All About Pocket Knives

I’ve been told this was a knife made by Cutco for Western in the early days of their existence. Does anyone have a date or a different view? Sheathstamped Western, rat tail blade,5 in long.

Cutco didn't exist until 1949, well after Western began making their own hunting knives. Your knife was contract made for Western States by Union Cut/KA-BAR and was made in the very late 1920s. The sheath may be a little newer than the knife. Cool find.

I have four Western States marked knives made by Union Cut/KA-BAR, and one by Marbles, and one by Case/Kinfolks. they are all hard to find knives, and to me very cool. All the KA-BAR made ones have the Western States marked sheaths with the bronco on them. I have seen one with the Western States bronco sheath and the original sheath had a KA-BAR snap on it.

What is a "rat-tail" blade? Don't think I've heard that term? Thanks for any info. J.O'.

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 5:36 pm What is a "rat-tail" blade? Don't think I've heard that term? Thanks for any info. J.O'.

I would assume it’s a reference to the tang being long and skinny and the pommel is attached at the end of it. Think of a rat tail file.

C-WADE7 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 6:00 pm

Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 5:36 pm What is a "rat-tail" blade? Don't think I've heard that term? Thanks for any info. J.O'.

I would assume it’s a reference to the tang being long and skinny and the pommel is attached at the end of it. Think of a rat tail file.

I'm guessing it's a reference to the blood groove.

It was a reference to the rat tail tang as nearly all Western fixed blades I have collected have the bifurcated tang that the Patent refers to.

Didn't think of the tang. Makes sense. Thanks. O'.

This one would have been made between 1928, when Western started having non-kitchen fixed blades made with their name on it and 1931, when Western started making their fixed blades in-house. Could have been made as late as 1933, during the Western build-up in FB manufacturing capacity.

The first hunting fixed blades Western sold were Marbles No. 44 and Woodcraft knives, as shown in their 1925 catalog, using Marbles branding.

Thanks zzy, as my son tells me my neurodivergent tendencies makes me very meticulous and I so appreciate a definitive answer as I suspect you do too. I find it very rewarding to understand when these knives were made as it gives me an appreciation as to what service these knives provided and what they were exposed to. I have an old case pocket knife from 1905-14 that belonged to a judge that was the longest serving common pleas judge in Delaware county, and it looks like it spent many an hour on the whetstone, and since the judge was active in civil war re inactments I would suspect if it could talk there would be some very interesting stories to tell. To me that only enhances the historical value of any artifact, particularly a knife to know when it was made so kudos to you and Gunsil and others who provide that information.

Leo7504 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2024 8:54 pm I’ve been told this was a knife made by Cutco for Western in the early days of their existence. Does anyone have a date or a different view? Sheathstamped Western, rat tail blade,5 in long.

Great looking knife .I only have one western states curved over cut co.I believe my knife is a contract knife made by most likely one of the knife companies mentioned by “Gunsil “ and “Z Z “ . Although my knife appears to have been re handled some time in its life i feel fortunate to have been able to add it to my small collection. Just curious how is the pommel attached to your knife ? Is it nutted like this one ? If it does not have a nutted pommel it may have been made by western states In house as mentioned by “ZZ “ . Last group of 4 pictures are of a knife I have from what I believe to be shown in the 1931-36 catalogs in the knife makers who went west .

Here’s a couple more pictures, looks like a brass nut like yours.

Leo7504 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 5:23 am Here’s a couple more pictures, looks like a brass nut like yours.IMG_2366.jpegIMG_2368.jpeg

I believe all the brass nutted knifes have a single tang build and were made by other knife companies for western states ( western ) .what I find interesting is that your knife appears to be stamped western on one side and western states cut co in rainbow i on the the other side ? Really cool knife and I would say rare as hens teeth as I I have only seen two of the early nutted rainbow fixed blades with the brass nutts offered for sale on e-bay in the last 10 years or so .thank you for sharing your find for future reference to all western states fans .