Help ID Imperial Fixed Blade.

A

Amos Iron Wolf

Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Messages
2,171
Hello all.

It was suggested that I drop in here to see if any of you could give me a general idea when this was made or any kind of history of it.

Imperial.jpg


The tangstamp reads what I assume is pretty standard. Imperial (crown over ia) over Prov. R.I. U.S.A.

The handle seems to be hollow plastic on a full tang.

Any links to the history of Imperial would be appreciated too. My first knife was an Imperial fixed blade purchased for $1.99 from a display at a hardware store when I was as kid. I believe that one had the black striped, metal handle. I've never really considered Imperial to be anything but a cheap knife, though that one did hold up well from a kid's hard use (more like abuse in retrospect). I guess it's time I learned a little more about the whole history of Imperial.

The knife in the pic is a nostalgia piece for me, just because I liked the look, and it was only a few dollars. Any dating or info is appreciated.

Thanks,
Amos
 
Amos,We seem to have a problem on our forum right now.If you go to the search at the top and look up Outers you can find info on your knife.Arnold
 
Codger knows this one. I got a very similar Utica Sportsman a while back from a very generous forum member. What I do know and remember is that every Boy Scout born from 1933 to about 1950 probably had one of these very expensive (less than 5 bucks) hung on his belt at every camp site in the country.

Paul
 
Wow, quick replies. Thanks. I checked the Outers thread as well. So I'm guessing then as sheathmaker stated, it falls somewhere in that 1933 - 1950 or so range. I like that the pattern was a big Boy Scout carry. When I said it was a nostalgia piece I didn't realize just how nostalgic! I'm enjoying it.
 
Not to hi-jack the thread, but do boy scouts still carry a knife, or has being PC hit the scouts also?
 
Amos, that 1933 to 1950 refers to me. I'm 73 years old and that pattern knife was certainly well represented by the Scouts I ran with. As to the actual dates of production....I haven't a clue.

Mountainwind; I grew up in a much simpler time when you could actually have a knife in your pocket in school, asparin in your locker, and One nation UNDER GOD was still okay.

Paul
 
Looks like Imperial's H6. Alsl came in a set with a camper in a sheath to hold both.
1958 catalog pictures attached. Cost to dealers a whopping $6.00 per dozen for either the H6 or H7!
Price for the combo jumps to $13.50 per doz. Where is that time machine when you need it!
TTYL
Larry

IKCOH6.jpg

IKCOH6-1.jpg
 
Mountainwind said:
Not to hi-jack the thread, but do boy scouts still carry a knife, or has being PC hit the scouts also?
Click to expand...


Hijack a thread??? No such thing in here...

As a scout leader, I can only speak for my local area. Here in NH, we are on that wishy washy line. While it is still okay to carry and use a knife, it is frowned upon to carry for most events.

In Cub Scouts, they did not want the boys to carry a knife at just about any event. I even ran into issues at summer camp. They did not want the boys to even have pocket knives at camp. WTF??? We ended up letting the boys use their knives at the campsite, and leave them in their tents.

Boy scouts is a little more lenient, but gone are the days of walking around with your fixed blade knife at your side. :(

Glenn
 
Fixed blade knives have been more or less gone from BSA since at least the mid-80s. Slipjoints, SAKs, lockbacks, have been common until maybe 5 years ago. Now Cubs still have a Whittlin' Chip card but knives of any type are almost extinct in Cubs. Boy Scouts core curriculm still has many knife skills but to what extent they are taught or used will depend on the focus of the troop. Camps have definitely become more PC regarding open carry but last I saw the high-adventure bases still see the need for sharpened steel.

The above not withstanding, I just purchased a Camillus Cub knife for my 9 year old. He will receive the BSA training Whittlin' Chip, fuzzsticks etc. whether his den does it or I do it. My only regret is that I no longer have my Cub knife to pass down.
 
I never had a cub knife to pass down...never was a scout...:(

However, my son and the rest of his den were given the old style Camillus cub knives by me that I purchased used off ebay. Hopefully, they were able to see that a used knife that is taken care of is still a good knife.

Glenn
 
glennbad said:
I never had a cub knife to pass down...never was a scout...:(

However, my son and the rest of his den were given the old style Camillus cub knives by me that I purchased used off ebay. Hopefully, they were able to see that a used knife that is taken care of is still a good knife.

Glenn
Click to expand...

Never had a son... only a girl, and she's not interested. That's why I am not leaving her any knife related items, she would sell everything and waste the money. All I can hope for is a grandson with good morals who loves the outdoors and would keep my collection and add to it. If not, then will sell it myself later on in my years, and spend the money myself.
 
Yep, H6 sounds about right. Thanks for posting the ad Irv. I was born in 57 so who knows, maybe me and the knife were the same year. Then again, maybe not, but fun anyway.

Sheathmaker, sorry for the confusion. Sounds like a good time to be a scout. It is really sad where things have gone with scouting and with kids and tools period. Phobias and the PCness they've evoked have taken people from the very things that taught personal responsibilty and thinking about what you are doing. I guess it is all reflecting the urbanization of the country, but it is still headshakingly sad when Boy Scouts downplay and discourage knives and such at gatherings. It seems to send a confusing message. I guess we're lucking there is even any badges or such for anything to do with knives or shooting. They do still have marksman badges don't they?

I keep seeing visions of the Eloi in HG Well's "The Time Machine." I also keep seeing me more as a dinosaur on his way to becoming fossil fuel.

I think I'll go play with my knives now. ;)

Thanks agian for the great info.
 
I have three Outer's pattern knives. An Imperial, a Hammer Brand (the pic is posted in the Outer's thread), and a new one, a Kutmaster.

Sorry for the quality of the scans, the blade is etched
Utica/Kutmaster/TEMPERED CARBON STEEL

It kinda makes a fellow wonder just how many companies made this pattern.




KutmasterOuters.jpg


The Kutmaster is by far the most heavy duty of the three that I own. The handles appear to be thick jigged Derlin, as opposed to the black plastic on the Imperial that I think is hollow and not a solid slab of Derlin. The Imperial feels cheap and the Kutmaster feels much more substantial in your hand. The Hammer Brand has a brass guard on it that is quite a bit thicker than the Imperial, but the Kutmaster has a heavier guard yet. Too bad someone took a grinder to the blade.

I wonder how many different brands of these I can collect? I think I am going to have to try and make one in this pattern myself.

Dale
 
lrv said:
Looks like Imperial's H6. Alsl came in a set with a camper in a sheath to hold both.
1958 catalog pictures attached. Cost to dealers a whopping $6.00 per dozen for either the H6 or H7!
Price for the combo jumps to $13.50 per doz. Where is that time machine when you need it!
TTYL
Larry

IKCOH6-1.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm gonna have to revive this thread. Having gotten my first Imperial H6 a few months ago and getting the good info here, I've kind of been on the lookout for some more of these. Well, last night I won this one the ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...00031300504&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

I knew what it was because of Irv's post and couldn't pass it up. I also started wondering if Tommy (name on the sheath) carried this as a scout. It may not be mint, but it just called out to me. Now just to wait for the mail.

Amos
 
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