The KA-BAR brand originated as a trademark of the Tidioute Cutlery Company. Tidioute was later taken over & renamed the Union Cutlery Company which continued making the brand until Union eventually adopted it as the company name in 1952. Cutco Corporation later acquired the company in 1996.
I have about a dozen of these old two blade Ka-bar Hunters and I'd like to know when they were produced and by whom. These things are massive and great quality. Thanks for any help. I've included a stamp that most have on them.
I would like to see a closer photo of the dog head shields. I was not aware that they made any dog head knives after the war until the collector's club knives of the 1970s. The Kabar italicized letter marks began in 1952 when the company changed it's name. All the collector club dog head shields look different than the original ones. The scales also look like the late 70s knives with an ungainly "chunky" look to them.
Taco, I think you are correct, late 1970s going by the actual dog heads. They are identical to the ones on the club knives of 1977 and 78 and not at all like the early ones. The fat scales also look like the later knives. Odd to see that mark with no model number for that era, but they were using a lot of them then. Knife could have been made by Queen since they made most of the collector club knives.
Looking at the photos, it appears that both the single blade and two blade dogheads posted have no handle pins. Also my guess is that the doghead shields are glued not pinned (have to look inside the liner to tell).
These two things indicate to me that the knives are later than 1970's.
IIRC, the stag doghead folding hunters that Kabar released circa 1977-78 had handle pins and pinned shields (most likely made on contract by Queen as Gunsil said). I also believe (I could be incorrect) that these had the year stamped and had a variation of the older KA-BAR tang stamp.
The old original doghead knives made by Kabar/Union Cutlery were pre-WWII era and authentic examples of these older knives would have the KA-BAR and Union Cutlery stamps.
I recall that in the 1990's, Camillus made some stag Kabar doghead patterns on contract, including a 4" stockman. I wonder if these are also from that era?
Steve Pfeiffer, author of Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide published by Krause Publications.
I have one like the third picture my wife gave me in the late 70s or very early 80s.Has Ka Bar plate on the side not the dog's head.
I think she bought it at one of the Best Products stores.
Hi it's going to be difficult to find out anything about a Ka-Bar tang stamps they made over 200 different stamps, I know the stag and the pearl canoes have a 1/4 moon they were built in 1979,but I'm pretty sure that's the only knife they used that stamp on. George God bless
Wharn, your knife is an original Doggy from the mid 1920s to late 1930s, maybe up to 1941. Look closely at the dog on the OP knife and the dog on yours, the late model dogs look angry while the original dogs look complacent.
Gunsil..Wow! Had no idea it might be that early! solid knife. I got an original Northfield and a small 1935-1940 Remington from the same estate sale ..Thanks for the info!
