What's interesting is that I've got three pinned wood handle knives, and have not seen any others.
:-)Rocky

Rocky, I would love to see pictures.

I went to a gun show today and all I got was a knife. It is a model 8-4" with a Johnson roughback sheath, it has a black 1/2 inch compass and thick red and blue spacers with thin white spacers. I think it belongs here as I think it is 70's vintage, but please correct me if I am wrong. It has some pitting, but isn't too bad, no stone with the knife though.
Is it ok to polish the hilt and sharpen it?

Thanks
Peter

Nice Peter,
Put "Flitz" or "Semichrome" on the whole knife, all of it. Rub-n-rub-n-rub real hard...repeat several times. Get some Johnson's hard wax (in a can) for wood. It's really good for everything. Apply it to the entire knife, including the sheath, liberally and rub-n-rub-n-rub. You'll love the outcome and it won't ruin any collectablility.
Good luck with it, Capt. Chris
PS: You don't need the wax on the "rough" part of the roughback sheath...CCS

Really good find. A great user especially if you go fishing.

Pap

Don't touch it. Send it directly to me. You really should get yourself a new one and not have to deal with polishing and sharpening and all that stuff

Rainy

Yo Peter!
Nice find! An old beauty!
Tony

Nice find Peter.

Peter -

In my experience, the knife could be early 70's, or it could be late 60's. I have found that in smaller knives made using 3/16" stock could have 7 spacers or the pattern you have. In fact, it appears the 7 spacer configuration may have been phased out in the late 60's in favor of your pattern. The other scenario it it was just a random selection depending on who handled the knife. I think the first scenario is more likely the case.

Personally, I don't polish knives as a general rule, and definitely don't polish the hilt. Nothing looks worse to me than having a nice vintage knife with a hilt that looks like a mirror. Keep the patina.

Don't worry Joe. It'll get "patina'd" up again. I think this knife could have been made up to & including mid 70's...That's when the extra "reds" went away. I don't remember a tight-stitched roughback of this look in the 60's? Perhaps the "late" 60's as you noted. I don't have any examples of this sheath from that early. Too bad, cause it's always good to have reference...Oh well. Nice old, original example at any rate. (It will still be original...even cleaned...and besides: It'll drive ya' crazy, Joe...a win-win).
Best, Capt. Chris
PS: Joe...Call me...CCS