All About Pocket Knives

Those who've been around for a while know that I'm a sucker of all things Western, especially the 74x patterns. I saw this old add posted a few years ago, and took up the challenge of acquiring all the listed knives. Oddly enough the ones considered more rare were the easiest to find. The more common ones were the hardest. But here they are. They are all HOK's. In really good condition, but they're HOK's nonetheless.

Today the 745 came home. You can see a great variety in bone, and all but the 745 have the pattern number stamped, Western was not real concerned with pattern number stamping. They were hit and miss in the old days. Also the 745 doesn't have a shield. Again, nothing unusual for Western. You could make a sizable collection of Westerns just collecting the same knife with all it variations lol. This one will do nicely until I can find one with a shield!

Here's the add and the family. If you pay attention you'll see that I have one too many knives in the pic. That's because the top one is a 741. It is the same frame, etc... but it's a Muskrat. Therefore, it wasn't in this add.

Good job Cuz. Isn't that old bone gorgeous?

As a Stockman fan, that's a great collection.


How hard would a 743 or 746 be to find? A Stockman with a Trapper-sized long spey is very unusual.

cody6268 wrote:As a Stockman fan, that's a great collection.


How hard would a 743 or 746 be to find? A Stockman with a Trapper-sized long spey is very unusual.

In my area Western anything is hard to find. But generally from my experience the 743 and 746 are two of the harder ones to find. I got lucky and found them early in my collecting. I bought the only two examples I've ever seen. They are unique, and I really like them. But they are thicker than a normal stockman, lots of blade to fit in that frame.

jerryd6818 wrote:Good job Cuz. Isn't that old bone gorgeous?

I agree Cuz. And quite a variation too. Thanks!

Really cool!!

That is a fine collection, Colonel. I like Westerns, but I do not see many. Like Jerry says, the bone is just nice! You should do a photo with the knives arranged just as in the old catalog.

Dinadan wrote:That is a fine collection, Colonel. I like Westerns, but I do not see many. Like Jerry says, the bone is just nice! You should do a photo with the knives arranged just as in the old catalog.

Good idea Mel.

Here in the pre internet days it was Case, Eye Brand, and those "cheap" knives. Lol. I didn't know anything about Western until I got one in a trade here in aapk. It was a USA 742 and I fell in love wth that steel. Been hooked ever since.

awesome!

Great collection there !

Bob

CheckSix wrote:awesome!

rea1eye wrote:Great collection there !

Bob

Thanks guys. Here are some blade open pics. Like I said, they're HOK's, not pristine. But the blades are full to mostly full. Here are the different blade compliments to demonstrate the variety.

Very nice, indeed! Thanks for the show!

Dinadan wrote:That is a fine collection, Colonel. I like Westerns, but I do not see many. Like Jerry says, the bone is just nice! You should do a photo with the knives arranged just as in the old catalog.

I agree with Mel Colonel.
Put the original add photo in "Paint" or "Photo Shop" with you own collection and come up with something really beautiful to frame.

The most striking thing about this collection is the different bone colors. Difficult for me to pick a favorite.
Western went way out in bone color selection.

Old Folder wrote:

Dinadan wrote:That is a fine collection, Colonel. I like Westerns, but I do not see many. Like Jerry says, the bone is just nice! You should do a photo with the knives arranged just as in the old catalog.

I agree with Mel Colonel.
Put the original add photo in "Paint" or "Photo Shop" with you own collection and come up with something really beautiful to frame.

The most striking thing about this collection is the different bone colors. Difficult for me to pick a favorite.
Western went way out in bone color selection.

Thanks guys. That's a right interesting idea, I never thought about that. I'll look into how to do that. I've never really played around with those programs.

Thanks guys. That's a right interesting idea, I never thought about that. I'll look into how to do that. I've never really played around with those programs.

It's kind of time consuming Colonel, but can be fun. I like the "Paint" program within Windows 10.
Below is a couple "Clip Art" items from the web I "borrowed" and worked with in Paint that I posted earlier here in aapk.
I also straightened up your pic a little bit. No offense (Not that it needed it)

Thanks Dan. No offense. Tha pic was one that I copied from here that someone else had posted. It looks good.

And that Retirement Village People thing is hilarious!

Wade congrats on finishing the circle! It very satisfying to complete a long search such as that. Now I hope you don't run up on some obscure publication that states one of the knives in that circle actually had two variations.

gsmith7158 wrote:Wade congrats on finishing the circle! It very satisfying to complete a long search such as that. Now I hope you don't run up on some obscure publication that states one of the knives in that circle actually had two variations.

Variations?

Rofl!!! Greg I've already found that they did!!!

With shield, without shield. With pattern number, without pattern number, with buffalo etch, without.

Maybe I just ought to quit now.

Congrats Wade.

Don't quit now, you've got the most complete collection of those known in AAPK land. You must press on.

philco wrote:Congrats Wade.

Don't quit now, you've got the most complete collection of those known in AAPK land. You must press on.

Why Phil, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were encouraging me to spend countless hours and copious amounts of money scouring the country for knives just to feed an addiction.

Ok, you convinced me.

Congratulations Wade, You completed the Rodeo,
I had to log in to give you a hand, I have not been around lately, I'm one of those poor saps that have to work.
Plus my knife collecting got put on the back burner as I have had it with this sorry bank I had my mortgage at. Finally got mad and just paid the dang thing off. My knife collecting had to be shelved for awhile but at least they can't kick me out of my house now, Well the wife can still kick my sorry butt out but the bank can;t Title is Mine. Pat's self on back,

I did manage to get a pair of nice 744s one red and one brown, I also added a super nice bone 655 to the stash before I got sidetracked,
I have the rodeo almost done in two colors brown and red now except that darn 743, I still have not gotten a hold of one.
I am kicking myself for not grabbing one a while back but some IDIOT took it to a grinding wheel, of course on the long spey blade and wappy jawed the heck out of it so I passed it up. Now Im kicking myself as that is the last one I have been able to lay eyes on.

At any Rate, I am glad you got er done and thats a nice lookin bunch o cowboys right der.

Impressive group of knives!