WESTERN BOULDER COLO. MADE IN U.S.A. DID YOU EVER KNOW IT?

[ol' smoke]

[Colonel26]

I see sharpening marks, but I don't think I see any grind marks.

[reddirtknives]

lol Junie you cracken me up. If this knife was rehandled it was done by a seasoned veteran in the Western factory. Okay, Here's a new related question. When did Western Cutlery (what years) stamp the pattern number in the blade and when did they stamp the model number into the top of the guard? To add a twist to the western journey Mr.Doodlefroodle is selling a 648 model on ebay with no A or B in the model number which is stamped into the blade having bone handles and a Fuller. To touch on what pigsticker mentioned about the spacer arrangements being signifiers as to date of manufacture, the knife Doodlefroodle is selling has the same spacer arrangement as my knife and yep yep he's saying it is pre 1960

[Miller Bro's]

The knife handles in the OP look like Delrin to me.

The handles from doodlefroodle are definitely bone.

Give the handles the hot pin test, if you dare.

[reddirtknives]

I DARE… I shouldn't put so much faith in my eyes but if this is Delrin wow it feels like bone and isn't as pale as most of the delrin I've seen. when tapping it it seems like bone. BRB with results

[reddirtknives]

I took a torch lighter and heated a paper clip red hot about 1/4 inch touched the tip to the handle where it meets the tang on the top side and nothing. I set up everything closer to make sure it was redhot when it touched and nothing again then I heated it redhot about 3/8 inch and laid it longways across the bone and held and sniffed and well….. It's bone!

[Miller Bro's]

That solves that question then!

Sorry I can`t help with how to date these knives

[reddirtknives]

A good source told me that the model # was stamped into the bolsters/guards between 1918 and 1973. They failed to give me info as to what years they stamped the model # into the blade tang though. I wonder if Mr. Levine knows the Spacer formula for dating Western knives or if it is even true?
Does anyone know it Or have proof that there is a way of dating these knives by the spacer arrangement?

[junebug]

STILL CANT FIND THAT DANG ARTICLE REDS.........

BUT WILL CONTINUE TO RIFLE THREW THE MAGAZINE PILE

ALSO...THE LAST PICS YOU SHOWED....CERTAINLY LOOK RIGHT!
MUSTA BEEN LIGHTING ON FIRST SET??
CUZ LAST PICS NO LINES...AND GOOD PATINA!


SURPRISED WESTERN IS SO HARD TO DATE... .....

[reddirtknives]

Bugz, Your killing me man. The first set of pics is my knife, obviously cleaned up using something harsh like a wire wheel or deburrer on the blade and possibly on the tang that shows top and bottom of handle DUE TO THE OBVIOUS LINES which even show on the bone (original bone / handle parts) followed up by the obvious polishing with either Flitz or something like it or a buffing wheel. I think it was a buffing wheel at least on the bone and NEWLY SPUN re (redundant)handle pins. The second set of pictures is of a knife I do not own which was sold on ebay. I'm very glad you took such an interest in my knife to try and help me date it only I wish you would save your energy used misreading what I already know is right and focus on what I asked help with…::tu:: Or I can mail it to ya for a in hand inspection. I got as close as guessing the age as I figure anyone will get and if I were very far off the pouncing would have already commenced upon me… To me it was oviously bone but that Delrin stuff has fooled me before just never Western Delrin, not in hand anyhow. The "grinder" lines don't matter because they are gone and the knife was tossed in the junk bucket until I have more time to kill, might even break those bone handles off and look for some more convincing Western handle material. Would leather work for you guys? lol
Thanks for the comments and the help fellas

[junebug]

ACTUALLY ,NO INTEREST AT ALL IN THAT/THOSE KNIVES.....WAS JUST TRYIN TA HELP YOU ....GUESS I GOT LOST IN YOUR POSTS............

ANYWHO, MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE CAN HELP YOU OUT

[Paladin]

Ray

[swcampbell]

I’ve been looking to date this knife that may stepfather had any help is greatly appreciated.

[zzyzzogeton]

swcampbell -

Your knife is a 648A made between 1967 and 1972.

The 6 indicates the handle material is Delrin. For some reason, Western chose not to include the "A" on the 648As when they shifted to guard stamping the model numbers in 1967 or 1968, depending on when a model run was made after the decision to change was made.

We know that 1972 is the latest the knife was made because Western dropped BOULDER, COLO. from the stamp and shifted to a simple U.S.A. starting in 1973

[swcampbell]

Thank You

[Jcrowell]

Anyone know anything about the knife and hatchet set?
Iv looked all over and can’t find a exact matching stamp for the year

[Mumbleypeg]

Anyone know anything about the knife and hatchet set?
Iv looked all over and can’t find a exact matching stamp for the year

Here ya go. The Tang Stamps thread here on AAPK search.php?keywords=Western&t=39799&sf=msgonly

Welcome to AAPK.

Ken

[zzyzzogeton]

Anyone know anything about the knife and hatchet set?
Iv looked all over and can’t find a exact matching stamp for the year

Date codes put the knife (E) as a 1981 manufacture. The "G" on the hatchet dates it to 1983.

The "model" number for this set would have been W6610, W for wood handle, 66 for the W66 in the set and 10 for the W10 hatchet.

"G" is a relatively rare date code for anything made by Western because that is the year Coleman bought Western and apparently, there was a not lot of stuff made during the sale/transition. Several patterns have never been seen with a "G" date code. This is only the second W10 "G" I have seen.