What/how was the original finish on Ka-Bar handles?

[KRIS FORD]

While we see browns, blacks and russets, what was the ORIGINAL way they were done? As a leather worker..it looks to me to be burnished with beeswax..anyone know for sure?

 

My minty Mk2 has a nice color, (that pretty almost reddish leather color, y'all know what I mean )but it also seems to me the grooves were cut AFTER it was polished..was any stain used?

[Steve S.]

I’m guessing here so could be wrong but would assume since these were a mass produced “tool” at the time, staining the leather would be the first thing dropped from the process to speed production. Original coloring could also have a lot to do with the tanning processes used at the time.