All About Pocket Knives

Just picked up this cool Western Folder....I have had a lot and seen a lot of the fixed blade Westerns, and a few pocket knives, but I haven't seen one like this.

4.25" long closed, 7.5" open long blade, 6.5" open shorter blade

Any input? Age, value, and so on?

Thanks....

Can you post a good close up picture of the tang stamp on the main blade?

Aimus

Thanks Aimus....added above.

See if this helps.

Looks like Tom has you covered on the age of your knife. Thats a big old Serpt. pattern jack knife. Don't think I've seen one that big before. Looks like pocket worn stag handles on it too. Nice catch on that old Western.

Aimus

That's a fine looking Western folder. By the wear on the handles, somebody loved that ol' girl. Lots of pocket time. Nice find! Bull

tjmurphy wrote:See if this helps.

Western Tang Stamps.jpg

Well thank you for that one TJ.It was one I did not have.

I have perused the catalog pages in "The Knifemakers Who Went West" by Harvey Platts, and I find no knives like this in the time frame suggested by the tang stamp. Possibilities: The poster gave an incorrect length measurement. More likely: This could be a pre-war Western States Cutlery knife which has been sent back to the factory for work and now has a later tang-stamped blade. As near as I can tell, the company made no serpentine knives OVER 4 INCHES after the war. This knife, in fact, may have had 3 blades originally? Very intriguing knife! Also, we have a WESTERN subforum here.

Measurements are correct...I examined the knife with an eye loop to see if it originally had 3 blades, which it appears it was always a 2 blade knife. Like I said...never seen one this big before. Could it possibly be a salesmanship sample? I know I have seen unique and odd items that were given to salesman on the road.