All About Pocket Knives

Stunning Knife Keith!

Dang it.....how the heck did I miss that one?

Tom

Yeah, I was drooling over that one also. Beauty!

That is a beauty & I am a sucker for a bare head!

Been looking for one of these since the first time I found out they exist. Finally landed one last night.

Finally. One of the more elusive ones for the pile. Schrade Walden 863 KON-KAV in what looks like very decent condition. You'll notice this bad boy is saber ground on both sides of the main so it's one of the early ones, closer to 1946 than it is to 1973. I'll get pictures of my own when it gets here but until then you'll have to do with the sellers pictures.

Good one, Jerry. Dale's research indicates that they started the pattern in 1953. I believe there was an earlier analog in the Schrade Cutco line-up as well.

This one is mint, with dark peachseed genuine bone. Flawless. Made only 1953 to 1956.

That one is a beauty Cal!
You don't often find them in such fine condition.

My goodness, Cal. Where do you find these gems?

When I got this knife, with the original mailer which sent it to its first owner, I was surprised to find that the postmark was within 24 hours of exactly 76 years before I bought the knife, in September of 1938. It was addressed from Walden to a small town near Lowell, Massachusetts. It is mint and surprisingly large at nearly 3 ounces.

Very nice Cal, and quite a coincidence too.

What a find. Congratulations Cal.

I bought this Ulster, Prince Albert 580T at a secondhand store yesturday for $10. I did some cleanup on it and will use it for everyday carry. ftd

Nice 58OT!
I have carried that pattern before and find it to be a very nice pocket friendly knife.
Not too big, not too small.

That WOULD be a good knife for the pocket. Rounded bolsters and THREE blades!

My search for an 863 KON-KAV is over. I received this one during the past few days. I'm super pleased with it. While it is not in factory condition, it is in very good condition and has not been sharpened. There is some staining and scratches on the blades but I can live with that. While taking pictures this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover it has BONE handles.

Can any of you Schrade experts tell me what range of years the KON-KAV line was made? Judging from the tang stamp it must have been sometime during the period 1946-1973.

I can't tell you how pleased I am. This is a jewel.

(Can any of you Schrade experts tell me what range of years the KON-KAV line was made? Judging from the tang stamp it must have been sometime during the period 1946-1973."QUOTE" )

Jerry as far as I know you can give you a rough idea of age.
First : SW 863 made before 1960 bone handle,federal or bomb shieldKon-Kav blade pins through bolster made before 1960
Second : SW 863 Swindon system After 1960 bone handle,federal or bomb shield Kon-Kav blade.
Third : SW 863 Swindon system Sabar grid one side,delrin handles football shield, made before 1973.

Your was made before they changed over to delrin .I have not got the date when they changed.I have seen it a few times but never kept a record.

Grant

Jerry, Very nice knife, the etch and bone makes it special.

Harold

That`s a beauty Jerry!

Thank you gents. I am super thrilled with it.

jerryd6818 wrote:My search for an 863 KON-KAV is over. I received this one during the past few days. I'm super pleased with it. While it is not in factory condition, it is in very good condition and has not been sharpened. There is some staining and scratches on the blades but I can live with that. While taking pictures this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover it has BONE handles.

Can any of you Schrade experts tell me what range of years the KON-KAV line was made? Judging from the tang stamp it must have been sometime during the period 1946-1973.

I can't tell you how pleased I am. This is a jewel.

Worth the wait old buddy,worth the wait.Here's a wealth of information from a post on here by Rich Langston. I hope the highlighted area helps.:


"You have some valid and rightly confusing issues. First Schrade Walden NY is the oldest . This was used when the knives were made in Walden 1946 until 1956 approx. Sounds simple, well here we go . We will call these the Schrade Walden, Walden knives. After the move to Ellenville in 56 the USA tang was used They stopped using this marking in 72 however it was not until around 76 when all of this ( MARKED ) stock was used up.. We will call these the Schrade Walden Ulster knives. ( Since the move to Ellenville had Schrades being made in the Ulster Knife factory in Ellenville on Canal street ( Where Canal Street knives are now made ). Schrades and Ulster were both being made there at the same time. Now to further complicate the issue prior to 56 the USA version was also used in the Walden plant near the end. Also the Older version was used in Ellenville for a while ( at there beginning) . In the first case the newer mark was used in the older plant due to the beginning of retooling and changing over . After the move it was used until the retooling was complete and old stocks were used up.

The Schrade numbering system for the Schrade Cuts 03-46 approx is explained in the Russell reprint of the Schrade Catalogue for 1926 with supplements for 28,30,32,34,36,38. Or in the the original versions. Sargeant included as you mentioned in his I and II editions a catalogue with black and white photos of many but not all of the Schrade Cut and Schrade Walden knives. Many of these knives were from the Herman collection ( He is mentioned in Sargeants books ) Some of the people here know him and he a fine knowledgable man as well as an expert in the repair and assembly of these itemS. Eventually he sold his collection to Schrade and they became part of the Schrade factory collection . However you still want to know what the 3 digits mean well they ( for the most part) mean the same as the four did except they exclude the last digit which designated the type of handle. 1 cocobolo, 2ebony 3, bone stag 4, celluloid, 5 white bone, 6 mop, 7 stained bone 8, buffalo horn 9, misc.
The first digit represents the number of blades , the second and third the pattern or style. It would seem that after WWII they did not offer as many types of handles so the last number ( for the most part was dropped. ) I say for the most part because ( as was everything with Schrade ) this was not written in stone several models under Schrade Walden still carried four digits most of these were again knives which still offered alternative handle materials. One example of the four to 3 digit was the large 2973 in genuine stag under Schrade Cut or simple 297 under Schrade Walden but in peachseed jigged bone. The SS8764 was an example of a 4 digit Schrade Walden. Ah so then you ask well what is this letter stuff well that is another part of the system in this case it means Sterling silver. Also Under Schrade Walden fractions were eliminated these were used for blade variation on models under Schrade Cut. By going to this 3 digit system it also simplified the procedure of stamping the model numbers on the obverse of the main blade ( which apparently they decided at this point they wanted to do) later they incorporated the numbers into the tang stamps then they just eliminated them from some lines. It is all so simple kind of like doing brain surgery while under the influence of ludes. I am attaching a couple of pics which you probably have regarding Schrade Cuts but if you read it and take away the last digit and fractions study the prefixes and sufixes it should let you be able to determine fairly close the Schrade Walden counterpart. ERRR Most of the time. PS after the move in 56 Schrade wanted to move away from natural materials however bone versions marked USA were made in Ellenville ( SCHRADE WALDEN ULSTERS) until the stock of natural material ( from the old plant) was used up bone pearl ect. Some under USA in natural material were made in Walden ( SCHRADE WALDEN WALDENS ) before they left Walden. Some collectors do not understand this and want only the earlier NY stamping in natural materials. They by not knowing the history think the USA models fakes actually they are more rare having been made for less years. By 1960 Schrade was virtually all delrin, Wonda wood ( a wood substitute ) K horn ( a celluloid substitute ) Jigged delrin and all forms of plastics simulating the older natural materials in 59 the OT line was introduced sawcut delrin The UH line was about 10 years later ( staglon imi stag ie delrin). Ah yes plastic was the wave of the future. In 76 they brought back bone in special editions ( prettier than plastic not as durable ). They used the same jigging they had used in the period from 56 until 59 when they were using up the old Walden natural materials. Now here is the really sad part I am so old I actually remember all this. Hope this helps ???? LT"

Here's link to post,LT and it are go to places for a lot of answers ,as you can see.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... mps#p61519

To me ,that is a real gem in your collection.

wlf wrote:To me ,that is a real gem in your collection.

Thank you Lyle and thanks for that old post. There's just one little thing that I take exception with. He mentions Delrin being used in 1959 and 1960. Probably not since Dupont didn't open their West Virginia Delrin plant until 1960. I doubt knife companies started using it immediately (Wallace Rockwell says 1969-1970 for Camillus).

Still, some good information.

jerryd6818 wrote:

wlf wrote:To me ,that is a real gem in your collection.

Thank you Lyle and thanks for that old post. There's just one little thing that I take exception with. He mentions Delrin being used in 1959 and 1960. Probably not since Dupont didn't open their West Virginia Delrin plant until 1960. I doubt knife companies started using it immediately (Wallace Rockwell says 1969-1970 for Camillus).

Still, some good information.

The first of the Old timer 8OT came out in 1961 with bone handles and there's not a lot of them around .I would say that Schrade started to use delrin on 8OT's in late 1962 or early 1963
The Ulster Old Timer 10OT was first made 1964 and it had a delrin handles.
This just gives a bit of time line when Schrade started using delrin.

Grant

jerryd6818 wrote:

wlf wrote:To me ,that is a real gem in your collection.

Thank you Lyle and thanks for that old post. There's just one little thing that I take exception with. He mentions Delrin being used in 1959 and 1960. Probably not since Dupont didn't open their West Virginia Delrin plant until 1960. I doubt knife companies started using it immediately (Wallace Rockwell says 1969-1970 for Camillus).

Still, some good information.

I've did repair work for Dupont in WV's Parkersburg plant and others. Glad to help out the knife industry.