Western Auto wood handle?

[Dave2192]

I have a real nice Western Auto with a wood handle and I’m wondering if this was replaced sometime before I got it or is this a factory knife. Anyone seen one?

Dave

[zzyzzogeton]

Depends on the manufacturer. Western Auto contracted out for their knives. I BELIEVE that all WA knives made by Western were all stacked leather disk handles. Other manufacturers may have used wood. Need pics to determine the manufacturer.

[Dave2192]

I have a few other WA’s with colored handles (I’m guessing tenite?) and the wooden one is less rounded but looks to be factory made because everything matches up so well. I’d figured that the color ones were made by Western but never thought they could have been made by the others! The wood handled one is about 45 years old and that does explain a lot! Thank you very much!

Dave

[zzyzzogeton]

Overall pictures of the knives and clear shots of the stamps would allow manufacture identification.

[knife7knut]

Here is my one and only WESTERN AUTO SUPPLY knife.

[Ridgegrass]

As per Levine, 1,967,479 is a Western State pattern(1934) on their "39" Series hunting knife. They wee great looking knives in stacked leather, celluloid, and bone. O.

[zzyzzogeton]

The blade looks to be smaller than the 39s, so probably a 40 pattern.

Based on the spacer pattern, it looks like a 240 from 1940/1941 from the prw-WW2 era.