MAKER:   Schrade Walden

 

PATTERN:   Slim Premium Stock Knife #861

 

LENGTH (Closed):   4”

 

BOLSTERS:   Nickel silver

 

SHIELD:   Nickel silver federal shield

 

HANDLES:   Jigged Delrin®

 

BLADES:   Turkish clip, sheepfoot & spey blades of 1095 carbon steel.

 

LINERS:   Brass

 

TANG STAMPS:   SCHRADE/WALDEN/N.Y. U.S.A.             Rear:  861

 

CONDITION:   Very Good

 

DAMAGE:   Normal use and wear, the snap of the master blade is a little weaker than the other blades. The knife is over 50 years old and has been used and carried, but well cared for.

 

BLADE WEAR:   Approx 20%; clip blade is worn down approx ¼" from tip.

 

SNAP:   Good snap on all 3 blades though weaker snap on master blade as is typically the case with a knife this old.

 

 

 

MADE IN:   U.S.A.

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFO:     Schrade knives can be very difficult to date properly, but every once in a while one comes along that you can narrow it down pretty close to a specific year when they were made, and I believe this is one such knife.

 

There are 3 factors that help to date this knife:

 

1. The tang stamp says Schrade Walden. The SCHRADE WALDEN tang stamp was discontinued in June 1973 and replaced with the SCHRADE tang stamp.
2. The knife was built prior to the use of the Swinden key system of knife construction. Schrade Walden patented the Swinden system in 1961. Patent requires proof of concept and a working machinery to produce the patented product. It is probable that Schrade have the Swinden machinery producing knife handles well before the patent was granted in April 1961. Prior to the Swinden system Schrade Walden knives were made with “through pin construction;” a pin that went through the blades, liners and both bolsters. The pens are not visible in the Swinden system because they do not go through the bolsters. This knife is made with through pin construction.
3. This knife has Delrin® handles. DuPont was granted a patent for Delrin in 1956 but it was not until 1960 that they had a facility capable of producing Delrin® for large-scale production. Schrade Walden was one of the 1^st knife companies to use Delrin® in the production of knife handles.

 

 

 

This knife was made prior to June 1973 when the tang stamp was changed. It was also made prior to the introduction of the Swinden system in 1961 but it was made after Schrade began using Delrin® knife handles. This knife was probably made in the late 1960 or early 1961 after Schrade started using Delrin before they had switched the production over to the Swinden system. This knife occupies a unique niche in Schrade history. It is one of the few production Schrade knives that you can date with a reasonable degree of accuracy but doesn’t have a date stamped on it.

 

 

 

*By Purchasing, The Buyer Confirms It Is Legal For Them Purchase And Own This Knife.

 

Item # 20055