[Jacknola]

Ronne, a goodly percentage of vets in Vietnam dyed or shoe-polished their sheaths black to treat the leather and protect against mold ... it is one unscientific way to judge if a knife was actually carried in country... However, the practice was not limited to Vietnam. Korea vets and soldiers in between wars also did this., but in Vietnam it was almost the norm. In fact, the Randall catalogs of that time period actually recommended shoe polish as a treatment and protectant for the leather sheaths.

RE: the Thorp with the inscription. The knife looks pre 1960, post 1955, all features including the flutes, plate, etc. But if the date is the date of acquiring, then there is overlap (which is probably correct) between the oblong escutcheon plates and the ovals and could push the date of the Delrin handled 3-7 forward into 1961, (which could in fact be accurate of course).

HOWEVER... researching this produced some interesting data. On another board, two collectors of vintage knives, Mitchell Harrison and Joe Dorsky, discussed the disconnects with this knife a couple of years ago. While no conclusions were reached, there was no sense that the date on the hilt represented the date of production. Additionally they had questions about whether the sheath was original and seemed to express discomfort with the authenticity of the package. I'm glad to find that discussion because something about the package bothered me too, at first glance.

The dealer who offered this knife for sale is suspect ... in my opinion. I've seen other of his knives that I suspected had altered blades, changed sheaths, etc. I tend to discount the history of knives he offers and what he says about them. I've seen a lot of incongruities in the Randall knife packages he has offered in the past.

Therefore, while the date on the Thorp knife obviously has a meaning, it does not necessarily mean that is the date the knife was produced or bought. I suspect that knife is a late '50s knife with a newer sheath. And that sheath has an east facing stamp... an anomaly.

Regards, Jack