Olcut knife?

O

orangish ducktape

Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
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So earlier today my father handed me a knife, and he said that it was his grandfathers. I took one good look at it, and noticed that the tang stamp read; *Olcut* Union Cut.co Olean, NY. I know that Union Cut.co own Ka-Bar, and that Ka-Bar knives are made in Olean, NY.

It has a stacked leather handle, with what appears to be bronze pommel and guard and a red and two navy blue spacers near the guard. The blade is full flat ground and looks like a modified clip point. It looks like it is in pretty good shape, and I was thinking about making a leather sheath and reconditioning the handle.

So can anyone tell me when my knife was made, the model number, name, etc? I am very curious about it.

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Thanks in advance,

-orangish ducktape
167a.png

“Simplicate, and add lightness”
-Colin Chapman
 
Nice! That pommel looks like its been ground down. Hopefully Toooj or some others will have some info.
 
Wow, now that is a great knife!!!

Beautiful.

Moose
 
Great design and a very cool old knife.
 
Greetings: Your pommel is a replacement. It no doubt had a wooden one, which was fairly common on that pattern and other Union/KABAR/OLCUT knives of that era. I've seen many of them cracked or missing over the years as they weren't as durable as aluminum.
FB in Vt.
 
Fixed Blade said:
Greetings: Your pommel is a replacement. It no doubt had a wooden one, which was fairly common on that pattern and other Union/KABAR/OLCUT knives of that era. I've seen many of them cracked or missing over the years as they weren't as durable as aluminum.
FB in Vt.
Click to expand...

So does that mean the handle guard is a replacement as well? They look quite similar, at least the color does. I have been looking around the internet a bit about this knife, and I found one that looked almost the same except it had a stag pommel.


-orangish ducktape
167a.png

“Simplicate, and add lightness”
-Colin Chapman
 
No, the handle itself is correct and original. The wooden pommel probably cracked and broke into pieces so the owner had to improvise and screwed on the bronze/brass bushing that's on there now. That could have happened anytime in the last 75 or so years the knife has been around. This pattern was used as the Official Boy Scout knife in the late 30's.
FB in Vt.
 
Fixed Blade said:
No, the handle itself is correct and original. The wooden pommel probably cracked and broke into pieces so the owner had to improvise and screwed on the bronze/brass bushing that's on there now. That could have happened anytime in the last 75 or so years the knife has been around. This pattern was used as the Official Boy Scout knife in the late 30's.
FB in Vt.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, interesting... I will have to ask my father if my great grandfather was a boy scout, maybe it was his boy scout knife. Now that I look at it, I think the pommel is bronze and the guard is brass, they do have a slightly different color.

Thanks for the info, do you have any idea when this knife was made?

-orangish ducktape
 
It's always been my understanding that Union Cutlery didn't use the OLCUT trademark much beyond the 20's. Maybe TOOOG can confirm or correct me on that.
FB in Vt.
 
All,

I'm digging thru my sent e-mails trying to find a conversation that addresses these very knives (Warrior has a knife in this same family).
I agree with Fixed Blade that the pommel (Buttcap) is a replacement. IIRC, the pommel is a shaped aluminum cap but it could also be wood. They were produced to compete against the Marbles knives.
Hold on and I'll find the info.
Warrior, when I find this info, you'll also get your answer. Notice the similarity between the knives.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
 
Toooj said:
All,

I'm digging thru my sent e-mails trying to find a conversation that addresses these very knives (Warrior has a knife in this same family).
I agree with Fixed Blade that the pommel (Buttcap) is a replacement. IIRC, the pommel is a shaped aluminum cap but it could also be wood. They were produced to compete against the Marbles knives.
Hold on and I'll find the info.
Warrior, when I find this info, you'll also get your answer. Notice the similarity between the knives.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
Click to expand...

Thanks Toooj! I will be waiting...

-orangish ducktape
 
Okay Ducktape,

Your knife is a Union Cutlery Model #598. They came in 5" and 6" lengths. Me thinks you have the 5" blade so it is #598-5
They were produced under the KA-BAR and Olcut brands. Circa 1927-45. The original pommel was a shaped aluminum cap. The colored fiber and brass spacer configuration near the guard was repeated next to the pommel.
Seems to be in pretty good shape. Due to the "new" pommel there probably isn't much value but it will be a good user.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
 
Thanks for the info Toooj!

So who thinks I should polish it all up and make it a safe queen or keep it as is and make it a queen?
I have already decided that I won't use it, it was after all my great grandfathers and I don't want anything to happen to it.

-orangish ducktape
 
orangish ducktape said:
Thanks for the info Toooj!

So who thinks I should polish it all up and make it a safe queen or keep it as is and make it a queen?
I have already decided that I won't use it, it was after all my great grandfathers and I don't want anything to happen to it.

-orangish ducktape
Click to expand...

Oil it and put it away exactly how it is. That's how he had it, it's how you will remember him best.
 
orangish ducktape said:
Thanks for the info Toooj!

So who thinks I should polish it all up and make it a safe queen or keep it as is and make it a queen?
I have already decided that I won't use it, it was after all my great grandfathers and I don't want anything to happen to it.

-orangish ducktape
Click to expand...

Grandpa's blade? Oil it down, and put it up. I'd hand it to my kids or grandkids and let its legacy live on.

Moose
 
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