All About Pocket Knives

Hello all. I recently picked up this 3 blade kabar stockman. It's got a black jigged bone or Delrin / plastic handle. It is literally unused. Not even carried. Only opened a few times. Perfect snap on all 3 blades, and Rock solid lock up. Looking on eBay and other areas, I've seen a few similar, but not quite the same versions of this knife, but all of these reference a 1950s date of manufacture. Looking at the tang stamp, the one on mine is the 1930-1940 stamp. Is this correct? Also I cannot find the exact model number. The blade isn't marked as such. And any idea on value in this condition? Any and all info you can give would be much appreciated!

Looks like black comp of some kind.It's later than 1940. to AAPK.

Well first off your going to have to decide if its bone or derlin/plastic.
The Derlin plant started in 1960 was adopted by a few knife makers in 61. So if its as old as you say its. not that.
The absolute best way to tell if its bone is put it on a belt sander and if the smell gags you its bone.
I can usually tell if it is bone or derlin/plastic by just rubbing my thumb on it with slight pressure. Derlin will feel slick and bone will be kinda grabby jerky.
Another trick I don't terribily recommend is the hot needle test in an inconspicous spot. the pin will start melting into penetrating plastic or derlin but not bone
The best way is to get about 20x magnification on it then its easy, you will see tiny cracks in the surface of the bone and Derlin will look real shiny glassy in spots.
It just looks like the common stockman pattern to me. but old Kabars have some great steel in them. past that I would not guess its much more than 40 bucks and maybe +10 for bone but I might be a little behind the times with that guesstimate.

Thanks! Long time lurker, first time poster. I normally can figure out all I need to know on a knife, but this one had me stumped. Just put some magnification on it. It's bone. Also any idea on model number? It's not present on the knife, and kabar knives aren't the main focus of my collection, so I lack resources in that department. But seeing how nice this one is, I thin I may have to change that!

Yep she is that. Purdy. But with a name like cowdiddly I think all stockmans are Purdy.
Im not a Kabar guru either. I have only ever had 3, an old Lockback like a buck 110, a single blade liner locking trapper and a Vietnam era U.S.M.C fighting knife. All of them took a wicked edge and served me well when I had em.
Hope you enjoy the new Pretty.

HI: i have several of these knives and doubt very much if it is either delrin or bone. back in the 40's and 50's knife manufacturers used what they called "black composition" for handles. what the exact makeup of that is, is unknown to me, but i do know it is not celluloid and is very stable.

i also have several kababs with this tang stamp. i THINK it is after the large KABAR in caps with the Union Cut. Co. stamp on the rear of the tang (which all references say is from 1920 to 1951). we do know that the company's name was officially changed in 1951 to Kabar. soon, i think the tang stamp on your knife was post 1951 but before the company started using Kabar in small case letters.

i like the black composition handled knives because if you find one mint (like yours) it is a real find. after all, this material was used on knives that were usually bought by working men who USED them.

atrco

Do you still have this KA-BAR pocket knife, and is it for sale?

Swsch2000 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 5:03 am Do you still have this KA-BAR pocket knife, and is it for sale?

I doubt you'll get an answer.
The original post is 10 years old, and the poster was last seen 8 years ago.

Here are 2 Bird's-eye's and a Bone Stockman with match-nicks on the main and spey, nickel liners and a punch. J.O'.

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Sat Feb 28, 2026 10:03 pm Here are 2 Bird's-eye's and a Bone Stockman with match-nicks on the main and spey, nickel liners and a punch. J.O'.

I have that same yellow bird’s eye on top right. Is it older than the lower yellow one please?

It is. It's KA-BAR yellow celluloid. The curvy one is Kabar composite, after 1957 I think. J.O'.

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2026 5:27 am It is. It's KA-BAR yellow celluloid. The curvy one is Kabar composite, after 1957 I think. J.O'.

Thank you sir

J.O'.