L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

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.
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OLDE CUTLER
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L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

I have this old L. L. Bean fixed blade that belonged to my dad. He told me he bought this knife about 1935 and used to carry it with him on the trap line.
Skinned countless critters with it. I have always thought it had a lot of similarities to the Western fixed blades, stacked leather handle, and aluminum grip cap. I showed it recently to a knife collector at a local gunshow and he thought that Robeson made it. Unfortunately there is no sheath surviving now for any other markings. There are no numbers or other stampings beside the L. L. Bean shown on the tang stamp. I received it from dad's estate about 20 years ago. Anyone have any ideas??
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Gunsil
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Re: L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

Post by Gunsil »

Knife was definitely made by KA-BAR/Union Cut. This was the only company that ever used the triangular shaped pommels. I think it is later than 1935 though. Other hunting knives marked LL Bean were made by Remington and Kinfolks. These KA-BAR made knives are very nice little knives, I have a mint one with proper sheath and have had a couple others which I have since sold. Does your knife have a brass pommel nut? The LL Bean hunting knives will have LL Bean marked sheaths so the sheaths themselves will not help ID the maker. The collector who said Robeson knows little about old hunting knives, Robeson made very few and none look like yours other than having leather handles and aluminum pommels.
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OLDE CUTLER
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Re: L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

Gunsil
Thanks for your reply. You are exactly the type of knowledgeable collector that I had hoped would see my post. I have included a pic of the pommel. There must be a nut underneath the plug on the end of the pommel? This plug is a grayish color and is flush to the end.
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Re: L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

Post by Gunsil »

That is a lead filled pommel and indicates the knife was made post war, in the later 1940s. If it were a pre-war knife it would have a round brass nut holding the pommel on. The lead is not covering a nut, the back of the tang where it goes into the pommel has a cut out section that the lead flows into and secures the pommel. One will also find this feature more often in Kinfolks, Case, and Cattaraugus hunting knives than in KA-BARs but they did use this system on some models for a few years. These fine little knives make very good users and have become fairly collectible. Your dad had good taste back in the day!!
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Re: L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

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Gunsil
Thanks for the info, you have answered all the questions I had about the L. L. Bean knife. The time frame thing you suggest at late 1940's is correct. Trying to remember back 60 years ago when my dad told me about this as a kid, I realize he probably started trapping when he bought the farm that I grew up on, which he bought in 1946, a few years before I was born. That was the first farm he owned with slough land for trapping muskrat and mink.
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Re: L. L. Bean fixed blade, made by Western?

Post by Gunsil »

You are quite welcome sir!! Old KA-BAR hunters is my passion and I have been collecting and studying them since the early 1960s. I have a large (for what's available) collection of original Union Cut price lists and brochures and huge collection of their knives to base my info on and I think I have some of the best info on these superb hunters available and I am always glad to share this knowledge.
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