Help With Green Bone Schrade

[vfdsrneat]

I home that as a new member I am not wearing out my welcome but there is a lot to learn about pocket knives and this is a great place to get some schooling. As some may have seen from my previous posts I recently acquired a collection from an estate and the item in question today is a Schrade Uncle Henry 285UH trapper with green bone handles. I don't know if it left the factory that way or was done at a later time. It has been suggested that perhaps it was done in latter days of Schrade USA operations when the were trying to assemble all the inventory that was available at the time. Either way it is a beautiful knife. Any speculation, discussion, or information you might have would be very much appreciated.
Blessings,

[treefarmer]

vfdsrneat, interesting username!
That is a nice looking knife and how it got those handles is probably an interesting story. Not an expert by any stretch, but I don't recall seeing an UH folder with smooth bone handles. They seem to always be wood or stag looking delrin, maybe some are real stag . Hopefully one of the Schrade collectors will give a better answer.
Again you have a great looking UH Trapper!
Treefarmer

[vfdsrneat]

Treefarmer, Thank you for the kind words! Variable Frequency Drives Are Neat if your job is industrial automation and control.

[terryl308]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I believe this is what your knife started out as and has been rehandled. They had "staglon" type handles. Maybe Orvet will get involved in this post, he is the expert on Schrades. Still nice looking trapper! Terry

[jerryd6818]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I believe this is what your knife started out as and has been rehandled. They had "staglon" type handles. Maybe Orvet will get involved in this post, he is the expert on Schrades. Still nice looking trapper! Terry

Welcome to AAPK Mr. Variable Frequency Drives. Glad to have you aboard.

Expert = Has Been Drip Under Pressure

[terryl308]

Forgot to welcome you to AAPK! If your knife is a EOD knife (end of day) I would have thought they still would have put their "Uncle Henry" shield on it? I hope you get some good info on it soon. Terry

[danno50]

I believe that is one of the Schrade Heritage series? I have a whittler with the same bone. I will post a picture as soon as I can dig out the knife and my camera. I believe that Levine's has a fairly complete listing of Schrades, that includes the Heritage series? I will take a look for that as well.
Dan

[gsmith7158]

VFD
Since Schrade used bone on just afew knives after 1960 , I'm going to make awild guess and say that was done after it left the factory. We will get a schrade authority stopping by here before long to let us know for sure.

[danno50]

According to Levine's 5th: The Schrade "Heritage" Series was a boxed set of six knives (stockman, junior stock, barlow, muskrat, whittler and trapper) which were available in brown, green or red bone and came out in 1983. I have a whittler, photos below. Mine was a second and hence the X's through the tang stamp. The seller I bought it from claimed it was from the Heritage series. Mine is also tang stamped "Heritage", which I see yours is not? Not sure if the bone colour is the same or not, either, I am a little colour blind.
Dan

[treefarmer]

Learn something everyday, the Heritage Series . Dan, your knife probably falls in the red bone color, where vfdsrneat's is green.
What's going on with the tang stamp, looks like two X's over the stamp ?
Treefarmer

[orvet]

What's going on with the tang stamp, looks like two X's over the stamp ?
Treefarmer

That means it is a second.


There were a lot of stuff that was irregular which left the factory just before they closed.
I have never seen any smooth bone Uncle Henry knives that came that way from the factory, have them listed in any of the catalogs or flyers that Schrade published.
Without having the knife in my hand is difficult to say for sure, but I suspect the bone was probably put on that knife after it left the factory.

[vfdsrneat]

WOW!!! I am floored by all of the wonderful responses to my post! The knife is certainly an interesting one but the conversation is a bigger treasure to me. I hope that the photos are decent enough to provide an accurate portrayal as to the appeal of the knife.
Blessings,

[danno50]

Dale, are you saying that both the knives have likely been rehandled, or just the OP knife? On pages 168 and 169 of Levine's 5th there is a list of Schrade Limited Edition Knives, says it was compiled by Debbie Chase and Craig Henry (never heard of either of them myself?). The Heritage Set (sorry I originally said series) is listed as coming out in red, green and brown bone (as I previously said) in 1983. As mine is a second (bought it to carry), I assumed that the handles were original as I couldn't see anyone rehandling it with those big X's through the tang? The OP knife is not likely one of the Heritage set as it is not stamped as such, however, looking at the type of bone (though not the same colour), hafting and pins (especially the conical fashion in which the spring pins on both knives are done) led me to believe that it was quite likely of somewhat the same vintage? Sorry, don't mean to be argumentative, you are the Schrade expert, just raising some points I was pondering. If you would like to take a look at my knife, I would be very happy to send it to you.
Dan

[Darksev]

Dan, your knife looks like a legitimate factory second to me. The handles and bolsters are the right design and color to match up with the Heritage stamp. Likely there was just something small "off" about the knife that got it marked as a second.

The OP's knife, the stamp is from a standard Uncle Henry trapper. While they did make trappers in flavors other than Staglon, they were stamped with something other than the "UH" pattern number (examples being the SC stamps for scrimshaws, Heritage stamps, USA LTD stamps for special additions, etc)

That leaves you with a couple options. The most likely of which is an aftermarket rehandle of a run of the mill UH trapper. (keep in mind there are ALOT of factory fresh schrade scales floating around auction sites. There is always the possibility someone picked up a legitimate set of green bone heritage scales in the rough, without the shield cutout, on Ebay, and added them to a readily available UH) To me the rocker pin looks hand peened and buffed, not factory spun

[Shearer]

How about the wrong blade was fitted
No shield as classed as a second.
Than sold because they did not like waste.

Grant

[danno50]

Adam, when I magnify the third and fourth pictures of the original post, the rocker pin sure looks spun to me? It is perfectly round, has that pointed peak right in the middle. The pics also show a bit of a shadow around the base of the pin that makes it look like a bit of a raised edge (not sure how exactly to put this?). It looks to me like miniature coulee hat, very conical with a point in the middle. I looked at all of my Schrade knives and the rocker pins on all of them look just like that. The rocker pins look exactly the same on the mark side and the pile side and I have a hard time imaging someone peening both sides and there not being some noticeable difference from side to side.
However, I have never either peened or spun a pin, so if you still say peened and buffed, I cannot argue.
Regards
Dan

[Darksev]

maybe it's just the way the light is reflecting off them that made me see some facets in the pin head. Most of my bone schrades are spun down pretty tight against the bone as well, those look to have gaps under the heads. Either way, they're done nicely.

As for fitting the wrong blade, double bolster trappers were swinden built knives. It would have been both blades, the center liner and both springs that were wrong, as they are a permanently attached set. The then "snap" into an outer set of liners/bolsters and scales that were pre-finished, except for the rocker/assembly pin and a final polish. If those handles were meant to have a shield, they would already have had it prior to assembly, and they don't match up with any production model frame and covers that I've seen.

It could always be a 2004 parts knife I guess. but if it is, someone really went back to the parts pile in a random way and pulled some old Heritage Green bone (pre-shield cutout for sure,), fitted them to a non-heritage set of liners and bolsters, and put an Uncle Henry blade pack in them.

[gsmith7158]

Dan o that looks to be peen mark in the pile side of the Op knife from my vantage point..

[jerryd6818]

Idea for a new TV show. "Knife Detectives"

[kootenay joe]

Most likely this is an 'End Of Daze' knife put together when employees were instructed to assemble as many knife parts as possible into completed knives. The knives did not have to match any of the regular Schrade knives.
The smooth green bone looks similar to what was used for a run in the Heritage series. The dye has not penetrated evenly so this bone was passed over when the Heritage were being made (1983 & 85 ?) The blade the assembler picked out of a bin just happened to be a second but so what as long it fits ? The instructions are to assemble ALL knife parts that be made into a knife, any knife, it does not have to be 'Schrade correct'.
Other explanations are possible but i think End Of Days is most likely.
kj

[gsmith7158]

Idea for a new TV show. "Knife Detectives"

That might be a bigger hit than The Keystone Kops.

[terryl308]

Idea for a new TV show. "Knife Detectives"

Would be a bigger hit than "forged in fire". Terry I think what this post boils down to, is that no one knows for sure when or how this knife was made since Schrade made knives not records. a lot of educated guessing going on though! interesting piece however,

[danno50]

Adam, thank you for the detailed response to my continued query. I do see what you and gsmith are calling facets or peen marks, which I originally thought were highlights or artifacts of the photography? I interpreted the gaps around the base of the rocker pins as shadows created by a very slight vertical rise around the base of the pins? You guys (Adam, gsmith and orvet) do beautiful work with knives and I will quit questioning your judgement. I apologize, I must seem like a dog shaking a rat.
Kj postulated an interesting theory which I quite like. However, I am now retiring from the discussion, I did enjoy it though.
Regards to all
Dan

[kootenay joe]

I 'lived' in the Schrade forum at BF for at least 3 years. Adds up to seeing a wide range of EOD knives. They could be specifically collected for exactly what they are: the last ever of Schrade USA knives. Because most are not correct to a Schrade pattern, they need to be in their own group. They are a well made Schrade USA knife with good steel and make for a good knife to use.
kj

[vfdsrneat]

There does seem to be a lot of speculation and discussion about this knife. I have really enjoyed the camaraderie displayed among the group.
Now, here's the thing. I recently purchased an estate collection that this knife came out of. Although I sincerely enjoy reading the history and I have learned quite a bit from the experience, I have no desire to hold on to the bulk of this collection. This knife belongs to someone that would care well for it. That being said, I would like a AAPK member to have this knife. How best can this be handled? Can I send the item to an admin and have them put it in a give away raffle or maybe auction it off and donate the proceeds to a member in need or ???
Help a guy out here!
Blessings,