All About Pocket Knives

Stopped at a nearby antique & collectibles shop this morning. This particular shop has the best selection of older knives in town. So I hung around long enough today and ended up buying myself an early Christmas present. It' a single blade, thin grasp Western folder. It's 5 1/4 inches closed, 9 1/4 in. open. It's imitation pearl handled and the blade is sweet. Very little movement in the blade, and good snap on opening & closing. The tang stamp is the arched Western Cutlery over Boulder, Colo.. Zalesky's book dates that stamp from 1931 - 1950. Regardless of how old or not, I really like the knife! Dale H. ( The nickel silver bolster's have a few ding's on them, but I can live with that. )

Nice find Dale. Love those handles.


Phil

Thanks a lot Phil! This is my second Western folder in the past month and a half. My first one is a 2 bladed folding hunter. An equally beautiful knife. Dale

Pretty knife. Western did a lot of nice celluloid. Don't forget to keep it away from your non celluloid items. Thanks for sharing!

Knice

T-R, Scott, Thanks for the comments fella's Dale. Well, I'm out'a here for a new estate sale. I'm trying real hard to not go back today to the shop where I picked up the Western. He has an Electric jack which to die for, displayed Dale

268bull wrote:T-R, Scott, Thanks for the comments fella's Dale. Well, I'm out'a here for a new estate sale. I'm trying real hard to not go back today to the shop where I picked up the Western. He has an Electric jack which to die for, displayed Dale

Dale I can fix your problem for you.

Your wife needs a Christmas gift RIGHT !!! Get her started in your new hobby too.

Ken

Ken, She expects me to come home with a knife. So often that it's become a joke between us. She has her own hobby though, she's a travel specialist and that IS her hobby. Only difference between her's and mine is her hobby is free, but it's the shopping that's expensive!! On another note, I seem to be on a Western Cutlery kick of late, having picked up this little pen yesterday. I was more drawn to the handle. It reminds me of a multi-flavored roll of lifesavers candies. I must say that I've never seen a handle like this one on a Western knife. The pen blade was obviously the smaller of the two blades, and it is broken. Some previous owner took a file to it and made a short workable, perhaps a cigar tip cutter, blade. The main blade is a Turkish clip, which I think looks good on the knife. Sorry for the poor pics, that's something I need to improve on. Dale ( After thought; The tang stamp iss the arched Western Cutlery, over Boulder, Colo. That stamp is dated as being used between 1911 - 1950 )

My latest Western

Classic, Gino. That one has the Western look to it.

This one goes in here.

Here's another folding hunter I picked up this past weekend at our local flea market. It doesn't have a model # on it , but is identical to model # 62 but has no shield on the handles. Nor does it even show evidence of ever having a shield on it. It was a $3.00 dollar special and really needed a lot of work. The clip blade appears to have lost about 5/16 of an inch at some point in its life. But a previous owner had done a good job at reworking a tip back on it. A lot of elbow grease, some time on a soft buffing wheel, then a stone to put back an edge. Fun little project, and really, ended up with a knife with a lot of life left in it! Bull

Here's my first and only, a 742. I really like this knife, a lot!

Here's my first and only

Col: Looks like it will make a fine EDC. I don't recall if this is my only Western, but certainly have no more than a small number. Here is a useful little lockback.

Thanks QS. This Western 742 as quickly become one of my ll time favorite EDC.

This Scout is my only Western. I wouldn't mind having more, I just haven't. Maybe I should make that a project for 2013?

Western Boulder 745





There were five variations of this old Western States Cutlery pattern, which date back to at least 1919. The old pattern number was a 6374.

Jerry, we are sharing the same project. This is my #2 for the year.

Hal, have you considered submitting those shots to Playboy magazine? I wonder if "California Clip" has anything to do with certain Hollywood directors' private film sessions?

Texasjack, that is a great lot of hunters; they are indeed Texas-sized jacks. Do you ever carry one? I have used them on deer and antelope, but I went back to fixed blades because they are easier to clean up and won't fold on one's hand. I still love the hunters, though; big is beautiful.

Just good memories. When cleaning deer I usually use a lockback hunter of some sort.
I do carry folding Hunters every now and then though.
I mostly just love the history of knives.

Man this thread hasn't had any post since November 2013 so I'll show a 1961-77 Western whittler I got since then a 6504.It's too bad these were fine folders ::hmm::I'd like to see yours

I love me some Western steel! Here's a few of mine. First the bone scales. Next the Delrin Boulder Colorado 742's. Finally the last two Western USA 742's I have (my three boys cabbaged on the other three).

nice that what I like to see

This my latest, and only, Western folder. It seems very well made and super sharp. The stuff you see on the bolsters is some adhesive from stickers that were on the knife. I didn't have my cleaning supplies handy when I had the camera out. It has a crack in the shield side handle by the top pin.

I bought this with the intent to carry occasionally, but am now having second thoughts about the idea. It is 4 inches closed. I would be grateful to know approximate age and pattern number if Western used a numbering scheme.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.