Identification Challenge: 2 Heirlooms and a Garage Sale Rescue
Trying to ID these 3 knives. Specifics are below the next paragraph (background info):
The two on the right are some old knives from the family. The one of the left, I found at the bottom of an old tackle box I bought at a yard sale. At the time, it was caked in rust from tip to tang and dull as a spoon. A heavy treatment with a bench grinder wirebrush and some sandpaper has resulted in a (mostly) de-rusted finish, and a few hours of honing has left it with a razor edge. All of them have been cleaned and restored to the best of my ability.
This knife is likely 50+ years old. Blade is approximately 5" long. Seems to be full tang. Stamp on blade reads "Schrade-Walden N.Y. U.S.A. 148". Handle material seems to be plastic of some kind. There is a ridged section on the lower back of the blade.
Also likely 50+ years old. Blade is approx. 6.5" long. Full tang construction. Handle material seems to be some kind of hard plastic in individual rings, but might also be some kind of horn, as it is vaguely grainy. This knife is heavily worn, and has clearly seen decades of use. There is a stamp on the blade, but it is partially worn off, so you'll have to look at the picture to tell what it says (if anything useful). Sheath was engraved with "F^x 0949". I have no idea what that would mean, if anything.
Seems to be a Ka-bar style at the very minimum. Blade is approx. 7" in length with a pronounced bowie shape. Stamp on blade reads "Japan" although anything beyond the n has worn off completely if there was anything. Full tang construction, and quite heavy, so probably not a cheap steel. Handle seems like rings of leather or maybe wood. I have no idea what this knife's history is, as it came to me quite by accident and in terrible shape. Blade and end cap of handle MAY have been finished black at some point, but rust and my de-rusting have obliterated any traces of this if it did exist.
Thanks for rising to the challenge, folks. P.S. If you do happen to be able to identify one, an estimate of its value would be cool. I don't plan on ever selling them, but it's still fun to know.
Posted Dec 29, 2011, 5:36 AM UTC