Help with Western Boulder, Colo.

[CarMan]

Help with Western Boulder, Colo.
I also put this in general discussion, then thought maybe I should put it here.
Need help determining if this is a WW2 Western Boulder, Colo. Looks exactly like the knife on pg. 53 of Mr. Silvey’s book, “Pocket Knives of the U.S. Military.” My problem is that in the book it says, “no. 6490 campers knife as supplied to the US government in WW2,” but on the back side of mine is stamped what I think is 901. So is this the same knife?
I am also bothered by the description for it wasn’t completely accurate. The main blade is rather lazy.
If you look closely you can see the pin appears a slightly different color than the bolster, could this just be from polishing?
Thanks for any help,
John
Ephesians 2:10

[zzyzzogeton]

The model number 6490 indicates bone handle covers (6), 4 blades, pattern 90.

A knife with a model number was made after 1955, which is when Western FIRST started puttng model numbers on the pile side of the blades.

901 was the updated model number put on the 6490 after model numbering changed around 1952/1953. Western went away from the 4 and 5 digit model numbers of the pre-1953 time frame.

Real bone for the 6xx models changed to Delrin starting in 1961, so with real bone and a 901 model number, this one was made between 1955 and 1961.

[CarMan]

The model number 6490 indicates bone handle covers (6), 4 blades, pattern 90.

A knife with a model number was made after 1955, which is when Western FIRST started puttng model numbers on the pile side of the blades.

901 was the updated model number put on the 6490 after model numbering changed around 1952/1953. Western went away from the 4 and 5 digit model numbers of the pre-1953 time frame.

Real bone for the 6xx models changed to Delrin starting in 1961, so with real bone and a 901 model number, this one was made between 1955 and 1961.

Thank you for the detailed & precise explanation. That answered everything for me. I looked online for hours and couldn’t find anything like this. Very much appreciated.