Western W742

gradall5200

gradall5200

Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
1,867
I have an older friend who does a lot of bird hunting. Geese, Ducks pretty much whatever flys he shoots and eats!!! While Looking around ebay for a guthook blank Im making for someone else I came across the w742 listed as gut hook knife and it caught my eye. Now I Have some westerns but not a ton! Either way I searched this perticular knife, Now they can be picked up all day long for under $20 bucks on ebay. Then I got the knife in the mail, and here is where the problem comes in. I love the knife. Now I've been in lots of discussions where people say the gut hook/bird hook in these knives is pretty much usless, especially if your just breasting out the birds. But hes a bird hunter so I got him a bird knife. But Im really struggling with giving this knife away!!! It is a beautiful knife with a great blade shape. Now when some people talk about knives being tight they are complaining about it Im not. The blade and hook open pretty easily but they lock up like a lock back. Fit and finish, walk and talk are beautiful. For about $15 bucks this thing is a great knife. Just wanted to share and see if anyone else had one of these they had ever used. I'll tell ya this Im definately looking to beef up my western collection after this one!!!.- Joel
w742.jpg
 
Joel that looks to be a Camillus made Western, all the Westerns I own are supurb knives and I have some early Boulder Colo. to the latter Camillus made knives.
 
You should probably know that knife is a WD235. The w742 was a multi-color wood handle knife. Same pattern but (I believe) a 3-blade stockman. Still a nice knife tho'.:D
 
Thanks there rick, I never really looked up the number to see if they matched I just assumed cause of the box. But either way thanks. Now does that mean I have to go and buy a real w742, Hey its a good excuse to buy another knife.- Joel
 
Grandall, I have the western knife like yours, I am a bird hunter but I never use the hook, But I love the knife, I have it in Case, Western and Schrade, I like the pattern, It grows on you.
mike
 
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I just bought this very knife on ebay, but it is not finished, blade blunt, bolsters not finished should I keep it?
 
I have one of those too. They were works-in-progress when Camillus closed.
Not a think in the world wrong with them. You can finish it or keep it as a memento to Camillus.

If you have a belt sander that you can do a little slack belt sanding on, you can finish it right up. I have finished up quite a few works-in-progress out of the Camillus factory. They usually come out better than the factory production knives. When you start doing that type of work, you see how sometimes they skip steps in the process to make them faster. You definitely have a new appreciation for the work that goes into the production of the knives!

Dale
 
dale:
I guess I'll keep it I have a western that is finished so now I have it both ways, Thanks
Mike
 
OK Joel,
Send me an email so I can keep a record of your request.
When I finish it I will let you know.

Dale
 
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