All About Pocket Knives

I recently picked up this beautiful little Ka-Bar at my local flea market for $25!! From what I've gathered researching online, I'm assuming it's from the 1920's - 1930's. I could be wrong, any information would be great! Model, year, value. I have another different style I picked up there also but that guy gave me a full run down about it. Thanks in advanse!!

Your very cute little knife was listed as "Little Hunter A" in the KA-BAR "Outdoor Knife" brochures. They were made in the 1930s, none from the 1920s. Yours is an earlier model with the large pommel nut and no brass spacers in the handle. Sadly, your knife has a bad case of celluloid deterioration also called "outgassing" by some. This means the handle is in the process of self disintegration and will only get worse. These came in stag handles with a stag pommel or celluloid handles with stag pommel as yours has. They also were available with carbon steel or stainless steel blades. An official BSA version was also made with leather handle and aluminum pommel. Little Hunter versions were available into the 1950s, but the celluloid/stag versions ended around WW2. Value. Well, with the blade wear and disintegrating handle sadly your knife is not in really collectible condition. Fine condition knives like yours sell for a couple hundred dollars with the original sheath. Cute little knife, a shame about the handles. Let's see the other one you got!! Be interesting to see if the seller had correct ID info. By the way, I have forty variations of Little Hunters, all slightly different. Big pommel nuts, small pommel nuts, stainless or carbon steel, stag, leather, or celluloid handles, some marked Union Cutlery Co, some marked Union Cut Co, some with brass spacers, some without. There were lots of minor variations in these cool little knives. There are some wartime made versions with cell handles and wooden pommels. Post war and into the 1950s the model was only available with leather handles and aluminum pommels.

Shame about the outgassing If this was mine i would remove the celluloid scales and fit some nice stag that i would age to match the pommel

Paul, the problem with your idea is that it would not look original since the celluloid/stag versions had fullered blades while the original stag handle models did not have fullers. It would not increase the value. The only way to make it better would be to find a donor knife with a worse blade but good handle and swap out the handles. Of course then there is also the fact that this one has pins in the handles while later versions did not and the later versions had extra brass spacers so the handles don't fit unless from the proper knife.

Thank you so much gunsil! Thats great to know, I couldn't find anything! I was really just curious for myself, I have no intention of getting rid of it. But its a shame about the handle, thats what caught my eye and sold me on it. The edge was in decent shape, few tiny dings, little light touch up and she's razor sharp! I could clean shave with it. The other is not nearly as old but still a great razor sharp knife. They are the only Ka-Bar's I have right now but plan to expand my collection and will post as I do. I do have this little Case xx 323-3 1/4, and my grandmothers little western. None of them have the original sheath as far as I know except maybe the western, but I can't say for sure.

Gene, do you have a picture of one of yours that is similar, but with good celluloid handles? Might help the OP understand better what you’re describing, and what to look for if they should want to look for a donor knife.

Cuffnutz, the problem with celluloid is once it begins the outgassing deterioration process, that will continue and eventually ruin the rest of the knife and possibly damage other knives near it. As the celluloid deteriorates it produces nitric acid fumes.

Ken

Oh and I should add that I don't really remember what the guy told me about the second knife due to the face that I was to busy sifting through all the other great knives he had.

Mumbleypeg, thank you for that bit of information as well! I will keep it separate from my others and see if I can't find a donor for it in the near future!

Cuffnutz wrote: ↑Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:51 pm Thank you so much gunsil! Thats great to know, I couldn't find anything! I was really just curious for myself, I have no intention of getting rid of it. But its a shame about the handle, thats what caught my eye and sold me on it. The edge was in decent shape, few tiny dings, little light touch up and she's razor sharp! I could clean shave with it. The other is not nearly as old but still a great razor sharp knife. They are the only Ka-Bar's I have right now but plan to expand my collection and will post as I do. I do have this little Case xx 323-3 1/4, and my grandmothers little western. None of them have the original sheath as far as I know except maybe the western, but I can't say for sure.

Cuffnutz -

Both of those sheaths are Western sheaths. The oak leaf & acorn pattern was typical of most (not all) Western sheaths from the 1940s into the 1970s.

The black sheath is original to the F48B. The only stamp visible is the WESTERN over USA on the ricasso, but with that blade shape and stamp, there should be an F48B stamped into the guard.

Your g-ma's Western was made in 1973. Starting in 1973, reference to BOULDER COLO was dropped from the stamp, but the model numbers remained on the guard, until 1977, when model numbers returned to the ricasso, along with date code letters.

Will try to remember to photo some tomorrow, too dark here now. Well, I actually woke up this AM and remembered! Here are three variations, early one with pinned handles yellow cell as OP knife, later one with no pins, and a cracked ice cell version with a stainless blade. These are all unused and you can see the gloss of the original varnish on the stag pommels. The center onE is etched with the retailer's name, "Kagen's Reading PA".

Very interesting fixed blades and to AAPK.

Gunsil wrote: ↑Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:43 pm Will try to remember to photo some tomorrow, too dark here now. Well, I actually woke up this AM and remembered! Here are three variations, early one with pinned handles yellow cell as OP knife, later one with no pins, and a cracked ice cell version with a stainless blade. These are all unused and you can see the gloss of the original varnish on the stag pommels. The center onE is etched with the retailer's name, "Kagen's Reading PA".

625F7ABB-671D-4EEC-B1A0-C5494E30E607.jpeg

Beautiful

Thanks David!

Cuff, I have a similar one to yours in stainless, same celluloid deterioration, been looking for a donor handle for ten years, hopefully you find one faster!!