KA-BAR cheeta with stag handles??

G

Gary G

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Mar 29, 2006
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Can anybody tell me if a KA-BAR cheeta (locking folder) marked "KA-BAR OLEAN, N.Y." is a commemorative knife (reproduction)? It's 4 1/4" closed, mint condition, with beautiful stag grips, naked (no bolsters) on the end, and an oval shield marked "KA-BAR".

I don't have the technology to put up a photo, sorry. Looks too good to be true (would be 1950 or older according to marks in the books), so I'm guessing 1980's. All of the similar ones from KA-BAR in the books are bone handles. Did KA-BAR make repro knives of this model with stag?

Thanks.
 
Gary G said:
Can anybody tell me if a KA-BAR cheeta (locking folder) marked "KA-BAR OLEAN, N.Y." is a commemorative knife (reproduction)? It's 4 1/4" closed, mint condition, with beautiful stag grips, naked (no bolsters) on the end, and an oval shield marked "KA-BAR".

I don't have the technology to put up a photo, sorry. Looks too good to be true (would be 1950 or older according to marks in the books), so I'm guessing 1980's. All of the similar ones from KA-BAR in the books are bone handles. Did KA-BAR make repro knives of this model with stag?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Wel, they made older ones with stag (circa 1950's to 1960's)...they are actually fairly common....they will have the "script" marking on the shield though. I have never seen an older one (pre WWII) with stag, you do see a lot of them in green bone.

From your description, yours sounds like it might be a modern reproduction, probably made by Queen for the Kabar Collectors Club. I believe that Levines guide has a listing of all the Kabar club knies and years made.
 
Yep, I see listing #48 has a stag swing guard (which this one is). Must be it. Says they only made 890 and sold for $35. Wow, wish I could buy them for that now. Nice knife. THANKS for the help.
 
I just heard back from the guy who sold me the knife. He said it's not from 1980s, but earlier. He wrote, “I bought it in 1979 @ Washington Courthouse, Ohio in an antique sale, and I was told it was made in the late sixties. The one guy that would know the KA-BAR is Jim Parker and he is no longer with us."

I did not know that KA-BAR made swing-guard knives in stag back then. Anybody have a reference book with stag KA-BARS? Thanks for help.
 
Well, like I just explained clearly in my previous post, they DID make them in stag thru the 50's and into the late 60's when stag was discontinued. I have seen and owned a number of them, and I have two KABAR catalogs - 1956 and 1966 - and they both list the knife.

However, as I also explained in my previous posting, these knives will have the word KABAR on the shield in "script" as one word, not in block letters with the "dash" in the middle....in other words it would be Kabar not KA-BAR. The tang stamping should also be the same script lettering.

If you could post or email a pic, I could give you a positive ID.
 
I will email photos to you (address?). The shield is not script, and reads, KA-BAR in upper-case letters. Thanks again.
 
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