All About Pocket Knives

I don't think it's all that old. Maybe late, late '40s or into the '50s. Notice it has the second generation blades.

I received my Schrade Walden 863 today.I have the Schrade 863 now I need the Schrade NY 863

Very nice Grant. Your pile continues to grow like Topsy and with quality knives (unlike mine).

Very nice, Shearer!

Thanks Jerry and Unk.
I see the Empire knife sold for $106.60.I put a few bids on it but It when well above my limit.
Grant

You can bet your sweet bippy that wasn't my bid. A lot of bids on a very desirable knife.

It was a very nice Empire. But not quite in good enough shape. For me anyway.

I don't mind a little staining and use but the blades have to be fuller.

I thought it was pretty darned nice for it's age. It may not be good enough for you (Let me in on the secret. Where do you find 80+ year old knifes that are in factory condition?) but I'm sure the individual that ends up with it will appreciate it.

jerryd6818 wrote:I thought it was pretty darned nice for it's age. It may not be good enough for you (Let me in on the secret. Where do you find 80+ year old knifes that are in factory condition?) but I'm sure the individual that ends up with it will appreciate it.

I don't expect factory condition, but I'd like full blades. And they show up mint every once in while.

You usually pay more than $100 for them.

Take a look at the balloon jack that redtrout posted on this thread:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 54#p337754

First class!

No offense intended but the blades look full to me but then what do I know. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.

Shuttin' up now boss.

Well, I'll admit there are no other Empires in this thread to compare it to, but that master is definitely down a bit. Just a glance back up this thread should show you that. The smaller blades seem full though.

I think the knife is in good condition for it age.The master blade is used a bit but where do you find a 80 year old knife that is perfect.There is a few people that were collection knife years ago but most knives where purchased to use.I would appreciate a knife like that in my collection and when will the next one appear on Ebay 1 day ,1 year, 10 years.I have a lot of used knives in my collection and I appreciate every one they have a untold history.
He whose waiting for something perfect will wait his whole life.

10-12 years ago, there were a lot more knives on Ebay that were in very good condition. They were coming out of people's drawers after 50 years, and they were being sold off as part of the estate when the old collectors died. I should have bought more at that time, but I hadn't yet completely caught the "bug".

Part of the problem with those old dudes dying off was that certain parts of the knife market crashed. For instance, there is no longer much of a market for pearl-handled knives and small whittlers, once highly collectible. Now they're hard to sell, and people have hoarded them, hoping for the prices to come back.

Younger collectors seem to want big knives - hunters and switchblades, and there's not the demand for stock and cattle knives, either. A lot of people just aren't selling because they know they can't get a reasonable price. Add the slow economy factor and the situation is just not very good. You'd think there would be a lot of good deals out there, but that's not the case.

People are just hoarding, waiting for a better market. There are knives out there in good condition, but you're not seeing them on Ebay right now. If you do, they're sitting there on Buy-it-now with a high price. And they sit there for months.

...these two came in this week. I picked them both up off e-bay for what I thought were very good prices.

The first is a bone-handled Schrade Walden 863. I am not sure the age on this one, but I am thinking 1950s? It looks relatively un-used and is in excellent shape, and still has the "Kon-Kav" etch on the blade.

The second is a newer bone-handled Camillus 72, with engraving on the blade. I had seen some of these before, and assumed the ducks were just etched on the blade....... however, they are deeply stamped / engraved on the blade. Not sure the age on this one....assuming 1980 or later?

These are my first bone-handled 863 and 72.

So you're the one that outbid me on that KON-Kav. I was bidding for Grant (Shearer) because the seller wouldn't ship to Australia. Congratulations.


The Camillus is from the '90s. They're a nice knife. Below is a copy of the certificate that came with them in case you want to save a copy of that. Maybe print it out and put it with the knife.

Thanks Jerry! I didn't figure that 863 had escaped your attention.

I had seen that 72 discussed before on one of the threads, but had forgotten about the COA - thanks for adding it.

It escaped my attention 'cause I decided I had enough variations of the 863s and had quit looking. It didn't escape Grant though. That boy has a nose for 'em. Did you see the post where he put up pictures of all the ones he's picked up so far? He's on fire.

UNK.It good to see a fellow member won the Schrade Walden 863.
Do you have any other variation of the Schrade 863.
Grant

Hi Grant,

Nice knives you have picked up, sir.

Most of my Schrade 863s are the normal version. I have about 15 of them as of this writing - you can see most of them on the first post in this thread. I had a few more but gave some away to my nephews. The only unique one I have is the Herman Williams that is seen in the bottom right hand corner sitting on the red pouch. He does a really nice job of installing stag handles on Schrade knives. He usually has his knives for sale on e-bay, and I check them out frequently, but mine is the only 863 I have ever seen him offer, so he must only work on them infrequently - don't know why. They quit making the 863 in 1980, so that may be why - just fewer of them.

I have been looking for a nice Sears 9494, but I keep missing them.

Unk you now have the four variants of the 863 with the last one you purchased plus the Willams.
The Sears Craftman 9494 could have three variation, Schrade ,Ulster and Imperial.
I have the Imperial and another marked Craftsman 9494.( I will have to study a few more to see if it is a Ulster or Schrade ).
Grant

never had one of there stockman/whittler UNITS

I MAY HAVE TO TRY ONE SOON
they got one with a black handle???

Received this Kon-Kav 863 in the mail .I now have a set of four different 863

And in unsharpened, uncarried condition too. Great find Grant. All the 863s in your group appear to be in factory condition. Very nice. Shows what you can do when you concentrate.

I don't have a Kon-Kav 863 yet. Maybe I should stop fiddlin' around and look.

Very nice collection. I like the Federal Shield on the KON-KAV (sort of looks like a "Fat Man" bomb shield). OH