What's your latest Schrade? END DATE 8/12

[ea42]

Stratawood came from the Strata tree and wondawood came from the wonda tree. I don't think winewood was laminated wood bits. I think it was dyed and pressure treated with plastic resins. For some time, Paka was their wood supplier (yes, there really was a Paka company). I think they also used a few other companies doing the same type resin treatment of wood. Eric surely has more accurate and in depth info on this.

They (and Imperial et al) did a lot of business with Fibron up in Buffalo for a goodly number of years. I think they may have also gotten wood handles from Crown Plastics or something of that nature out of Providence. I seem to recall that Julian or maybe Bucky Raper headed that company up.

The handles came in shaped sections, I think each piece covered the mark and pile side. They were cut to length on double bladed high speed saws at the factory. The blade angle could be adjusted to undercut or overcut along with cut angles. They were about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and spun at around 35000 RPM, only took about a second to whack through a handle section.


Nice LB-7 Roland! Here's a shot of one of the earlier ones you referred to, it's #185:

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Even came with a shammy!

Eric

[rprocter]

Thank you Eric for following up on my handle questions.
Wow, LB7 # 185. To have one of the very first run of 200 knives for this knife, the LB7, that became one of the most popular knives of all time, is very special. My search for one of these app. 200 first run LB7's has been underway for about 2 years or so. I look at every 4 pin LB7 i see, but likely these first 200 ones are mostly still in their boxes.
roland

[ea42]

No problem Roland! As far as the handle info, the info on Crown is sketchy at best at this point, I think it may have been another company but not sure of the name. Gonna have to consult with Dave on that one. Fibron is definite.

Eric

[ea42]

Regarding the above post, it was Imperial themselves who opened up a new handle factory. It was on Salmon Street which was right around the corner from the King Street plant. They had a lot of trouble getting orders filled from Fibron, actually even had to send someone up there for a few days to help get an order in "order" so to speak. They did the resin impregnated wood in a multi layered 1000 ton press, with a max 1 1/2 inch thick (or less)end product. These handles were mainly done for the kitchen cutlery products, like Mighty Oak. Even solid wood had to be stabilized. Moisture was pulled out under vacuum, and then the resin was forced in, also under vacuum. For the layered wood handles, moisture was pulled out of thin sheets of wood, such as birch, and then the phenolic resin was forced in. While the sheets were still wet, they would be placed in alternating grain fashion on the press shelves, then heated and pressed (at 1000 tons) at the same time until cured. The resin was squeezed out during this process resulting in very tightly packed layers. Now I'm not sure how much, if any LB-7 material came out of this plant, it's possible that they contracted elesewhere for that. Nor do I know how long it was in operation, the research continues....

Eric

[rprocter]

Thanks Eric. It's amazing what can be learned by being an interested knife collector. Based on your description, the resulting handles must be all but indestructible. I've never 'challenged' any of my LB7's to see what they can take.
But, now i think i will, just to see what happens. I have a few used ones with some blade loss and i'll donate the worst one for 'science'.
roland

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

I am extra stoked about this one as it has ended an intensive and, until now, unsuccessful 3+ year search! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:X:AAQ:US:1123

The first Schrade Scrimshaw LB7 (507SC) was offered in 1981 (http://www.collectors-of-schrades-r....es/SC81-11.htm). It is pictured as being a 4-pin "LB7" stamped knife but examples of these have been extra elusive. Most of the original issue of these knives seem to have been 3-pin "SC507" stamped knives. Later on there seems to have been a re-issue of this scrim in brass stamped "SC705". There was also a nickel silver re-issue stamped "SC705" as well.

This is the first 4-pin I have seen. Generally, because of a certain ebay seller, I take the "Irving Trachtenberg Collection" certificates with a grain of salt but I think this one may be legit. This knife may even have been one of the ones used in the ad (although this is more wishful thinking than possibility). I can't wait to get it! (I am surprised this one flew in under the radar as well and I grabbed it for much less than my high bid.)

Has anyone else been able to land a 4-pin "LB7" stamped example of this knife? I'd love to compare notes!

UPDATE: I was able to find another example and the packaging sold with it implies there were at least 758 of these made. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...980s-lockblade

[Codger_64]

The 705SC was an SFO issue for K-Mart. Usually with the tang stamping on the left and the artwork mirrored. They did several Scrimshaw patterns for K-Mart this way.

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

The 705SC was an SFO issue for K-Mart. Usually with the tang stamping on the left and the artwork mirrored. They did several Scrimshaw patterns for K-Mart this way.

Thanks for clarifying this Codger. I had found a couple of examples with K-Mart paperwork and suspected as much. Both the ones I found were nickel silver.
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...bear-111399410
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...r-knife-mint-w

I have seen ebay examples of SC705 stamped knives in brass as well but I haven't matched any up with paperwork. I'm guessing K-Mart ordered some of both.(?)
brass SC705.jpg

[Ballenxj]

Based on your description, the resulting handles must be all but indestructible. I've never 'challenged' any of my LB7's to see what they can take.
But, now i think i will, just to see what happens. I have a few used ones with some blade loss and i'll donate the worst one for 'science.

I'll be interested in your findings Roland.
-Bruce

[Codger_64]

Thanks for clarifying this Codger. I had found a couple of examples with K-Mart paperwork and suspected as much. Both the ones I found were nickel silver.

I have seen ebay examples of SC705 stamped knives in brass as well but I haven't matched any up with paperwork. I'm guessing K-Mart ordered some of both.(?)
brass SC705.jpg

They also flipped the marks and images on the Sharpfinger scrims. I think I have one of their LB-1 scrims NIB... a rabbit?... which was the first use of the LB-1 for a scrim that I am aware of. It has the standard LB-1 tang.

[edbeau]

ea42, thanks for the information on Fibron. I also am on the Camillus part of the forum and have noticed on the "S" cards for the Frontiers made by Camillus states the wood scales are Fibron Mahogany .125 thick . Always wondered what Fibron was, now I know. Thanks

[rprocter]

These are now rather hard to come by:



roland

[rprocter]

The Schrade 219 is a 2 3/4" 2 blade Serpentine Jack. Here is a 3 blade Junior Stockman version that was sold as being from the "Trachtenburg Collection".





There is at least one Schrade pattern number that has been used for both a 2 and 3 blade knife but i have forgotten the number.
Has anyone ever seen a 3 blade 219 Stockman before ?
I doubt it ? Most likely an End of Daze knife.
Y'all agree ?
rols.

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

The Schrade 219 is a 2 3/4" 2 blade Serpentine Jack. Here is a 3 blade Junior Stockman version that was sold as being from the "Trachtenburg Collection". Has anyone ever seen a 3 blade 219 Stockman before ?
I doubt it ? Most likely an End of Daze knife.
Y'all agree ?
rols.

I think it's a cool oddity for sure roland. I think I found the auction and (if I did) I can say that the handwriting and certificate you have matches the one I have for my 4-pin 1981 LB7 Scrimshaw. It seemed like the Trachtenburg collection was a bottomless pit for a while and I question the authenticity of some of these as well.

On the other hand, there was a Trachtenburg collection and some are legit. Knives that are a a little rare or unusual or specifically related to Trachtenburg's own efforts (such as the Scrimshaw line) seem to me to be the most likely candidates for ones that he would have hoarded. I think we can both never say for sure but my guess is that both our knives may be legit. They just seem to "fit" to my mind and the certificate does carry a little weight. Who knows? EOD or not, cool knife! I have not seen another like it.

[rprocter]

Dave, i didn't keep the Trachtenburg COA that came with the 219. It is just a printed letter with something like "This 219 three blade knife came from the John(?) Trachtenburg collection" hand written on the bottom and not signed.
It's not a valid document.
If there are other 219 Schrade Stock knives around that have been in circulation from well before the 2004 closure, then it's possible that this 219 did come from the "T" collection. However, so far no one has posted that they too have one of these.
cheers old boy up there in the Okie Noggin, roland (Kootenay old fart)

[Stelth]

I finally got all the 3rd gen stockmen.

[thawk]

To the 219 discussion. Tractenburg did have a collection, but Silverladdie used obtaining that collection as a marketing plan with other knives he obtained. I'm pretty sure he manufactured those riduculous copy machine COA documents and used them on a lot of knives with botched etches, mismatched blades, EOD etc. That being said, it is a perfectly good Schrade USA 808 with a 219 stamping.

I checked the catalogs from 1953 on and they all say the 219 is a two blade serpentine jack. The 808 prior to 1953 was simple called an "Old Number 8"

Here is an old 219 with peachseed bone handles.

[rprocter]

Now that's what Schrade should never have quit doing. Perfect 219 Jack Hal. (Jackal ?)
Thanks for searching the catalogues for the never was 3 blade 219.
roland

[koldgold]

Hi Roland, I looked for quite a wile to find an un-used 106OT for my 1991 Display.
The one I found has cleaned up to "half mint with-out a box" so I am still looking for a NIB 106OT...KG

This is my 1991 Display.
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/...&image_id=6370

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

Dave, i didn't keep the Trachtenburg COA that came with the 219. It is just a printed letter with something like "This 219 three blade knife came from the John(?) Trachtenburg collection" hand written on the bottom and not signed.
It's not a valid document.
If there are other 219 Schrade Stock knives around that have been in circulation from well before the 2004 closure, then it's possible that this 219 did come from the "T" collection. However, so far no one has posted that they too have one of these.
cheers old boy up there in the Okie Noggin, roland (Kootenay old fart)

I hear what you are saying about the certificate but I'm still thinking the glass is half full. I haven't seen a notarized COA yet so all the "valid" documents are easily duplicated (forged) as well. Our knives may or may not have come from his hoard is still where I land but at the same time it's kind of moot because it really doesn't matter to me one way or the other. It's the knives themselves that called to me and the "Trachtenburg Collection" claim certainly added zero $$$ of value. Who may or may not have owned them previously is just a "fun fact" bonus.

I hope you are enjoying your Kootenay summer Roland. We've had some solid heat-waves here in K-Town and I'm loving my new a/c unit. The apricot trees where I live just finished up and I am now looking forward to the quickly ripening peaches. Great fruit in these here parts! When they are ripe I eat a half dozen peaches a day lol. Just too awesome!

Cheers back from an Okanagan Oddball!