Here's one for you....a what is it?

[Handlewithcare]

Fan Brand on Ebay. Straight Line Stamp, round shield. What say ye as to age?

[EyeBJoe]

My best guess is that the knife is an example of Schlieper knives that were contracted in the 1990's when the straight line stamping started showing up again along with the Fan etching. The round shield on this pattern also places it in that time frame. The pattern is a revival of an older pattern from the 60's and 70's, all of which I believe had a federal type shield. Still a nice knife and a good one for the collection.

Joe D.

[Colonel26]

I believe based on a couple things, that this is a Schlieper from the 70's to very early 80's. The round shield did come later on eye brand knives, but I'm not so sure it wasn't earlier on the fan brand line.

The reasons I think it's older are: the scales appear to be the older, more translucent celluloid. Also look at the pivot pins, they're steel. I'm thinking it was about 1984 or so when Sxhlieper knives went to nickel silver pins to match the bolsters. I have a Jim Bowie copperhead just like it with a Kentucky shield and the Jim Bowie etch from the 70's.

[Paladin]

I have been trying to kinda stand back and just lurk on this one. Ah well, so much for that. There are two types of round shields: 1st is this one that I call a plain round shield and the 2nd is the round logo shield.
I have never been sure when the plain round shield made its appearance. I have long theorized that it MIGHT be a parts-type knife but it is only guess work on my part. No real evidence of that as far as I know.
When I talked with long time broker of Eye Brands, James Marek about the round shield he told me that it first appeared in November, 1983 on the pattern #815. I ASSUME he was talking about the round logo pattern but in thinking back about the conversation it is hard to be sure.

Ray

[HiPower]

i started seeing these type eyes around 1990 at the gun shows. it appeared to myself that the blades & other components were very possibly surplus pieces from the old plant that had been assembled in the u.s. edge holding qualities certainly indicated blades from as early as the 60s & 70s. however this has always been a gray area for collectors.i believe this time period was when schliper started contracting out some patterns. obert was one of the major sources of many patterns made from later time periods.as many collectors know sometimes 1985 period & even later appeared with old shields from the 70s. german frugality was'nt concerned about collectors trying to date knives by appearance.HiPower

[EyeBJoe]

Good info. from Paladin, Colonel26 and HiPower. My reference to the round shield was to the plain round shield on this knife. The logo round shield did show up on some patterns introduced in the 1980's but I do not remember a plain round shield until the 1990's. There was also a four knife set commemorating the Texas Rangers with a round Texas Ranger logo shield that was introduced in the 70's. I believe Mr. Cruse forgot to get the permission of the Texas Rangers for the knives and they didn't last long. In all of my reference material, catalogs and cut sheets assembled through the 70's and 80's the subject knife was not part of the line imported by Cruse. If, in fact, it is a 90's vintage knife it was possibly introduced just prior to Cruse giving up the import rights or it was a Risener contract knife. Or, being a Fan Brand knife, it could have been produced for export to a country other than the U.S. HiPower's comment about German frugality is the best. Peter Schlieper and Walter Bruchhaus didn't really understand the collector mentality here in the U.S. during the 70's, 80's and early 90's, particularly with regard to the concept of specific dating or even a range with which to reference. Mark Cruse added specific dating on a few blade etchings in the mid 80's but I don't remember if there were any other specific blade stampings or etchings referring to dates beyond that. James Marek probably kept the best records of all of us on these subjects.