"Schrade Factory Prototype"

[kootenay joe]

That is what the listing said, posted on ebay by Smoky Mountain Knife Works. SMKW probably handles more knives than any other dealer in the world. They know knives and have no need to false advertise. That said this knife bears no resemblance to any Schrade i have ever seen. However Schrade did make all kinds of short run special order knives. The longer you collect, the more Schrade 'oddities' you will see.
This fixed blade knife is unlike any other knife i have ever seen. OAL 9 1/2", handle 5 1/4", large double guard to protect your hand and an upswept blade similar to the old Green River skinners, except this one is razor sharp along both edges. The primary grind starts in mid blade and tapers equally to become very thin at both top and bottom edges both of which then have an edge grind. Both edges are 'scary sharp'.
I am willing to believe it came from the Schrade factory, but made by Schrade ??
And what could it possibly be designed to do ?
I hope some of the most experienced Schrade people will see this as it might tweak an old memory of this or similar knife being in the factory.
Great Mystery here i think !
kj

[orvet]

Although I was never at the Schrade factory I know many people who were. LT (lt632ret) said there were knives from every company there. Schrade would compare knives from other companies to their knives to see how the quality matched up. And no doubt if they ran across an interesting pattern they might pick one up to see if there is a some part of the design they could adapt and use in their line.

I could buy that the knife was found in the Schrade factory… That it is a knife made by Schrade is a horse of a different color.
That would need some sort of substantiation.

[Chase]

Dale,

I would agree...possibly came from the factory auction, however, I do not believe it was a Schrade knife.

LT was correct in saying that Schrade had a lot of other manufacturers knives that they did comparisons with. There is also an abundance of other manufacturers brochures such as Case, Kissing Crane, Camillus ect... I know as I have some of these documents in my files that came out of the Executive offices.

Tom

[kootenay joe]

Thank you gentlemen. I have thought it likely that Schrade had other manufacturer's knives 'floating around', so it's good to have that substantiated.
Now the question is: what purpose for a knife equally ground top & bottom edge with this upsweeping profile ?
Probably agricultural, perhaps for harvesting a specific plant ? so you could cut coming & going !
kj