SCHRADE knife model 275 year 1980
- Thread starter slimknot
- Start date
I recently purchased the NKCA Museum Founders' Knife 1980. When I opened the package, I was blown away. The knife is gorgeous! It is my understanding that this knife may be a special knife that was originally a part of a collection. Possibly the American Eagle knives display. Can anyone help with this?
ea42
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2006
- Messages
- 3,887
Slimknot, that was part of a four knife set known as the "National Knife Collector's Museum Founders Set", and consisted of : The Schrade clasp, a Case Apalloosa bone Elephants toenail, a pearl Fight'n Rooster stockman, and a stag Rob Klaas whittler. It came in a nice faux alligator hard case with green felt lining. I doubt anyone will be making repros of those. here's a shot of the Schrade, I'll post a shot of the whole shebang tomorrow (gotta take a pic of it first 
) By the way, if you see one of these etched blades in a knife with something other than stag handles, it's been cobbled together, or "customized".
[/IMG]
Eric
) By the way, if you see one of these etched blades in a knife with something other than stag handles, it's been cobbled together, or "customized".
Eric
Last edited:
Thanks, Eric! As you can see, I know very little about knives and was way off base with the idea of the collection. After reading a lot of the threads today and with my limited knowledge of knives, I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable---but no longer thanks to you. I can hardly wait to see the set. Thanks again!
Thanks again!
ea42
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2006
- Messages
- 3,887
OK Slimknot, the wait is over, here are shots of the case and the open set. I wouldn't be surprised if there are less than half of these full sets left. It seems like every time someone gets his/her hands on one it immediately gets broken up and the knives sold individually to boost the "profit" potential. It really is a shame IMHO. Enjoy!
[/IMG]
Eric
Eric
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 19, 1999
- Messages
- 248
The NKCA Museum knife set was the brainchild of James F. Parker.
One of Jim's dreams was to have the first major knife museum, and that museum under the auspices of the National Knife Collectors Association, of which he was President.
A piece of property came up for sale during the debate among the NKCA board on the location for the museum. One contingent thought it should be in Chattanooga, another clique within the NKCA wanted it in Louisville, and others wanted it in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. It was a messy debate, and when the night for the final vote came, prior to the vote, Parker toured the NKCA board to this property he had purchased for $50,000 at the corner of Shallowford Road and Interstate 75. (The property was worth much more than this, but the title to the property was in dispute due to some heir problems--but Parker bulldogged it through and bought it).
There was a lot of mealy mouthing and back biting over Parker selling the property to the NKCA, even though he sold it at his cost. The Louisville clique thought it a very bad deal.
An aside: the reason the property was for sale is the elderly lady who lived there was murdered. Police and firemen responded to a fire, where they found the floor had burned through and dropped the lady's body, on a couch, to a lower floor. She had been killed with a skillet. Police found footprints walking up off the exit, and walking down the opposite ramp, but never solved the case. (My next door neighbor was the officer in charge is how I learned of this years later).
After everyone looked at the property, Parker announced he would sell the property for what he had in it, $50,000. The NKCA took him up on it.
The problem now was how to pay for a building--thus the NKCA museum set. Parker went to every manufacturer and asked them first to donate a knife for the purpose, but all declined. So he then went back and asked them to make the knife at cost, which they all claimed to do, which was around $100.00 for all four knives. They were sold through the NKCA for $200.00.
One of the ways this low cost was achieved was the Fightn' Rooster pearl 3 blade in the set was made in Japan rather than the more traditional German factory, and had contracted through Parker. (Yeah, there was a small storm when that was discovered--threats from the board of suing Parker, who was no longer President, the only problem is the Board had never asked for the country of origin and they had no grounds).
The 2600 sets sold out, generating $260,000 to build the National Knife Museum. When the museum opened, Parker was in the crowd and his contributions from the idea to the funding was not even acknowledged.
The NKCA had overproduced club knives, and began to talk of selling the museum property (meanwhile Hamilton Place Mall had been built across the street), and when the property sold it brought a cool $1,000,000. And the museum moved to a level of Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, TN, where it is today. No one complained of the original $50,000 purchase price in 1981 now though.
The sets never took off, always selling intact for $200-$225 for years, until someone finally noticed that the Appaloosa bone Case Sunfish was the only smooth bone version of that knife--and the new wave of Case collectors in the 90's were soon paying upwards of $200 just for that one knife. The rest of the knives were loose on the market.
Parker also made a stag handled clasp knife through Schrade for the center knife in his 13 colonies set, and he made two more: The Trail of Tears, and Custer's Last Fight.
Schrade has introduced a new American made Trail of Tears knife as well, which I will post on another thread.
The reason I know all this is I was having lunch with Jim about three times a week during all this, as I was working for the National Knife Collectors Association producing their magazine, and Parker was NKCA President. This was in 1980.
One of Jim's dreams was to have the first major knife museum, and that museum under the auspices of the National Knife Collectors Association, of which he was President.
A piece of property came up for sale during the debate among the NKCA board on the location for the museum. One contingent thought it should be in Chattanooga, another clique within the NKCA wanted it in Louisville, and others wanted it in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. It was a messy debate, and when the night for the final vote came, prior to the vote, Parker toured the NKCA board to this property he had purchased for $50,000 at the corner of Shallowford Road and Interstate 75. (The property was worth much more than this, but the title to the property was in dispute due to some heir problems--but Parker bulldogged it through and bought it).
There was a lot of mealy mouthing and back biting over Parker selling the property to the NKCA, even though he sold it at his cost. The Louisville clique thought it a very bad deal.
An aside: the reason the property was for sale is the elderly lady who lived there was murdered. Police and firemen responded to a fire, where they found the floor had burned through and dropped the lady's body, on a couch, to a lower floor. She had been killed with a skillet. Police found footprints walking up off the exit, and walking down the opposite ramp, but never solved the case. (My next door neighbor was the officer in charge is how I learned of this years later).
After everyone looked at the property, Parker announced he would sell the property for what he had in it, $50,000. The NKCA took him up on it.
The problem now was how to pay for a building--thus the NKCA museum set. Parker went to every manufacturer and asked them first to donate a knife for the purpose, but all declined. So he then went back and asked them to make the knife at cost, which they all claimed to do, which was around $100.00 for all four knives. They were sold through the NKCA for $200.00.
One of the ways this low cost was achieved was the Fightn' Rooster pearl 3 blade in the set was made in Japan rather than the more traditional German factory, and had contracted through Parker. (Yeah, there was a small storm when that was discovered--threats from the board of suing Parker, who was no longer President, the only problem is the Board had never asked for the country of origin and they had no grounds).
The 2600 sets sold out, generating $260,000 to build the National Knife Museum. When the museum opened, Parker was in the crowd and his contributions from the idea to the funding was not even acknowledged.
The NKCA had overproduced club knives, and began to talk of selling the museum property (meanwhile Hamilton Place Mall had been built across the street), and when the property sold it brought a cool $1,000,000. And the museum moved to a level of Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, TN, where it is today. No one complained of the original $50,000 purchase price in 1981 now though.
The sets never took off, always selling intact for $200-$225 for years, until someone finally noticed that the Appaloosa bone Case Sunfish was the only smooth bone version of that knife--and the new wave of Case collectors in the 90's were soon paying upwards of $200 just for that one knife. The rest of the knives were loose on the market.
Parker also made a stag handled clasp knife through Schrade for the center knife in his 13 colonies set, and he made two more: The Trail of Tears, and Custer's Last Fight.
Schrade has introduced a new American made Trail of Tears knife as well, which I will post on another thread.
The reason I know all this is I was having lunch with Jim about three times a week during all this, as I was working for the National Knife Collectors Association producing their magazine, and Parker was NKCA President. This was in 1980.
ea42
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2006
- Messages
- 3,887
Great info Tennknifeman, it's always great to hear the first-hand accounts of what went on behind the scenes. I've always liked those clasp knives, as well as the quality of the etchings. Were they done by Aurum?
Eric
Eric
- Joined
- Jan 19, 1999
- Messages
- 248
Have no clue who did the etchings, each knife was etched by their respective manufacturers or their contractors.
Eric, Your set is beautiful! Thank you for sharing. I really enjoy the history of these knives. Thank you TennKnifeman! It must have been the Colonies Set I was confusing with the 1980 NKCS Museum Set. Do you know if there was a set of the American Eagles knives that included a clasp knife?
ea42
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2006
- Messages
- 3,887
I don't believe there were any clasps made for that set, here's a shot of it:
The only ones I know of are the Museum Set, the 13 Colonies, Trail of Tears, and Custer's Last fight as Tenn. pointed out, the 75th Anniversaries (stag and delrin), and the Walden FD Anniversary (white delrin).
Eric
The only ones I know of are the Museum Set, the 13 Colonies, Trail of Tears, and Custer's Last fight as Tenn. pointed out, the 75th Anniversaries (stag and delrin), and the Walden FD Anniversary (white delrin).
Eric
Last edited:
