Jump to content

WESTERN BOULDER, COLO. PAT. NO. 1,967,479 - Can you help Identify this knife?


disruptors
 Share

Recommended Posts

While doing a little research on fighting knives, I came across this knife. Is this a WWII fighting knife? Is it valuable? The pommel is relatively flat with what looks like two pins.

western1.jpg

western2.jpg

western3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6" blade im assuming? Its ww2, very nice condition. Not extremely valuable but definitely profitable

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's  a Western WW2 era 6" "Shark Knife". Since I don't collect them not sure what value would be on those, they seem fairly common.  SKIP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a little hard to really tell the condition of the knife from these pictures.  $150 could be on the low side if the blued finish is as good as the pictures seem to show.  Also it has the  fold over sheath which is a little more unusual than the more common versions.

The 46 pattern Western blade was inspired by the fullered blade of the Marble's Ideal knife. The 6" blade had the nick name "Shark" and the 5" blade, "Baby Shark".  Why I've never heard of a proper nick name for the 8" version I'll never know.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well well, look what showed up on Ebay .... even has the same photos as in the original post of this thread.

 

With 2 days, 13 hours until close, this Western "Shark" has 18 watchers, 28 bids and stands @ $267:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174647510459

 

I won't bother dragging over the photos which are, as I've already mentioned, identical to the photos posted in the OP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been online for almost a week now. Since I know very little about these knives, I decided to ask the experts before making the purchase. I decided to stay away from this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That bluing isn't nice enough to be over $180 IMO, but free government money has caused people to not value money as much.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any idea who would have carried this knife? Was it issued to a certain branch or specialty?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One clue I ran across a couple of years ago is the fact that the Boulder Colorado public air port was pressed into service by the U.S. Government to become a training station for new Navy pilots getting their single engine certifications.  

From this point on my reasoning becomes mostly inductive.  The Western Knife company suddenly finds themselves right next door to a large contingent of new G.I.s.  One of the only potential customer bases available to them by early in 1942.  The Boulder air field wouldn't be the only one available to them to be certain they had product available to be sold.  I also have come across strong references to places like San Diego and San Francisco becoming marketing hubs for selling their knives to G.I.'s shipping out to the Pacific Theater.

It does seem from the abundance of pictures from the Pacific that the Navy pilots liked the Western G-46 knives, especially the 6 inch and even the 5 inch versions quite a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Western Shark were very very popular used by USMC and USN pilots in WW2

 

some screens from USS Cape Gloucester VMF-351

image.png.52c0f83697e8d32ebb458a02f01eb984.png

image.png.cab934ad66dc731a7886f89c6d020ba1.png

unidentified USMC pilot:

image.png.2edc3aeb639363e7fa67e20a048ebb0e.png

Well known photos of VMF-512 via Adam Levis site:

image.png.b72df13b3f2d1b6607779b6cc5df4ffb.png

image.png.1f89003ec0aae1d3aec3f28a70984292.png

image.png.914b716b3fc511dba3b5ca6141350bb4.png

VMF-222 pilots:

image.png.ed928b16dc2e59933805ffde07a62c29.png

 Nice rigger made leg adapter:

image.png.399040b3705c67da1d32b228b77edbb7.png

image.png.77a754e29cc3766efdff8df7320d7da9.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course I posted a  "standard" ones examples. Here are with flat pommel:

 

TBM gunner from VC-98

image.png.a2eba3869c7e737912c77d7c2ae1cc2e.png

VMSB-243 pilots with 6 inch G46?

image.png.907983cccdeb655be7cd56659ebcc365.png 

image.png.c3e5670a5954d0c022e340ff57294608.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those are great pics. I ended up purchasing this knife after all. I didn't realize how small it was until I put it next to my PAL USMC Fighting Knife.

 

robeson.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 8 inch 46 pattern knife shows up at WW2 and continues on almost uninterrupted until 1991 when the Longmont Colorado Factory closes and Western is taken over by Camillus.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
DBURDBUSH45

I’ve become quite obsessed with obtaining the “shark” line of Western knives and am currently in search of the “Big eight” G46-8. Took some time to finally get ahold of these two in pretty good comdition..

6D8A6267-2A83-4558-8C47-6B3FACE43922.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is one that is a little different.  A blued steel pommel with a bright blade. Knife is numbered (unit/rack?) 1 34 and comes with a unique scabbard that may have been used for diving, etc as it has a fixed retention strap and holes to allow water to escape.

WEstern-Shark-1.jpg

WEstern-Shark-2.jpg

WEstern-Shark-3.jpg

WEstern-Shark-4.jpg

DSC08868.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
DBURDBUSH45

It’s definitely interesting some of the “theater made” sheaths and/or scabbards that were or could’ve been fashioned. I recently acquired this G46-8 and it came with what I’m assuming is/was a theater made replacement and/or “patch together.” Though crude, it is quite functional it seems.

 

9983F954-7B11-4B06-90EC-5F8896B8318E.jpeg

2809B397-987F-4C7E-941F-B948FFD1F0FD.jpeg

4F84229F-D466-4E48-B49B-413A2D31523B.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO, it looks like repairs done overtime to an original sheath.  I'm betting that the staples at the throat are each individual staples.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...