Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

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.
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chorizotaco
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Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by chorizotaco »

Recently acquired these and am pleased, love it. Near mint condition, unused hatchet I believe. Ka-bar USA would be early 50s? From what I have found online the sheath had KABAR printed on it but I don't find it on mine. Does anyone know where it would have been? Thanks.
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stockman
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by stockman »

Very Nice

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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by zzyzzogeton »

Western started making a similar 3 piece unit in 1936, so I would assume Kabar's offering is from the same time frame.
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by kennedy knives »

::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by eveled »

It’s a stunning set. Very nice!
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by Gunsil »

Nice one Dan! Yours was made late 1940s-1951 or 52 when the mark changed to Kabar lower case italicized. This model is correct with an unmarked sheath, I don't think you will find a mark. KA-BAR did not make the stag version until the post war years, the pre-war ones were also marked Union Cutlery Co and only came with celluloid or wood handle scales.
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by RevolverGuy »

Very nice! I love seeing that sort of old-world stag from the 1940s-60s.
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chorizotaco
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by chorizotaco »

Gunsil wrote:Nice one Dan! Yours was made late 1940s-1951 or 52 when the mark changed to Kabar lower case italicized. This model is correct with an unmarked sheath, I don't think you will find a mark. KA-BAR did not make the stag version until the post war years, the pre-war ones were also marked Union Cutlery Co and only came with celluloid or wood handle scales.
As usual thank you for the information.
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chorizotaco
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by chorizotaco »

Thanks everyone. This set is so cool!!! ::ds:: ::ds::
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by steve99f »

Beautiful set and just great stag! ::tu::
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chorizotaco
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by chorizotaco »

What's better than one Kabar USA hatchet/knife combo....TWO COMBOS!!!

I had someone tell me about the box and thought it might fit my hatchet, it does but I don't know if it's original....any input?
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by steve99f »

Very nice sets Dan, the old stag is just fantastic!
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by btrwtr »

Beautiful sets and box! Almost looks as if the black number on the box is 471 in part. 471 would be a hunting knife pattern used by KA-BAR, Gunsil might be able to decipher what the box held.
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by zzyzzogeton »

Here's my interpretation of the writing on the box ---

The red "47" on the top face of the box is an inventory number, i.e., "Box 47".

The "IAI" over "6 superscript 50" is the unit retail price of $6.50 assigned by the merchant and and the wholesale price in code so the merchant knows what he had in the item in the event he wanted to dicker or for inventory purposes. Back in the day, merchants would use code words/phrases that had 10 unique characters, where each character was assigned a value of 0 to 9. 50 years later I still remember that my father's code was "SMARTYDUCK" FOR 0123456789.

B15 on the end flap is what Kabar stamped on the box prior to it leaving the factory, with the 47 being a repeat of the inventory number and the 1/4 being a quarter dozen or 3 knives in the box. The slash through the "1/4" may indicate that box was empty, again an inventory mechanism.

If you read old (1920s, 1930s) wholesale catalogs, many items were listed with prices by the dozen, half dozen and occasionally by the quarter dozen.
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chorizotaco
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by chorizotaco »

Thanks everyone ::groove::
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Re: Kabar USA Combination Axe/Knife

Post by knife7knut »

zzyzzogeton wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:00 am Back in the day, merchants would use code words/phrases that had 10 unique characters, where each character was assigned a value of 0 to 9. 50 years later I still remember that my father's code was "SMARTYDUCK" FOR 0123456789.
We also used that in the parts department of the dealer I worked for to indicate the cost price on a sales receipt, and ours was, BLACK HORSE for numbers 1 through 0.

I've posted this before I think but here goes anyway:a Keenwell knife/ax combo. Keenwell was a secondary brand of Union Cutlery.
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