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KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 7:19 pm
by KleenCut61
Dear Sirs , Resent Floundering On The InnerWeb Has Landed me This KA-BAR HOBO..In Ex Condition ..Question is Why the Blade Say's TEST TENNEY SERVICE ?

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:22 pm
by KleenCut61
Thank You Joe :D

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:55 pm
by Gunsil
That is an odd looking etch. KA-BAR is one of the companies with the most prolific amount of owner and retailer etches ever made. In the pre-war era they advertised that they would provide any etch you wished on a blade for 50 cents. I love owner and retailer etched KA-BARs and have quite a few of them, but I have never seen a panel etch like you show, and usually the etches seem to occur on the front side of the blade rather than the obverse. Yours seems to be a retailer etch, but whether it was factory applied I can't tell These panel etches are very common on fake bowies, but yours may well be original although it being on the back side is a little troubling to me. It is a lot easier to panel etch with the letters raised and shiny than to etch the letters into the steel so the letters are grey or black. Did this knife come from the southern states? At one point Parker also advertised that he could etch any knife you liked and he was a known faker or maybe I should say "misrepresenter". It is a sweet little knife without a doubt!

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:28 pm
by KleenCut61
Thank You For Posting Gunsil: These Are Photos Of the Box! What appears to be A Gift to a Local Resident! I Know Blade Etching , SomeWhat , That's Part of What Thru Me , I Always Pic the Winners , The Handles are all Peened None of the Pins are Spun , Helpful Information? Thank You Joe

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:10 pm
by Gunsil
WOW!! You didn't say you had the original mailing box!! That is spectacular and removes any doubt in my mind regarding the etch!! Very nice find!! The knife is definitely pre-WW2, likely mid 20s-early thirties from the shield.

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:22 pm
by peanut740
Here's a large Kabar with an etch on the backside of the blade.

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:42 pm
by KleenCut61
Phew ::facepalm:: Yes Indeed ,Thanks Gunsil .I feel A Vote Of Confidence ::ds:: Truth be told I Thought I was getting a KA-BAR 2 Blade Hunter, You now like the Remington Model ::doh:: Yet Was Pleasantly Saprized non the Less :lol: I Have a few more in Boxes From Remington , Cattaurugus,etc

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:47 pm
by supratentorial
You might try photographing with indirect natural light like outside in the shade. It will help you get clearer photos.

Wonderful knife from what I can see in the photos. I don't know the meaning of the etch but would guess that it is advertising.

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:49 pm
by KleenCut61
Thank You Gunsil & Roger ,Nice Hobo,Looks Way Bigger than Mine , Now We Got Size Variations To Deal With . :lol: . ::tu:: ::tu:: Thank You Joe

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:01 pm
by KleenCut61
I Realize Photography is a Necessary Part of Human Nature ! Now if I Can only Find The Entrance to this Cave , I will have it Made , ::td:: I am Working on my Photos and Thank You For Noticing , Nobody Likes a Clear Pic Any more than I Do ,, Plus My Eye Glass Perscriptions aren't Covered thru Work :roll: , ( Funny Facts ) Cheers Guys _______ Joe

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:36 am
by peanut740
I had an Empire that had a blue and white round enamel shield with Tenney Service on it on one side and had a bowtie shield with if I remember correctly G W Goodwin stamped in it on the other.

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:47 am
by deo-pa
KleenCut, not sure exactly what Tenney Service is but it apparently it has something to do with the electricity service in the early 20th Century. If you Google "Tenney Service Fitchburg Oil and Electric Light Co." (in Fitchburg, MA) you will find some newspaper pages from the 1910s and 20s with an advertisement for Tenney Service. The thumbnails are too small to read but a free subscription can get you access to the full text.

Also, see these two items on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canaan-Street-N ... SwxcRW8wFW

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Letterp ... Sw44BYhsny

Along with your knife, if you pick up those two items you may have cornered the world market for Tenney Service memorabilia!

Dennis

Re: KA-BAR Hobo Etch...

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:30 am
by KleenCut61
Thank You Roger And Dennis ::tu::
I'm Not Usually Swaying in One direction or the Other , As Far As related History , But I Think You May Be On To Something Of a Change of Tactics For me .. I love It ,Knocked My Socks off ! Both Items Purchased on the Spot , Just To Cool To Pass up, Thx Dennis ::handshake:: Interesting Fact Is Former Owner Of Said Knife , Must Have Been Quite Prominent In The Service of the Electricity Field! Since He Had A Remington 4548 'Radio" Electricians Knife . Alone With A Couple Others , Indicating to Me a Long and Faithfull Service ,, Any Hoot ! Thank You ___ Joe ( srry For Pics)