Boker USA Bone 8588

[313 Mike]

Here is one of my favorite recent pick ups Boker USA 8588 3 3/8" stockman, with bone handles and the federal shield....Judging from what I've learned here on the site,(Blue), if we have the combination of the federal shield, Boker USA tang stamp and real bone handles it was most likely made between 1945-1965. Sound about right? I really like the looks of this knife, looking at the pics you can see the difference in the shading of the bone from the front to the back handle, both equally pleasing to the eye...when you click the pics and enlarge them you can see the texture and grain, really cool. The shield is a really nice feature, raised up just slightly from being flush with the handle, but smooth enough around the edges to feel secure and perfectly placed. Has a good heft to it and great snap in all the blades. Believe it or not I snagged this one off ebay for .99cents! I think shipping was $3 or something. Great find.
Can anyone share any knowledge about the bone variations that were used by Boker USA during this time frame? Were all their knives handled with the same bone? Would it be described as "natural bone"? or was it dyed at all? It sure does age well, both the front and back of this one I really like...
Mike

Couldn't decide which background showed off the bone better, the green or the red, so I just put 'em both up!

[313 Mike]

...Here is the same knife next to the little 9908, bone looks similar although not exact but probably just aged differently, both of these knives are from the same time frame to the best of my knowledge, late 40's to early 60's...? Anybody have any knowledge they can share on Boker bone through the years?...Blue, I know you are the wise man on the mountain with all things Boker, any responses appreciated! Thanks,
Mike

[rangerbluedog]

I think you got it about right Mike. I'd tighten up the date range a little and say no newer than 1956 or so.
All the Boker USA made bone handles I remember seeing from that era started out as some shade of caramel.
These aren't mine - I took them from the 'net if I recall correctly. (except the last two pics. They're mine)

[313 Mike]

Hey thanks Blue, those are some beauties. I have one on the way that was listed as being red bone , looks pretty reddish in the pics too, I will post a pic here it arrives for comparison purposes!
Mike

[313 Mike]

Here's the latest addition to the Boker USA bone lineup. The top knife in the first two pics. Boker USA 8348. I really like the reddish bone and the contrasting orange hue to the back side...different from the other two examples. If you look closely at the last pic, the 8348 stamping on the back of the tang is missing half of the 8, kind of odd. I sure do appreciate how solidly these old Bokers are put together, they really hold up well over time!
Mike

[rangerbluedog]

Ah yes, looks like the tang stamp specialist was having a bad day when he made that one.
I like these too. The top knife in my last photo has a tipped main blade, so I still carry it and use it quite often!