- Joined
- Nov 27, 2006
- Messages
- 136
I am principally a Schrade U.S.A. collector and ended up with a Western L88 in a lot of knives I purchased. I had several questions about this knife which I was hoping some of you guys could help me with.
1) The only markings on this knife are on the bottom front of the finger guard. It has Western over U.S.A. over L88. Would this have been the only original markings or was there a tang stamp that may have been ground off somewhere along the way (the blade doesn't look like is has been subjected to that much metal removal)?
2) Can any date inference be made from this stamp on the finger guard?
3) This third question may seem odd to a Western collector. All the leather handled knives I have ever seen were hidden tang knives employing leather washers to make the handle and a tang nut on the pommel. This L88 has a exposed full tang. The pommel has the two pins that I have seen on most old Western knives. The leather on the handle and the spacers look like half circles glued to the full tang. They are still very tight. Was this handle originally like this? Are all the old Western leather handle knives exposed full tang like this?
1) The only markings on this knife are on the bottom front of the finger guard. It has Western over U.S.A. over L88. Would this have been the only original markings or was there a tang stamp that may have been ground off somewhere along the way (the blade doesn't look like is has been subjected to that much metal removal)?
2) Can any date inference be made from this stamp on the finger guard?
3) This third question may seem odd to a Western collector. All the leather handled knives I have ever seen were hidden tang knives employing leather washers to make the handle and a tang nut on the pommel. This L88 has a exposed full tang. The pommel has the two pins that I have seen on most old Western knives. The leather on the handle and the spacers look like half circles glued to the full tang. They are still very tight. Was this handle originally like this? Are all the old Western leather handle knives exposed full tang like this?
