Another LB7 Poser

[Larry303]

Any ideas why a perfectly normal LB 7 in all other ways would have Mark and Pile side Tang marks unlike any others I have seen? I find it hard to believe its an end of days knock up because it would have taken even more work to create something different from the norm. Another Schrade imponderable? Hoo Roo

P.S. That is only a shadow under the LB7 tang mark.

 

[thawk]

Bizarre stamp on the back side. Any chance this was supposed to be a typical three line stamp that got the third line buried? You couldn't see it so they put that stamp on the back? It's a head scratcher.

 

[6.0stroker]

The pile side mark ,from the pic, doesn't look square to blade (slanted)? is this knife in your possesion? Strange

 

[lrv]

I havent see a LB7 stamped on the Pile side.

 

[Larry303]

Yes Ostroker I do possess it.. I am holding it <the knife> now mate.It could be slightly off line but only fractionally.
Thawk,How could they put the deep tang stamp on the back AFTER they realized the 3rd line couldnt be seen? Wouldn't they just bin it anyway and create a' second.'The original owner states he had it long before Schrade closure and might be an employee practice job?Another Schrade anomaly.....should we really be surprised? Hoo Roo

 

[Codger_64]

I think you have it reasoned out. The stock tang marking is "submerged" on the mark side. So they added another mark on the pile to show the pattern number and country of origin. Could it have been added after the blade had been hardened? I don't think that is too likely.

My best guess is that they acquired a new blanking die (possibly with a shorter tang? Might measure this against the standard) and when stamped (before heat treat) it was found that the LB7 U.S.A. was hidden when assembled. Perhaps 500 (or a thousand) of these were stamped before QC caught it and the solution was to take an old tangstamp altered to remove the upper text and add the second mark to the pile side. Also it could have been an incorrect setup by the operator doing the first tangstamp that caused it to be stamped too low on the tang. Or possibly a loose stop on the stamping press that allowed the inserted blades to incrementally drift out of position, QC sorted them for restamping when the error was caught.

I've never seen this before either. But it would have been a creative way to salvage a number of misstamped blades and get them into regular production, and out the door at the regular price, not simply discounted to recover material costs.

Michael

 

[thawk]

Interesting this is the first one anyone has reported, as many LB7 have ben discussed here. I'm fairly clueless on the topic of stamping or heat treat processes to know how and when a modification might be made (when the steel was softer). I should study up more, because stamps and variations of stamps is one of the interesting parts of collecting to me. Codger, your observations always help with logical explanations. Salvaging the goods so they could be sold is probably right on.

In reading Harvey Platts take on collecting and stamps, he makes a relevant statement in his 1978 book:

"All goods had to be marked, but exactly which stamp was used was not considered important. If a stamp broke partway through a job, an older stamp might be used to finish the job. Many times a marking decision was made at the stamping press, according to the whim of one individual."

This statement was aimed at describing stamping practices at small American cutlery companies, but I believe we see this happened on occasion at Schrade too.

Maybe a few more of these will pop up some day, or some with a different twist.

 

[Larry303]

....does this make it a 1 of 1.....?......a proto....?.....now if I can get Santas little helpers to etch 000 on the front bolster and fill in one of my blank Certificates of Authenticity to" Proto Tang Mark"....and.....and...put on FleaBay.....should be worth at least..........er......$23.26??? .....or dismantle & remove the blade?....and find under Uncle Henry stamped..""made under bloody Licence to Mr Tawor San""............Hoo Roo

 

[Codger_64]

Larry, I think it is just another production oddity and I thank you for bringing it to our attention. Yes, many eBay sellers would make something extroidinary and significant out of it, hype it, and add a cerfakeicate hoping to snag the attention of an unedumacated buyer.

IMHO, production oddities and rejects are a genre all their own. But I personally wouldn't give as much for one as I would a perfect, complete example of what the standard production was supposed to be.

Some can be explained rationally, and some defy explanation. And at some point, someone somewhere will go into the business of constructing Frankenknives from Schrade parts. All we as serious collectors can do is examine authentic knives and the variations in our collections and our friend's collections and try to learn what is right and what is wrong.

Knives with mixed up boxes and papers (and even reproduced papers) are becoming more and more common even now, I am sure most of you have noticed.

Michael

 

[Timstools]

I just checked mine a few of the tang stamps are submerged but not like yours,

The edge of the stamp letters and numbers is not nearly as well defined as the other side? It looks very unstraight to me.

Is it possible to tang stamp these cold after the knife as been finished??

 

[Timstools]

This is not a prototype I wrote this on with a marking pen.

 

[DaveT63]

This is not a prototype I wrote this on with a marking pen.

So what will your reserve be on ebay? Make it high, some poor sucker will fall for it!

 

[Timstools]

I guess if he falls for that one he deserves it?

 

[rprocter]

i'd buy it, except 2nd "t" in prototype looks suspicious ! roland

 

[Timstools]

After I read these posts from Michael and Larry I presented our local key cutter and engraver with a hypothetical scenario. I took both of these knives with me and asked him if he could dublicate the number on the top knife on the bottom knife and asked for what it would cost to do it.

He quoted me $30 to $40 dollars for one knife as there is setting up cost on computer first then much cheaper for every knife after that (to have lots done) and also easier to do on flat surface not like these knives (eg on a flat Schrade LB7).

He did mention that there was a $5000 dollar fine for breach of copyright laws, I explained that the knives were out of production but didnt ask him if he would actually go ahead and do the work.