Boker 9361, but unmarked?

[Myron]

Hello everyone,

I picked up a nice specimen of 9361 scout/camp knife for 25 bucks the other day. My idea is to turn it into a project and put some cool hardwood scales on it. The knife is in great shape, but the scales are ugly black plastic and lack a Boker badge. They are certainly not the lovely jigged Delrin that Boker used in the 1960's that can be hard to discern from jigged bone. The can opener is the older two-piece style, and the tang says Boker USA on the mark side, but there is no 9361 model # on the pile side. The knife is otherwise identical to one I have from the 1960's -- same tools, same swedges on main and pen blade, brass liners, etc.

My hypothesis is that this knife may have been made in fulfillment of a government contract, to be supplied as an "engineer's knife" or similar. I am hoping somebody with more knowledge might know better. I checked Punchard & Ray but didn't learn anything specific to this model.

I'm also hoping someone might know whether or not the pin at the shackle end is hollow or solid?

Thanks!

Myron

[Reverand]

I have no details on the knife, but it looks like it make a great project!

[Myron]

Thanks Reverand. I took it apart today and discovered that the bail pin was not hollow, but it was in fact steel, or at least some kind of steel alloy that was a lot harder than brass. I tried the razor blade trick, which was new for me, but the blade shattered when it was about halfway through the pin. So I put the knife on my drill press and drilled them out with a centering bit. It finally succumbed, but I did ovalize the holes in the bolsters on the bail end.

So when I rebuild it, I will make a bolster-less "shadow pattern" 9361 with desert ironwood scales and brass pins all the way 'round. And I'll have to learn how to make a new bail too.

Thanks for your reply,

Myron