"Black Box" Winchesters

[supratentorial]

My first! :thumbup:

Nice! One of the yearly forum knives was the same pattern but with ebony covers instead of the Utica bone. We called it a "moose" pattern (a stockman derivative) but I think technically it's a "balloon" pattern (a cattle knife derivative)... at least based on my recollection of the pattern names in LGIV.

I had a small collection of these knives. I still have a few including a "bullhead" which is an equal end pattern with the same blades as your knife. I'll see if I can find a photo...

 

[SAK Guy]

Thanks Jake! Reading this thread got me interested in the Winchester USA knives and needing a Moose, I snagged one when it came up for a good price.

 

[SAK Guy]

Can anyone tell me if this Bullet Jack has SS or CS blades?

W15 2857 WINCHESTER USA 1987

(seller's pic)

 

[BigBiscuit]

All the Black Box Series had carbon steel blades.

 

[SAK Guy]

Thank you Bob!!! :thumbup: I had seen it described as having SS blades on the net somewhere.

 

[5K Qs]

My first! :thumbup:
...

Nice! One of the yearly forum knives was the same pattern but with ebony covers instead of the Utica bone. We called it a "moose" pattern (a stockman derivative) but I think technically it's a "balloon" pattern (a cattle knife derivative)... at least based on my recollection of the pattern names in LGIV.

I had a small collection of these knives. I still have a few including a "bullhead" which is an equal end pattern with the same blades as your knife. I'll see if I can find a photo...

Thanks Jake! Reading this thread got me interested in the Winchester USA knives and needing a Moose, I snagged one when it came up for a good price.

Congrats, SAK Guy; that's a splendid moose! :thumbup::thumbup:
Jake (or anyone with more "pattern knowledge" than me, so that's almost everyone ), do you know if SAK Guy's swell center moose is sometimes called a "surveyor" pattern? I ran across that term, and after doing some searching, am still not clear on the "defining characteristics".

Can anyone tell me if this Bullet Jack has SS or CS blades?

W15 2857 WINCHESTER USA 1987
...
(seller's pic)

That's another beauty, SAK Guy!! :thumbup::thumbup:
Should we expect to see that soon in the "latest addition" thread??


Oops! I forgot to include my only "black box" example, a recent generous gift from Paul Hilborn:

- GT

 

[SAK Guy]

Thanks GT!! Yours is a stunner!!!! That Paul is a heck of a guy!!!


The one I ordered last week (5/30) came in...it looks like yours!! :thumbup:

Is yours a 2857? I thought mine was a Bullet but it looks like a Swayback Jack in person.

 

[SAK Guy]

I have a #2921 on the way. Is that one called a Coffin Jack?

 

[supratentorial]

Nice tear drops!

GT, A surveyor and balloon are both derivatives of the cattle knife but they are different. A surveyor only has a swell on one side (facing the well). Both are neat old patterns.

SAK Guy, Yep, that's a coffin jack.

 

[SAK Guy]

Nice tear drops!

GT, A surveyor and balloon are both derivatives of the cattle knife but they are different. A surveyor only has a swell on one side (facing the well). Both are neat old patterns.

SAK Guy, Yep, that's a coffin jack.

Great!!!! Thank you!!!

 

[5K Qs]

Thanks GT!! Yours is a stunner!!!! That Paul is a heck of a guy!!!


The one I ordered last week (5/30) came in...it looks like yours!! :thumbup:
...
Is yours a 2857? I thought mine was a Bullet but it looks like a Swayback Jack in person.

Thanks for the kind words, SAK Guy! Truer words were never spoken concerning Paul! :thumbup::thumbup:
Congrats on your new acquisition!! :thumbup::thumbup: The one I have is indeed a 2857. Yours is SWEET! Paul called it a dogleg jack; I can see that. I've also seen it called a torpedo jack, a teardrop jack, and your bullet jack; those all seem fairly descriptive as well! Isn't there a little slip of paper in your box with the official pattern name??

I have a #2921 on the way. Is that one called a Coffin Jack?

Look at Al's post #231 above; it's an incredible resource!!!
Looking forward to seeing your next one!

Jake, thanks for the surveyor pattern info!

- GT

 

[supratentorial]

I still have a few including a "bullhead" which is an equal end pattern with the same blades as your knife. I'll see if I can find a photo...

Here's a photo of the bull-head with yeller smooth bone handles.

 

[SAK Guy]

Wow! That's beautiful!!! I was hoping you would post a pic! :thumbup:

 

[supratentorial]

Wow! That's beautiful!!! I was hoping you would post a pic! :thumbup:

Thank you. Here's another example of the pattern in stag.



Here are a couple more black box Winchesters.





This 4-blade sowbelly was from a later series.




Queen also made some black box knives that were branded Primble. They are very similar to the Winchesters except for the branding.

 

[SAK Guy]

Gosh Jake!!! Those are all gorgeous!!! I watch for ones that have the nail nick out toward the end of the knife...with my RA, I need the extra leverage....just one of the reasons I choose that Moose of mine.

Thanks for sharing those!!!! I'm getting hooked on Winchesters...which is probably a bad thing for my bank account.

 

[SAK Guy]

Well, I liked that Moose so well that I have a spare coming.....why is it I always gravitate toward the hard to find, discontinued stuff.....

 

[supratentorial]

Gosh Jake!!! Those are all gorgeous!!! I watch for ones that have the nail nick out toward the end of the knife...with my RA, I need the extra leverage....just one of the reasons I choose that Moose of mine.

Thanks for sharing those!!!! I'm getting hooked on Winchesters...which is probably a bad thing for my bank account.

Thank you for the complement on the knives. One of my parents has Rheumatoid arthritis so I know that it's tough. One thing that's both good and bad about these old black box knives is that you have to really search through a lot of other Winchester knives to find the black box knives. Sometimes you'll get a great deal because of it but it takes some work to find them. I think these knives were some of the best Queen made.

Well, I liked that Moose so well that I have a spare coming.....why is it I always gravitate toward the hard to find, discontinued stuff.....

It's a great pattern. George Washington Sears (Nessmuk) would approve.

 

[SAK Guy]

:thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[SAK Guy]

The Coffin Jack arrived today!

 

[SAK Guy]

Dang.....got another Black Box coming.

A W15 2913 1/2 1988 Texas Jack.