Hunters of my Youth

[black mamba]

I'll be 65 this summer, and I've become somewhat nostalgic. With little to do right now and a gorgeous spring day outside, I decided to take some photos of the most popular fixed blade hunters from the 1950s and '60s up through the 1980s that I have accumulated. This first batch of six are what I call collectively the L66 pattern, which is what Western called theirs. They are all about 8¾" long, give or take an eighth, and were probably the most popular factory fixed blade for close to four decades, maybe longer, because they can "do it all."

From the left: WestCut K-5, Camillus 1008, SW 147WE, Western F66 Black Beauty, SW 147S, Western L66.

The next trio are the larger L36 pattern. At roughly 10", these are a little better for camp work and butchering, but less nimble on the hip or in the field.

From the left: two Western L36s, and a Robeson 968TC.

The last pair are a Western W39 and a SW 148, both with laminated hardwood handles. These full on trailing points run in between the first two groups for size at around 9¼". With maximum belly and point, I have found these to be slightly less useful than the first two, but with more "panache."

Please folks, let's have your thoughts on these hunters, plus pics and descriptions of your own nostalgic knives.

 

[wolfeknives]

My two long time hunting companions, a Russel belt knife and a Marbels. They have served me well for all my hunting and camping chores.

 

[black mamba]

Very nice! Beautiful photo, too.

 

[afishhunter]

I'll be 65 in a couple days. (I hope)
I've always appreciated the Western L66.
I had one when a youngling in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and later, after becoming a vintage antique.
(sadly not the same one)
My current L66 is from 1980. (same year I bought my last one new) The sheath is shot, but the knife is in excellent condition.
"Someday" I'll probably get a new aftermarket leather sheath, or a Tandy Leather sheath kit for it.

My mum's second (and last) hubby had an F66 Black Beauty. It was a nice knife, but I like(d) the leather grip of the L66 better.
I don't know who has it now. I think his son got it, or maybe one of his grandsons. Or, it may have been stolen a decade or more earlier by some scum bag, along with all his guns, archery, and a couple cartons of L&M cigarettes.

 

[black mamba]

I agree about the stacked leather for a handle. The only thing that comes close for me is coarse G10 for a user. Jigged Delrin ain't bad, either.

 

[Old Hunter]

Jeff, many of us here seem to have much in common besides a love of traditional knives! Like you and afishhunter, I'll be 65 on my next birthday (but I'm younger than you two - November for me). My first hunting and boy scouting fixed blade was this Western F66 Black Beauty that my folks gave me for Christmas in 1968 (shown with it's third sheath, bought off eBay for $12, ten or so years ago). My second fixed blade was this Buck 105 Pathfinder that I bought at the Aberdeen Proving Ground MD PX when I was in the Ordnance Officers Basic Course in 1976 - all I had with me up there was a Buck 301 Stockman and I needed a field knife for our field exercises. Those two knives did it for me for the next several decades until I discovered the Buck 118 - which has been my go-to hunting knife ever since. Nice idea for a thread - I love (and buy up) old hunting knives - probably as much for nostalgia as anything. OH

 

[Camillus]

Love the posts and these old knives guys. Good to see some recognition of the unassuming do it all knife of yesterday, pre-instagram and youtube channels.

That pattern is probably more practical than the newfangled “bushcraft” crowd would care to admit!

Incidentally I looked to pick one up off Ebay last year and was surprised to see what the old Western knives go for, especially the Scout versions. I figured there must be a few collectors that don’t post much on the porch. Is that the same as at the knife shows?

 

[Will Power]

Old Hunter Some great examples there, simple yet very likeable knives I've not been a hunter, I will fish when given an opportunity but whatever your outdoor interests, a good fixed knife is an essential companion, and I think that is the right word.

Even though I'm in the land of the Puukko, it being the national knife and indeed an international knife I have a few but they're simple low cost ones, I could not see myself spending a lot on a custom Puukko, even though there are fine artisans here, it's just a familiar & good tool for me So I'd probably list my Hunters of youth as a simple Puukko, a Grohmann flat ground Bird & Trout and a USA Schrade Sharpfinger-really clever knife even if I did not know about them in my youth But age is like a state of mind, a number, right? Often No.2

 

[black mamba]

Great stuff, Bruce, thanks for posting. While the leather handles feel better to me, the Black Beauties are pretty grippy in their own right, and bring back memories of my first firearm heartthrob, the Remington Nylon 66 Apache Black. Seeing those ads in Field & Stream and Sports Afield back in the day gave me a bad case of gun lust!

 

[black mamba]

Here is another favorite I failed to include in my opening photos. A Schrade 497L finger notched stacked leather from the '49er series.

 

[Old Hunter]

Thanks Will! The Buck Knives 100 series Phenolic handle has it's own charm to me, and as Buck was a 1960's advertising staple in Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Boys Life, etc., they are firmly planted as "vintage" in my mind too. Jeff, I also like the stacked leather handles - I picked up this Kabar Hunter last fall in a second hand store, but never got the change to skin or clean a deer with it last season. It is a tad big for my tastes, but a very good knife none the less. OH

 

[Modoc ED]

I'll be 65 this summer, and I've become somewhat nostalgic. With little to do right now and a gorgeous spring day outside, I decided to take some photos of the most popular fixed blade hunters from the 1950s and '60s up through the 1980s that I have accumulated. This first batch of six are what I call collectively the L66 pattern, which is what Western called theirs. They are all about 8¾" long, give or take an eighth, and were probably the most popular factory fixed blade for close to four decades, maybe longer, because they can "do it all."

From the left: WestCut K-5, Camillus 1008, SW 147WE, Western F66 Black Beauty, SW 147S, Western L66.

The next trio are the larger L36 pattern. At roughly 10", these are a little better for camp work and butchering, but less nimble on the hip or in the field.

From the left: two Western L36s, and a Robeson 968TC.

The last pair are a Western W39 and a SW 148, both with laminated hardwood handles. These full on trailing points run in between the first two groups for size at around 9¼". With maximum belly and point, I have found these to be slightly less useful than the first two, but with more "panache."

Please folks, let's have your thoughts on these hunters, plus pics and descriptions of your own nostalgic knives.

What a wonderful thread Jeff. Those old Westerns are quite the collection. I have some older fixed blades but I'll have to dig out some of them before I can post pictures of them. Here is one though from the late 60's/early 70's - a Rigid Caribou Skinner.

 

[black mamba]

That's a stout looking skinner, ED! Some Rigids from that era were German made, is yours German or American?

 

[Old Hunter]

Nice knife Ed. Rigid Knives weren't often seen around here, but they were cool and very well built knives when you did see one. OH

 

[afishhunter]

Love the posts and these old knives guys. Good to see some recognition of the unassuming do it all knife of yesterday, pre-instagram and youtube channels.

That pattern is probably more practical than the newfangled “bushcraft” crowd would care to admit!

In my humble (potentially somewhat biased) opinion, there is no "probably" about them being more practical.

Are they good "choppers"? Of course not. When these were made, a "good chopper" was an axe or hatchet; not a knife. Also, back then, the "average" "outdoorsman" carried and used a belt axe or hatchet when afield. They used their knives for knife tasks.
Can they skin and butcher game, and clean a fish? Whittle a emergency tent stake, whittle/carve out a wood spoon? Yep.

I also knew quite a few "back in the day" that carried a 20 to 30 inch bar chainsaw chain with split rings or a paracord or rope loop on each end, or a wire saw for cutting larger branches, and branches that were too high to safely use the axe/hatchet on. They also had a wedge or whittled one for splitting wood.
Truth to tell, I'd never heard of batoning a knife before I started hanging out at/on BF. I still don't see or understand the draw. Why do some folk want to take a chance on breaking their knife when afield, and may be days from their vehicle and/or someplace they can get a replacement knife? (or for that matter, waste the funds?) It makes no sense to me.

 

[Camillus]

Oh battoning. The youtuber’s art. All those times as a kid I remember studying the old catalogues looking at each knife and wondering how they would perform when my Dad next needed me to chop up some firewood

 

[JohnDF]

This one brings back a lot memories for me.
Packing my Buck fixed blade knife named "Sting".
Pretending to hunt goblins and trolls in Middle Earth.
Yes, I've been a Geek for a long, long, long time now.

 

[mitch4ging]

Some I have...
My first hunter was a Camillus folder, then this Western, with some saddle wear.

An Imperial and a Kabar similar to OH's.

 

[bflying]

I was just reminiscing some of my nostalgia moments over in the Traditional and Guns thread. I only have a few pieces of my Dad's that made it through my abuse, and still in my possession. Sorry about the recycled pics.

The one most used by me when younger is a Western Stockman 658. Was Dad's, then mine. Used on a lot of trout, and too often left wet and bloody.

The monster Hobo was a gift for my 5th B-day. It was so difficult to pull any of the blades, that I don't think my parents really worried about me with it. But I so wanted camping and scouting stuff because of older brothers. Other presents that day were a military surplus canteen, mess kit, and little tiny orange back pack for it all. Actually still have the pack too. Has always just stored some random fishing stuff, even though I haven't fished since I was a teen.

This Precise Deerslayer Classic was oo'd and ahh'd over from outside the glass display for quite some time. Ultimately became the first knife purchased with my own money (paper route). Was treasured, but used throughout my young Scouting "career"...and beyond.

This Imperial Belt Knife was my Dad's, and also used by me when fishing and scouting. Just recently re-discovered in stuff from my Folks home after their passing.

 

[black mamba]

Great posts, guys, keep 'em coming!