WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

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Paladin
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WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by Paladin »

Yep, in a pigs eye. I'll put a link at the bottom to this eBay sale. That particular stamp was used from the 1970s to 1981 and I am not really sure when the DRGM number dates to, but I feel sure it doesn't date to pre-WWII. This seller has 100% feedback but this listing really pushes the edge of the envelope.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCARCE-VINTAGE- ... SwxVpXMTOv

Ray
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Eye Brand Man
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by Eye Brand Man »

When ever I think I've seen it all. All I have to do is get on the bay! It always amazes me what some will put on the bay!
Its' like they think...hum I don't really know the history of this knife, so let me just make up something in my favor that sounds good.
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by Paladin »

Eye Brand Man wrote:When ever I think I've seen it all. All I have to do is get on the bay! It always amazes me what some will put on the bay!
Its' like they think...hum I don't really know the history of this knife, so let me just make up something in my favor that sounds good.
Ain't it the truth!
Maybe Joe Dobbs will stop in and tell when the sodbuster 1st showed up in the Schlieper inventory. 8)

Ray
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Mason
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by Mason »

I've seen this model listed before and am not sure what to make of it other than highly doubtful it is pre WWII despite the DRGM marking.
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by keithw »

Ray,

I saw that one too ::facepalm::
There is way too much BS in Ebay descriptions.
I don't know if it's ignorance or outright lying, maybe a little of both.
Keith
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by EyeBJoe »

Sorry to be late weighing-in on this one. Have been with old hunting friends at a reunion in west Texas for the weekend. The earliest evidence of the sodbuster style knife that I have in old catalogs and reprints was from a very early 1950's Fan Brand catalog. Of interest to me was that an Eye Brand catalog dated 1953 did not list the knife as within the line. My next available catalog was dated 1967 and two sizes of the knife were listed at that point. As to pre WWII, I am unaware of anyone who has catalog or marketing material dating from those years that could assist. My best guess is that the knife is post WWII and entered the line following the war when export to the U.S. was possible again.

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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by Paladin »

I have a friend who has several catalogs and his 1954 catalog did not list the sodbuster. He hasn't found his 1964 catalog yet but is sure within reason that the sodbuster is in that catalog. Makes sense in light of EyeBJoe's 1950s Fan Brand catalog with the sodbuster listed.

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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by kootenay joe »

LG4 lists Carl Schlieper as going back to 1769, but i have never seen a really old Schlieper knife by name or Eye Brand or Fan Brand or El Gallo. Even if there was no importer pre WW II some knives should have come to North America with the millions of immigrants following WW II.
I think this 4" Stockman is the oldest Schlieper knife i own. I do not have any Schlieper catalogs but perhaps someone who does could find dates for this knife.
If you know why there are no old Schlieper's around please post. I am sure there are other collectors wondering the same.
kj
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by kootenay joe »

Or this might be my oldest Schlieper which i think is from the 1960's. And i think my above Stockman is a 1950's knife making it the oldest. I am not certain these dates are correct so please post if correction needed. Thanks.
kj
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by EyeBJoe »

The 4 in. stockman is an interesting specimen among old Eye Brand knives. I have spent some time this evening reviewing my oldest catalogs that date back to 1950 and 1953. And, almost as expected, I found some contradictory information. That is, if we all continue to try to find specific commonality in Schlieper and Eye Brand cutlery, there seems always to be "exception to the rule". In the example of the above stockman pattern, the 1950 Eye Brand catalog does not depict the stockman with a bale included. As a side note and of interest to me was that on the page where the picture of the stockman was included, there was an added stamp below the picture (literally a stamp similar to an old fashion mechanical date stamp) that read "The sale of this pattern reserved in the whole U.S.A." The catalog pattern number for the stockman was S 2601/309.

Further reviewing my Fan Brand 1950 catalog revealed two stockman patterns that did include a bale on one end. One had square end bolsters and one with round end bolsters. The square end example, catalog number 2601/436, was offered only in a 4 in. size. The round end example, again catalog number 2601/309, was offered in 2 5/8 in., 3 1/4 in., 4 in., and 5 1/2 in. Therefore I believe Mr. KJ's knife would at least date to 1950. Now, since his knife is stamped with the "straight line" Carl Schlieper stamping and not the Fan Brand logo is a question to be answered perhaps by someone with more catalog info. or perhaps there is no specific answer. To add to the mix, I remember on my first trip to Solingen and the Schlieper plant in 1983 specifically visiting with the gentleman who was responsible for "Domestic Knives and Cutlery", meaning knives, scissors, razors etc. that were made for Germany and Europe. It is entirely possible that there were other variations of patterns and stamps for those markets that may have been cataloged differently than the catalogs for the U.S. That is conjecture only.

So, at any rate you have a nice find Kootenay Joe and an old one by Schlieper standards for sure. Also, the large finger guard folder, pattern no. 2608/29 is a great specimen of that knife. I found it only in the 1967 catalog. Just for fun I will include a little info. from a Dealer's Wholesale Price List No. 641 dated July, 1956. The 4 in. stockman was horribly priced at $43.20 per dozen. ::uc::


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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by kootenay joe »

Joe D, my sincere thanks for your post and the time you spent trying to find out about my stockman.
The stamped message: "The sale of this pattern reserved in the whole U.S.A.", does this mean for sale only in USA ?
In 1956 $43 per dozen was HUGELY expensive. USA made 'working knives' like a Schrade-Walden stockman would have sold for under $10 per dozen i believe. However there are always some people who will buy the most expensive item so one would expect to see this Schlieper Stockman from time to time, but mine is the only one i have ever seen.
Joe do you have any ideas as to why older Schlieper knives are never seen ? ( "older" = pre WW II )
kj
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by EyeBJoe »

KJ, I do believe the denotation in the catalog was intended to reserve that pattern for the U.S.A. I have no idea why that one knife would have been reserved in that manner or who made the designation. It really doesn't make much sense to me in that the stockman knife was reserved for the U.S. in the Eye Brand catalog and by simply adding a bale to it in the Fan Brand catalog the knife could evidently be marketed to all the countries that Schlieper cultivated for the Fan Brand logo. Once again, we all look up and say......."go figure". ::shrug::

The two 1950 catalogs and the 1953 version are small bound books that are difficult to copy without damaging them. I am trying to devise some way to reproduce them so that I could post them here on AAPK, along with the larger 1967 catalog. I'll work on it.


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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by EyeBJoe »

One question that I didn't have the answer for was why we do not seem to see Schlieper cutlery that predates WWII. I went to my best source in Mark Cruse and he did not have a definitive answer also. Knowing what he learned from his father and grandfather, each of whom was involved in importing the cutlery before Mark, he does not believe the cutlery was directly imported to the U.S. prior to Forest Cruse, Sr. (grandfather) contracting with Schlieper in 1952 for the exclusive rights to the U.S.


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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by kootenay joe »

Joe, thanks for this information. No importing before 1952 is a good explanation for the absence of vintage Schlieper knives in North America. Ebay Germany might have some vintage Schlieper.
I'm am getting way off original Sod Buster topic, but i will post this one here as this is the currently active Schlieper thread.
It's a tool kit. The knife blade is marked "Germany" and all 6 tools " eye logo with "C. Schlieper" arched over the logo and "Solingen" under the logo and under this "Germany".
The tools are solid ! as is the engagement in the handle end. you could tork on these as hard as on the 'dedicated' tool. Definitely the best quality tool kit i have seen.
Flap of leather holder has "Cowan" on it.
C. Schlieper was (is ?) every bit as much a tool maker as they were a knife maker. The tools were not imported to N.A. but they supplied much of the Far East via Singapore for many decades. You can still buy 'new old stock' Schlieper tools from an ebay seller in Singapore.
I assume this tool kit is from after 1952. More like 1970's is my guess.
kj
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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by EyeBJoe »

KJ, the tool kit is listed all the way back to the 1950's catalogs and continued into at least 1967. Model No. 2714/6. Other kits were offered that included a small hammer head, pliers, can opener and screw drivers. Nice find.


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Re: WWII Eye Brand Sodbuster

Post by kootenay joe »

Thank you Joe D. ! This is the only Schlieper tool kit i have seen. I will keep a look out for the other versions.
Schlieper put their pride of workmanship into making these tools. Definitely a notch above all the rest.
kj
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