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Old 03-10-2016, 08:13 AM
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Jacknola Jacknola is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: New Orleans
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Ronnie, haven't done a detailed study of "B" sheaths but for the most part, they were stamped on the front, even when made by Heiser pre 1959. The orientation of the stamp on the "B" sheath is something I looked into and I have an opinion that MIGHT help age-dating, but there are so many exceptions I'm not sure it is sound.

"A" sheaths were stamped on the back, pretty much always regardless of the manufacturer.

To add to the conversation about this "C" sheath package, the difficulty with this knife and with split-backs in general are the model numbers. Johnson began making sheaths sometime mid-1962 using brown buttons. But he did not stamp model numbers on them. I have found no Johnson brown button "A" or "B" etc. sheaths with model numbers. And after he began using baby dot snaps in early 1963 he still did not stamp model numbers for a couple of months.

The only apparently Johnson brown button sheaths that had model numbers stamped on them are the model C split backs. Those model numbers are the same fonts and the same arrangement used on previous Heisers, Heiser HKL sheaths, lift-the-dots, etc.

In this case the presence of model numbers controled my estimate of age. Absent them I would have said 1962, aligning precisely with Joe Dorsky's estimate.

The contradictions inherent in the split-backs are a tough problem to resolve. I've sometimes wondered if a third party sheath maker was involved for a while. Probably not... Anyway the contradiction is identified pictorial in the Magic Randall line. Regards.

Last edited by Jacknola; 03-10-2016 at 03:41 PM.
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