Give it 5 more years... Utica Sportsman U.S.A.....

D

Drum4fun

Joined
Mar 21, 2018
Messages
371
Found at the swap meet yesterday... I thought was worth $5. These 50-60's
eras blades were very inexpensive at the point of purchase.I always liked the
way they looked and felt in hand. At the same swap I found a sheath and sm.
stone for another $5. So, all in $10 ... cleaned, tightened up, and re-edged.
I'm sure some young man would love this as a first knife.... I would have. I
hope a little care provides a few more years of service for this working knife.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/WOUNtnu
 
They were bigger dollars back then, but still.
I have some of those. Imperial and Colonial made pretty much the same knife, but I prefer the Uticas, being a Utican myself. Some of them have bone handles, and some have heavier blades with swedges.
These days I see the plain ones occasionally for $20 or more.

So yes- nice knife, great price. Congrats
 
Mr. Porch.... sure would love to find one in bone ! Someone on the web stated
they bought their first Utica Sportsman with S&H Green stamps. :D I remember
filling those books for Mom.... no knives tho' . :(
A quick look at completed listings on Ebay shows these blades don't garner much
monetary return...the neighborhood of $10-20 seems where they land. (with the
occasional outlier).
My sibling reminded me to check the State laws before I gift it to a minor... seems
the Legal Eagles have grown particular about such things.

Charles
 
These are bone except for the blackest handle.
Utica Sportsman, Utica Sportsman, flat-ground Kutmaster, and an extra heavy one that looks like Utica but is unmarked.
Vg6hemk.jpg
 
Love this pattern, the Imperial H6 holds the special place for me sentimentally but I know the Utica's were generally a little nicer.
Some with brass guards, slightly thicker blades, and sometimes real bone. Depends on the era I guess.
Imperial H6's not so much, same plated guard, same black delrin till it was replaced with hollow plastic , and same redish elk head version. Scale back H7 goes the same.
I'm not even sure their jigging style ever changed either.
 
Mr. Porch.... excellent display. Great knives. I wonder if the foundry remnants
still stand in Utica ? Thanks for sharing.

HnS.... the visual pattern drew me in ... the balance in hand made me a buyer.
I'm glad the style remains... just a simple classic blade.

Charles
 
Drum4fun said:
Mr. Porch.... excellent display. Great knives. I wonder if the foundry remnants
still stand in Utica ? Thanks for sharing.

HnS.... the visual pattern drew me in ... the balance in hand made me a buyer.
I'm glad the style remains... just a simple classic blade.

Charles
Click to expand...
Utica's still in business, and still making some of their knives in the factory on Noyes Street. For traditional sheath knives, last I knew, they had some full tang drop-points. They also have a new line of flat ground powder coated survival knives. 4.5, 5, and 7 inches I believe.
 
Nice job! I have a few beat up old heirloom k oves from my wife's grandpa. I'd like to fix them up, and make new sheaths and hand them off to my two house when they are old enough!
 
What a nice thread! Actually that pattern existed in so many iterations it could be the basis for a very nice collection in itself! Western States/Western Boulder made them also, and there were others. Some had scaler spines. Some had bottle openers. Bone. Maybe even a few in stag. Go for it! Buy a dozen el-cheapos and have them re-handled or do it yourself. This I like! They pretty much all had good steel.
 
Great looking knives! I had no idea this company was still in business.
 
tongueriver said:
What a nice thread! Actually that pattern existed in so many iterations it could be the basis for a very nice collection in itself! Western States/Western Boulder made them also, and there were others. Some had scaler spines. Some had bottle openers. Bone. Maybe even a few in stag. Go for it! Buy a dozen el-cheapos and have them re-handled or do it yourself. This I like! They pretty much all had good steel.
Click to expand...
Yes a popular pattern indeed it seems. From a time when a man didn't need a 1/4 thick peice of steel for a woods knife. I wonder how many of them were a boys first sheath knife? I have an Olean Cutlery Co. another subsidiary of Union Cut Co. I picked it up dirt cheap at a flea market and fixed up,I've posted a few times including a thread about it. Pretty much the exact same pattern, mine has jigged ebony grips.
 
arrowhd said:
Great looking knives! I had no idea this company was still in business.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Utica Cutlery is still offering USA produced knives, (in both fixed and folding).
Here's a pic of one of their currently made fixed blade knives, (it's one I have in my collection).


The blade is made out of 1095 carbon steel. The bolsters, handle scale liners, and pins, are made of brass. The handle scales are jigged bone. It's has a true full length & width tang.
 
Last edited:
Drum4fun said:
Found at the swap meet yesterday... I thought was worth $5. These 50-60's
eras blades were very inexpensive at the point of purchase.I always liked the
way they looked and felt in hand. At the same swap I found a sheath and sm.
stone for another $5. So, all in $10 ... cleaned, tightened up, and re-edged.
I'm sure some young man would love this as a first knife.... I would have. I
hope a little care provides a few more years of service for this working knife.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/WOUNtnu
Click to expand...
I sure like it, will make a nice hunting or camp knife.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
sunknife said:
I sure like it, will make a nice hunting or camp knife.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Click to expand...

...today I finished the final pass. Took the blade thru various grades of wet-dry paper. Couldn't
get rid of all the warts but did get rid of the bigger scars. Then hit it with some Maas polish. Final
blade edge re-work with 4 stages of Lansky system. Took it to sharp but not shaving sharp. I
like the way this one turned out.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/W5KQ9Dy
 
Drum4fun said:
...today I finished the final pass. Took the blade thru various grades of wet-dry paper. Couldn't
get rid of all the warts but did get rid of the bigger scars. Then hit it with some Maas polish. Final
blade edge re-work with 4 stages of Lansky system. Took it to sharp but not shaving sharp. I
like the way this one turned out.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/W5KQ9Dy
Click to expand...
Man I REALLY like it now.:thumbsup: Nice refurbish work Drum.
 
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