Any ideas on who manufactured this knife for LL BEAN ?

[Hickory n steel]

I don't know I'll ask the half dozen that are soaking in vinegar, I'm not sre these are recent manufacture, I inherited them they could be from the early 1960s or earlier. My Late-Mother would probably know, but for obvious reasons I can't ask her and my mother WAS sometimes my fathers memory, so asking him is unlikely to be productive.

BTW, I actually got our of my swivel chair and went and looked I found another similar carbon steel knife with a Hickory handle, branded "Old Hickory", sadly the only marking on the blade is "U.S.A."

If it's an old hickory that would be OKC unless they had acquired the line from some other company.
I suppose Ontario could have made this to spec , but it's not a rebranded off the shelf Ontario knife as far as I can tell.
Definitely not an old hickory as they always had blockier handles, an Ontario true edge maybe but they seem to often have the same handles.

 

[Allan DeGroot]

When identifying knives, I prefer to indentify U.S. military knives, because they are clearly marked.

 

[Allan DeGroot]

If it's an old hickory that would be OKC unless they had acquired the line from some other company.
I suppose Ontario could have made this to spec , but it's not a rebranded off the shelf Ontario knife as far as I can tell.
Definitely not an old hickory as they always had blockier handles, an Ontario true edge maybe but they seem to often have the same handles.

Have you tried calling L.L.Bean? it is a discontinued item, they might actually tell you...

I had a coat with their branding that was no longer offered, It was a generously cut "barn Coat with a button-in(removable) liner that I wanted a replacement button for (plus spares) and I got them to admit it was made for them by Carhart, Carhart had the buttons I wanted even though they had never offered a similar coat as their own product.

 

[Hickory n steel]

When identifying knives, I prefer to indentify U.S. military knives, because they are clearly marked.

Well mostly but USGI Cooks knives are not , just an etch that eventually wears off.
The Dexter's have stamped handles but others often do not.