Schrade LB 7 Lockback knife serial number question

[rknarr3]

Hi,
I was on ebay and found a Schrade LB 7 who used the serial # 258575 to find that his knife was made in 1978.
I have a Schrade LB 7 serial # 68715 that I am working up a description to sell it and wanted to know whether or
not through reasoning that mine would also be from 1978 because my serial # 68715 is less than #258575.
Thank you for your assistance in this request.
Regards,
Robert Knarr

[bestgear]

Hi Robert - This might help identify your knife:

- The 1st serial numbers were four place digits. I currently have #4346 and #4479 for sale.
- Serial numbers up to 17693 were produced in 1977.
- Serial numbers 17694 - 334585 were produced in 1978 when 316,892 LB7's were made.
- Serial numbers 334586 - 785250 were produced in 1979 when 450,665 LB7's were made.
- Highest all numeric would be six places, 999999. I have currently have #176770, #210012 and #368995 for sale. The first million knives had no alphas and that point was reached some time in 1980. A total of 1,106,906 LB7's had been produced by the end of that year.
- When the single alphas were added, the serials still kept to six places max, so only 99,999 knives were made of each alpha. The lowest alpha that I currently have for sale is #B29808.
- When the rotation went to double alphas, the serials went to seven places. I've got #BB47756 for sale. Some time after this, the serialization ended.

Both of your knives (#258575 and #68715) were manufactured in 1978.

[philco]

Excellent information Tom.

Am I correct in understanding that the serial numbers were on the knives because Schrade warranted them against loss for the first year of ownership ?

[bestgear]

That's my general understanding Phil as well. I've also been told that when an LB7 is found without the serial number that it more than likely is a warranty claim knife which I've been told were returned without serial numbers.

[kootenay joe]

Tom, did you get these numbers from "codger_64" (M.L.) ?
I was following his LB7 research on BF until i got "Banned Forever" courtesy of "Blues", and the numbers at that time were a little different and not as complete as what you present here.
I have seen a 4 pin LB7 with serial: 952405 and the original sales slip dated Dec. 1981. It's neat when a collectible comes with such specific information.
Do you know when switch to "3 pin" occurred ?
Actually "4 pin" should be "3 pin" and "3 pin" should be "2 pin" because the spring pivot is not a handle pin.
kj

[orvet]

I am curious as to the source of information on pre 1978 LB7s.
1978 is the first mention I have seen of LB7 in any published Schrade literature.

I know of course that some would be made in 1977 for the annual sale show, but I don't see them in any of the sales literature prior to 1978.

[kootenay joe]

Dale i remember Codger posting the figure of 17,xxx for 1977 at least 7 or 8 years ago in BF. Seems they began production late in 1977. If you are able to communicate with Codger he would know how he got those numbers.
kj

[Ballenxj]

Hi Robert - This might help identify your knife:

- The 1st serial numbers were four place digits. I currently have #4346 and #4479 for sale.
- Serial numbers up to 17693 were produced in 1977.
- Serial numbers 17694 - 334585 were produced in 1978 when 316,892 LB7's were made.
- Serial numbers 334586 - 785250 were produced in 1979 when 450,665 LB7's were made.
- Highest all numeric would be six places, 999999. I have currently have #176770, #210012 and #368995 for sale. The first million knives had no alphas and that point was reached some time in 1980. A total of 1,106,906 LB7's had been produced by the end of that year.
- When the single alphas were added, the serials still kept to six places max, so only 99,999 knives were made of each alpha. The lowest alpha that I currently have for sale is #B29808.
- When the rotation went to double alphas, the serials went to seven places. I've got #BB47756 for sale. Some time after this, the serialization ended.

Both of your knives (#258575 and #68715) were manufactured in 1978.

Thanks, this will help me too. I bought my LB7 brand new in 1978 I think it was. Serial # 7100. Still have it.

[Lars0729]

Hi Robert - This might help identify your knife:

- The 1st serial numbers were four place digits. I currently have #4346 and #4479 for sale.
- Serial numbers up to 17693 were produced in 1977.
- Serial numbers 17694 - 334585 were produced in 1978 when 316,892 LB7's were made.
- Serial numbers 334586 - 785250 were produced in 1979 when 450,665 LB7's were made.
- Highest all numeric would be six places, 999999. I have currently have #176770, #210012 and #368995 for sale. The first million knives had no alphas and that point was reached some time in 1980. A total of 1,106,906 LB7's had been produced by the end of that year.
- When the single alphas were added, the serials still kept to six places max, so only 99,999 knives were made of each alpha. The lowest alpha that I currently have for sale is #B29808.
- When the rotation went to double alphas, the serials went to seven places. I've got #BB47756 for sale. Some time after this, the serialization ended.

Both of your knives (#258575 and #68715) were manufactured in 1978.

OK...one more time. This is all great information and I am using it as a "guide" knowing that dating is sometimes at best a guesstimate, but I am having trouble guesstimating two that I have; a 4 pin with SN Q1995 (pre-1981), and a 3 pin with SN U9038 (post 1981). I am trying to reconcile these numbering schemes with the guides provided by bestgear, and I am not seeing where these would fit. While I can find Schrade price lists, catelogs, and pamphlets, I am unable to find any source data for production numbers/years. Am I making a big deal of small things, or is this just some of those unexplainable anomalies from Schrade?