Posted by: tunefink
WW2 - Screw On Butt Cap - 01/01/16 01:40 PM
Just when you think you have seen it all...... you have not.
This knife is a late 1943, early 1944, 8" fighter. It's in a Southern Saddlery sheath. Check out the label on the stone....cool.
The spacers are dead ringers for Springfields. Bo received Springfield materials as partial royalties payment from Larson, so this is completely possible.
It also has a brass spacer between the butt cap and the fiber spacers.
Here are pictures of my knife, along with a Springfield.
So, here is the story. The seller of my knife had seen a similar knife at the Tulsa Gun Show years ago. He contacted the owner to get the story on the 6" knife he had seen. The man bought the knife at Brown's Mens Store in Orlando prior to shipping out in March 1944. Brown's was operated by Bo's father-in-law and is well documented as selling Randalls. I have written statements from the 1944 buyer.
He removed the butt cap and took the following pictures. It's a near twin to my knife.
Joe D had seen the old pictures before.... and now mine. That's the only two that have surfaced. The assumption is that Bo was looking for a way to eliminate the nut and washer, since materials were in short supply during the war. The design is flawed... since the oval butt cap could not be tightened when the leather compressed. Bo went back to a similar method after the war with peened tangs. I know wonder if they were threaded, then locked by peening????
Enjoy!
This knife is a late 1943, early 1944, 8" fighter. It's in a Southern Saddlery sheath. Check out the label on the stone....cool.
The spacers are dead ringers for Springfields. Bo received Springfield materials as partial royalties payment from Larson, so this is completely possible.
It also has a brass spacer between the butt cap and the fiber spacers.
Here are pictures of my knife, along with a Springfield.
So, here is the story. The seller of my knife had seen a similar knife at the Tulsa Gun Show years ago. He contacted the owner to get the story on the 6" knife he had seen. The man bought the knife at Brown's Mens Store in Orlando prior to shipping out in March 1944. Brown's was operated by Bo's father-in-law and is well documented as selling Randalls. I have written statements from the 1944 buyer.
He removed the butt cap and took the following pictures. It's a near twin to my knife.
Joe D had seen the old pictures before.... and now mine. That's the only two that have surfaced. The assumption is that Bo was looking for a way to eliminate the nut and washer, since materials were in short supply during the war. The design is flawed... since the oval butt cap could not be tightened when the leather compressed. Bo went back to a similar method after the war with peened tangs. I know wonder if they were threaded, then locked by peening????
Enjoy!