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WESTMARK Trapper Made In Solingen?? - Any Info??

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:53 pm
by knifeaholic
Picked up two of these trappers recently with the WESTMARK stamp.

These are both unmistakably Solingen-made Boker trappers, each with wood handles.

I recognize "Westmark" as being Western's mark for their high-end fixed blade knives.

This is the first time I have ever seen any Westerns made in Solingen, or any pocket knives marked Westmark.

Does anyone know the story on these - as to when they were made, and were any other patterns made?

Re: WESTMARK Trapper Made In Solingen?? - Any Info??

Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 11:27 am
by tallguy606
I am guessing it is coincidence that the term Westmark was used on the trappers. Probably no connection at all to Western Cutlery.

Re: WESTMARK Trapper Made In Solingen?? - Any Info??

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:30 am
by zzyzzogeton
There are only 3 Westmark knives made by Western Cutlery - the 701, 702 and 703 fixed blade knives.

When Camillus bought the IP for Western back in 1991, that included the WESTMARK line/name.

Camillus and Smokey Mountain Knife Works had some kind of deal, re:Westmark knives in the post-Colorado era. Sometime down the road, SMKW took over the line from Camillus. I know of a boot knife, a doctor's knife, a 2 blade barlow, an eagle headed pommel dagger, a bread knife, a seax, a"mini-sword, a sword cane, and 3 or 4 folders. There may be some that I haven't seen.

The primary identifying mark for these Westmark knives was that "double-V W" in the Westmark stamp (and also on some shields).

Some of the knives had a shield with WESTMARK stamped in them (doctor's), some just have a stylized W in a shield (wood handled folders), and some don't have shields (boot, seax, mini-sword, bread knife). I don't remember what the dagger had other than the Westark name stamp on the ricasso. Most of the boxes for them that I have seen have been essentially a blue box with white lettering.

The boot, doctor's, and barlow were Camillus made. The dagger, folders and the bread knife were Solingen made. The most recent Westmarks that I have seen are the seax version, the mini-sword (10.5" blade for a sword?? ::facepalm:: ) and a sword cane - all made in Pakistan.

Re: WESTMARK Trapper Made In Solingen?? - Any Info??

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 1:32 pm
by knifeaholic
zzyzzogeton wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:30 am There are only 3 Westmark knives made by Western Cutlery - the 701, 702 and 703 fixed blade knives.

When Camillus bought the IP for Western back in 1991, that included the WESTMARK line/name.

Camillus and Smokey Mountain Knife Works had some kind of deal, re:Westmark knives in the post-Colorado era. Sometime down the road, SMKW took over the line from Camillus. I know of a boot knife, a doctor's knife, a 2 blade barlow, an eagle headed pommel dagger, a bread knife, a seax, a"mini-sword, a sword cane, and 3 or 4 folders. There may be some that I haven't seen.

The primary identifying mark for these Westmark knives was that "double-V W" in the Westmark stamp (and also on some shields).

Some of the knives had a shield with WESTMARK stamped in them (doctor's), some just have a stylized W in a shield (wood handled folders), and some don't have shields (boot, seax, mini-sword, bread knife). I don't remember what the dagger had other than the Westark name stamp on the ricasso. Most of the boxes for them that I have seen have been essentially a blue box with white lettering.

The boot, doctor's, and barlow were Camillus made. The dagger, folders and the bread knife were Solingen made. The most recent Westmarks that I have seen are the seax version, the mini-sword (10.5" blade for a sword?? ::facepalm:: ) and a sword cane - all made in Pakistan.
Thank you so much for the detailed info. I suspected that these trappers were made post-91 but it seemed odd that Camillus would have used Boker in Solingen to make knives under the WESTMARK name - so the SMKW connection makes sense.