Old 1237 skinner restored/pimped

[made2cut]

This was a knife that was knocking around in my Dad's tool box. Don't know any history but it was in really bad shape. Heavily rusted, pitted and missing the pommel. The tang where the pommel attached was almost completely rotten out with rust. I went to work on this knife about 13 years ago in my basement with only a vise, some files, hand saw and sandpaper to work with. I made a pommel out of some old wood. Back then I polyeurathaned everything . I used a wood screw that I cut the head off and threaded the other end to screw into the tang (like a stud). I epoxied everything at the time of assembly. I finally found a sheath at the Stl knife show last January that finished the project off. It has a wickedly sharp convex edge. Figured it was about time to show it off. Anyone have a guess of when the knife may have been made? Hope you KA-BAR folks like it :thumbup:

 

[Moosez45]

Oh wow, that is an fantastic blade, and lookin' good too!!!

Don't know when it was made, there are some folks around here that do, stick around some, we'll find out.

Moose

 

[Toooj]

made2cut,

Your knife was produced sometime between 1950-70. Made at the KA-BAR Olean, NY factory.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives

 

[made2cut]

Thanks Paul!

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

Nice old blade, wicked ergo's for breaking down game, like a long sharpfinger.

 

[Cori McWay]

Great job on the blade! What did you use to get the scratches down? With any luck I'll be restoring this knife in the next few weeks... *dreads making new pommel*

 

[mulekicker]

made2cut,

Your knife was produced sometime between 1950-70. Made at the KA-BAR Olean, NY factory.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives

Maybe you can clear this up for me Paul, I have several vintage Kabar #1237 and I was led to believe that model knife was manufactured from mid 60's to 1984. Mine all have the same style handle/grip as the one "made2cut" showed, did later ones have something different are were they no longer made after 1970?? Thanks for your time Ross

 

[knomad]

Maybe you can clear this up for me Paul, I have several vintage Kabar #1237 and I was led to believe that model knife was manufactured from mid 60's to 1984. Mine all have the same style handle/grip as the one "made2cut" showed, did later ones have something different are were they no longer made after 1970?? Thanks for your time Ross

I don't think Toooj is around anymore. I think he went from kabar to Ontario knife Co, where I believe retired from. He was a regular over on the Ontario forum when it was still active.

He is missed.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The 1237 was made from "the mid-60s" to 1984, when it was discontinued based on documentation I have from Kabar.

Model numbers did not start showing up on Kabar knives until 1968 or 1969, depending on the model in question.

So, 1968 or 1969 til 1984. Final retail price -- $20.00. If I'd a known then what prices for 1970s and 1980s knives would go for now, I'd'a bought more of them.

 

[gunsil]

Amazing how clueless Tooj was!! Of course there still aren't many folks at KA-BAR who know much about older knives. I met Paul at the big swap meet at the Case factory while he was still with KA-BAR. I had some rarer early KA-BAR hunters in my showcase and Paul stated that KA-BAR never made those models. When I showed him they were shown in a circa 1924 KA-BAR hunting knife brochure he was amazed. We got to be friends afterwards and he was a good student of the earlier knives, I was sad to see him leave KA-BAR for Ontario.