Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

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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OLDE CUTLER
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

Where would this tang stamp fit into the scheme of all things Union Cutlery? It reads:
MFRS
Union
Cutlery
Co
It is an 8 blade MOP congress, or at least it was when new. Now there are only 4 unbroken blades. Can you imagine someone breaking 2 or 3 blades on this knife and still not getting the clue? Should have had something more substantial like a stockman or cattle knife. Still an interesting old knife.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by peanut740 »

I don't believe it is the same Union Cutlery.It is older.I don't have any reference handy to look it up at this moment.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

peanut740 wrote:I don't believe it is the same Union Cutlery.It is older.I don't have any reference handy to look it up at this moment.
Ritchie & Stewart 5th Ed. list a Union Cutlery Chicago 1887-1888. Could it be them?
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by FRJ »

What a shame OC. I do share your frustration.
Some people simply should not have access to tools.
Here is my knife, much the same as yours. And mercifully, far less abused.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by steve99f »

Now that is a piece of cutlery there Joe! WOW.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Steve.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

FRJ wrote:What a shame OC. I do share your frustration.
Some people simply should not have access to tools.
Here is my knife, much the same as yours. And mercifully, far less abused.
That one of yours is nice (intact). I paid $5 for the one I have because I had never seen an 8 blade congress before with MOP handle material. I actually thought for a time that I might take this one apart, eliminate the 4 broken blades, and reassemble as a 4 blade congress. Then "upon further review" I decided to leave well enough alone.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Pile Driver »

Recently saved this little one out of an eBay lot
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

I am not going to say much re:This knife. I do feel a bit gifted to have just obtained it. 1st I have seen in this handle material.
Just waiting for remarks. Sorry but it takes a lot of photo's to show the entire knife.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

a couple more.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Jacknifeben »

This is my UNION CUT.Co. OLEAN N.Y. U.S.A. hobo dogs head, stag handles and dated PAT. NOV. 5th 1907. Ever sharpened.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by steve99f »

Those are two very fine knives gentlemen.! ::tu::
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

Thank you to Jacknifeben and steve99f: I would bet that the big devil had not been apart in 50-60 years. Darn near grown together. I will try a photo tomorrow. I knew it was a slot I just did not have the stones to apply the pressure it took.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by FRJ »

Mossdancer and Jacknifeben, what beautiful knives you have.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

Here is the rest of the story.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by doglegg »

Those two are too fancy to be called 'hobo's'. Really cool old gentlemen. ::tu::
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

A few more, Should anyone like to read and look here is a pdf by Mr Ellingson of the OKCA in knife world.
http://ibdennis.com/hobo1_01.pdf

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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by 49knives47 »

Forgive me for going slightly off topic. For the tang stamp UNION CUT. CO. OLEAN N.Y. is the manufacturing span 1912 to 1930? Thanks for your help.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mossdancer »

49.*.
Sorry; I cannot answer your question, other than to say I think KABAR came into use in the early 20's although I think I have have seen KABAR on one blade with Union Cutco on the other other the latter part of the span you gave. It is my reasoning that says it had a lot to do with what new blade was next in the barrel when the cutler had need for one when finishing a build.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by TripleF »

I scored this little treat a couple weeks ago....tiny.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by zzyzzogeton »

The name KABAR came into usage in 1923, IIRC, and was initially a brand under the Union Cutlery Company name, like OL-CUT and KEENWELL, and probably others.

The Union Cutlery Co. changed its name to KABAR in 1952, capitalizing on the popularity of the name after the WW2 and the 1219C2/USN-MK2.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Just finished reading through this old thread which has some remarkable specimens and information. Realize I should have posted this Union Cutlery KA-BAR slide apart hobo here when I acquired it.

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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by doglegg »

Wow Ken, that one is a treasure. Great shape, slender, and bones! ::nod:: ::nod::
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by peanut740 »

According to my reprint Kabar/Union Cut catalog, this is a 6228pu pattern.
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Re: Union Cut. Co. Olean NY

Post by 1967redrider »

Pretty cool pattern, great looking knife. Is the back of the blade shaped like a Marlin Spike or is that an illusion?
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