Check out the sheath on the left as compared to a known Johnson brown button on the right: 1. Construction / workmanship very similar . 2. Major differences being the snaps, no Randall stamp on the back and "slightly" thicker leather. 3. Interesting similarity: Number stamps on the back.
I've held onto this one because of the "possibility" that it might be a sample Johnson sent to Bo before he was hired on.
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Ron Mathews RKS No. 4223
I remember that one. It sure has Johnson characteristics, but the stitching visible on the photo of the back is horrendus. Maybe they just had a hard time getting the stone pouch to mount properly on that one. Perhaps it is the earliest of Johnson's work? Hard to say.
Quote: To further this discussion a bit, two photoraphs come to mind. One is in Gaddis on page 169 of an old Ward Gay Special. I used to own one like it and it was my first hands on exposure to a Stockman sheath, at least one I surmised was a Stockman.
Good find, Shel. Since we know that Johnson made sheaths for other knife companies, that may well explain why no brown buttons or Randall logo stamp on the back. Poof goes my sample theory
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Ron Mathews RKS No. 4223
There is no Johnson logo either and we know he used a stamp. Johnson acquired his stamp (that was very similar in appearance to the RMK stamp) sometime after acquisition of the RMK stamp to distiguish sheaths made for other knife makers from RMK sheaths and maintain name recoginition for himself.
Ron, I wouldn't necessarily say it "poofs" your theory.