Boker & John Primble ?????

[dalea]

I believe I read on the forum, but I can't find it now that some of the Primble knives were made by boker and were designated so with a star. is this right? Did Boker make the complete knife? If there was any information available from the members it could sure help with the dating and shield puzzle.

[Aimus Moses]

I think there have been numerous cutlery companies that have made the Primble brand knives under contract. I've heard Schrade made the one's with the stars above the pattern number. I've also heard Camillus as well as Boker did. I think I recall reading that Case made a select few patterns and put the Primble name on them at one time. I have some Primble knives that look exactly like Boker knives, but I also have some Boker knives that look exactly like some Camillus knives. The only way to tell them apart is by the tang stamps. Round and round it goes, who made what for who, nobody knows..

Aimus

[wv trapper I]

That would be interesting to know, I also have a Primble 3 blade stockman pattern (5373) with the star under the pattern number. This thing screams Boker
Joe

[rangerbluedog]

Here's an early 1980s example. Not my pictures or my knife. This was selling on ebay.

primble1.jpg (37.93 KiB) Viewed 3174 times

primble2.jpg (22.91 KiB) Viewed 3174 times

primble3.jpg (27.15 KiB) Viewed 3174 times

The tree tang stamp is what I'm calling the "hollow tree" tang stamp.
I've only seen it used on early 1980s knives, usually in conjunction with the "tree brand" shield.
Anyone else seen the hollow tree tang stamp on your knives?

[Aimus Moses]

Blue, just to mix you (and me) up a little more, I have a 4 bladed large congress pattern knife (obvious Boker made) with the John Primble tang stamp, and the pattern number on back of the tang with the star under it. The kicker is it has a small round Tree Brand shield in the handle. It's not a big round shield like the ones that came in the John Primble knives that says Primble on them. It's a much smaller shield marked Tree Brand that shows about the same amout of wear that the rest of the knife has. The handle doesn't look to have been changed. I know the shields on these knives are easy out and a little glue and you have a different shield back in. But by the smaller size of the shield and it fitting the inlet in the handle perfectly, I'm thinking it came from the factory that way. A Boker factory slip up maybe?

Aimus

[rangerbluedog]

Aimus, I'd sure like to see a picture of that congress if you have one.
Is the handle delrin?

[Aimus Moses]

Yep blue, it's delrin handled. The handles are brown and jigged. I'm not picture capable with this computer yet. I do good to know how to turn this thing on so you can guess at what I'd be up against trying to operate a camera and then putting pictures from it on this computer. I seen a large Primble congress posted here on the forums somewhere just like the one I'm talking about (don't remember who posted it or what forum it's under). The only difference between it and mine is the small Tree Brand shield on the handle of mine. The inletting for the shield on my knife's handle is way to small to have ever had one of those larger Primble shields put in it. If the inletting for the shield was bigger I would think it could have been traded out and a Tree Brand shield put in it. If I find the large Primble congress post showing the knife like mine, I'll let you know where it is. My large Primble congress is tang stamped:
John Primble
Belknap Inc.
on the front main blade and 5517 with the star under it on the back of the tang. It's seen some use and the handles/shield wear matches the blade wear. The middle back spring pin in the handles is raised just like my other Primble knives are.

Aimus

[trail]

I posted a Primble on this thread
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 60&t=18414
that has an uncanny resemblance to a Boker congress. It has the star on the tang.