All About Pocket Knives

Just to preface, I currently work in the IT department of Cutco in Olean and work closely with those at KA-BAR, so I have a natural interest (and a little bit of background information) in the company. With that being said, I know those in this forum have far more and a much deeper knowledge on KA-BAR than I'll ever have, and hopefully I can find some clarity on this knife. Recently bought it at a local antique store in upstate NY, the handle really caught my eye and I couldn't pass it up.
The first question I have is what model number this folder could be? After searching around the internet, I couldn't find anything particularly close that would give me clues.
Second, In trying to pin down the date of this knife, I thought the paper on the inside of the box dated 1968 would help me (and the fact that it's Cole corp) but I have come to read that once Cole bought Kabar in 1966, they began stamping model numbers in the tang of the knives. Did this not apply to some knives? Or possibly this is a pre-Cole manufactured knife that was sitting in inventory when Cole took over, and they sold it after the fact?
If anybody has any information that would help in my pursuit of knowledge, I would love to hear it. After being around Cutco and KA-BAR for my entire life, I think it's about time I start learning more about the history and heritage behind the knives.

Cole did start the model number marking on blades but it is so far unknown when exactly they began this practice or if it was adopted over a several year period. I have seen your knife listed as a "New England Whaler" and it is shown in the Kabar catalog printed in May 1976 as model 1135 and called "Loom Whaler knife" which seems to be a hybrid name using the Case name "loom fixer" and the Kabar Whaler name. Case called their version of this knife a loom fixer. I think some of the KA-BAR ones actually had New England Whaler pressed into the handle scales at one time. Kabar did change the model numbers on their knives over time, so some similar knives will have different model numbers over the years. Since I do not have a 1968 catalog to reference I don't know if your knife was model number 1135 in 1968 but it is described this way in 1976. Most of the model number changes began when the company changed from Union Cut Co to KA-BAR Inc, and some changed again when Cole took over.

Thank you so much, that's all very interesting to read. Certainly more information than I ever thought I'd have on this piece