70's? Craftsman Linerlock in package Schrade? Camillus? Imperial?

FatCity67

FatCity67

Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
571
Yup I'm the one that procured it if you saw it in the bay.

Could only find two posts in the entire forum and the corresponding pictures are no longer available. Also not pictured on the Collector Site.

Appears to be a 127UH/125OT but just slightly bigger than the early 90's 125OT I've compared it to. The Layard hole is in a completely different spot than usual for that model. Black sawcut Delrin scales. Orientation of the blade is slightly different as well. The different position of the nail nick is glaringly obvious which seems to change in 1991 just based on catalog pictures.

I can't tell the year just by the packaging but it appears to be pre UPC utilization and that's not a clam pack just a plastic half shell glued to the hang board.

So is it Schrade? Camillus? Imperial? or even Imperial Schrade Companies? I am really not wanting to open and removed it to inspect further.

Not much info in the previous two posts:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-8-12?p=10100166&highlight=95076#post10100166

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/560736-craftsman-95076?p=5684980&highlight=95076#post56849

Well anyway here are the pictures:

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Most of the Sears knives from this period were made in the Imperial plant if they were not made in the Camillus plant. Basicly all the same company.
 
Thank you.

Based on some further research it appears the Sears Logo style was in ulitlzation from 1963-84. That narrows it down a bit.
 
For future reference, the "Zone Improvement Plan", Zip Codes, were begun in 1963 so that is another cue on packaging. I don't recall exactly when these bubble packs were introduced though. I am thinking early to mid 1970's. Baer bought Camillus in 63 and Imperial in 83, though the Imperial partnership began much earlier, during WWII.
 
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Danke, merci and gracias Codger.

I am assuming there are clues all over that packaging as well as the knife, which I am about to post more pictures of, that I know nothing about.

I put the pricing label under a lighted magnifying glass I use to inspect coins and BB cards couldn't make any price.

Yes, I couldn't help myself, I admit to having certain impulse control issues. I just really wanted to hold it, weigh it and compare it to the 125OT. So I carefully sliced away just enough of the glue seal between the plastic and board to slip the knife out. Yes I know purist collectors will be aghast and shake their heads in disapproval as how many opportunities come along to preserve something new in packaging. To them:p

The final finish between the Craftsman and the 125OT is very apparent. While this Craftsman is top notch knife and comparatively speaking slighty more robust/stout than the 125OT the fit and finish is slightly lacking. As the photos below will show. Again The Craftsman has been in a sealed packing most likely since the mid or late 70's compared to the early 90's 125OT that came in a box.

The brass liner lock on the craftsman is thicker than the 125ot and also bent a little more which pushes the blade off to the side. The blade doesn't actually touch the opposing brass liner but it is obvious quality control wasn't at the top of the list when this one passed through the final cutlers hands. Walk, talk is great with no blade play and a resounding thump when locking up. Also youll notice the condition of the back of the blade could have used a quick buff before packaging. No not going to try and center the blade by (I forget the technical term) using a desk drawer.

Notice the Craftsman blade is a slightly thicker and shorter. I assume its 1095 but could be wrong though. Wish I had a 125OT or 127UH from the same time frame to compare it with. Will be on the look out though.

No not going to clean off the tarnish, just wipe it down and back in the packaging

Hopefully this amateurish write up and comparison about a regular ol' folding production knife adds to the knowledge base in some meaningful way.

Photos for your enjoyment:

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I don't see your #95076 knife in my Sears catalogs but I have a few gaps in the 1970's. I do see a two blade version in 1975, #95026. Same pocket blade profile and nick, "ACA EDGE" etch, oval AE shield. Many knives were in-store sales only and don't appear in the catalogs. And unfortunately there is no real rhyme or reason to the pattern number coding except that they went from three digits to four to five. "9" was the department number I think.
 
I went through all the Sears wishbooks available online from the 60's, 70's and early 80's as well and didn't see one either. Again those are just the Christmas catalogs. I have seen a few of the two blade models pop over the years but never a single blade.
 
fatcity67 said:
I went through all the Sears wishbooks available online from the 60's, 70's and early 80's as well and didn't see one either. Again those are just the Christmas catalogs. I have seen a few of the two blade models pop over the years but never a single blade.
Click to expand...

The fall/winter editions were where most knives appeared. I finally had to quit buying them as they cost about $20 or more each to buy.
 
$20 bucks a pop was a significant amount comparatively speaking from that time frame.

As an aside

Cleaned out Grandmas basement for her back in the early 90's. Yup, sent several decades worth of catalogs from several different companies going back to the 1930s to the paper recycler. No one wanted them, couldnt give them away not even to the local library system. Several hundred pounds worth.
 
$20 was the average cost for me to acquire them after Sears had ditched their catalog program (Sears sent them out free upon request). They are great resources for collectors of anything. But I am now faced with the same delima, needing to get rid of them with little market for them. Research is not cheap if one insists on acquiring primary resources and not just reproducing what others have said.
 
I concur.

Had I known then when I know now, as the refrain goes.

Those catalogs would still be stacked up like so much cord wood but in my basement.
 
I bought this Craftsman American Eagle 95026 folding hunter this past Saturday at a gunshow. It compares to be very similar to my Buck 317 Trailblazer (Camillus made I assume). However on this Craftsman knife I can find no sign of a pin through the bolster, which I can readily spot on the Buck. OH

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Nice. I like the eagle escutcheon on those two blade craftsman folders. That's the one Codger_64 mentions above.

Hidden pin? Or just highly buffed.

Nice find.
 
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