Western Cutlery L66 Sheath Knife

[Almtnman]

I've had an old Western Cutlery L66 sheath knife for years and it's always been my favorite knife to carry hunting and skin a deer or most anything else I needed to cut. I could get a razors edge on it with just a few strokes of the DMT hone I use. It seems to have grown a set of legs and walked off and I sure would like to have another one like it. Anybody on here got one that they would like to sell or trade?

I just ordered a new knife that has the same blade design.

[Graybeard]

I'm not much of one to sell knives even tho I often do guns. What is the L66? I have a couple of Western sheath knives one from the days I was a teenager and another from perhaps 20+ years back but have no clue the model numbers or names of either.

What does the knife you mention look like?

[Almtnman]

If you have ever seen one of the Marble's Woodcraft sheath knives, it looks exactly like one of them. The Western knife is no longer made and I often wonder if Marble's made it for them as they look alike. I have found a Marble's Woodcraft knife and I will probably get one of those as it's basically the same knife. The blade is wide and looks like a skinning knife with a sort of upside down drop point looking design.

The Western L66 looks like this Marbles knife except the Western has an aluminum pommel.
 
Here's a couple of pics of my Marble's Woodcraft knife.

[Graybeard]

My old knife I got as a knife and hatchet set as a boy looks much like that. As I recall both have similar grips made from alternating dark and light disks stacked up to form the handle. Might that be similar to the knife you're talking about.

I'd guess I've owned that set for at least 50 years and likely it could be longer. I can't recall exactly when it came by way but I think it was a Christmas present one year as a young lad showing an interest in hunting.

I've not seen anything like it for sale in over 20-30 years. That would likely be a hard one to replace. It's probably the oldest thing I still own from my youth.

[Almtnman]

I just ordered the same knife that I have in the photo above. It's a Marble's Woodcraft with black Pakkawood handle and stag pommel and comes with the sheath that is pictured. Got it from Smoky Mountain Knife Works for $69.99 plus shipping. Should be here in a few days. Maybe I can get a nice deer and try it out. But first, I will work on the edge and hone it to where I find it desirable.

I ordered the Marble's knife late Thursday and it came by UPS today, so the Smoky Mountain Knife Works really gets their products shipped in a hurry. The quality of the Marbles knife once I got it in my hands is about the best that I have seen. The blade is so sharp that it felt like a straight razor. The overall quality is very good and the leather sheath is very well made and sturdy. I would recommend the Marble's Woodcraft knife to any outdoorsman. Also stamped clearly on it right underneath the Marble's brand name is USA.

[nodlenor]

Western knives can be purchased on E-Bay. The company has been sold a few times and I'm not sure who owns the name now. Coleman owned them at one time but I'm not sure if they still do.

[Joel]

Camillus bought the name, but they're gone now also. 

[Almtnman]

I think that there is only a couple of knife makers that still makes knives here in the U.S., the rest of them are imports from China. I have an old Schrade Uncle Henry Golden Spike knife that I bought in Georgia back about 1983 and it has U.S.A. stamped on it. But now Schrade knives have been bought out by another company (Taylor) and all of the new Schrade knives are made in China.

I sure do miss all those old carbon steel blade knives of our past.

[Graybeard]

Bear Cutlery still makes knives in Jacksonville, AL and their plant is just a short few miles away from me. Each fall in November they have a community knife sale event where they offer factory seconds as well as new production first quality at reduced prices. I've bought a lot of knives from there thru these sales over the years and given many as gifts.

They make knives for many different brand names other than there own. I have to of the old Schrade Sharp Finger knives I picked up back in November and saw some with the Schrade name on them. I've seen many different brand names marked on the seconds I've bought over the years. From what I know of them they seem to be one of if not the largest US maker still in business and are practically right in my yard so to speak.

http://www.bearandsoncutlery.com/

[Almtnman]

Bill, have do you find out about when they have those community sales? I would like to drive over there the next time they have one.

[GBO MGMT]

IE shut me down earlier and that wiped out my ability to see "what's new since last visit" which is the ONLY way I view the site. So the only way I was able to get back to that was to go to this hardly ever used user name. DON'T anyone try to PM me at this one or I'll maybe never see it.

The sale is usually the first or second weekend in November. They put up signs all over the area to let folks know and we usually see them in time but we also are registered with them and they send us a card to let us know the dates. I'm sure you could call or e-mail them and get registered with them so they'll send you out a card as well.

I would say I'll let you know but with my CRS I'll likely forget. If you don't get registered with them just try to remember early November and in late October ask me and I'll give you the date as soon as I know it that way but in all honestly I'll almost certainly forget before then that you want to know. So wait until really late October to ask me.

[Almtnman]

I checked the link to their site that you added and sent them an email from there asking about it. Maybe they will send me a card also or at least let me know.