A Western Fixed Blade Questions

[ThatWeirdKnifeGuy]

I found this at one of my usual knife places. When I bought it the handle was completely wrapped in electrical tape. I know very little about fixed blades in general, but I'm branching out. Trying to be a more well rounded individual

I assumed at first that the black coating might be a shoddy home job, but now I wonder if it's Parkerized or something else original but is just now damaged. I also don't know if that's even a possibility.

Blade is 5 3/4 OAL is 10 1/4

Can any body kindly teach me something about it?

[Modern Slip Joints]

That finish is called ugly paint. The tanto point like paint line is where the edge of the masting tape was. Fortunately paint remover will easily disolve it. After the paint is gone you can consider sanding the blade back to a smooth surface. Alternatively you could take it out and clean some fish with it as is. The fish won't be too vocal about your knife's appearance and they'll taste the same.

[zzyzzogeton]

It looks like it is an L44, 1940 vintage based on specs and stamp. However, the catalog pages show the 1941 L44 had a spacer in the middle of the handle. Possibly a mis-assembled handle or they made them without a middle space one day because they were running low on spacers.

The L44 was never sold as a contract knife during WW2, and if they had been, they would have had a steel guard.

The 1936-1940 L44s had mushroom pommels. The 1950 L44s had a 5-1/2" blade.

[ThatWeirdKnifeGuy]

That finish is called ugly paint. The tanto point like paint line is where the edge of the masting tape was. Fortunately paint remover will easily disolve it. After the paint is gone you can consider sanding the blade back to a smooth surface. Alternatively you could take it out and clean some fish with it as is. The fish won't be too vocal about your knife's appearance and they'll taste the same.

I actually don't fish, but I'll get back to you once the paint is gone. I'll probably leave most of the scratches.

[ThatWeirdKnifeGuy]

It looks like it is an L44, 1940 vintage based on specs and stamp. However, the catalog pages show the 1941 L44 had a spacer in the middle of the handle. Possibly a mis-assembled handle or they made them without a middle space one day because they were running low on spacers.

The L44 was never sold as a contract knife during WW2, and if they had been, they would have had a steel guard.

The 1936-1940 L44s had mushroom pommels. The 1950 L44s had a 5-1/2" blade.

Thank you sir. This is the information I desired. I needed to know it's time and place in history before I begin any clean up or restoration, or decide to do anything to it at all.