All About Pocket Knives

Those woodies are easy on the eyes, Roland; thanks for showing them!
Here is one from the (early 60s?) Walden stamping days, but after they moved to Ellenville. Maybe Hal or someone will chime in and give the date range for those RAZORBLADE etches, as I can't remember it. I don't know if this knife ever made it to market or not; it is the only one I have ever seen, the stainless version of the common 147 Delrin knife. The sheath is a mystery, also; I wonder if this was a true prototype, submitted for approval, with a nice sheath added sometime over the decades? Anyway, it is true mint; there is not so much as a fingerprint on it.
Edit: I see it in the 1966 catalog. But not that sheath.

Cal, that is the finest 147 both knife & sheath, i have ever seen. You have a lot of 'best ever' examples stashed at your place.
kj

Got a USA made (I refuse to buy a Taylor Schrade product) 89OT Blazer for a whopping $15 off Ebay. I wanted an 8OT, but the longer, serrated sheepsfoot than the normal one on the Blazer was the icing on the cake. Can't wait to put it to work.

Seller's photo:
I keep hearing these are supposedly rare, correct?

"rare" is a term that lacks definition. I say the 89OT is not commonly seen but it is not truly rare.
With the angled picture one cannot properly assess the knife. I wonder if the master blade has been re-tipped ? Best way to tell is a picture looking down on the closed blades.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:"rare" is a term that lacks definition. I say the 89OT is not commonly seen but it is not truly rare.
With the angled picture one cannot properly assess the knife. I wonder if the master blade has been re-tipped ? Best way to tell is a picture looking down on the closed blades.
kj

The meaning or definition of rare, is: "not common."
I would say the Schrade 89OT is hard to find now-a-days in N.I.B. condition.
Maybe they were a commonly used knife, from 1989 to 1999 when they sold for $4 less than the 8OT.
Finding a good 89OT for less than $10, is also rare or uncommon. .. Ken

kootenay joe wrote:"rare" is a term that lacks definition. I say the 89OT is not commonly seen but it is not truly rare. kj

Listed in catalogs from '89 through '99. I have seen quite a few of these offered for sale this year.

koldgold wrote:Does anyone collect the smaller Schrade knives. Ken

I have a few of the smaller ones, including 2 72OT's that I carried for awhile.
They have been rotated out of the EDC line-up.

Also 12UH, 18OT, 108OT, 705UH all in the accumulation .....

royal0014 wrote:

koldgold wrote:Does anyone collect the smaller Schrade knives. Ken

I have a few of the smaller ones, including 2 72OT's that I carried for awhile.
They have been rotated out of the EDC line-up.

Also 12UH, 18OT, 108OT, 705UH all in the accumulation .....

I've got the 18OT.Actually a pretty nifty little liner lock.

Ken,

As you probably already know....I collect them all....LOL

Tom

tongueriver wrote:

kootenay joe wrote:"rare" is a term that lacks definition. I say the 89OT is not commonly seen but it is not truly rare. kj

Listed in catalogs from '89 through '99. I have seen quite a few of these offered for sale this year.

I fell the "89OT" is un-common, as I have 4 in my Schrade collection - when I have about 40 "8OTs" in my collection.
A quick look on ebay this morning, is showing 5 "89OTs", with the less expensive knife listed at US$ 85:00.
The same check on eBay, found 35 "8OTs for sale.
There is one used "89OT" listed for sale, and ten "8OTs for sale.
Maybe the 89OTs are not un-common.
However, the 89OTs are hard to find in mint or used condition, at a reasonable price.

Chase wrote:Ken,

As you probably already know....I collect them all....LOL

Tom

Sorry Tom, for even thinking you would not save small knives.
I forgot for a minute, you collect anything with Schrade stamped on it. Ken

Very true Ken....but Schrade USA

I believe you fit that mold as well my friend...lol

Tom

Chase wrote:Very true Ken....but Schrade USA

I believe you fit that mold as well my friend...lol

Tom

Tom,
My Dear Old Dad was an Engineer / Fitter and turner.
When I was about ten years old, my Dad showed me a bearing made in "USA".
He told me "anything made in "USA" was rubbish".
He went on to tell me, the Japanese made bearings after the war in "USA Japan"
Pointing to another bearing, he showed me the U.S.A. stamp - saying that is a stamp of quality, the other stamp is only a copy of quality.
Tom, my Dad was a very wise man, and passed his wisdom on to me -
I passed my Dad's knowledge on to my son....
That was a bad move, every time he needs a new EDU knife - he looks for it in my collection.
I tried to give him a new [2014] Schrade 8OT "Special Edition" knife.
You know what came next! were is the U.S.A. stamp on this SCHRADE, Dad?

Well you can't blame him for wanting a good knife....After all, you did teach him quality and he learned well. Now you just have to teach him that the collection if for collecting, education & preservation....not the shopping mall........LOL

I deal with my Grandson each time he visits, he always has to have time for the knife room. He wants to look at the knives and hold them. He is only 6 years old and he always reminds me of the knives he wants when he gets older. Funny thing is he has it stuck in head that he must have a Stag handled Fillet Knife (167 UH) for when he goes fishing......Stag not staglon. I am trying to tell him that the staglon would be better suited but, he won't budge...lol

Right now he is the only family that I have that shows any interest at all in the collection, although my granddaughter is starting to show some interest. Might be only because her big brother gets alone tine with me, or it might be true interest, we'll see.

We have to pass our love of the Schrade line along, or it will die a slow death and before long....nobody will be talking Schrade USA.

Tom

koldgold wrote: ...He went on to tell me, the Japanese made bearings after the war in "USA Japan"
Pointing to another bearing, he showed me the U.S.A. stamp - saying that is a stamp of quality, the other stamp is only a copy of quality.

That is an urban legend or myth and just ain't so. I can remember reading that nonsense 40 years ago and didn't believe it then, either. Here is the story:
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp

Nowadays, Japan produces some of the finest steel in the world and much of it is used by American custom knifemakers. I have a Japanese santoku kitchen knife that is unexcelled by anything from any other country, including Germany.

I have to agree with Tom about the interest in Schrade knives dying off. The prices they fetch on the open market has decreased immensely. Schrade knives have always appealed to the folks that carried them as youngsters, unfortunately the tactical knives are what the younger generation is interested in...not traditional folders. I see more Waldens and Cut. Co.'s on the Bay than ever before, which I assume are indications of knife collections being sold by heirs. I've heard that one of the main reasons Canal Street shut it's doors was because of the lack available craftsmen to replace retired workers. I have certainly noticed the decrease in notifications from AAPK that something new has been posted on the Schrade forum.

Here is my latest Schrade..just in from Herman Williams who replaced the wooden handles with antique German Elk/Stag

Wow, beautiful handle, superb looking Stag. You have significantly 'dressed up' this already impressive knife. My congratulations to Herman as well.
kj

Joe,
Herman found this stag in an antique shop in Virginia in the form of chandeliers. This stag is not nearly as dense as Sambar Stag, that plus addition of screw holes, I'm very lucky he was able to find large enough pieces to re-handle this NRA Bowie as well.

Beautiful again ! The picture showing knife with original wood handles shows a knife that to me is 'out of balance'. The blade has an intricate & interesting etch whereas the wood handle looks plain.
But after being 'Hermanized' with the Red Stag handle, the entire knife comes alive, the warm rich antler material is a good match for this intricate etch.
I have never seen a chandelier with stag in it, but i most see light bulbs and hardly ever see chandeliers.
kj

Joe,
I couldn't agree with you more. The handles really compliment the etching. The chandeliers probably looked something this.

Wow ! thanks for showing the antler chandelier. At one time i had enough elk drops to possibly make something similar, but the idea of how to use them never occurred to me. I gave them away to people who came to visit. If they happened to have a young son he would be so thrilled clutching his elk antler as they left.
kj

dweb1897 wrote:Joe,
I couldn't agree with you more. The handles really compliment the etching. The chandeliers probably looked something this.download.png

There is a man who makes those chandeliers a few miles from here. I also enjoyed looking here:
https://www.google.com/?ion=1&espv=2#q= ... 0furniture

Also, I believe Mark and Mike Hangas of Ruana Knives in Bonner, Montana will do some dickering on elk antler, because most of their knives have elk antler inserts. Only certain parts of the antler are suitable grade, as well as size for these inserts. I am a big fan of their knives and, of course, their Grandpa's knives. http://ruanaknives.com/

Sorry about the digression. That bowie is really something to look at!

I'm having a Craftsman kinda day today. Can anyone share some info or opinions on these two? The 9561 Electricians knife is the big brother of the 9560 which doesn't have the saw blade. The handle looks like a Schrade Walden 204S. The 3.25" Craftsman 95073 has scales that look like a Imperial Diamond Edge 383 and other Imperials. It's a good one for my 3.25" drop point blade, (855), collection. Don't think I've ever seen one before. Hope it cleans up nice.