Western model L628 Small Game Knife

[robinpeck]

A Western model L628.

I have seen it, or a very similar knife, being advertised as a "Small Game Skinner" and also have seen it called the "Small Game and Trout knife."

Any idea what the correct title for this knife might be?

The overall length on this knife is 6 1/4" with a 3" blade. 440 Stainless?

Apparently made by Camillus/Western Cutlery Co. of Camillus, NY, but I don't know when it was made. Any ideas about a date of manufacture?

Its a small knife, almost a miniature. This one seems brand new and unused, but the sheath is missing the snap strap. Any idea where I might find one?

 

[black mamba]

The aluminum guard and pommel put it in the mid 1990s, and the steel is most likely 440A. Check on the bay for leather snap straps for sheaths.

 

[screened porch]

Such a knife is usually called a bird and trout.
But if you take collector terminology too seriously, you're in for a lot of anger and frustration. Manufacturers are all over the place, and normal people who use knives don't much care.

 

[afishhunter]

The aluminum guard and pommel put it in the mid 1990s, and the steel is most likely 440A. Check on the bay for leather snap straps for sheaths.

Camillus dropped the 1095 on the Western line? Bummer. I was unaware of that.

I don't believe an aluminum guard and pommel can be used to date a Western knife.
My Western L66 with "D" (1980) date code has an aluminum guard and pommel. So did the L66 I had back in the '60s, and my stepfather's F66 Black Beauty.
If I remember the old Western/Coleman-Western, and Camillus-Western magazine ads correctly, the only Western hunting/sheath knife with brass was the W49 Bowie.
The washer colors and order (along with the tang stamp) are much better.

Maybe zzyzzogeton will see this thread and chime in. He's the Western Cutlery expert.

robinpeck Welcome to Blade Forums.

 

[Hickory n steel]

It's a bird and trout pattern.
Made in the 90's after Camillus bought the western name.
I've got an earlier 628 made before the Camillus takeover, and it's a great little knife.
The L628 , camillus made or otherwise with stacked leather commands more so I don't have one but I'm happy enough with the jigged delrin mine has.

 

[brownshoe]

My Western Bird and Trout is from ~1969 and is the Boy Scout version. It was my main camping knife until 1994.

 

[sitflyer]

You might could use a strip of double-sided Velcro to secure that knife. I use that stuff for all kinds of things, and for this use it would be very secure at holding that knife safely in its sheath.

 

[robinpeck]

xxxxxxxxdelete

 

[screened porch]

Is it worth anything? A $20. knife?

Have you tried looking at sold items on the bay?
You need to be a gold or higher member to discuss prices here.

 

[screened porch]

Hey, what happened to my gold membership?
Not a serious question. I'll investigate.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Just seeing this post - an L628 is truly a Camillus product - also a BS model number.

For whatever reason, known only to the airheads of the Camillus marketing department, Camillus tagged their small handled B&Ts as L628s. L28 would have been the proper model number as there is absolutely zero Delrin on the 1993-2006 Camillus produced L628, just a stacked leather handle with a few spacers.

The 1993 through 2002 L628s were made with 440 stainless, the 2005 and 2006 catalogs specify 420HC and the 2003 catalog simply states "high carbon stainless steel"

Camillus never made a Delrin handled 28 pattern B&T, based on catalog examination and also having never encountered one.

 

[Old Hunter]

Is the 1006 essentially the same B&T knife under the Camillus model number system? OH

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The 10xx series of Camillus knives followed Camillus' numbering system. Camillus followed up with more 10xx knives with the 1009, 1010, 1011, 1012, 1013 and 1014. The 1009 was similar to the 1219C2, the 1010 was the JSPK. The 1011, 1012, 1013 and 1014 were stag handled, had the marketing names of "Blue Ridge", "Great Smokey", "Yellowstone" and "Grand Canyon". I don't know who made the 101X versions. I always thought they kinda had a "Schrade" look and feel, but I don't do much with Schrades.

Essentially, the 1006 was the L48B, the 1007 was the L48A and the 1008 was the L66.

When I say "essentially", I mean that the knives matched in terms of handle material (leather), blade length and general appearance. They weren't identical to the Western models as they had hidden tang construction and a single pin pommel attachment.

I guess I should really call them the equivalent of the K3, K2 and K5, since the Ks were also hidden tang and single pin pommel, but not exactly and the K2 had a flat grind blade rather than a fullered blade.