Made in Western Germany knife

J

Jay14

Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
21
I need help identifying a knife I found in a house I bought several years ago. It's in rough shape but I was able to make out the words "made in western germany". I can't tell if the handle is real antler or not, when it was made or anything else. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And how do you upload pics from a phone?
 
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If you are not a paying member, you need to host the pictures at a third party site. I use Imgur. I stole these instructions from @Thomas Linton:

USING IMGUR TO POST PICTURES ON A FORUM



Create an account (free) at Imgur.com. Create an Imgur name, like a forum name here.


Click on "Browse" at Imgur (which automatically appears when you open IMGUR,) to find a picture you have saved (probably in the "picture" file) on your computer.


"Open" the picture you want to copy or "drag" that picture to the IMGUR screen (you will be prompted as to where to put it by IMGUR.). This saves the picture to Imgur.


Put cursor on your IMGUR name at upper right to drop down a menu of actions.

Click on "[your Imgur name] images" on the menu that drops. Images that you have saved to IMGUR will appear in a grip to the right.


Click on the image in the page of images that you wish to share here.


On the right side of the screen, a list of options appears. Click on blue "Copy" tab on "BBCode" from the list.


Go to forum page where you want picture to show up and "paste" link you just copied from Imgur on that page.
 
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lambertiana said:
If you are not a paying member, you need to host the pictures at a third party site. I use Imgur. I stole these instructions from @Thomas Linton:

USING IMGUR TO POST PICTURES ON A FORUM



Create an account (free) at Imgur.com. Create an Imgur name, like a forum name here.


Click on "Browse" at Imgur (which automatically appears when you open IMGUR,) to find a picture you have saved (probably in the "picture" file) on your computer.


"Open" the picture you want to copy or "drag" that picture to the IMGUR screen (you will be prompted as to where to put it by IMGUR.). This saves the picture to Imgur.


Put cursor on your IMGUR name at upper right to drop down a menu of actions.

Click on "[your Imgur name] images" on the menu that drops. Images that you have saved to IMGUR will appear in a grip to the right.


Click on the image in the page of images that you wish to share here.


On the right side of the screen, a list of options appears. Click on blue "Copy" tab on "BBCode" from the list.


Go to forum page where you want picture to show up and "paste" link you just copied from Imgur on that page.
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Thanks, man.
 
Made in Western Germany means it is post-WW2 and before reunification (1990). This style of knife was imported to the US in large numbers ca 1950s-1970s.

Can you make out any brand stamp on the tang on the side opposite the Made in Western Germany marking? Try a little 000 steel wool with mineral oil to clean the active rust off, and you might be able to make out the brand.

The handle scales are real stag, probably sambar.
 
I just did a quick clean up but I don't see any markings.
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I'll try to clean it up better but it really doesn't look like there are any signs of any markings.
Thanks for your help so far.
 
Probably from Solingen, I had one like it when I was a kid (50s:rolleyes:). Take the rust off, probably still useful.
 
Certainly seen better days. I too had one marked Solingen as a kid and saw one sitting on a friends table just this weekend. They were mass imported by a couple companies. Unfortunately the old Knife Forums is gone-they had a Solingen sub forum with loads of info, but they have faded away to knife history.
 
Jay14 said:
I need help identifying a knife I found in a house I bought several years ago. It's in rough shape but I was able to make out the words "made in western germany". I can't tell if the handle is real antler or not, when it was made or anything else. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And how do you upload pics from a phone?
Click to expand...

if you google Anton Wingen Jr. knives you'll see very similar if not identical knives. I'd bet his company was the one who made your knife.
 
Legendary_Jarl said:
if you google Anton Wingen Jr. knives you'll see very similar if not identical knives. I'd bet his company was the one who made your knife.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't. As mentioned earlier many many Solingen firms mad similar knives and pumped toms of them into the US...

Like my German Eye Brand, for example...

vzOKRLJ.jpg
 
It is probably made in Solengen. I have one remarkably like that, though a little different, in storage, now. It was a very good knife, and the blade was thin, broad, and slicey, unlike the overly thick clunkers we see today.
 
Thanks everyone! To clean it, I tried vinegar and scrubbing-no good; oiled the blade and left it overnight; baking soda and lemon juice paste with scrubbing-no good; scrubbing with WD40-no good. Now trying Gelled rust remover and I'm getting some results!
It certainly does look like it's a Solingen.
 
Jay14 said:
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Click to expand...

Perfect....now sharpen it and use it while thinking about the old timer who used it out in the woods decades ago.

That's the reason to have one of those. It's not a collectible or a museum piece, but it has honest use and history. Bet you can feel it, right?!?
 
You bet, I can feel it! I recently found out that I'm around 1/3 German and I re-found this knife in the garage. I really didn't think it would clean up this well. I am pleasantly surprised. Yes, now for sharpening!! I have never had the knack for sharpening but this is a great time to figure it out. This is quickly becoming my favorite knife.
 
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