Craftsman American Eagle Collection

[delmas2nd]

like you i have the Schrade Walden Bird's head 171UH and a later one serialized and then one without the serial number. these knives are hefty and feel good in the hand. i got the Craftman to kinda round out the collection of them.

[Codger_64]

Say Michael, I may be mistaken but I think that's real elephant hide. I seem to recall Dave S. mentioning that either Albert or Henry Baer (most likely Henry) bought a bunch back from Africa, but it never really caught on. Fantastic knives everyone!!

Eric

Let me try a bigger picture of the sheaths.

[Codger_64]

Schrade also contributed some knives to Sears in their ACA EDGE lineup. Here is the analogue to the 165 OT, with the tang completely hidden in Delrin, and surmounted by a brass pommel cap, secured with a Phillips screw, like unto the 153UH, for instance. Notice the stainless steel guard in the throat of the original sheath. Codger has an example which I believe is nicer than this one. To my knowledge no one here has seen a box.

Here is my 4th knife of this series the "Deerslayer Hunting Knife" with a "5 1/4" contoured carbon steel blade", Sears #21624.
It is a 165OT known in Schrade speak as the "Woodsman". Schrade used the name "Deerslayer" for the 15OT.

This "Craftsman American Eagle Collection" was a group of 6 knives. These 4 i have shown are all that i have. I do not know what the other 2 patterns are.
Hopefully someone will know and post it and the addition of any interesting history around this series will be much appreciated as well.
roland

Six? I've only seen and acquired the four. I do know there was another series just after these which had a 171UH (second style handle) and the previously shown 165OT with the brass butt and hidden tang ala 153UH, but I have never seen the boxes or literature for those and don't know for certain if those two were all that were in that subsequent series. Both had the elephant hide embossed sheath with the metal throat protector.

It appears that the two additional knives (brass butt 165 and 171UH with elephant hide sheaths) may have been a continuation of the American Eagle series.

[rprocter]

I think you are right about the 165 brass butt and the 171 being of the same series. The box you show "Craftsman American Eagle Collection", is the same as for my "Sportsman's Knife" shown in my OP.
roland

[Codger_64]

I think you are right about the 165 brass butt and the 171 being of the same series. The box you show "Craftsman American Eagle Collection", is the same as for my "Sportsman's Knife" shown in my OP.
roland

The box above is different than the previous boxes shown and seen. I have a hinge top, then the set of slip top boxes like the one in the OP, I also have a blue-green one, and now this fold down box. We can be pretty sure that the less expensive fold down boxes came after the heavier, more sturdy hinge top and slip top boxes. While this doesn't really give us dates, it does suggest an extended time frame and a rough chronology.

[Codger_64]

Looking through TESS (electronic trademark search at USPTO), we find #72329620 "American Eagle" registered to Imperial Knife Associated Companies.
Date filed: June 10, 1969.
Registration Date: March 3, 1970
First used in commerce: May 22, 1969

So that gives us a begining date of the series. And explains the blue box and the hinged box, both of which date to that time period under Schrade Walden. We've seen the slip top boxes used on late SW 165OT's, though with wood grain coverings instead of printed leatherette used on the Sears American Eagle series. The first fold down boxes appeared in the early to mid seventies under the Schrade Cutlery name.

[rprocter]

Thanks Michael. It's the very specific details like those you are providing that i hoped would be posted in this thread for future reference.
roland

[Codger_64]

Here is another example of the American Eagle Series Custom Bear Skinner (171UH). This one is from the COSRUS site archive of Arnold's knives in the Collectors' Corner. This makes two of two seen with the fold down box.



As best I can make out, it is Sears number 6-73655. Please correct me if I am wrong. "6" would be the Sears department number. The actual text on the printed insert is interesting. It states that there are three bowie type knives in this series. Also that the "holsters" are top grain cowhide.



So what is the third? Note also the ad for the Craftsman Honesteel.

[rprocter]

Are they referring to the 165 as a "Bowie type" ?
The "Bowie Hunting Knife" is the Buffalo Bill type big FB.
Then 171 is the third ?
roland

[Codger_64]

Yes, evidently both the 165 and 171 are "Bowie type" knives. As we have deduced that those two (with elephant hide impressed sheaths) were both of this later AE series, what was the third? The BB166 itself was earlier. As were the knives with Delrin handles based on the BB166 (which had a walnut handle). Did they also make the BB166 variant with the elephant hide impressed sheath for this later series of three? I've not yet seen one. Nor one with the fold down box or impressed sheath. Could it be a 153UH instead? The 171 and 165 both have screw retained pommels like the 153.

[rprocter]

Michael, The BB166 is called "Bowie Hunting Knife" in the ad from the Sears catalogue i posted in my OP.
Are you thinking the 3rd "Bowie" was not this one but a knife that came out some time later than the BB166 ?
As the insert pictured above which mentions 3 "Bowie type" knives is titled "Sears Craftsman American Eagle Collection " and the BB166 which they call "Bowie Hunting Knife" and is one of the Sears Craftsman American Eagle Collection, this must be one of the 3 "Bowie type" knives referred to ?
roland

[Codger_64]

I suppose we will only know for sure when we see a third pattern that can be definately placed in the series represented by the two shown, either NIB or in advertisements. "Bowie" is a marketing term. Like a "folding Bowie". Or the H-15 marked "Bowie". It really isn't very descriptive, though we today think of fixed blade hunting knives when we see the term used.



Speaking of ads, did the seller ever respond with the Sears catalog issue that American Eagle ad was scanned from?