kinfolks knife identification
It is believed that some of these tactical knives made it to WWII but there is no concrete proof of that anywhere. Kinfolk's knives were made by the Kinfolk company from about 1924 until the early 1950's. They are very hard to date the exact time they were produced. Clays primary role is as Digital Editor, curating and creating new content for our website and blog, as well as maintaining the Knife Magazine social media accounts (FB/IG: @theknifemag, Twitter: @knifemagazine). Can you post a picture of the end of the pommel? However it looks like your knife has a nickel silver guard which may indicate pre-Kinfolks made by Case. I note that you say that there is a third variation of the #5679 L 36 that has the black plastic pommel (presumably of the Mark 1 style). If I am honest, theyre not the only ones to make this mistake. While Marble never gave him credit, a hunting writer named George W. Brooks claimed to have designed the first Woodcraft in 1914. Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. However, that beauty does come with some challenges in telling the exact era that the knife is from. Something went wrong. There is also no proof that Case made any fixed blades before 1923, and by 1926 and up to 1932-33 all their fixed blades were made by Kinfolks. Kinfolks Knives offers an accurate and factual history of Kinfolks Cutlery. dustin, With decades of experience under his belt, Adolph spearheaded the growth and expansion of the Camillus knife company into what we know it as today. Challenges with Dating the Kinfolks Knife. Slowly at first, but with increasing momentum, the folding hunter once again became the favorite field knife of most hunters, and the Marbles patterns were considered old fashioned. By 1992, Buck had produced 11,000,000 Model 110s and was adding more at the rate of 400,000 a year. Of all the knives that I have ever tried to date, the Kinfolks remain one of the most beautiful. The company got a short reprieve in 1957 when its survival knife design was selected for use by all Air Force and Navy pilots. Still, Read More Knife Dating Starting in 1918, the English cutlery company, Wade and Butcher, began offering pretty much exact copies of Marbles Ideal pattern. Marbles halted most knife production in 1976, and the trademark was later sold to a company overseas. | There are variations within each manufacturer. It is the aluminum guards that define Kinfolks made Case fixed blades. I believe youre more interested in dating the vintage ones, though, so the other era guides on that list are best suited to your needs. Did Camillus Make Other Brands Knives on Contract? Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Also, for the first time, the personal memories of multiple branches of this . Part of the great thing about knives is the variety and variation. Certainly the Camillus and the Westerns are just finished bright, I've never seen any examples that were plated, (only referring to the 5in knives here). 4 bids. Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. The third (bottom) one is interesting as it seems to have a fuller but barely and steel guard, Always assumed the pommels were secured like the MK1s. During the 1950s, there were huge numbers of sheath knives available for next-to-nothing in every military surplus store. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. In 1965, Robeson ended production of Kinfolks knives. In the years after the Civil War, hunting knives tended to follow one of three patternsheavy-duty folders, traditional Bowie knives, and small utilitarian butchering type blades. This site is maintained by the Cattaraugus County Historical Advisory Committee and the Dept. Camillus was on contract to make Buck knives from 1968 after Schrade stopped making them. But that changed at the start of the war with the adoption of the legendary USMC Fighting/Utilitya knife that was basically a militarized version of a Marbles Ideal. This does not impact the price of the item youre buying and it supports me to keep creating the content that you love. of Economic Development, Planning & Tourism. All had clip-point blades and a deeply-fullered edge grind (not a blood groove). If you happen to have, Read More How to Date A Case Kodiak Knife by Yourself (Expert Advice)Continue, Do you have a knife that you want to have sold? One of the most common models today has the "568 TC USA" marking on its blade. It is knives like these that make some people on the outside question why Case knives are so expensive when they are just a great value for their money. The Western "V-44" offered here is in about FINE condition. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. Summary of article content: Articles about Kinfolks Knives The original Kinfolks Company was a Little Valley, NY based cutlery company that was closed in 1957. by JohnR Tue Nov 08, 2016 6:39 pm, Post Vintage Kinfolks Fixed Blade Hunting Knife Stacked Leather Handle W/Sheath . Today, you and I are going to go through a journey that should, hopefully, help us estimate the founding date of your Kinfolks knife or what era it came from at the least. Copyright 2004-2023 allaboutpocketknives.com, Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide, "If there are no Dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where. Just $1 per month , The history of Marbles knives and their impact on outdoor cutlery for the last 120 years, By Kinfolks Knives offers an accurate and factual history of Kinfolks Cutlery. While they may not be sparkly new, they still have a lot of hunting seasons still left in them. I presume the stamp USN was added by the individual as personal enhancement. Camillus was also notorious for sometimes mixing up the tang stamps. Marble tended to know his customers well, and if he thought a double guard would sell better than a single, then that was the way it was going to be. Maybe you want to buy a knife and you want to be sure its worth the price too? $12.00. Of course, they were sharp and most of them are older than us, but that doesnt mean we lost interest. Show me your knife, and I'll tell you who you are. Correct Kinfolks marked sheath, lightly sharpened condition, guard and leather washers very tight. Although I don't seriously collect knives I do have a small collection of Camillus sheath knives. Top is pre-war procured knife blade tang stamped Kinfolks INC. followed by the two war time procured knives illustrating the use of alternate materials first switching to a plastic guard with aluminum pommel then plastic guard and plastic pommel tang stamped Kinfolks USA. Excellent collection ! #1 Check the Tang Stamps This is usually where I first look at when dating knives. The wide, upswept, 4--inch, flat-ground blade was his version of the perfect big game and trapping knife. The only known production number from . The knife is 14 5/8" in overall length, with the instantly recognizable 9 " clip point Bowie blade. By 1876, after his uncles company had to close shop due to poor sales figures, Adolph charted out a new path for himself. My guesstimate would be about 1925 (IIRC the founding year for Kinfolks, but I could be wrong) up to WWII. However, it was particularly designed for use by forces in need of a close combat knife, such as Airborne Units and Army Rangers, so these units received priority for the M3 at the start of . While guiding in Idaho, Clay worked part-time writing for a local newspaper, and upon moving to Tennessee began writing for the blog The Truth About Knives - spending his last 5 years there as Managing Editor. Marble's next gift to the sporting cutlery world was the Expert sheath knife (5- and 6-inch blade lengths), introduced in 1906. I have written different guides on how to date different knives to a specific era but this one is different. by knifeaholic Tue Nov 08, 2016 5:39 pm, Post Still,, Read More How to Date Klein Knives to A Specific Year or Era (5 Methods)Continue, Of all the knives that I have ever tried to date, the Kinfolks remain one of the most beautiful. Read Next: Five Best Hunting Knives Ever Made. Picked up this Kinfolks the other day with its original sheath, tang reads Kinfolks Incorporated, anyone have a date range for this knife. In 1958, Robeson purchased Kinfolks Inc of Little Valley, New York, which just happened to be Emerson Cases former employer. by TexasRed Sun Apr 18, 2021 5:56 pm, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. 2023 Cuts & Carves - Designed by O. Christopher, How to Date a Camillus Knife Effectively (1902 2007), How to Date Klein Knives to A Specific Year or Era (5 Methods), How to Date A Kinfolks Knife to A Specific Era, How to Date a Cattaraugus Knife (5 Methods Explained), How to Tell If A 1918 Trench Knife Is Real (5+ Unique Methods), How to Date A Case Kodiak Knife by Yourself (Expert Advice), How to Determine the Value of a Knife (Vintage, Antiques & Collectibles). Great knife. Fortunately, we dont have that with Kinfolks, but there is a unique issue. I have a 1970 Ontario marked JPSK I got from a reconnaissance pilot I was stationed with in Texas in 1976. KINFOLKS DOUBLE SET KNIFE BUTTERSCOTCH AMBER PLUS UNMARKED BIRD AND TROUT. Fortunately for us, Camillus changed their stamps enough to map each one to different periods. Maybe it was the Woodcraft name that sold them. Check out local knife forums where you have experienced knife collectors, enthusiasts, and users too. Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. Kinfolk Collectible Vintage Fixed Blade Knives. During the time which they made knives, the company created a long line of hunting and fishing knives. Brain fart I suppose. For all that good, though, some bad actors have learned how to make fake Camillus knives and pass them off as vintage. Kinfolks Knives offers an accurate and factual history of Kinfolks Cutlery. I know my knives - maybe not as well as my mother - but enough to write helpful guides for you. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Also, for the first time, the personal memories of multiple branches of this . View cart for details. Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. Like every other knife Ive dated, the Camillus knives are challenging in their way. KinfolksFounded by Dean Case, Russ Case and Tint ChamplinLittle Valley, New York1925-1957. The sheath with this knife was marked Camillus on the back. Next is the Camillus family. If you are a Case Knife collector this is more the backstory on the people who built the companies that made the products and less about the specifics on any era of knives. However, if you got the knife from an older person (your father, grandfather, uncle, etc), you might not need the book. The sheath has been stamped U S N but again I don't know by who or when. However, that should not deter you from knowing when your knife was probably made. No matter which it is, there are a series of reasons why you might, Read More How to Determine the Value of a Knife (Vintage, Antiques & Collectibles)Continue, Your email address will not be published. However, that beauty does come with some challenges in telling the exact era that the knife is from. A timeline of the family and related cutleries is included for quick reference, as well as answers to the most common questions about the company from www.KinfolksInc.com. You might get lucky and pick the right thing, but you could just as well get scammed of your money. Be prepared to take clear pictures of the knife, but never send the knife to anyone to have it dated for you. If you use the BB code in imgur it's a straight copy and paste. This article appears in the July 2021 issue of KNIFE Magazine. While this may sound fairly conventional, no one else was making a similar hunting knife at the time. Also, for the rst time, the This is one of the 6-inch knives that the US Army purchased in 1942, before they went to the M3. Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. In any case, buyers must have questioned the length of the handle too, as, over the years, Marbles steadily increased its length. This is the Kinfolks family. The Case has two variations which are the details in the casting of the pommel. $14.59. A beautiful little village in a largely agricultural area. The third production not pictured has a black plastic pommel. Enjoy! Included are four vintage catalogs to aid collectors in the identification and dating of Kinfolks knives, as well as biographies of Kinfolks founders: Russ Case, Tint Champlin, and Dean Case. After decades of feuding and parting ways to start yet another Case-related cutlery, Kinfolks saw three cousins come together to help one another. Klein knives are clear vintages, and they're one of those knives that went to the war. While stag slabs were available at extra cost, most were handled in a feature pioneered by Marblestacked leather washers. To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. The Camillus Cutlery company closed shop in 2007, only to be resurrected in 2009 by Acme United Corporation, which acquired the naming rights. Id rather give up now than give you a piece of misleading information anyway. Thank you for your interesting post. The M3 trench knife or M3 fighting knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943. If you dont go to knife shows, you might also have some luck with veteran knife collectors in your locale. This refers to the Flame Edge Super Hunter model which was made in the USA. Marbles pattern sheath knives ruled the market for decades, but the introduction of the Buck 110 lockback design in 1965 was a turning point. Published Oct 28, 2019 6:08 PM EDT. excellent! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Also note the top two with brass guards are with and without brass spacers. Okay, maybe not fakes. Picked this up at a nearby antique festival in NC. It consisted of a black horn handle secured to the tang via the use of three brass rivets. Do you think that the Government would have specifically requested the chrome plating, or that the manufactures supplied them from their existing stock to fill orders? Your email address will not be published. Suggestions, Questions, Comments, Concerns, Alerts, Etc Member Store Tips, Tricks & Instructions, https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/catalog/btrwtr. Gladstone, Mich USA with sheath. Awarded many contracts during the period from 1939 to 1945, Kinfolks produced a significant number of knives in several different patterns which helped our men in the field and in the air with a quality tool when needed. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! Originally, the deep fuller was intended to allow the blade to be laid flat on a hone and sharpened something like a straight razor. Or do you just want to know the value of your knife? Read More How to Date a Camillus Knife Effectively (1902 2007)Continue, The Case Kodiak is one of the most interesting exports from the company and continues to command a high price today. They, along with many other companies, also suffered when men in the company joined the war effort by enlisting even when they were deferred with required jobs at a cutlery as a specialized skill.