KA-BAR Pearl Hunter Old or New

[bkazz5]

Picked this up in an auction. Can anyone give me an approximate age on this knife. It is a full size single blade pearl hunter. Here's pic of knife and tang stamp. No stamp on the back. Sorry for the poor pics.

[SteelMyHeart85420]

Nice knife

[bkazz5]

Thank you. I am guessing it is from the 70's but I do not know that for sure.

[XX Case XX]

If I'm reading the book right, Goins has that tang stamp listed as c 1925-1930.

________
Mike

[XX Case XX]

One more thing:

I said the "tang stamp reads" 1925-1930, however, I don't know enough about Ka-Bar's to know if that blade is original to that body. That blade could be from another knife, I just don't have enough expertise in that area.

____________
Mike

[btrwtr]

Not sure about age but looks like an older stamping blade in a newer frame. New pearl handles. Looks like a new knife to me but nothing on the pile side of the tang. KA-BAR used that match striker pull on a lot of the old folding hunters as well as on club knives and reproduction type folding hunters. As far as I know most the newer blades were stamped deep on the back of the tang with dates to denote the age.

I am sure someone knows better about the newer blades

[robinetn]

Kabar made a pair of these commemoratives in 1979 (1 pearl and 1 ivory) and they used the older tang stamp on them . If I remember correctly , they made approx. 300 sets . I sold my pair about 8-10 years ago for $250 .

Bob

[WAYNED]

Bob is correct 1979 and the Ivory is super gold $$ and this pearl is as hard to find and varies in price but generally will bring 250 or more.
I sold my Pearl years ago to a NY collector/knife guru for more than that as he was determined to add it to a display next to his Schrades.

[Gunsil]

The books are wrong about the "Reg US Patent Off" tang stamp, it was used right up into 1942 and discontinued in 1943 with the KA-BAR over Olean NY stamp. Books are also wrong about Olcut (used until 1937, and Keenwel which did not begin until 1938 and is NOT a pre-KA-BAR mark, and was discontinued either late in the war or at the end of the war. I have proof of these statements.