Uhhh, I wasn't kidding for those that might have thought I was. 1962.

Zaktly how do you nail it down to the year?

Sheath. It could have slipped into maybe early1963 but no later

David,
Did you count leap years?

:-)Rocky

I have been asked to further explain my reasoning for the 1962 date.

Johnson was making some sheaths for RMK by mid 1962 and was up to full production in short order, 6 months or so. Initially he was using brown buttons. By late 1962 to early 1963 (Gaddis) the switch was made to baby dot snaps and he was up to full production by this time.

The last shipment of HKL sheaths arrived at the shop in 1962. This knife probably could have been delivered in one of those if any were in stock.

Now there was not a huge demand that early for the model 14 as Viet Nam was yet to really crank up. So it is likely imo, that the knife was probably delivered in 1962. Could it have slipped into 1963, sure. But there is not an abundance of double brown button sheathed knives (14, 15, 18) out there, far less than canteen snap sheaths.

As I sit here I don't know if I recall seeing any of the 50's era Solingen blades such as the one under discussion in a baby dot split back. Maybe I have, it just doesn't strike me right now. If that is the case, then it further supports it being 1962 to early 1963.

As for the stamp on the back, Johnson was copying his examples which were HKL sheaths that were stamped in that location. He soon began stamping them on the front.

This knife just sold on eBay for $385. Same photos from this post was used. My guess is a scam auction. It was auction 254513382864.

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but thought it might help someone.

Joe are you convinced that this is a Johnson and not an HKL?

I really don't want to go over this again, but the thread was resurrected after four years.

It is an HKL. Back when this debate was going on, it was easier to say RMK logo'ed sheaths were Johnson sheaths, as it had been forever really. No one seemed to really care, and it was easier for many collectors to have a line in the sand if you will between the manufacturers.

The crux was weather HKL had an RMK stamp. We were always told that the shop never stamped sheaths. So, the only alternative was HKL did in fact have a stamp. But, one employee who worked at the shop during the early 60's said HKL did not have a stamp, and the sheaths came from Johnson. So, this further muddied the water.

In the end, I somewhat explained this in the article from 6-7 years ago I guess. I intimated at the time that these were Heiser made sheaths. At the bottom, I wrote a little follow up in early 2015.

http://www.rmkcollector.com/the-randall-collector/a-johnson-sheath-footnote-part-iii

I never really wrote part IV. I will at some time.

To the best of my knowledge, Johnson never made a lift-a-dot sheath. Heiser/HKL made only a handful of double brown button "C" sheaths like the one pictured in this thread, as the winds of change were in the works for an RMK sheath supplier.

Wow

Ok Joe calm down. I thought you were saying that this sheath was made by Johnson. I thought it was an HKL. Just verifying.