1977 Western Cutlery W49 Bowie with brass finger guard modification and lanyard hole. This was the last year that Western knives were produced in Boulder, Colorado. The factory was moved to Longmont, Co. the following year, 1978.

1977 was also the first year that an alphabetical dating code was implemented. Beginning with the letter "A" and continuing for the next 15 years ending in the letter "O". Western Cutlery was sold at auction to Camillus in 1991 (Western was owned by Coleman 1984-1991).

This knife will undergo another modification shortly. That being the sharpening of the false edge of the swedge and lowering the tip somewhat, ala Bill Bagwell's suggestions which are roughly as follows:

The Guard,

Cut the ends of the guard off at the point where top and bottom bend to make the “S” curve. Finish the ends off by filing, sanding, polishing.

The Blade,

Starting about 3/8 of an inch forward of the guard, the blade should be narrowed in progressive taper until it’s 1 7/8 inches wide at the point where the clip starts across the widest part of the cutting edge. You can use a file or a grinder but be careful not to overheat the blade.

The Point,

The point is carried to high and needs to be dropped. Using a File or bench grinder lower the point ½ inch. Do not overheat the blade if you use a grinder. The unaltered blade measured ~9.5 inches from the front of the guard to the point. The modified version should be ~9 inches long.

The clip,

The original W49 clip point is not sharp so using a file rough the profile and finish with you favorite sharpener.

The Handle,

Use a file to thin and round the sides and ridges of the handle until they feel comfortable to you. Spend some time here there is plenty of material to work with. Do not remove the handle hook.

He suggests performing the modifications in the above order.

(The above instructions were posted in 2006 on another forum by a member named Bors. - Thank you for your research!)