Codger_64
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- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
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As some of you know, I always keep my eyes open for another piece of the production chronology puzzle for my favorite Schrade fixed blades. Last week, I finally acquired one, a different sheath I had seen rarely before, and matched to a likewise scarce tangstamp. As usual, the knives are more common than the sheaths, attrition of softgoods being as it is. Well, I gave more for the sheath than I tought it was worth (judging from the eBay picture), and the knife was a "gimme" in the deal. It did look like a user, but not good enough for display.
As we are sometimes disappointed when an eBay item arrives because it is in worse condition than expected, this one was a good surprise, in that the knife itself grades near mint (a few light surface scratches only).
But... the object of the purchase was the sheath. I'm still not positive where it fits in the chronology, but I do know the waffle tooled was first (1963-64-65), as catalogs and boxed patent pending examples prove.
Next is/was the same type sheath, tooling deleted.
Then with eyelets added circa 1969-70 to protect the laces.
Then rivets were added and laces replaced with stitching circa 1971.
And finally, after the 15OT ceased production as an "OT", and was relegated to a SFO/LE pattern, a leather gussett was added to the stitching to protect it, and the rivets eliminated.
Now, somewhere in this rough order of sheaths, the new sheath fits. With the choil strap, and the alligned tangstamp, I think it is number three or four. As laces were eliminated, and before the handle retainer strap was used. Anyone have a better idea? More insight? A mint example with provenance?
Codger
By the way, here is the alligned tangstamp, next to last used.
And here is the last, most familiar.
As we are sometimes disappointed when an eBay item arrives because it is in worse condition than expected, this one was a good surprise, in that the knife itself grades near mint (a few light surface scratches only).
But... the object of the purchase was the sheath. I'm still not positive where it fits in the chronology, but I do know the waffle tooled was first (1963-64-65), as catalogs and boxed patent pending examples prove.
Next is/was the same type sheath, tooling deleted.
Then with eyelets added circa 1969-70 to protect the laces.
Then rivets were added and laces replaced with stitching circa 1971.
And finally, after the 15OT ceased production as an "OT", and was relegated to a SFO/LE pattern, a leather gussett was added to the stitching to protect it, and the rivets eliminated.
Now, somewhere in this rough order of sheaths, the new sheath fits. With the choil strap, and the alligned tangstamp, I think it is number three or four. As laces were eliminated, and before the handle retainer strap was used. Anyone have a better idea? More insight? A mint example with provenance?
Codger
By the way, here is the alligned tangstamp, next to last used.
And here is the last, most familiar.
