Fred Bear Knife w/ Signature Imprint in Handle

[Wade Phillips]

Can anyone date this knife with the likeness of Fred Bear's signature imprinted into the wooden handle? I've seen a number of different knives made with a similar imprint. Guess I've seen everything from backpacks to tents bearing this likeness of Fred's signature. I don't collect this type of item, just happened to pick it up last year with a Bear Knife File & Stone Set.  

It is stamped OLSEN KNIFE Co SOLINGEN GERMANY. It has an aluminum pommel & tang. The bright shinny blade has been sharpened. Back side of leather sheath is stamped MAKE IN GERMANY. Leather strap for tang is missing

[johnnyrazorhead]

Wade,
I've got a couple of those myself.They are shown in a Bear catalog sometime in the later 1970's I believe.I would have to look my catalogs to be certain.

[Wade Phillips]

John - Let me know if you find it. I love looking through Bear Catalogs from the 1930s up to 1974. From 1975 on, just don't care to page through them and see those mechanical contraptions.

[jester]

Wade - Solingen is a town in Germany famous for its knife and blade making industry that goes back as far as the late middle ages. Quite a number of companies still exist there, from high quality handmade custom forgers to market leaders in knifes and cutlery.
But afaik Olsen was a US company based in Howard City Michigan selling knifes of own and contracted production.
Probably they had a license from BEAR and then contracted some German company for the actual production. But that's just a guess, since I had never seen a FRED BEAR knife before.

On the other hand, I seem to remember seeing boots with the signture logo?!?!?

[Rick Enos]

Wade,Advertised in 68-69...I just picked up the survival model the largest of the group.

[Rick Enos]

Wade,I love these things.I only have one right know looking for more.Here is a pic. of the Survival knife.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Wade,
Rick is correct.I just looked in a 1868 Bear catalog I had nearby and they are in there advertised as "new" so I'm assuming that 1968 was the first year they were catalogued.

[Wade Phillips]

Rick and John, you guys are correct. I really screwed that up. Guess I am just getting lazy. I looked as far as page 29 which has the Fred Bear Bowhunter's Kit and never turned to the last inside page of the catalog. I made the mistake of assuming all the knives would have been with the Bowhunter's Kit. I may be too poor to pag attention anymore.  

Wow - There are a bunch of those knives pictured. This one is #7793 and has 6 large notches on the back like it is pictured in the catalog.

Rick - I'll bring this one to Compton, is it worth anything ?

Jester - I knew of the fame of Solingen knife making from collecting WWII German Paratrooper Gravity Knives. There was even a broadhead with Solingen Germany stamped on the blade, the Arrowsmith.

[Rick Enos]

Maybe we can deal at Compton.

[Wade Phillips]

I'll bring the knife. Anything else you are looking for that I might be able to bring?

[Rick Enos]

Cant think of anything.I'll be there thursday morn. If you need any help setting up let me konw.

[Tom I.]

I always thought the knives packaged with the broadhead file and stone were made by Puma.  ???
Tom I.

[Rick Enos]

Tom,I believe the early sets were puma.Most of the later sets were Western 648s.We are talking about a differant Bear Knife.

[mullet]

Who ever made them, those are some Butt ugly knives.