Western Hatchet

[Mass Massoni]

Sorry I didnt get that. I do remember that button on the sheath was clear without anything. I dont remember if there were any other marks on the leather.
As far as age is concerned, I got it in 1985 and it was used(it has a great background story) and I love it. When it was made? I don't really know.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The Western hatchet posted by the OP is a model number F10.

The model number of Mass Massoni's hatchet is the F14.

The knife/hatchet combos were the F6610, F3910, F6614 and F3914. The 66 and 39 referred to the knife models in the combos.

The knives and hatchets were also available individually.

The F14s never had a model number on them, even though they were manufactured long after Western started putting model numbers on knives. I believe this was due to the heavy duty construction of the handle. The F10 had a lightweight, knife-like ricasso area that just "asked for" a model number on it. In fact, the Model 10 hatchets (L10, W10, F10, R10) were marketed as "lightweight axes". The F14 was called a "Camp Axe". Apparently, there was never a model L14 or W14 made. At least I've never seen one in 40 years of collecting them.

Western began putting model numbers on knives some time between 1952 and 1955. In the book The Knife Makers Who Went West, Western President Harvey Platts states that Western dropped reference to the double tang patent around 1952 and also that they started putting model numbers on knives around 1955. However, I have knives with both the patent number AND a model number.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

I do know. As I posted earlier, I lost both joint sheath and a knife but someone stole it last year when I was doing some yard work.
My knife had the same handle as yours, but no indentation on the blade and its blade pointed upwards.

Yeah I believe your hatchet came with the model f39. Do you remember if your sheath hard the oak leaf pattern or not ? Cause I believe that style sheath ( as apposed to what mine has with the handle collar similar to buck sheaths ) was used much later. Also I figured you knew about the sheaths, but just wanted to make the statement for everyone else.

The F39 has a 5" trailing point skinner blade.

The F66 has a 4.5" blade that is also a trailing point, but has a little clip to it.

The oak leaf embossed sheaths were made by Western from the 50s into the 70s.

 

[Hickory n steel]

The F39 has a 5" trailing point skinner blade.

The F66 has a 4.5" blade that is also a trailing point, but has a little clip to it.

The oak leaf embossed sheaths were made by Western from the 50s into the 70s.

Hmm! So is there anything you could tell me about my knife ? The model number is stamped on my knife, from the info I've been able to find I dated it to around '64 . Because of that I'm assuming that the oak leaf sheaths weren't exclusive, or that it wasn't made when I think it was.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Just from looking at the pic, it's an F48A.

Need a picture of the ricasso stamp and the location of the model number to be more specific.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Just from looking at the pic, it's an F48A.

Need a picture of the ricasso stamp and the location of the model number to be more specific.

I know it's an f48a ( stamped right on the guard )
Here it is

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Hickory -

Your knife was made between 1968 and 1972.

Western started stamping the model numbers on the guard in 1968. They dropped "Boulder, Colo," from the stamps in late 1972, shifting to a generic "WESTERN" over "USA" and the model number as the third line. Some models had the model number on the same line as USA. Then, in 1977, they started putting in a "date code", starting with "A" for 1977, "B" for 1978, etc.. up through the Coleman/Western years, ending with a few rare "O"s in 1991. The company moved production from Boulder to Longmont Colo (suburb of Boulder) in 1978.

For any knife with WESTERN over USA, look at the pommel. If there are 2 pommel pins, it is a Western from 1972 to 1976, made by Western in Boulder. If it has a single pommel pin (and most likely, what I call the "calf foot" pommel) or a "sealed over" pommel butt area, reminiscent of the nutted constructs of the 1920s/1930s by various companies, then the knife was made after 1992, when Camillus took over the name, moved manufacture to Camillus, NY and dropped the two pin construction. The Camillus Westerns had the model number on the second line with the USA. The font on the Camillus knives look blockier than the stamps used during Boulder/Longmont production.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Hickory -

Your knife was made between 1968 and 1972.

Western started stamping the model numbers on the guard in 1968. They dropped "Boulder, Colo," from the stamps in late 1972, shifting to a generic "WESTERN" over "USA" and the model number as the third line. Some models had the model number on the same line as USA. Then, in 1977, they started putting in a "date code", starting with "A" for 1977, "B" for 1978, etc.. up through the Coleman/Western years, ending with a few rare "O"s in 1991. The company moved production from Boulder to Longmont Colo (suburb of Boulder) in 1978.

For any knife with WESTERN over USA, look at the pommel. If there are 2 pommel pins, it is a Western from 1972 to 1976, made by Western in Boulder. If it has a single pommel pin (and most likely, what I call the "calf foot" pommel) or a "sealed over" pommel butt area, reminiscent of the nutted constructs of the 1920s/1930s by various companies, then the knife was made after 1992, when Camillus took over the name, moved manufacture to Camillus, NY and dropped the two pin construction. The Camillus Westerns had the model number on the second line with the USA. The font on the Camillus knives look blockier than the stamps used during Boulder/Longmont production.

Thanks for the info man :thumbup:

 

[Mass Massoni]

The Western hatchet posted by the OP is a model number F10.

The model number of Mass Massoni's hatchet is the F14.

The knife/hatchet combos were the F6610, F3910, F6614 and F3914. The 66 and 39 referred to the knife models in the combos.

The knives and hatchets were also available individually.

The F14s never had a model number on them, even though they were manufactured long after Western started putting model numbers on knives. I believe this was due to the heavy duty construction of the handle. The F10 had a lightweight, knife-like ricasso area that just "asked for" a model number on it. In fact, the Model 10 hatchets (L10, W10, F10, R10) were marketed as "lightweight axes". The F14 was called a "Camp Axe". Apparently, there was never a model L14 or W14 made. At least I've never seen one in 40 years of collecting them.

Western began putting model numbers on knives some time between 1952 and 1955. In the book The Knife Makers Who Went West, Western President Harvey Platts states that Western dropped reference to the double tang patent around 1952 and also that they started putting model numbers on knives around 1955. However, I have knives with both the patent number AND a model number.

Thank you zzyzzogeton for all the detailed information. It inspires me to learn more about the WESTERN.
I am sad because lost my sheath and knife to some kleptomaniac, and I cannot remember if and how my knife was stamped.My sheath was in bad shape(but functional), because it has obviously spent some time in water before I got it.
Thanks again for joining this thread and for education.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The best written option for learning about Western knives is the book The Knife Makers Who Went West by Harvey Platts. Mr. Platts was President of Western when the book came out in 1977. He was the third generation to run Western. They occasionally pop up on fleabay.

There is a ton of info in the book but there are a few items in it that are, at the least, confusing. Just because he was the President and had worked there all his life, he didn't know everything and relied on others to provide input for the book from the early years and even the later years before he went to work full time there, and as with all humans, their memories were faulty. The patent number/model number inconsistency is one such item.

Then there is going to libraries and looking through their archived magazines for ads and articles trying to identify when a particular model came out or was discontinued or little tidbits buried in the articles.