Need help on the Schrade Walden 708

[outofplace]

I Please need help from you Schrade Guys on the age, value and if the handles are delrin or bone on this 708. I know nothing about Schrades, but I could not walk away from this one. I picked it up at the Flea Mkt.
yesterday and paid $30.00 for it, Did I pay too much? Thanks Guys!!

[knifetime]

I would think you did fine. I no very little about the Walden knives but that was a good buy from what I do no. As for age, in the 1970s is about as close as I can come for ya. It sure looks like bone to me but they had stuff that was so close it is hard to tell from a pic. Glenbad or Millerbro can tell you everything about it if you can catch them on hear.

[Ramrod]

Its Delrin.
Made sometime before 1973. after that, they dropped the Walden.
Mark

[Paladin]

Checking the RESEARCH drop down at the top of the page, this pattern was made from 1952 to 1979. The chart shows the handles to be stagged. I suspect that means man made materials but not completely sure.

Ray

[glennbad]

The knife looks real clean. I don't think you overpaid for it. If I was looking for an example like that, especially a Walden stamp, $30 would not be too much.

[outofplace]

Thanks for all the replys!

[orvet]

Since I did the research posted in the Research Section I have found an earlier catalog mention of the 708 pattern. New catalog pages have come to my attention and I see the 708 pattern shown in the 1948 catalog under its Schrade Cut Co number; 71085-3/4.

In 1948 the handles were listed as bone stag. Usually on such good pictures I can see pores in the bone or the sort of crazed look bone has under high magnification. Those handles look completely smooth between the jigging, which makes me thing Delrin. Delrin was used in the early 1960 in most of the big US cutlery companies, so the timing is right for it to be Delrin.

I see no evidence of pins in the bolsters, so it was probably made with the Swinden key system, which started about 1961 or 1962. Since it has the Schrade Walden tang stamp it was made prior to mid 1973. Given those dates alone, I would say it is most like made with Delrin handles and not bone. Of course I can’t be 100% sure without seeing the knife in person.

I would say $30 is a good price on that knife, especially considering the condition!
You did good on that one!

[outofplace]

Thanks Dale! That is Great info. Guess I did OK on my 1st Schrade Purchase. Thanks Again! Don