Help me identify this old knife

[Mekaniks]

I was recently gifted this old knife and would like to identify the manufacture. The only tang stamp is the horseshoe over a hammer. I have done all the google searches and can't come up with anything.

It looks a lot like a vintage Western in style and leather stacked handle with steel, or maybe aluminum, spacers. But Western has never used that tang stamp that I can tell. The case even says Western but I am not convinced that it is the original case for the knife since the case appears to be more for a straight knife design, although its does fit well.

The story with the knife goes that it belonged to my great grandfather and used to hang with a Winchester 94' (which I have also) in his gas station in Spokane, Wa and he would rent the rifle with the knife to folks that wanted to go elk hunting in the area. He owned the gas station from the early 1920's until 1952 when he retired, so best guess is that the knife dates to sometime in that range.

Anyway I hoping that maybe a vintage knife expert or internet search enthusiast can come up with something???

It measures 9 3/4" OAL and the blade is 5 1/4".

 

[375er]

That one has stories to tell for sure!!

 

[freefall]

Go to Bladeforums.com, somebody there will line you out.

 

[Tgood1]

I wish that knife, and rifle, could talk, awesome

 

[Ridgewalker]

The sheath appears to be a Western Cutlery, but I am not aware of a knife they made that looks like that. I only know this because I worked for Western Cutlery for 3 years before moving back into the high tech industry.
Western was the oldest knife company west of the Mississippi. Harlow Platts was the founder. He was married to one of the Shrade, I believe it was, daughters. He had asthma so moved from the humid east to Boulder, Colorado where he started Western Cutlery off of Marine Street.
It was a successful company until the Coleman company bought it. Harvey Platts (Harlow’s son) was getting old and no one in his family was interested in running the company. Coleman approached Harvey taking the company and then sucking a large amount of profits off (typical big corp situation).
I moved on shortly after Sheldon Coleman died and rumors of Jr selling the Coleman Corp to a wealthy Wallstreet commodities trader. The trader eventually broke up Coleman selling off the smaller divisions to pay off his debt.
Today I don’t believe anyone ever bought the Western Cutlery name only the tooling and equipment.
Best of luck finding out about the knife!

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’m trying, I’ve seen that stamp

 

[Mekaniks]

I’m trying, I’ve seen that stamp

I thought I have seen it also....but can"t find it....It may be a prior to 1920 stamp before they were really worried about patent stuff.

It would be really cool if it's an early Ruana... but I don't think so

I have been searching the European stamps. They were more into simple stamps without words but haven't found anything there so far either.

 

[nztimb]

Go to Bladeforums.com, somebody there will line you out.

Or the bladesmithsforum.com