152 thickness

[Almadjian]

Noticed that the older 152OT's have a thicker steel in the handle as opposed to the newer USA-made ones. Not talking Taylor and variants here, real Schrade. Any comments anyone?

 

[Codger_64]

You will also probably notice that the earlier ones were 1095 high carbon steel and not stainless like the later ones, and the blade grind changed too. "In the latter days" Schrade tried converting several patterns of both fixed and folding knives to stainless from carbon and using different production methods like fine blanking and pre-punching pin holes in scales which were also cut to length before dying.

Michael

 

[Almadjian]

In 1095 carbon versions, ones made with the early fold-over snap are thicker in the handle than later 1095 USA Schrade 152's. Not talking of stainless here.

 

[Codger_64]

I've never put a micrometer to the tangs of my earlier Sharpfingers, but finding some variance in the thickness would not surprise me in the least. More than likely the blanks were ground until the burr around the edge left from the blanking process was removed without regard to the final thickness (within a wide tolerence). None of the other components depended upon a tightly toleranced tang for proper assembly and fit. Also IMHO, few of the grind processes were automated in the early 1970's.

Patterns such as the Golden spike did depend upon certain tolerances since they had a stick tang, a slip-on guard, and a hollow handle which depended upon certain dimensional tolerances for everything to line up and properly tighten during assembly. When the bladestock of that pattern was changed, a whole new guard had to be made.

What final stock thickness are you measuring on your tangs?

Michael

 

[Almadjian]

Didn't measure but I can if interested. But eyeballing it, it seems that the early 152's I've got with the flap snap sheath seem to all be 1/16th thicker in the handle than later 152's with the snap up higher on the sheath. These are carbon USA made 152's.

My guess is they went cheaper.

 

[Codger_64]

Do they all have the same type tang stamp?

 

[orvet]

I have measured several blanks & completed knives in the same pattern (I forgot which pattern I measured, but it was likely the 152) and noticed several thousands variance in them. One explanation is variation in batches of steel or a change of steel suppliers.

Sometimes I think the manufacturing process was less precise than we might imagine.

Among the large lock backs (LB7, LB8, 6OT, 7OT, etc) there a couple variations in pivot pin hole size. The larger holes had a bushing in them. The location of the notch for the lock varied in relation to the pivot pin hole. There are 3 or 4 variants that I have in my parts drawer, and I have no idea of how many other variants there are that I don't have.

Why the changes? I guess we are likely to never know the whole story, but I imagine there are a variety of reasons. Some no doubt had to do with changes from suppliers, others were probably design improvements and who knows on the rest.

Dale