All About Pocket Knives

I couldn't find a Western thread to show off this 442A so figured I'd start one. The knife has two blades riding on one backspring and is in excellent shape. It is three inches long and has nice bone or delrin handles and a long slender clip blade - maybe some wear, but very even.

I've seen several Western fixed blade knives on other threads but not many folders. Let's see them, I know there have to be some good ones out there.

Here's a nice little (3 3/8") Western slip joint. It has delrin scales that are cracked at the spring pin on both sides.
The pin was placed too far back on the knife it seems. Hardly any room at all for any material beyond the pin. Too bad too, there is accomodation in the spring for it to be drilled further in the field. Well, it doesn't make it a bad knife. I really like this thing, alot. It's a 652

I like yours too. Nice knife.

Here's a few:

YIKES!!!!!!!!! i FORGOT THIS ONE.

Thanks, k7k.

The only Western I have, L-39. Got it in about 1958, cost a book of Top Value Trading stamps. Marked: Western - Boulder, Colo. - U.S.A.

How about a Western knife opener.

FRJ wrote:Here's a nice little (3 3/8") Western slip joint. It has delrin scales that are cracked at the spring pin on both sides.
The pin was placed too far back on the knife it seems. Hardly any room at all for any material beyond the pin. Too bad too, there is accomodation in the spring for it to be drilled further in the field. Well, it doesn't make it a bad knife. I really like this thing, alot. It's a 652

I like yours too. Nice knife.

I love Western knives! The early ones, before Coleman bought them (1984), had some of the best carbon steel I have used. They improved again, IMO, in 1991 when Camillus bought them from Coleman.
The old ones get scary sharp and hold an edge for a long time. They improved, IMO, in 1991 when Camillus bought them from Coleman.
However, I have noticed on several patterns of their folders that they did tend to place the center pin too close to the edge of the scale. This has caused me to break a new scale when repairing them on more than one occasion.

Here are some of my Westerns:

A nice old hawkbill- An L38- This is an example of a later Western made by Camillus-
I have more Westerns, but these are ones that I had pics of handy.

Lets see your Westerns guys!
Dale

Here are a few pictures I posted awhile back on another thread but they apply here so I'll re-post them.

This is part of a lot a bought at a flea market many years ago with the idea of trying to rescue some of these blades.For one reason or another I lost interest in trying it.They were apparently cast-offs from the Western production although how they got out is a mystery to me.
The person I bought them from was not a knife person and had no clue.Most are grinding errors and notice on the daggers how saw cuts were made into the edges to preclude anyone trying to re-hab them.

Anyway here they are;hope you enjoy them.

Not all of them are junk!
Some of those parts are salvageable!
For some weird reason I get as excited about parts as I do about knives, maybe more so.

I have several drawers full of parts, blanks, used parts knives and misc pieces from several different companies. For me it is more fun than collecting mint vintage knives harder to find too.



Dale

I agree Dale;the W49 blanks look to be very salvageable.This is what I love about our hobby is that it is so diverse.For several years now I have collected mainly unusual knives;i.e.:ones that do not appear to be knives;unusual blade shapes;etc.They are usually inexpensive pieces and something that most collectors are not interested in.One of the types I love are letter openers with blades in the handle;another are mechanical pencils(old ones;not the new Chinese stuff)with blades in them.Another is advertising knives.
The Western parts were not very much money(about $25 if I recall)but I thought would make a great display.Maybe I will eventually do that.

The W49s will be hard to grind as they are probably already heat threated.
Apparently most all production knife companies heat treat the blanks and then grind them on big liquid cooled grinders.
Much easier than dealing with scale, warping. etc if you heat treat after grinding.

I think there are other things there that can be salvaged as well.
I would love to get one of those unfinished split tang knives with the unground birds head pommel on it.
It would tell me a great deal about how they made their knives.

My son made a birds head pommel on a Camillus blank I had.
I was really impressed at how nice it came out.
It looked better than a lot of the commercially made ones I have seen.

Dale

tjmurphy wrote:The only Western I have, L-39. Got it in about 1958, cost a book of Top Value Trading stamps. Marked: Western - Boulder, Colo. - U.S.A.

T.J. I have one exactly like that. Well, not exactly like it anymore. My mother got it for me in 1957 with trading stamps, I don't remember if it was Top Value, Plaid Stamps or Green Stamps. Like most boys my age in that part of the country, I had a knife throwing habit. In about 1959, while trying to stick the knife out in the coal shed, the handle broke. You may have seen that email "I Fixed It"? Well, I fixed it but skill was sorely lacking.

That white stuff is silicone rubber. It covers up sins too numerous to mention. But then, more than 50 years later, Dale (Orvet) fixed it.

Dale:
PM me your address and I'll send one to you.

Here are two old Western's. I know the blade on the knife with the Butterscotch handle is well used, but I like it anyways. It has a cool sounding snap.

One more;a large folding hunter stamped Westaco.

jerryd6818 wrote:

tjmurphy wrote:The only Western I have, L-39. Got it in about 1958, cost a book of Top Value Trading stamps. Marked: Western - Boulder, Colo. - U.S.A.

T.J. I have one exactly like that. Well, not exactly like it anymore. My mother got it for me in 1957 with trading stamps, I don't remember if it was Top Value, Plaid Stamps or Green Stamps. Like most boys my age in that part of the country, I had a knife throwing habit. In about 1959, while trying to stick the knife out in the coal shed, the handle broke. You may have seen that email "I Fixed It"? Well, I fixed it but skill was sorely lacking.

That white stuff is silicone rubber. It covers up sins too numerous to mention.

My old Western L39 001.jpg

But then, more than 50 years later, Dale (Orvet) fixed it.

New Western 1.JPG

Now that's pretty wierd, ain't it Jerry? We got the same knife at the same time, the same way Dale fixed 'er up pretty good too.

T.J., it is a strange little cawinky-dink (coincidence). She's a good old knife. I'm glad I never let her go.

Here is a old Western States reverse gunstock. 3 and 3/4" long with a green swirl celluloid handles.

That is one sweet knife! Love the pattern...

Thank You knifegirl. Its one of my favorites.

I missed that 442 the first go around. Here's one and a couple more, all marked Western Boulder. That is a sweet gunstock!


442 - 3"


652 - 3-3/8"


651 - 3-3/8"

very nice . great gunstock

I don't own a lot of Westerns anymore........I use to have atleast a dozen Western skinners.
Heres all that I have left.

I knew there were some nice Westerns out there. Here is a 657. The second blade is stamped "Concave Ground."

Anyone know any history on Western Cutlery Co. All I have is this old one marked Germany....?