KA-BAR 1207

[Hickory n steel]

I was just given a rusty old 1207 that was found in the trash, and the blade looks chrome plated.

Were these a Chrome plated carbon steel ?

 

[Hickory n steel]

I'd still like conformation because I could somehow be wrong, but to me it is very obviously a chrome plated blade.

 

[Blue Sky]

Back in the late 70’s I was given a smallish Ka-bar hunting knife that was plated like that. Had a very similar script on the tang like yours too. So FWIW, I believe that could indeed be factory plated carbon steel, and might be older than you think.

 

[Hickory n steel]

From what I understand these were made from some time in the 60's until 1980.


Here's the blade cleaned up the best I could, because it's chrome plated I just wet scrubbed it with some aluminum foil to avoid further damaging the chrome plating.



The mark side doesn't look as bad as I expected it to , but there's not that much chrome left on the back side of the blade.
Honestly the knife would look so much better if all the chrome was gone, but I'm not going to try and remove it or anything.

 

[MolokaiRider]

Long shot here... but you could try using that aluminum foil combined with Coca-Cola.

I have some that with some chrome rims on my old truck with pretty good results.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Long shot here... but you could try using that aluminum foil combined with Coca-Cola.

I have some that with some chrome rims on my old truck with pretty good results.

all that remains is the corroded pitted steel where the chrome was eaten through, there's nothing left for me to remove.

Just the aluminum foil and water is all I have needed for chrome on old bicycle parts and any other chrome I've worked on, but I have heard of the cola trick and will eventually have a need to try it I'm sure.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

From what I understand these were made from some time in the 60's until 1980.


Here's the blade cleaned up the best I could, because it's chrome plated I just wet scrubbed it with some aluminum foil to avoid further damaging the chrome plating.
View attachment 2137210
View attachment 2137212

The mark side doesn't look as bad as I expected it to , but there's not that much chrome left on the back side of the blade.
Honestly the knife would look so much better if all the chrome was gone, but I'm not going to try and remove it or anything.

Since it has a model number, it is 1969 or later. We knew model numbers were added some time after Cole National bought Kabar in 1966. A while back, I came across 2 NIB Kabars, 1 with and 1 without model numbers, on fleabay (different sellers) where both had paperwork dated 1969. The 1207 was discontinued in 1980. The documentation I have from Kabar is that the 1207 was released in "the mid-60s", exact year unknown. That might be determinable by perusing multiple brands of outdoor magazines from 1965 onward, but I don't have the time to do that stuff any longer.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Since it has a model number, it is 1969 or later. We knew model numbers were added some time after Cole National bought Kabar in 1966. A while back, I came across 2 NIB Kabars, 1 with and 1 without model numbers, on fleabay (different sellers) where both had paperwork dated 1969. The 1207 was discontinued in 1980. The documentation I have from Kabar is that the 1207 was released in "the mid-60s", exact year unknown. That might be determinable by perusing multiple brands of outdoor magazines from 1965 onward, but I don't have the time to do that stuff any longer.

Thanks for the info.

Btw were they still a knife manufacturer at that time, or were the knives made for them by somebody else ?
I know I've seen some folding hunter types that were made in Japan, and some pocket knives that sure looked like Camillus products.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Thanks for the info.

Btw were they still a knife manufacturer at that time, or were the knives made for them by somebody else ?
I know I've seen some folding hunter types that were made in Japan, and some pocket knives that sure looked like Camillus products.

I'm not certain on the timing, but sometime after Cole bought Kabar, manufacturing of SOME knives got outsourced. One must first remember that allthe cutlery companies had someone make some things for them. Camillus made a bunch of stuff for other folks, as did Case, Western, Colonial, Imperial, etc. There's a reason why some knives from XXX look like they were made by YYY - they were.

Having said that, Camillus and others made Kabar's folders from the late 60s and 70s. Some folders and fixed blade manufacturing (lstacked leather hunters (1226, 1232, 1233, 1234, 1235, 1236) shifted to Japan, then Taiwan and Hong Kong and now maybe China as well. The location of manufacturing changes PROBABLY occured whenever Kabar was sold again or contracts ran out or both. Haven't bought any new ones lately to see the current stampings.

Most of, if not all of, the Kabar Collector's Club folders were made by Queen.

After ALCAS acquired Kabar, those overseas contract continued. ALCAS also owns CUTCO. MOST large fixed bklade manufacturing occurs in the CUTCO facility, although some were farmed out, such as the early Zombie knives were overseas made. All Becker products are made in the CUTCO facility. Kabar itself doesn't seem to really make anything themselves any longer, they just farm it out.

Knife manufacturing is a convoluted, incestuous mess.

 

[Hickory n steel]

It turns out they still offer a very similar knife today, it's definitely nice looking but it's made in China and there's no way it's worth $90



Btw I was really just curious if they made the 1207 themselves or farmed it out.
I have seen plenty of pocket knives that are clearly just rebrands of standard Camillus products, but I wonder if they would have somebody else make their own design of fixed blade or just rebrand a standard western...ect.

 

[NapalmCheese]

I always liked that knife, I just wish it was made in the US and not in 4116.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I always liked that knife, I just wish it was made in the US and not in 4116.

I always wondered why they couldn't make them here.
The 1217, the short, the mk1, big brother, and all the other military style stacked leather knives they offer are made here.
Why not their traditionsl stacked leather hunters ?