All About Pocket Knives

I got this recently because I have not seen one before. It’s in great shape. Do any of you have info on it. How many are around etc?

I know nothing about it but it's a beauty.

Gene would know.

I do not think I know this man you call,”Gene”. Is it possible to summon him?

If he see's your title he will undoubtedly show up.

Here I am. Cool knife! I can't see the ricasso stamp too well, could you kindly post a photo of the mark? I have a few of these with the Union Cut marks on the back and they are etched KA-BAR Special on the blade. They made this handle for some years since I have a couple from the early 50s too. The handle looks really nice but they are very heavy with all the brass. Does the pommel have a brass nut holding it on? I can give an approximate date with more info and a better photo of the mark but there are absolutely no production numbers to be found.

Hey! Thanks Gene! All it has it the Kabar near the guard. Nothing on the other side. No nut on pommel. I’ll try to get a pic later.

Pics

Pic

I have never seen any advertising for these to interpolate a date from or determine the "advertising name", but I have always called them either "bumblebees" or "brass beauties". All of mine have stamps like the OP, with no "special" included, so I guess I have "regular" ones.

Kabar by itself in italics would be after 1952, when the company named changed from Union Cutlery to Kabar.

I was collecting Western "Black Beauties", which have aluminum and black phenolic plastic disks for handle material, before I ever saw one of these and originally thought they were from around the same time frame, i.e., 1958 onward.

After learning more from Gene, I believe they were the inspiration behind the aluminum disk Black Beauties from Western.

I have them with the 26 and 32 and 72 pattern blades and a 4th one that I haven't figured out which pattern applies, although the model numbers would not be those numbers alone, but have a handle material designation number as a leading digit.

So maybe it’s 1960 forward or so? All I know is I don’t see many at all for sale and never with this blade..

I just wanted to thank all of you who helped me here. If ya find anything else about this knife I’d be interested to know. John