Orvet Customs

MAKER:   Imperial

PATTERN:   #4514 Sportsman Lockback

LENGTH (Closed):   4”

BOLSTERS:   Nickel silver

SHIELD:   Powderhorn Frontier Shield

HANDLES:   Gunpowder black handles (Delrin)

BLADES:   Locking

LINERS:   Brass

FRONT TANG STAMP:   FRONTIER (over Powderhorn)

REAR TANG STAMP:   4514/IMPERIAL/U.S.A.

BLADE ETCH:  LOCK-BACK/STAINLESS

CONDITION:   Near Mint

DAMAGE:   None noted, may have slight shop wear, also still has some hardened factory lubricant in the joint.

BLADE WEAR:   None

SNAP:   Good

MADE IN:   U.S.A.

ADDITIONAL INFO:      This knife is one of the many patterns In the Imperial Frontier Powderhorn series. There were four knives in the 45 series; all begin with the prefix of 45 and ended with 12, 13, 14 or 15. The 4512 had ivory colored Delrin handles, the 4513 had yellow colored Delrin handles, this 4514 of course has black handles and the 4515 has wooden handles. Aside from that the parts of the knives are pretty much interchangeable because they all are the same basic 45 model. The 4512 was made from 1977-1982. The 4513 was only made in 1977, making that the most difficult one to obtain if you want a full set. The 4514 with the black handles was made from 1977-1983 and the 4515 with hardwood handles, was not introduced until 1979 and was made until 1985.

The Frontier Series were designed very similarly to the Schrade Old Timers series and the 45 series was pretty direct, petition to the LB5 Schrade. Both Imperial and Schrade were part of IKAC, Imperial Knife Associated Companies, and they were essentially in competition with one another between the Schrade Old Timer series in the Imperial Frontier series. In 1984 Albert Baer purchased all of the outstanding IKAC stock and rename the company Imperial Schrade Corporation, (ISC). You will notice that the Frontier 4515 was canceled the year after Albert Baer took over the company. My theory is it was too much competition directly with the LB5 Uncle Henry. There were a number of patterns in sizes from the Frontier series that competed directly with the Schrade Old Timer series. There were 10 different Frontier folding patterns and seven fixed blade patterns. Within the 10 folding patterns there were 43 variations of handle material and blade combinations within the 10 patterns of the Imperial Frontier Series. None of those patterns were listed beyond 1985. My theory is Albert Baer wanted to get rid of them so he could concentrate on making and selling his Old Timer and Uncle Henry series.                        

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