Let's start this one off on the right track and keep it that way. Let's remember also these are knife sheaths, not state secrets we are talking here.

This is about a class of sheaths, Johnson BB's, a sub-class of the iconic Baby Dot sheath. Now granting that there is a large supply of HKL sheaths we will say made after the 1958 sale of the company making it the Heiser-Keyston-Lichtenberger (Saddlery) Company, there is also a secondary smaller supply of BB sheaths made by Maurice Johnson that by all accounts was a relatively short run. It is my opinion that MJ using HKL sheaths as a model, initially made a relatively close copy (not exact and limited by machinery and materials used) of the sheath which in a very short time, probably a matter of months, began to morph into the familiar Johnson Bay Dot sheath.

There is a camp of collectors that believes there is a distinct break or delineation between these sheaths that is so clear and concise that no variables exist. No sheaths that even might be questionable. To this camp there is no overlap period where Johnson was coming up to speed, making dies, getting leather, just setting up his shop. This camp wants the proverbial line in the sand drawn if you will. I am saying not so fast, and the answer may be a bit blurry.

No one had really put much time into this subject until the last couple of years, and much more so in the recent past. The old school of thought was an RMK stamp meant a MJ sheath and we were good with that. I think that position has been debunked and corrected to include a large sample of HKL sheaths made over a 3-4 year period from the late 50's into the early 60's. But some of the attributes when it comes the Heiser vs. Johnson debate, really two actually, that the detractors it seems solely base their position on is stamp orientation and snap location.

I will try and present photographic evidence that makes a case for some of what are determined to be HKL sheaths by some folks may in fact be early MJ BB sheaths. I have examined many but not all of the sheaths pictured so while a hands on examination is the best way to determine what is what, sometimes that isn't possible, so the photos will have to do. You can be the judge.