98OT questions......

P

philw

Joined
Dec 2, 2004
Messages
139
I noticed that my 98OT is marked "Schrade +" and I have noticed that the 93 is also SS. Does anyone have an idea why Schrade decided to use SS on these patterns instead of the usual carbon? Also, is the 98OT a brother to the 897 UH? I do not have an 897 to compare to but the pictures look the same.
 
Toward the end of the line for Schrade, a lot of stainless blades went into OTs. Not sure if it was an intentional thing or just clearing inventory. This is pretty common, however.
 
There were OT's that were specifically made with stainless. The large OT lockbacks were examples of these.
 
I was informed that Schrade wanted to go all stainless. The reason was that storing knives for a long time is much easier in stainless. I thought the idea was horrible. LT
 
LT, if I remember correctly, Debbie agreed with you. Her main point was, however, that they were being underhanded about the changeover by not telling their customers and allowing them to think they were still buying 1095HC.

Perhaps you remember the SCHRADE+ 512OT I bought a while back. The seller dated the original purchase of the NIB knife to 1989. He listed it as a 152OT because that was the tan box it came in from the dealer complete with paperwork. Neither he nor the dealer checked the knife's tangstamp or metal, and he just tossed it into the closet in the box. After some head scratching and conferencing with Robert Clemente and Larry during which all kinds of theories were brought forth including the involvement of someone on the grassy knoll, Larry produced an unused box he had been sent as packing material that happened to match the tangstamp and material of the 512OT sharpfinger.

The box is black with blue bands and gold printing. The endflaps say "512OT Sharpfinger w/ sheath". The side panel says:
">Shaving-Sharp Rust-Resistant Blades of Stainless Steel
>Unbreakable Delrin Handles
>Genuine Leather Sheath
>Schrade Limited Lifetime Warranty
Proudly Made in the U.S.A.
The box is dated 1991, made and printed in the U.S.A.

Evidently, someone at Schrade was toying with the idea of switching the production blade metal of the Sharpfingers over to the now less expensive (and easier to warehouse, as you pointed out) Schrade+ stainless, and wanted to advertise the fact. History bears out the fact that they kept the 152 tangstamp intact along with the high carbon steel language and surupticiously made them with stainless. They left Deb to deal with the fallout.

That this one knife is not a fluke is born out by the spotting of at least two more of them this past month. Whether or not they ever sold any 512OT's in the special prepared boxes is still a mystery. My guess is that the idea got axed AFTER the expensive boxes were prepared, and a few knives received the new tangstamp. The few knives so marked were then tossed into the production 152 boxes and went out the door along with regular production. Any guesses what it costs to have even a hundred special boxes printed with gold foil lettering? You know a machinist has to make the special tangstamp and that is not cheap.

I have one of the last Schrade 152OT's that Schrade sent out to my local Wal-Mart and it turned out to be stainless just like the more truthfully marked Schrade+ 512OT.

Codger (injecting useless trivia again)
 
The chart I have reads 1982-1987. I checked the box it came in and it advertises it as Schrade+ steel. It's the creme colored box with black striping.
 
I just recently acquired a 98OT and I am very interested in finding the date it was manufactured. The paper that is in the box has 1991 on it but that may not be the right paper. The box is original with the number on it.
philw, what chart is that you're speaking of?
 
I think that the correct production dates would be '82-'97, not '87. The '91 date on your paper could be correct, in that your knife could have been made post '90.

Codger
 
You really need to contact Robert Clemente for a copy of his A Catalog History Of Schrade Knives . It is invaluable if you are trying to fill in blanks in a collection or just general knowledge. majormarket@charter.net

Codger
 
Philw,
Good find!
Del, looks like you had a typo. Thats a old post

TTYL
Larry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top