Kabar hunter

[stayinsharp]

Today I scored a Kabar 2 blade folding hunter. It is spelled Kabar with no product code or city designation. The secondary blade has no markings at all. Handles are delrin stag with brass pins and nickle silver bolsters. The blade are carbon steel. After a substantial cleaning and lubing it has great snap on both blade. A little elbow grease made it shine. Will try to get a picture later. Any help with a mfg dat would be appreciated.

[1967redrider]

Pictures man, pictures!

[Aimus Moses]

Does your folding hunter have the number 1184 under the Kabar stamping? If so, I'm thinking those were contract made back in the 1970's.

Aimus

[stayinsharp]

No, there is no product code below the tang stamp nor is there one on the secondary blade. Everything I've read indicated that the delrin handle do not have pins but use plastic posts on the back of the scale that stab into the frame of the knife. This one has brass pins.

[Aimus Moses]

Well, we can figure that it was made after the introduction of delrin as knife handles in the 1960's. I have a Kabar that looks exactly like the one you have pictured. Mine has the number 1184 under the Kabar tang stamp. Is it possible that there is something stamped under the Kabar stamp that the bolster is blocking and you can't see it? Sometimes on this pattern and the toe nail patterns the bolster will hide some of the stamps.

Edit: Mine has pins in the handles also.

Aimus

[stayinsharp]

It is possible that numbers are under the bolster as the Kabar logo is very low on the tang. It appears there is no way to see unless the knife is disassembled and that's not my forte. Gave it a little more polish this evening and it's looking good. Does anyone have a good method of cleaning carbon blades? It does have quite a bit of tiny pitting in the dark areas.

[Aimus Moses]

stayingsharp, short of putting it on a buffer to bring back the polished shiney look, just some Mothers polish or Semi-chrome polish rubbed on with some elbow grease then some light oiling on the blades and povits to keep away surface rust would be as far as I'd go. It gets into taboo when cleaning knives becomes a topic to collectors. You going to put this knife up for collecting or carry and use it?

Aimus

[justold52]

I hope this can help you stayinsharp;

Here is one I have Ka-Bar Hunter Delrin 1184 1988
She looks like a twin to yours.

Ken

[Elvis]

There are also a lot of that model that doesn't have a model number stamp. I've had to repair a few and as a result, have had them apart. FYI, the most frequent repair on that model is simply the hinge pin (nickel-silver-in the top bolster). After years of HARD use, they will sometimes wear out. If the user wants to keep using it hard, I'll put in a steel pin. If it's an heirloom just to be passed down through the family and it's days of hard use are over, it gets another nickel-silver pin. Don't let the repairs I've had to do reflect on your knife though. They are a real workhorse of a knife and mechanically, built like a tank. I just wanted to let you know that not all of them were stamped with model numbers.

[1967redrider]

Mine has the 1184 stamp as well, came with a leather pocket sheath and a marlin spike with JAPAN stamped on it.

[stayinsharp]

Thanks for all the input. I will be using and carrying this knife as I do all of them. The main blade is a little loose laterally but both have good snap after cleaning the gunk out and oiling. I have removed the oxidation from the blades with up to 400 grit paper and followed with ZEP brass and metal polish. I will try the other though. If I want this rebuilt I'll give Bob a holler. Once again thanks!