Found This In An Antique Store (Need Help Identifying Please)

The Warrior

The Warrior

🇺🇸 INSANE VIKING 🇺🇸
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As the title states, found this today. Took these as I bought it. It hasn't been cleaned up. Can anyone help me identify it, other than it-s a KA-BAR?

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Sheath back. As you can see, there's been some repair work:

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The knife itself:

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Last edited:
It kinda looks like a MK1, but the blade shape is quite a bit different than the current MK1.

-orangish ducktape
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“Simplicate, and add lightness”
-Colin Chapman
 
You're asking in the wrong forum. Get away from the fanboys and have a mod move this to Bernard Levines area.
 
Damn Dubz you have some big ass hands!!!!! you make that thing look like a butter knife. Very cool find. Hopefully you find some info on it.
 
eisman said:
You're asking in the wrong forum. Get away from the fanboys and have a mod move this to Bernard Levines area.
Click to expand...

Toooj (a moderator here) works for Ka-Bar has lots of information and history on Ka-bar knives. From what I've seen, he is the go to guy for info on old Ka-Bar's. IMO this forum is the perfect place to get info on old blades. :)

To the OP; sweet find. I collect older Westerns but wouldn't mind having an old Ka-Bar like that keep them company. :) Bet Toooj will be around in the next few days to give you more information.
 
My hands aren't huge, it's just a smallish knife. Yeah, hoping the Toooj will help me out a bit.
 
Someone told me on another sub forum, (Vanguard41xx) that this was made between 1923, and 1951. Anyone have any more specific information on it?
 
Warrior,

I haven't forgotten you.
Give me a bit to dig up the pertinant facts.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR knives
 
Toooj said:
Warrior,

I haven't forgotten you.
Give me a bit to dig up the pertinant facts.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR knives
Click to expand...

Thanks so much Toooj, very much appreciated.
 
Rule 17 Sub A.

TOooj is on it.

:D


Moose
 
I have my money on an old Little Finn. I've never seen one with a pommel like that though. From what I can tell, KA-BAR has used the same pommel on the Little Finn since about 1919, although I don't know if it ever changed in between. Everything else about it seems to match though (blade shape, guard, color).

The Little Finn is one of my favorite KA-BAR knives and I really wish they would make them stateside, along with their other classic hunt/fish & camp lineup. I've still yet to buy one of the overseas made iterations.

Looking forward to what Paul has to say about this one.
 
I hear ya sqoon, that's the closest match I could find as well.
 
Okay Warrior,

Sorry for the long wait but with shows and work, blah, blah, blah. You don't need or want to hear it.
However, I did find the info.
Your knife is a Union Cutlery, KA-BAR Branded Model #505.
It was produced from 1927-45. I'm opining that your model is toward the 1940-45 era due to the shape and material of the pommel. The early versions had a beautifully shaped aluminum pommel and brass spacers between the fiber; all casualties of the war effort.
There is a LOT of blade wear. The original blade pattern had a choil at the grind shoulder so you get an idea of how much of the edge has been removed.
Not much monetary value but it will be a good user.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
 
Thanks so much Toooj for taking the time to do that, very much appreciated. I could sure tell there was a lot of blade wear. Must have been a well loved, and well used blade.
 
Toooj said:
Okay Warrior,

Sorry for the long wait but with shows and work, blah, blah, blah. You don't need or want to hear it.
However, I did find the info.
Your knife is a Union Cutlery, KA-BAR Branded Model #505.
It was produced from 1927-45. I'm opining that your model is toward the 1940-45 era due to the shape and material of the pommel. The early versions had a beautifully shaped aluminum pommel and brass spacers between the fiber; all casualties of the war effort.
There is a LOT of blade wear. The original blade pattern had a choil at the grind shoulder so you get an idea of how much of the edge has been removed.
Not much monetary value but it will be a good user.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
Click to expand...

Did knives back then have model names, or simply numbers to differentiate them? Would this be considered a Little Finn today, or does the 505 model translate to another line?
 
squoon,

Some of the old Union knives had numbers while others had names. Some had both. The old fixed blades usually had a 3 digit model number; the first digit represented the handle material and the last two were the pattern. 5 was stacked leather. These were the predecessors to the Little Finn, et al models.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
 
Toooj said:
squoon,

Some of the old Union knives had numbers while others had names. Some had both. The old fixed blades usually had a 3 digit model number; the first digit represented the handle material and the last two were the pattern. 5 was stacked leather. These were the predecessors to the Little Finn, et al models.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
Click to expand...

It really does. Thank you, sir!
 
Toooj said:
squoon,

Some of the old Union knives had numbers while others had names. Some had both. The old fixed blades usually had a 3 digit model number; the first digit represented the handle material and the last two were the pattern. 5 was stacked leather. These were the predecessors to the Little Finn, et al models.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
Click to expand...
Very interesting stuff. Thanks Toooj, for taking the time to help us all out. Very much appreciated.
 
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