What is the history of the OLCUT knife?

[chorizotaco]

Hi everyone. I keep seeing people post that their knife stamped OLCUT is from 1910-1920. I've seen OLCUT with a stamp and it has a star at the beginning and end of the word and some that doesn't have any star. Is there anything definitive on when OLCUT or KEENWELL came around and also when it went away?? Thanks for any info....curious minds want to know.

[Gunsil]

Dan, Levine's and Goins are both incorrect on both brands. In my Union Cut Co price lists Olcut is in my 1928 (oldest so far found) and in the 1937 price list. Olcut is not in the 1938 price list. Keenwell or sometimes Keenwel is not listed in the 1928 price list but is in the 1938 and 1940 lists. The first Keenwell hunting knife I ever saw made me think the circa 1910 shown in some books was very wrong since the knife looks like a late 1930s KA-BAR with the triangular pommel. Those books were written a long time ago and I have no idea where they got there info but the price lists and the knives disagree with the books. Another odd thing is that you will find Olcuts with Union Cut Co or Olean Cut Co marks, the Union being more common. Being as the oldest price list I have found is 1928 I don't know when the Olcut brand came into being.

[chorizotaco]

Dan, Levine's and Goins are both incorrect on both brands. In my Union Cut Co price lists Olcut is in my 1928 (oldest so far found) and in the 1937 price list. Olcut is not in the 1938 price list. Keenwell or sometimes Keenwel is not listed in the 1928 price list but is in the 1938 and 1940 lists. The first Keenwell hunting knife I ever saw made me think the circa 1910 shown in some books was very wrong since the knife looks like a late 1930s KA-BAR with the triangular pommel. Those books were written a long time ago and I have no idea where they got there info but the price lists and the knives disagree with the books. Another odd thing is that you will find Olcuts with Union Cut Co or Olean Cut Co marks, the Union being more common. Being as the oldest price list I have found is 1928 I don't know when the Olcut brand came into being.

Thanks Gene. Any significance to OLCUT having stars or not having stars...maybe older? Many state that that OLCUT is pre Ka-bar but based on your information it's possible that it came around right after KA-BAR was patented..1923.

[Gunsil]

Dan, I have not figured out anything about the stars. I have never seen an Olcut catalog, don't know if any ever existed. They are in the price lists but the only old photos I have found are in old retailer catalogs and one cannot judge dates by such photos or prints since some retailers used the same image for many years even if some details had changed. As to when the mark began I will not speculate as conjecture is usually useless. Hopefully some day somebody will turn up a document positively identifying when Olcut began as a brand but until then I am fine with just wondering.

[zzyzzogeton]

Unfortunately, the Tradmark registration site is worthless for determining anything about OLCUT or KEENWELL. I have used it in the past to find the earliest known usage of a name, but OLCUT or any variation is an enigma.

The first and last registrant of OLCUT is Cole-National, the company who bought KABAR from the people who bought it from the Brown family.

The first use date is 19750909 or 09 September 1975. The registration date is 26 October 1976. The cancellation date is 22 March 1983.

I have always suspected that this was filed when Cole-National started working up its Collector's Club offerings.

I have been unable to find anything earlier than this. I'm sure there was something, I just don't know why I can't find anything, unless it is because I'm cheap and don't have a paying subscription for searching the USPTO website.

KEENWELL doesn't even come up with a Cole-National usage. The only thing that brongs up is a 1998 filing for the name by a cosmetics company still in business.

[apollosfyre]

I received an Olcut knife several years ago
from my late wife. It had belonged to her late older brother and I guess its called the deerslayer...folding with the yellowish pearl curved handle and very little wear on the blade, though tarnished a bit. I see people mentioning stars on either side of the name, but mine has a star at end of name.
At the start of the name is what appears to be a shark figure or a small tree limb or twig shape. A sort of curvy line with 3 small lines on it laterally. One side of the handle grip is stamped in bold letters "CALIFORNIA" as if it were sold as some kind of souvenir. Are these really from the early 20th century as mentioned here? I find it amazing to be so old and still not lost in the woods, worn down or having breaks in the grip. If this is true, I guess this is the knife I will pass on to my grandson one day. If any of the more serious collectors can give me any other info, I'd really love to know more. Glad I found this group. I have a small collection of knives and swords that I'd like to learn more about.

Dan, Levine's and Goins are both incorrect on both brands. In my Union Cut Co price lists Olcut is in my 1928 (oldest so far found) and in the 1937 price list. Olcut is not in the 1938 price list. Keenwell or sometimes Keenwel is not listed in the 1928 price list but is in the 1938 and 1940 lists. The first Keenwell hunting knife I ever saw made me think the circa 1910 shown in some books was very wrong since the knife looks like a late 1930s KA-BAR with the triangular pommel. Those books were written a long time ago and I have no idea where they got there info but the price lists and the knives disagree with the books. Another odd thing is that you will find Olcuts with Union Cut Co or Olean Cut Co marks, the Union being more common. Being as the oldest price list I have found is 1928 I don't know when the Olcut brand came into being.

[Mumbleypeg]

Welcome to AAPK, and thanks for showing your knife here. Hope someone who knows something more about the brand than has already been shared here will see your post and enlighten us all. Meanwhile what is already posted here is from some KABAR/Union Cutlery collectors. If they don’t know more than they have posted, it’s probably all you’re going to find.

Stick around - we’d like to see pictures of your other knives. If you look through the site you’ll see lots of pictures of knives the same vintage as yours and older with intact handle covers and blades.

Ken

[Gunsil]

Your cool large clasp folding hunter was likely made in the 1930s this model is not in the early Union Cut catalog although I have never heard of an Olcut catalog. I do have Union Cut price lists with Olcuts listed. I have a couple of these with the KA-BAR mark. Yours had the one star worn off and what you call a twig is either a scratch or rust mark, it is not from the factory. Regarding the CALIFORNIA, it could have been the model name or made as a souvenir. I have a few Union Cut knives with YELLOWSTONE PARK embossed in the celluloid. I also have an Olcut "cherry tree chopper" with EVEREADY embossed in the handle but eveready is listed as a model name in the price lists. I also have seen Union Cut celluloid handled knives with the owner's name factory embossed in the handle. Cool old knife.