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Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:29 pm
by chorizotaco
I just got my first Kabar/Union Hobo with a box...model 6360. The Kabar stamp is pretty normal but the Union stamp is arched. Does that give a better date range? In reading through some threads I believe this is considered Rogers Bone, is that right? This hobo is in excellent condition. Dan
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:08 pm
by kennedy knives
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:27 pm
by Beavertail
That's a beauty!
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:38 pm
by Mumbleypeg
Great find! That’s a beauty. To answer your question, I wouldn’t classify that as Rogers bone.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=45098 Others may disagree. What is the closed length? Does it slide apart? Many if not most of them do.
Ken
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:24 am
by Gunsil
Nice set Dan!! That is not Rodgers bone which was made by the Rogers company. Union/KA-BAR used their own bone and it changed several times over the years. All of it was extremely good looking bone, in my mind much nicer than Rogers. I do tend to think the knife is a mismatch, put together from a KA-BAR and an earlier Union since the arched Union mark was discontinued well before the KA-BAR brand was adopted. I could be mistaken, but all I have seen and owned have the straight line Union mark on the fork. The separate parts and even the boxes without knives do come up for sale on occasion.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:31 am
by Froe
That's real prize. Beautiful.
Froe
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:02 am
by chorizotaco
Gunsil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:24 am
Nice set Dan!! That is not Rodgers bone which was made by the Rogers company. Union/KA-BAR used their own bone and it changed several times over the years. All of it was extremely good looking bone, in my mind much nicer than Rogers. I do tend to think the knife is a mismatch, put together from a KA-BAR and an earlier Union since the arched Union mark was discontinued well before the KA-BAR brand was adopted. I could be mistaken, but all I have seen and owned have the straight line Union mark on the fork. The separate parts and even the boxes without knives do come up for sale on occasion.
I was wondering about that. The bone matches really well though. Maybe the Union was found and just used....yeah that’s what happened!
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:04 am
by chorizotaco
Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:38 pm
Great find! That’s a beauty. To answer your question, I wouldn’t classify that as Rogers bone.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=45098 Others may disagree. What is the closed length? Does it slide apart? Many if not most of them do.
Ken
Yes it does slide apart just didn’t take a pic, brass liners. The spoon appears to be aluminum is that right? It’s not magnetic at all.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:21 am
by Mumbleypeg
I think this one I have has the same bone as yours Dan. Different pattern but the fork has the straight Union stamp Gene mentioned.
Ken
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:38 pm
by Gunsil
Love the big dog hobo Ken, yours is much more shiny than mine. Dan, the spoons are never aluminum, they are nickle silver, an alloy nickel and copper that contains no silver. Aluminum would just be too weak.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:20 pm
by btrwtr
Nice find on the hobo with box!
I have owned a number of Unoin/KA-BAR slot knives and can't recall if I've ever had one that had the arched stamp on the fork. Here are 4 including a yellow celluloid with and unmarked fork. The bomb shield fork is marked "PAT NOV 5TH 1907" and I believe this is the earliest of the 4 hobos shown.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:37 pm
by chorizotaco
Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:38 pm
Great find! That’s a beauty. To answer your question, I wouldn’t classify that as Rogers bone.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=45098 Others may disagree. What is the closed length? Does it slide apart? Many if not most of them do.
Ken
Ken the closed length is 3 3/4". That's what the book says it should be for a 6360.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:23 pm
by Ridgegrass
No Hobo could afford any of those beauties !!
Here's a black bone, tang stamped: UNION CUTLERY C
o. Fork is stamped: PAT. NOV. 5th 1907
All great stuff
J.O'.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:13 pm
by stockman
Hey guys nice bunch of old slot knives.
Harold
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:37 pm
by Gunsil
Here's an unused rarer stainless version that came with a leather knife purse. Also the big KA-BAR "Sportsman".
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:52 pm
by chorizotaco
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:05 pm
by chorizotaco
Gunsil wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:24 am
Nice set Dan!! That is not Rodgers bone which was made by the Rogers company. Union/KA-BAR used their own bone and it changed several times over the years. All of it was extremely good looking bone, in my mind much nicer than Rogers. I do tend to think the knife is a mismatch, put together from a KA-BAR and an earlier Union since the arched Union mark was discontinued well before the KA-BAR brand was adopted. I could be mistaken, but all I have seen and owned have the straight line Union mark on the fork. The separate parts and even the boxes without knives do come up for sale on occasion.
Okay Gene here's my question.
I've attached pictures of the fork so my question is if the arched Union stamp was well before Ka-bar how is it that the KA-BAR shield is attached to the fork with the Union stamp? It doesn't look to have been messed with and the shield is pinned to the fork. Could they have found an old Union fork and built this set?
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2020 3:42 pm
by Gunsil
You have a good point Dan. Just plain odd to see the arched mark on a KA-BAR branded product. Slot knives are the easiest knives to swap blades/handles on though.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:38 pm
by chorizotaco
Gunsil wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:37 pm
Here's an unused rarer stainless version that came with a leather knife purse. Also the big KA-BAR "Sportsman".
0DEBCBC0-2EC7-4164-AF04-590D8B03CF71.jpeg0DF35C5E-526D-46AA-A090-9EE04907A815.jpegBE2D5186-3ADB-43BB-9C69-7170EDE28BC7_1_201_a.jpeg
What year is the SS one? It's gorgeous!
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 12:31 am
by Gunsil
Thanks Dan!! No idea of the year, KA-BAR/Union Cut used stainless early on. No way to date them exactly to a given year, but pre 1941.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 4:47 pm
by btrwtr
Gene that stainless and Sportsman are super!
Here is a knife that has been in my shop for so long I can't remember where I got it. It didn't have and scales on it and I finally got around to putting some bone on it. The bone is KA-BAR factory bone but certainly not as old as the knife is. Hard to find UNION TIDIOUTE stamp. Patent dated 1907 and knife likely made very shortly after that date.
Re: Kabar Union Hobo
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:27 pm
by doglegg
Fantastic old knife and great job on the bones.
