Can Anyone Identify This Knife For Me?

5K Qs

5K Qs

Gold Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2014
Messages
15,335
I recently bought a knife at an antique/consignment store. It was inexpensive ($6) and not in great shape, but I thought if I could clean it up a little and maybe improve the action (significant blade rub when I bought it), it would be a cool little jack.

But I can't figure out who made the knife. The only markings are a stamp on the mark side of the main blade: U S A (no periods, but spaces between the letters). There are no tabs/clips fastening the bolsters to the liners. The fake stag covers and clipless bolsters remind me of a Colonial jack I have, but I don't have any Colonials with just U S A as a tang stamp.

Thanks in advance for any input you can provide!

serpjack.fauxstag.mark.2open.sill.jpg
serpjack.fauxstag.pile.2open.sill.jpg
serpjack.fauxstag.mark.closed.sill.jpg
serpjack.fauxstag.pile.closed.sill.jpg

- GT
 
My first thought was Colonial, or maybe Imperial. I think Utica also made knives stamped with only "USA" as well.

Looks like it will make a decent user after you sharpen it up, if the blade play isn't too severe. :)
 
Thanks for your thoughts, folks. I wish I had some "hard evidence" to support our intuitions/feelings about the maker of the knife.
(Of course, JonMcD JonMcD provided some evidence about the type of jigging, so that's good to know! 🤓 )

- GT
 
Thanks GT. My wife is fond of reminding me that even though I’m 42 years old my humor has not risen above the level of a middle school boy.🤪
 
If it is shell handled it's probably Colonial. If solid bolsters possibly Camillus.
 
If its shell handled it was most likely made by Colonial. It doesn't look like anything Camillus ever made.
Novelty Knife Co made knives marked USA also.
 
I am pretty sure I saw one just like this marked Bayes.

If I'm not mistaken Bayes knives were made by Colonial, and this does sure look like Colonial to me.

Bmauser would probably know, but I haven't seen him around in a good bit.
 
I ran across this thread in AAPK this afternoon: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=26128
I think the knife in the first post in that thread looks identical to mine (in Post #1 above), except for the cover material and dirt/rust. Anyone willing to take a look and see if you agree?
Many contributors in that AAPK thread voted Colonial for the U S A tang knife posted there.

- GT
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top