All About Pocket Knives

I tried to search old threads and didn't find anything so here goes.

When did the Dog Head emblem come into being? It's odd to me since the whole company was founded on a Bear.

Anyone know?

Kabar was Union Cutlery when they started using the dogs head shield ca. early 1920's.

I believe Union Cut used the famous dog head shields before the 1920s. They were available with the Union inside the North America mark and with the Union Cut arched stamp so they pretty much had to have been made as early as the 19teens.

I have a Western States with a dogs head shield, just wondered if anyone else has one. Its identical to one made by Union Cutlery. I have them both.

Please post a pic of the Western dog's head. I've never seen one.

Western did not make knives in-house until 1919, contracting manufacturing out to Union Cutlery, Camillus and Case, among others (Case actually made a lot of knives for Western to pay Mr Platt for his share of Case when Platt sold out).

Their first fixed blades were made by others as well until the late 1920s.

aimwell wrote:I have a Western States with a dogs head shield, just wondered if anyone else has one. Its identical to one made by Union Cutlery. I have them both.

Yes,I have a couple of lever lock dogs head Western States folding hunters.There was also one in Voyle's most recent auction that ended earlier this week.

Here they are.

Many thanks for posting those westerns with the dog head shields, probably made for them by Union. I dont get on here often as you can tell

WOW!

Roger a couple nice knives. I don't see that lock often.

Harold

Thanks Harold.

here's an old dogs head lockback stamped Keystone Co.

North America Union stamp with Dog's Head shield.

Wayne that is a Dandy.

Harold

Here are a couple with the cool lock mechanism, one Union North America mark, other KA-BAR. They also made a rarer smaller knife with this lock but no doggie.

Did Kabar make all of these knives?

Union Cutlery Co made all the dogs head shield knives, whether marked KA-BAR, Union Cut Co, or Western States.