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Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 10:53 pm
by Pile Driver
I've seen enough of most of the major players' rendition on stag to know Union KA-BAR did it very well. Tons of contrast and great selectiveness in the samples. Post your examples here. If this topic exists elsewhere, happy to pick this up there.
Thanks to Barry for the whittler
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 10:59 pm
by cudgee
Pile Driver wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 10:53 pm
I've seen enough of most of the major players' rendition on stag to know Union KA-BAR did it very well. Tons of contrast and great selectiveness in the samples. Post your examples here. If this topic exists elsewhere, happy to pick this up there.
Thanks to Barry for the whittler
0321221404a~2.jpg
That is some beautiful stag.
I'm not a huge fan of stag, modern stag can be so hit and miss. But that is addictive, if i could get that quality, i would be all over it. Thanks for posting.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:40 pm
by edge213
Pile Driver wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 10:53 pm
I've seen enough of most of the major players' rendition on stag to know Union KA-BAR did it very well. Tons of contrast and great selectiveness in the samples. Post your examples here. If this topic exists elsewhere, happy to pick this up there.
Thanks to Barry for the whittler
0321221404a~2.jpg
Sure can't argue with you after seeing this picture
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:09 am
by Colonel26
That’s some very nice stag. Like Cudgee, I’m not a fan of most modern stag. Either it’s too rough, too thick, or so much bark has been hafted away it’s mostly white. But those are extra nice.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:20 am
by Gunsil
Nice knives Dan!! Your photos come through a lot darker than the stag really is in person. KA-BAR certainly did use great dyed stag 1923-1943, their stuff from the 50s and newer is not so nice.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:51 pm
by peanut740
P D
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:12 pm
by BWT
Very nice PD,I’m a big fan of old stag!!
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:44 pm
by Pile Driver
Gunsil wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:20 am
Nice knives Dan!! Your photos come through a lot darker than the stag really is in person. KA-BAR certainly did use great dyed stag 1923-1943, their stuff from the 50s and newer is not so nice.
Agreed Gene, pardon my window sill photo its a little cloudy today
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 11:57 pm
by Gunsil
Fine knives, just fine knives!! There is a thread about fine stag someplace but I am not the best at finding old threads. 10 days until Mystic!! Hope to see you there!!
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:02 am
by Gunsil
Here's a rare 7" blade bowie hunter, 237-7. The only stag 237 I have seen with three pins in the back of the scales. Nice stag too. Sadly I did ot get a sheath with it.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:58 am
by stumpstalker
Colonel26 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:09 am
That’s some very nice stag. Like Cudgee, I’m not a fan of most modern stag. Either it’s too rough, too thick, or so much bark has been hafted away it’s mostly white. But those are extra nice.
Colonel:
Nailed it! What you say about most modern stag sums it up for me.
That said, when done right, as with the handles displayed in this tread, stag is very appealing.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 2:54 am
by edge213
Gunsil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:02 am
Here's a rare 7" blade bowie hunter, 237-7. The only stag 237 I have seen with three pins in the back of the scales. Nice stag too. Sadly I did ot get a sheath with it.
40AEEE59-7C62-4D30-BB5D-965DB34DBCA3.jpegB36B9776-0F85-4C6A-BE78-637A89B12AA2.jpeg06746DD9-2F97-4DC8-A4D7-9D5811F825E4.jpegFE533787-C44C-4A8D-A7B9-2C7FEBE4F04C.jpeg
Beautiful knife Gunsil.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:17 pm
by Pile Driver
That's a neat knife Gene, the stag looks like petrified tree sap on bark. Classic Sheffield style fixed blade, seen a lot of similar knives by Joseph Allen and Brookes and Crookes, various Sheffield cutlers but never from Union before
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:11 pm
by Gunsil
Hi Dan, hard to believe you haven't seen one before. They are pretty common with 5 or 6" blades, came in stag, bone, jigged wood, and celluloid handle scales. They also came with a flat ground blade as model 37F, a bone flat ground one would be a 637F. The seven inch ones are rare. These can be found with the earlier Union Cut Co mark or marked KA-BAR. The catalog name for the 37 models was "Old Boy". I have never seen a 7" blade one with a flat ground blade or one just marked Union Cut Co., only have three with the 7" blade, one marked Fred Biffar, and the one shown is the only stag one I have, they are scarce in 7".
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 6:18 pm
by btrwtr
Beautiful knives above! Here are two I have.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 6:55 pm
by Pile Driver
Gunsil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:11 pm
Hi Dan, hard to believe you haven't seen one before. They are pretty common with 5 or 6" blades, came in stag, bone, jigged wood, and celluloid handle scales. They also came with a flat ground blade as model 37F, a bone flat ground one would be a 637F. The seven inch ones are rare. These can be found with the earlier Union Cut Co mark or marked KA-BAR. The catalog name for the 37 models was "Old Boy". I have never seen a 7" blade one with a flat ground blade or one just marked Union Cut Co., only have three with the 7" blade, one marked Fred Biffar, and the one shown is the only stag one I have, they are scarce in 7".
I've never seen one with that concentrated of a clip point, the similar knives I've seen almost had a drop point knife. The ones I've seen also had like hash marked jigging on brown bone for handles
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:53 pm
by Gunsil
They only made two bowie hunter models, the 37 model and the 66 model. 66s are all the same length and all saber ground. 37s came in 5,6,&7" blades and either saber or flat ground. Model 66 is a rare one, 37s are fairly common except for the 7" ones. Maybe the blade length has thrown you off, all 37s are similar.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 10:34 pm
by Whitneyrifle
They are all beautiful!! Here is my contribution, an early Union Cut Co Kabar Hobo…
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:38 am
by Gunsil
Pile Driver wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 6:55 pm
Gunsil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:11 pm
Hi Dan, hard to believe you haven't seen one before. They are pretty common with 5 or 6" blades, came in stag, bone, jigged wood, and celluloid handle scales. They also came with a flat ground blade as model 37F, a bone flat ground one would be a 637F. The seven inch ones are rare. These can be found with the earlier Union Cut Co mark or marked KA-BAR. The catalog name for the 37 models was "Old Boy". I have never seen a 7" blade one with a flat ground blade or one just marked Union Cut Co., only have three with the 7" blade, one marked Fred Biffar, and the one shown is the only stag one I have, they are scarce in 7".
I've never seen one with that concentrated of a clip point, the similar knives I've seen almost had a drop point knife. The ones I've seen also had like hash marked jigging on brown bone for handles
Maybe you see the reflection as a grind? Here's a photo of the other side with less reflection.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:14 am
by Resophonatic
That is some beautiful stag!
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:16 am
by doglegg
Sure is.
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 6:35 am
by Dan In MI
Resophonatic wrote: ↑Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:14 am
That is some beautiful stag!
Indeed it is!
Re: Hot take: Union KA-BAR did stag better than most
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 11:24 am
by BWT
That’s a beauty Gene