Tool or Toy? What do I have?

[Nbrackett]

Picked this up several years ago for a couple dollars and come across it again today. Was thinking about cleaning it up and putting handle scales on it but wanted to know what it really is. Anyone know?

 

[Hickory n steel]

Picked this up several years ago for a couple dollars and come across it again today. Was thinking about cleaning it up and putting handle scales on it but wanted to know what it really is. Anyone know?

That's definitely a tool, and it looks like a utica sportsman . Many companies such as imperial made things like this. I have an imperial ( also missing it's scales which broke on me ) that my dad got as a kid which came with an h6 fixed blade ( a small Bowie style often called outers knives ) That I had to replace as a it was never found. They were very popular with boy scouts as the sets ( available in a 3pc set including the outer knife and scout knife ) we're readily available and dirt cheap, they aren't fancy but the steel is great. I can't imagine that they were originally designed for wood, but rather for game processing as they're not all that effective for serious chopping. The imperials have the male half of snaps on them for the knife sheath to attach, but the utica sportsman had a snap loop like what yours there has so I'm fairly certain it has to be a utica or at the least a Japanese copy.

 

[mete]

A kid's knife for basic camping !

 

[Nbrackett]

Thanks for the answers guys. I think I'll make a little project of cleaning it up and making scales for it. It may even get some new leather.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Thanks for the answers guys. I think I'll make a little project of cleaning it up and making scales for it. It may even get some new leather.

Hope it turns out nice. A wire wheel is the way to go to remove that rust.

 

[Guitarist7.62]

Ka-Bar made ones too, the knives either had stacked leather handles or a black plastic and metal(aluminum?) handles. Never thought they would be useful for chopping wood, they just look to light.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Ka-Bar made ones too, the knives either had stacked leather handles or a black plastic and metal(aluminum?) handles. Never thought they would be useful for chopping wood, they just look to light.

I've seen the ka-bar ones with the black Derrin scales, but the ones with stacked black and aluminum are actually westerns and from their black beauty line.

 

[300Six]

This one wouldn't have had stacked leather washers (or any sort of slide-over materials) for sure. The handle holes are for pinning the scales. Reputable makers generally stamp their products and if this is a no-name item then I'd be suspicious of it having been a cheapie offshore item marketed by a brand outfit such as "World Famous". Run a file over the edge to see if the blade has any modicum of temper to it. Regardless of quality you can always use a edged tool such as this in the car emergency kit, at the bottom of a tackle box or in with your gardening implements.

 

[Hickory n steel]

This one wouldn't have had stacked leather washers (or any sort of slide-over materials) for sure. The handle holes are for pinning the scales. Reputable makers generally stamp their products and if this is a no-name item then I'd be suspicious of it having been a cheapie offshore item marketed by a brand outfit such as "World Famous". Run a file over the edge to see if the blade has any modicum of temper to it. Regardless of quality you can always use a edged tool such as this in the car emergency kit, at the bottom of a tackle box or in with your gardening implements.

The utica sportsman hatchets are unmarked as they always came with the outers knife which was marked. I'm 99% sure that this is a utica sportsman and would've had jigged delrin scales, either in black or stag look alike.

 

[Square_peg]

.....they aren't fancy but the steel is great. I can't imagine that they were originally designed for wood, but rather for game processing as they're not all that effective for serious chopping.

This is a good response. These were stamped steel but they used good steel back then. It's just to thin and light to chop well.

 

[Hickory n steel]

This is a good response. These were stamped steel but they used good steel back then. It's just to thin and light to chop well.

I used my imperial all the time for carving on wood as a kid, but the handle was horribly uncomfortable so I was sort of relived when the delrin scales broke 😉 ( they're fine for a sub 9" belt knife which they came with, but not for anything axe like )