ID of old Western folder

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.
Tmal
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ID of old Western folder

Post by Tmal »

Hello folks first try at posting here so please bear with me. I am an old goat from the central part of Louisiana and am not really tech savvy. I found this old folder ground into the dirt/gravel driveway at a junk yard. Can someone give me a model and approximate year of manufacture?
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Welcome to AAPK. The answer to your age question is here:
3B82334E-D6D1-4FC3-804F-A0E2F170985B.jpeg
The knife looks like what’s called a “coke bottle” folding Hunter. Someone will be along shortly who can tell you what the pattern number is.

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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Tmal »

Thanks for the welcome. It looks like from the tang stamp it is 1950 at the latest. When I first picked it up I couldn't even tell it was a knife.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Rdubya21 »

Welcome! New scales and you should have a nice knife there !
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Gunsil »

I believe you knife is mid-late 1920s and made for Western States on contract by Union/KA-BAR. Quite possibly had celluloid scales which have disintegrated off.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by FRJ »

Appears to be a nice old swell center hunter, Tmal. Welcome here by the way.
You can get new covers (handles) put on that knife and put it back in service where it wants to be.
Lots of choices for handle covers.
Lucky you!
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Beavertail »

A set of stag covers on it would look good. ::tu::
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Tmal »

Exactly what I was thinking. Or at least jigged bone for us poor folks to look like stag.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

::welcome:: to AAPK Tmal! ::handshake:: As you can see, lots of folks with answers to your questions, so continue following this thread and eventually someone will have the exact answer you're looking for. Your knife is looking like a Kabar folding hunter to me, but that's just a guess, and with brand new covers installed you'll have saved a great old knife! Good luck! 8)
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by zzyzzogeton »

Western assigned the pattern numbers "100" and "125" to the coke bottle handled single blade knives.

The OP's knife has the 100 pattern front bolster construction. The 125 pattern front bolster is shaped differently.

There were 2 styles of the 100 - those with nickle-silver bolsters on each end and those with a single bolster on the front/blade end.

The OP knife falls into the second category - a single nickle-silver bolster. These had plain, or flat, grind clip point blades. The single bolster version also has a hole in the non-bolster end for using a lanyard/fob.

The model numbers for this front bolster style were the::
A100BH - Amber composition handles - 1931 and 1936 catalogs
2100BH - Composition pearl handles - 1931 and 1941 catalogs
Y100BH - Amber composition handles - 1941 catalog - yes the model number changed from A100BH to Y100BH for some reason in the 1941 catalog.

"Composition" in Western handle descriptions means a celluloid plastic of various colors and/or appearance.

The other "100" pattern style of coke bottle handled single blade knives had 2 nickle-silver bolsters and were the ::
6100 - bone stag handles, heavy saber clip blade - 1925, 1931 and 1941 catalogs
6100-L (aka6100L), bone stag handles, but with a blade lock (type undefined) - 1925, 1931 and 1941 catalogs
2100 - composition pearl, heavy saber blade - 1931, 1936 and 1941 catalogs
2100V - composition pearl, plain grind (flat) blade - 1931 and 1941 catalogs
3100 - assorted composition colors, plain grind blade - 1931 and 1941 catalogs

Notice that the 1936 catalog did NOT include the 6100, 6100L, 2100V, 2100BH, and 3100 models. Who knows why they were omitted from the 1936 catalog but do reappear in the 1941 catalog.

The OP's knife would be either a Model A100BH, 2100BH or Y100BH, depending on the original handle material composition and made between 1931 and 1941.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by tongueriver »

Here is a cut from the Western States 1931 catalog, and an example.My impression is that no one made cokebottles after the 1930s?
ulu003.jpg
1624196546_2971_1.jpg
1624196546_2971_2.jpg
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

WOW! Thanks for all that useful information ZZ! ::handshake:: 8)
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by FRJ »

What great history and information to refer to. ::tu::
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by zzyzzogeton »

tongueriver wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 11:07 pm Here is a cut from the Western States 1931 catalog, and an example.My impression is that no one made cokebottles after the 1930s?
ulu003.jpg1624196546_2971_1.jpg1624196546_2971_2.jpg
Western was still offering them all the way up to 1941. To my knowledge no one made any AFTER WW2. Can't say as to when the other companies quit offering them.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Mumbleypeg »

zzyzzogeton wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:59 am
tongueriver wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 11:07 pm Here is a cut from the Western States 1931 catalog, and an example.My impression is that no one made cokebottles after the 1930s?
ulu003.jpg1624196546_2971_1.jpg1624196546_2971_2.jpg
Western was still offering them all the way up to 1941. To my knowledge no one made any AFTER WW2. Can't say as to when the other companies quit offering them.
Case made the large coke bottle folder (C61050 pattern, 5-1/8 inches) at least into the XX USA era (1965-69) and on into the 80s.

Ken
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Tmal »

What a great group of folks on this forum and a wealth of knife knowledge. Never expected such knowledgeable and helpful response to my very first post. If I were about 15 or 20 years younger and that much less health issues, this would probably be my first attempt at rescuing an old skeleton. Can someone tell me about how much someone would charge to bring this thing back to useable condition, not show room?
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

Tmal wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:24 am What a great group of folks on this forum and a wealth of knife knowledge. Never expected such knowledgeable and helpful response to my very first post. If I were about 15 or 20 years younger and that much less health issues, this would probably be my first attempt at rescuing an old skeleton. Can someone tell me about how much someone would charge to bring this thing back to useable condition, not show room?
It's just about impossible to give figures without handling the knife Tmal, and although I'm not familiar with Bill De Shivs rates I've had work done by Muskratman on more than one occasion and found him to be extremely reasonable. Just email or PM him and he may give you a ballpark figure! 8)
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Tmal »

I'm sorry but new here and to forum posting. Can someone tell me how to get in touch with muskratman and how to send him a PM?
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Reverand »

I mainly browse this forum from my iphone. To send a PM from it, you can click on your own profile, then click on Private Message, then create a new PM.
It should be similar on a computer.
Let me know what you are using, and I can give you a better answer.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

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I am using an android phone and android tablet.
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

Tmal wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:00 pm I'm sorry but new here and to forum posting. Can someone tell me how to get in touch with muskratman and how to send him a PM?
I'm on a laptop Tommy so I'm not sure how you do it with a phone, but Rev sounds like he's gonna give you a hand. You could always go to the AAPK stores section of the forum and in the upper-left corner is a link to all the sellers that reads, "Search for sellers" or something very similar, and then just scroll down to "Muskratman" and click-on the name. That will take you to his store with links to contact him. Another way is to go directly to his website, www.muskratmanknives.com ,(this link works well and is totally safe)and click-on the "Contact Me" link. He usually has a back-log of about 4 months, but for knife repair that's pretty much the norm. Good luck! ::handshake:: 8)
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Mumbleypeg »

To find a member here, at the bottom of the page on an Android phone is an icon of a person with multiple heads. Click on it. That opens the members page. Then click on "Find a member". Click only that phrase, not the A,B,C, etc.

Then in the space provided start typing the user name of the member you want to find. As you type, a drop-down menu will appear having names of members whose name matches whatever part of the name you have typed so far. When you see the name you want in the drop-down box just click on it.

At the bottom of the page you'll see a box with the user name, join date, etc. Click the name. That will open the member's profile. From the member profile you will see how to contact the member by PM, email, or both.

I'm sure muskrat man, Bill Deshivs or several others here could do a good job for you. FWIW Bill Deshivs has done work for me. He did a great job, quick turn around and IMHO reasononable priced.

Ken
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

Your method works well on my laptop too Ken. The way the "Find a member" is situated is kindda deceiving. It's in the same box as all the letters so I never thought to click-on just those words, it appears to want you to pick a letter. Prior to knowing this I would pick a letter and then scroll through ALL the names til I found who I wanted and that was very time consuming. Thanks for the great tip! ::handshake:: 8)
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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Mumbleypeg »

:lol: I did the same thing the first time. Then I thought there must be an easier way. So I read the directions. Sure enough, there is! ::dang::

Never underestimate the wizardry of Bryan! ::nod::

Ken
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If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

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Re: ID of old Western folder

Post by Madmarco »

When all else fails, read the directions! 8)
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