How Old Are These Western's??

[OldKnifeCollector]

I need a little help here with dating these Western's. I haven't seen these exact tang stamps on any of the tang stamp charts. I know the first 2 are old, but I would like at least an era. The last one I believe isn't as old since the handle's are Delrin I think. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[djknife13]

Western started using Delrin in 1960 and started using the Western USA stamp in 1961 so your bottom pictured knife would have to be pretty close to that date. Knives with the Pat. No were from 1930 to 1950. Western , Boulder Colo. knives were around 1930 to 1960. Those little 2 model 28's are one of my favorites. My first knife as a youngster was a L28, and I still have it along with about a dozen others of various handles. ___Dave

[OldKnifeCollector]

I love the L28's as well. The second knife in my pictures/first L28 is one of my favorite knives in my collection. It is so clean, and has a great eye appeal. I'm not quite sure what the handle material is, I haven't seen another one with that same material. I'm thinking it's from one of the earlier runs of that model. I've never been a fan of the Delrin knives, I have a couple and will be looking to unload them. I really like the old look on knives and they just look too new/cheap to me.

Western started using Delrin in 1960 and started using the Western USA stamp in 1961 so your bottom pictured knife would have to be pretty close to that date. Knives with the Pat. No were from 1930 to 1950. Western , Boulder Colo. knives were around 1930 to 1960. Those little 2 model 28's are one of my favorites. My first knife as a youngster was a L28, and I still have it along with about a dozen others of various handles. ___Dave

[zzyzzogeton]

The top one is an L66. The "Made in USA" line is generally considered to be a post-WW2 mark. With the patent reference, that would put it between 1946 and 1953.

The middle 28 is a post-WW2 628, with the 6 indicating bone stag handles. Again the "Made in USA" indicates post-WW2, patent reference NLT 1953, and as a bonus, the lanyard hole in the pommel is post-WW2 as well. The pre-WW2 28 came in in 1941 model, as the 228, with composition pearl (celluloid) handles and no lanyard hole.

The last 28 is also a 628, 1961 to 1972. Delrin came out in 1960 and Western adopted its use to replace "genuine stag (5) and bone stag (6) in 1961. Western dropped "Boulder Colo" from its stamps for the 1973 model year, so there is a 12 year span for the 3rd knife.

For the 3rd knife (bottom knife), you don't show either the pile side ricasso or the guard. If there is a model number on the pile side (628), then it is 1961 to 1967. If the model number is stamped into the guard, it is 1968 to 1972.

[kootenay joe]

ZZYZZ, Wow ! you really know Western in some depth. Big help to the rest of us who know only the basics.
kj

[zzyzzogeton]

Thanks, kj.

I have been collecting Westerns since 1975, when I was given my first fixed blade at age 10, an L46-5.

I have absorbed a lot of info over the years, but I also learned to keep good notes. To prevent errors, I consult my notes as I have learned that small, esoteri details may be forgotten

A significant amount of what I know and have in my notes was gleaned from digging into old magazines and reading the ads. Sometimes that's the only way to nail down when a model actually came out since the catalogs were only produced at odd intervals when "XX%" of changes had occurred. University archives are a great place to find old magazines. You can't keep them and many have been converted to microfilm which can be a pain.

[OldKnifeCollector]

Thank you for the info. On the third knife there is nothing on the pile side ricasso, but the model number is stamped into the guard on the front side.
So it is 1968-1972 then. Would the second knife be the same time frame as the first? 1946-1953? I was thinking the handles were bone as well,
it is an extremely beautiful knife. Pictures don't do it justice, it has a great eye appeal.

The top one is an L66. The "Made in USA" line is generally considered to be a post-WW2 mark. With the patent reference, that would put it between 1946 and 1953.

The middle 28 is a post-WW2 628, with the 6 indicating bone stag handles. Again the "Made in USA" indicates post-WW2, patent reference NLT 1953, and as a bonus, the lanyard hole in the pommel is post-WW2 as well. The pre-WW2 28 came in in 1941 model, as the 228, with composition pearl (celluloid) handles and no lanyard hole.

The last 28 is also a 628, 1961 to 1972. Delrin came out in 1960 and Western adopted its use to replace "genuine stag (5) and bone stag (6) in 1961. Western dropped "Boulder Colo" from its stamps for the 1973 model year, so there is a 12 year span for the 3rd knife.

For the 3rd knife (bottom knife), you don't show either the pile side ricasso or the guard. If there is a model number on the pile side (628), then it is 1961 to 1967. If the model number is stamped into the guard, it is 1968 to 1972.

[zzyzzogeton]

Thank you for the info. On the third knife there is nothing on the pile side ricasso, but the model number is stamped into the guard on the front side.
So it is 1968-1972 then. Would the second knife be the same time frame as the first? 1946-1953? I was thinking the handles were bone as well,
it is an extremely beautiful knife. Pictures don't do it justice, it has a great eye appeal.

The top one is an L66. The "Made in USA" line is generally considered to be a post-WW2 mark. With the patent reference, that would put it between 1946 and 1953.

The middle 28 is a post-WW2 628, with the 6 indicating bone stag handles. Again the "Made in USA" indicates post-WW2, patent reference NLT 1953, and as a bonus, the lanyard hole in the pommel is post-WW2 as well. The pre-WW2 28 came in in 1941 model, as the 228, with composition pearl (celluloid) handles and no lanyard hole.

The last 28 is also a 628, 1961 to 1972. Delrin came out in 1960 and Western adopted its use to replace "genuine stag (5) and bone stag (6) in 1961. Western dropped "Boulder Colo" from its stamps for the 1973 model year, so there is a 12 year span for the 3rd knife.

For the 3rd knife (bottom knife), you don't show either the pile side ricasso or the guard. If there is a model number on the pile side (628), then it is 1961 to 1967. If the model number is stamped into the guard, it is 1968 to 1972.

Yes, same range as the L66.