All About Pocket Knives

Can any of you Shrade collectors identify approximately when this might have been made?

That tang stamp was reputedly used from 1956 to 1988. Don't take my word for it but I would guess 1956 to 1962.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:...I have a number of walden 808's with the black synthetic peachseed and worked liners (pre swinden knives). One is an early stamp on all blades that is dead minty, and another is minty with the sw usa stamp and pattern number. The rest are in used condition but good. I also have an 820 which is the same but with wood handles. A bone one has eluded me so far. I'll try to snap a group shot later...

Looking forward to seeing them!

Thanks Cal.

Sweet bunch of 808s here! I'm hoping to add one to my collection at some point. The closest I have at the moment is this 809M. Same knife but the sheepfoot is replaced with a nail file.

I like it!

jxr1197 wrote:Sweet bunch of 808s here! I'm hoping to add one to my collection at some point. The closest I have at the moment is this 809M. Same knife but the sheepfoot is replaced with a nail file.
IMG_5911.jpgIMG_5912.jpg

Nice! I think I have one of those as well, with plastic peachseed.

My collection started with an 809M that was given to me after my Uncle passed. I've always liked the name of the knife...The Esquire

The 1st and 3rd are both stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. and 809M Stainless on the reverse but it's obvious that 2 different stamps were used
The 4th one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. but has no model # or Stainless on the reverse
The 2nd one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. and has no model # or Stainless on the reverse but the backsprings have some extra jimping The printing on the box reads SCHRADE WALDEN over THE WORLD'S FINEST KNIVES

Nice set dweb.

dweb1897 wrote:My collection started with an 809M that was given to me after my Uncle passed. I've always liked the name of the knife...The Esquire

The 1st and 3rd are both stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. and 809M Stainless on the reverse but it's obvious that 2 different stamps were used
The 4th one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. but has no model # or Stainless on the reverse
The 2nd one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. and has no model # or Stainless on the reverse but the backsprings have some extra jimping

All this variation on a knife that was only made for 5 years. The long pull on #3 also looks skinnier than the others. Mine is the same as your #4, no stamp on reverse. If you'd like to own two #4s I'd gladly swap for that #2

That is a really nice collection, Doug!

jxr1197 wrote:

dweb1897 wrote:My collection started with an 809M that was given to me after my Uncle passed. I've always liked the name of the knife...The Esquire

The 1st and 3rd are both stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. and 809M Stainless on the reverse but it's obvious that 2 different stamps were used
The 4th one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. U.S.A. but has no model # or Stainless on the reverse
The 2nd one is stamped Schrade Walden N.Y. and has no model # or Stainless on the reverse but the backsprings have some extra jimping

All this variation on a knife that was only made for 5 years. The long pull on #3 also looks skinnier than the others. Mine is the same as your #4, no stamp on reverse. If you'd like to own two #4s I'd gladly swap for that #2

Jason, thanks for the offer but that one won't be going anywhere,it was my Uncle's knife.

Here I yam; yer long lost uncle!

tongueriver wrote:Here I yam; yer long lost uncle!

Howdy Uncle Cal, I can rest easy now, assuming I'll be inheriting that white bone 165 someday.

I picked up this sweet little 805 this week
It's one of the early ones in strata-wood and all 3 tiny blades are double hollow ground - awesome!

That li'l feller is just neater'n a skeeter's p*****!

805 Kon-Kav with wooden handles: very nice little knife indeed ! The best knives are from before the Delrin takeover.
kj

very nice...I really like the look of the propwood

kootenay joe wrote:The best knives are from before the Delrin takeover.
kj

That sums up schrade. The delrin/swinden are good knives, but are not in the same league for a number of reasons. The 1980's heritage knives and 1985 red bone ot's really stand out for post swinden knives however.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

kootenay joe wrote:The best knives are from before the Delrin takeover.
kj

That sums up schrade. The delrin/swinden are good knives, but are not in the same league for a number of reasons. The 1980's heritage knives and 1985 red bone ot's really stand out for post swinden knives however.

Those Red Bone 3 knife sets, are had to find. When did Schrade start to use the swinden system? Ken.

koldgold wrote:

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

kootenay joe wrote:The best knives are from before the Delrin takeover.
kj

That sums up schrade. The delrin/swinden are good knives, but are not in the same league for a number of reasons. The 1980's heritage knives and 1985 red bone ot's really stand out for post swinden knives however.

Those Red Bone 3 knife sets, are had to find. When did Schrade start to use the swinden system? Ken.

They started using it around the early 60's.

dweb1897 wrote:very nice...I really like the look of the propwood

Thanks to all for the comments. To split a hair, Stratawood is what the catalog says but it's just a potato/potahto thing. I have examples of Propwood and Stratawood and they both have the same honey-brown hue and under a 10X magnifier they're both wood filled with resin. Maybe that's what they mean by stabilized wood? Not sure. It's odd that Strata and Prop are both used in the same catalog. I thought it was just a marketing term that evolved but obviously the names meant something to Schrade...or maybe they just sucked at editing catalogs Wondawood is a completely different animal. I have a few that appear to be made using long strip of a wood-looking material butted up and heavily urethaned and I have at least one that's blatantly plastic. Propwood/Stratawood is far nicer than Wondawood imho.

Is "Propwood/Stratawood" made by laminating thin strips of wood and then cutting through the laminated stack to get handle pieces that show the laminations ? Then the wood is coated with urethane or similar product to make it weather-proof ?
kj

This is a recent purchase that I had been aware of from the old Schrade flyers on Schrades-R-Us. First one I'd ever seen for sale. The top of the display box is leather with the Lewis and Clark route laser etched on it.

Nice find Doug.