Bean.
Seventh and eighth are USN mark 1 and Mark 2 knives.
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Bret888
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Bret888 »

Nice ones, and quite a variety!
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by coniferwoodsman »

My Grandads Trapper. 50's Era.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by justold52 »

coniferwoodsman wrote:My Grandads Trapper. 50's Era.
Well your trapper looks lonely so I will add my sweet heart.

Ka-Bar Trapper Yellow from 1951 - 1966 5 1/4" from FRAN

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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by HiPower »

great bunch of knives, seems no modern companies can beat the old jigged bone. that fly fisherman must be very rare.--HiPower
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by justold52 »

Desription
"* Ka-Bar Fish 1128 Yellow Stone Hook Sharpener 1970's 5 """

Neet to see so many Yellow Kar Bar Fish Knives.

Ken
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by paulsvintage »

::tu:: Nice to see everyones old Kabars ! I have two old ones a trapper and a leverlock
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by Bret888 »

Those are beauties Paul!
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by jerryd6818 »

This one is not so old. I'm guessing sometime in the 1990s?? I do like the stag on this Dog Head Stockman.
Kabar.jpg
Kabar4.jpg

I'm also rather attached to this Loom Fixer.
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by paulsvintage »

:) thanks Bret
Jerry love that loom fixer ::drool::
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Re: Old Ka-Bar's

Post by jerryd6818 »

Thanks Paul. I have to maintain some strong self control or I'll blow the paycheck on two blade knives like that loom fixer. And EZ-Opens. And teardrop jacks. And English jacks. And... Well, you get the idea.
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