Each maker/contractor formerly had a small mark....if you look at the photo, the little diamond is the maker mark.

Impossible to tell without magnification (and sometimes not even then, given how wood grain crushes), but the diamond has a J and A inside it (probably why later changed to more visible mark so they knew which contract run had a problem or whatever), the Jack Adams mark.

I assume the phenolic handles impossible to stamp legibly, so blades are instead stamped on them. Both of the knives you posted are later J Adams marked knives, the wood handled version has JA spelled out completely in large letters, visible even with blurred zoom, would have been impossible with early diamond mark.




I just bought that black one you posted, I remembered that company includes shipping in price, and i DO like the later tip for stabbing, and DID just give my own black one with box to sis just last night while visiting her, for her to stash in her car....as she told mom, when I gave it to her, "i LOVE cool tools!", and i was already missing mine. What is dumb is that I gave it to her while thinking I really do not need two of these MOD knives. And the old wooden one is made far nicer and is a forever keeper back from my days of needing such a knife in the military. But I immediately started missing that sharper deeper grind point on the crude black one, and although the wood has held up fine to temperature extreme abuse for decades, the phenolic is perfect for such abuse,.... but only AFTER i gave it away, did i think about any of this. All I can say is......DUH!

The photo shows maybe what I mean about the tipping on newer styles, anyhow, by way of excuse on buying another one the day after I gave away my last one.......riighht....anyhow, the kind of knife that gives one the urge to stab a car door to death.