All About Pocket Knives

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 4:08 pm**

I haven't had a great deal of time recently to work on knives, summer is coming, my wife his some health issues and so do my parents and I am trying to reorganize and condensed my work area in my shop. I feel like I'm being pulled in multiple directions. I am trying to get rid of some of the things I thought I couldn't live without, at one time. I will post some pictures of it when I'm finished with the shop but in the meantime I was able to finish this project that I started some time ago.
This is a Western 743, sort of a cross between a trapper and a Stockman. It has a California clip blade, (Western's term for it), and a long spey blade with the sheepfoot blade at the opposite end. Interesting design, but I suspect it was designed with the working cowboy or rancher in mind. I can recall our neighboring ranchers usually carried a knife with a long spey blade in it when working cattle. As I mentioned above the snap up the clip blade when closing is not really strong. It had more wear to the tang than I realized. but the design is so unusual, and functional but I had to finish it anyway.

.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 4:27 pm**

Nice job Dale!!

I like those Westerns.... I guess I never noticed one just like that one.

I know what you mean about having no time to get in the shop.
(we are constantly going to see the grands do things on the weekend)

Good luck finding a day with more hours built into it!

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 5:05 pm**

Thats a beautiful knife Dale and a interesting pattern

i hope your wifes and your parents health improves

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 5:10 pm**

Man! That turned out SUPER Dale!

What a fine looking knife!

Very cool & interesting blade combo too! Very cool project & well executed!

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 5:25 pm**

orvet wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 4:08 pm I haven't had a great deal of time recently to work on knives, summer is coming, my wife his some health issues and so do my parents and I am trying to reorganize and condensed my work area in my shop. I feel like I'm being pulled in multiple directions. I am trying to get rid of some of the things I thought I couldn't live without, at one time. I will post some pictures of it when I'm finished with the shop but in the meantime I was able to finish this project that I started some time ago.
This is a Western 743, sort of a cross between a trapper and a Stockman. It has a California clip blade, (Western's term for it), and a long spey blade with the sheepfoot blade at the opposite end. Interesting design, but I suspect it was designed with the working cowboy or rancher in mind. I can recall our neighboring ranchers usually carried a knife with a long spey blade in it when working cattle. As I mentioned above the snap up the clip blade when closing is not really strong. It had more wear to the tang than I realized. but the design is so unusual, and functional but I had to finish it anyway.

Western #743 a.jpg

.Western #743 b.jpg

Western #743 c.jpg

Western #743 i.jpg

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Very Awesome! And a hard pattern to track down too!

PM sent

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 12:49 am**

I love the long spey blade! Beautiful work on restoration.
Froe

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 3:59 am**

Thanks guys. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Its an uncommon pattern, that's the first one that I have seen. I don't think I've seen that pattern made by another company either, though surely someone must have made it.

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 11:36 am**

As I mentioned elsewhere, that was the perfect choice of bone for that knife. It just works so well. Great job!

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 4:00 pm**

Dale, I hope I’m not hijacking your thread here, but for the uninitiated in the cult of Western knives, there is good reason why this 743 is such a big deal. Western made a whole series 74x knives all based on the same frame with different blade layouts. 742-746 were “stockman” type knives and 741 was the same frame but a muskrat. The 742 was by far the most popular and survived for many many years. You see a ton of 742s in delrin and the occasional bone handled one isn’t terribly uncommon. But 743-746 and 741 are like finding Bigfoot riding a unicorn! And as far as I know the 741 and 743-746 were all bone handled.

Dale, you did a great job with this one, and I can’t wait to see it in person!

Here’s the add for the series:

: 13FCB788-578C-4098-AE51-4FB6EFB118FB.jpeg (64.91 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

It took make a long time to put these together and some of them are mere place holders that will be replaces should I ever find better examples. As you can see, the 743 and the 746 both had the long secondary spey blade, the only difference was the sheep’s foot vs the punch.

: 741; D4B4AB80-CD61-4D3F-AF9F-1957CA920443.jpeg (46.88 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

: 742; B3BD515D-4EAD-4F94-A399-92878DD059FA.jpeg (42.76 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

: 743; IMG_2823.jpeg (39.55 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

: 744; IMG_2824.jpeg (41.52 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

: 745; IMG_2825.jpeg (40.96 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

: 746; IMG_2826.jpeg (38.77 KiB) Viewed 2556 times

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 4:12 pm**

I'm glad you added that background info Colonel....

I just happen to have a 742....

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 4:52 pm**

Meridian_Mike wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:12 pm I'm glad you added that background info Colonel....

I just happen to have a 742....

742.jpg

Mike, that’s a good example of a pre ‘77 Western. I agree with what Dale has said many times that the old Western steel was if not the, definitely one of the very best steels ever used. Those old delrin 742s are great edc hardworking pocket knives.

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 5:02 pm**

orvet wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 4:08 pm
This is a Western 743, sort of a cross between a trapper and a Stockman. It has a California clip blade, (Western's term for it), and a long spey blade with the sheepfoot blade at the opposite end. Interesting design, but I suspect it was designed with the working cowboy or rancher in mind. I can recall our neighboring ranchers usually carried a knife with a long spey blade in it when working cattle. As I mentioned above the snap up the clip blade when closing is not really strong. It had more wear to the tang than I realized. but the design is so unusual, and functional but I had to finish it anyway.

Western #743 a.jpg

.Western #743 b.jpg

Western #743 c.jpg

Western #743 i.jpg

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Love the pictures, love the bone. That is beautiful color. Great looking knife and love the personalized stamp/etch you put on the blade. Sweet.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2021 2:27 am**

That is the first Western 743 that I have ever seen, and she is a beauty! Great choice of bone, and great handiwork!

Mike, thank you for sharing yours as well. Y'all know how to make a guy want a REAL knife collection, and not just an accumulation!

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2021 8:52 am**

Thanks again guys, I am glad Wade spoke up and schooled us all. I didn't know all the info he posted. Good stuff.

Thanks Wade for the info!

Posted: **Thu May 20, 2021 9:59 pm**

I’m glad to report that this 743 has arrived at its new home and has been appropriately coonfingered and chickeneyed. It’s nicer in person than the pics show and is fantastic in every way!

Thanks again Dale.

Posted: **Fri May 21, 2021 7:47 am**

You are most welcome my friend!

I'm glad to see it went to a good home where it will be appreciated and maybe get toted every once in a while!

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