Timberline knives

When I was about 13 years old back in the early 80’s I was crazy about survival knives like most kids after watching First Blood. Some kind of way I ran across an ad for knives built by Vaughn Neely of Timberline Knives out in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. I sent off for a catalog and Vaughn Neely wrote me a letter and included one of his catalogs. He had some hollow handle knives like the Jimmy Lile knives from the movie. He also had a small fixed blade knife with removable scales that held survival items. I always thought that was the coolest knives ever. But it cost about $350 back then and that was a little ( or a lot ) out of my range.

I recently came across one of his knives on EBay and bought it. I asked the seller if it had the compass and items in the handle. He said it only came with what was in the pictures which was just the knife and the sheath. I bought it anyway and after receiving it took the scales of the knife and all the items were still sealed in plastic behind the scales. I don’t think he has even ever removed the sides.







It has a small razor blade shaped like an arrowhead that is made for removing the side scales. Inside is a compass, snare rope, fishing line, lead weights, fishing hooks, leader, and a dry fly. Also has a fire starter in the sheath.
Vaughn Neeley a former green beret started the company with Jim Hardenbrook. Jim died a few years later in a hunting accident when he fell from his horse and was impaled by one of his Arrows. The company was later sold. The Timberline name was still used making some cheap knives that were not the same as the handmade knives that company was famous for. Took me about 40 years but I finally bought one.