Western Boulder Pocket Pen

In 1911, H. N. Platts, was able to draw on his extensive friendships and family connections in the cutlery world to start Western States Cutlery and Manufacturing of Boulder Colorado. At first only a jobbing business, by 1920 construction and machinery purchases were underway to begin manufacture of knives. Through name changes--to Western States Cutlery Co. in 1953, then Western Cutlery Co. in 1956--and moves first across town and later to Longmont Colorado, the company stayed under the leadership of the Platt family until 1984. In that year, the company was sold to Coleman, becoming Coleman-Western. Eventually purchased by Camillus in 1991, Western continued until Camillus expired in 2007.
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thawk
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Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by thawk »

This was a really welcome Ebay find. 3" closed length. A single spring pocket pen with a good colored bone stag. This one dates somewhere in the 1950's.

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The EO Notch is a little camouflaged. Very thin California clip blade.

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Pretty backside handle.

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A clipping from the 1959 Catalog Page
Hal
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tjmurphy
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by tjmurphy »

I see a lot of knives, this one included, that have BONE STAG handles. Are these handles bone or are they stag??

Nice knife BTW, I like it a lot.
"There are none so blind as those that refuse to see"

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gino
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by gino »

Nice knife thawk! She is a beauty! Western made some sturdy well put together knives. here is a western I own. Large trapper that has a wicked close and is sturdy as heck.
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rangerbluedog
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by rangerbluedog »

tjmurphy wrote:I see a lot of knives, this one included, that have BONE STAG handles. Are these handles bone or are they stag??

Nice knife BTW, I like it a lot.
TJ, my understanding is that they are bone. For some reason they didn't advertise them as "jigged" bone. They preferred the term stag bone, or bone stag. I guess back in the day they were trying to make the bone look like stag...
When Boker first came out with delrin handles, they called them "improved stag".
What would we do without the marketing department? :mrgreen:
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tjmurphy
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by tjmurphy »

Thanx a lot. I've been wondering that for a while now.
"There are none so blind as those that refuse to see"

God Bless America - Though I don't know why he would want to.
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thawk
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by thawk »

I used "bone stag" in the post, because of the description in the catalog. It is jigged cow bone for sure. I generally go by bone, jigged bone, or smooth bone when describing knives. In Western's catalog descriptions, for what we now call "stag" Western called their antler handle material "Buck Horn".

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My other Western knives along with Mr. Bone stag, all similar patterns, in a "Pearl Composition" and two "Stag Delrin" that look to be same handles as Gino's trapper. Yes, they are very solid pocket knives. All of mine open and close like a champ.

On to look for a Buck Horn now.
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by gino »

Those are some good lookin knives Thawk. The pearl is extra swett!
-( life is too short to carry a cheap knife )-
268bull
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by 268bull »

Always found these little Western Pen's to be an attractive and well made knife. ( I believe this is the third or fourth one I own ) This is one I picked up last weekend at an estate sale. Model # 445. The previous owner looks as though he got his money's worth and used the little fella'. Not a whole lotta blade left, the bolster's are roughed up a bit, but still plenty solid for a $5.00 special. ::tu:: Dale
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FRJ
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by FRJ »

I believe this one is a little 632 with the round bolsters. A great knife.
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by trutemper »

Love the Westerns you guys are showing :D !!!Thanks
Heres my favorite from my small Western collection. Model#657. The bone handles look a bit like some of the old Robeson "Strawberry Bone" models. These blades take a razor edge!

Bob
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thawk
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by thawk »

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Another genuine bone stag serpentine pen knife to add to the thread. I've posted it other times, but did not have it at the time of the original post. It's a 3 3/8" 652 pattern. Might add that the word "stagged" is often used in catalog descriptions in the same manner as jigged.
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FRJ
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by FRJ »

thawk, that's a 632 isn't it? Honey of a knife.
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Re: Western Boulder Pocket Pen

Post by thawk »

FRJ wrote:thawk, that's a 632 isn't it? Honey of a knife.
it is a 652...
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