Here are a couple from my collection mainly to show the difference in whether knives are used or kept.
The bottom one is of a style that has been around for a long time and was more than likely kept in someones pocket and used very little. It doesn't look like it has ever been sharpened.
It was made in the 1940s by Kent of New York
The top one is a home made corn knife from Mexico that has obviously seen a lot of use. It was made around 1975 and I aquired it in 1978. It has seen nothing but the inside of a drawer since.
35 years difference in age and a world of difference in use
It's amazing what one finds when doing research.
On page 153 of 'Cowboys and Trappings of the Old West" is an example of a knife that looks surprisingly like the top one in the picture I posted.
I guess I need to look at the books I have a lot closer :-[