Any love for Schrade Old Timer slipjoints made in China>?

afishhunter said:
Taylor got rid of the defective design used by Schrade, known as 'The Swendon Key'. It did make the knives look a little prettier, but they were not as durable as through pin construction. IMHO the Swendon Key was a major factor in Schrade US closing. Before making them in-house, Buck switched from Schrade building the 300 series to Camillus, because of too many Schrade built 300 series coming in with a broken key or keyway. Why didn't Schrade, who also guaranteed their knives "forever" abandon the key construction, when it became obvious from the number of knives returned for repair that it was a bad design?
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I have used USA made Schrades my whole life and never had one with the Swinden key construction fail or even loosen up. Not to say that it's not possible, just that it has not happened to me through a lifetime of using them.
 
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It's the first time that I've heard the Swinden key blamed for the closing of Schrade. I definitely haven't seen any evidence to substantiate it. Here's a link to 25 pages of published articles that tell part of the story: http://www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us/articles/News2002-2005.pdf

Although I think it has nothing to do with Schrade closing, I'm not sure if the Swinden key is more prone to loosen up. It isn't my experience but I won't argue either way since I have no substantial evidence either way. It's just not my experience. I've had more pinned knives loosen up than Swinden key knives. But I've also owned more pinned knives. From what I understand, they reduce costs of production but they are more difficult to repair. That makes sense to me. I'm just not sure if they are more prone to loose blades compared to peened pins.
 
All I ever heard was the Swinden key once it went bad needed to be pinned though to fix them.
 
The swinden key can loosen if subdued to heavy and or long term usage, but so can pin through. Swinden is not a flaw, it's just a different way to assemble a knife and it worked quite well.
 
Every Swinden Key Schrade that I have owned has loosened badly.
I sent a couple back and the factory replaced them, but when the third one loosened, I just pinned it as well as another one I had. Those pinned knives have been in use in my loaner roll for whittlin' students for over 20 years now and are just fine.

They have loosened slightly, but a little tap and they are good to go again.

I do not abuse knives, but I do use them to carve wood, and I guess that puts more pressure on them than the use that a lot of people do with theirs.

I like the Taylor Schrades a lot. I know it is not popular to say so, but in my experience they are better than the Swinden Key Schrades. The steel is every bit as good, the fit and finish is at least as good, and they can be tightened up without major work.
 
Mr. Chips said:
Every Swinden Key Schrade that I have owned has loosened badly.
I sent a couple back and the factory replaced them, but when the third one loosened, I just pinned it as well as another one I had. Those pinned knives have been in use in my loaner roll for whittlin' students for over 20 years now and are just fine.

They have loosened slightly, but a little tap and they are good to go again.

I do not abuse knives, but I do use them to carve wood, and I guess that puts more pressure on them than the use that a lot of people do with theirs.

I like the Taylor Schrades a lot. I know it is not popular to say so, but in my experience they are better than the Swinden Key Schrades. The steel is every bit as good, the fit and finish is at least as good, and they can be tightened up without major work.
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In your opinion, Taylor Old Timer 7Cr17 is every bit as good as USA Old Timer 1095? Isn't 7Cr17 pretty close to 440A?

I miss Schrade's 1095 being readily available for cheap.
 
I am somewhat conflicted on the subject. As others have said, I don't have a problem with buying knives made in China, but it bothers me a bit to buy one marked with the name of an old American brand.

The stainless steel on the "New Timers" is very good and serviceable, but I love old Schrade's 1095. They really found the sweet spot between ease of sharpening and edge retention.

I don't think the Swinden key construction makes the blades more prone to loosening, but it makes them much harder to tighten back up. That's why I find the Old Timers much more likely to be wobbly when I'm looking at used knives. An old Buck or Case may have developed play at some point, but the previous owner gave it a few taps.
 
The Best know lover of the Taylor ones is the Survival on Purpose channel Guy.

My Lumberjack Stockman and Ironwood OT8 have been great .
 
Modoc ED said:
Why is that?
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Because they are not real schrades, they were not made in walden or ellenville NY by schrade cut co, schrade walden or imperial schrade. It's somebody else's knife with the schrade name on it. Being a collector and lover of schrades I have very strong feelings against it.
 
TheChunk91 said:
It still is, they're everywhere on the bay and almost every antique shop, flea market or gun/knife show.
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Haven't seen many knives at a flea market, antique store or gun show that wasn't junk and priced 200x more than it's worth. Haha! You'll have to give the low down on the good places to shop! On the big auction site, a brand new 8OT will typically go for around $50. I used to buy them for about the same price as the OT from China are going for now. I don't really NEED ;) more pocket knives. But if I needed more, I would have to choose between a Winchester/Queen for about the same price or a GEC for a bit more. All three have 1095 steel. Back when Schrade was still in business, the only competition was from less expensive knives made in China. Now those knives have taken over that market and are priced similar to the US made Old Timers they replaced. And it would appear that most folks are satisfied by that.

I suspect that the intention might have been to compare 7Cr17 to Schrade's 400a instead of Schrades 1095. If 7Cr17 is just as good as 1095 then pretty much everything is the same. There's really no point in comparing other things when easily quantifiable differences are dismissed. That perception that everything is the same would explain a lot. To me there's a big difference between some of the brands that are often described as "just as good". That's enough for me but I will also never buy or recommend a knife from Taylor over a Case, GEC, Queen, Opinel, Victorinox, etc.
 
The Taylor Schrades are simply not on my radar. I have no interest what so ever when you can still buy USA made Schrades at reasonable prices.
 
I have one or two. I have not used them enough to give an opinion but I wondered if Smith and Wesson is still going to have them made.
 
Remind me again what the Swinden key is?
 
Ramrodmb said:
I have used USA made Schrades my whole life and never had one with the Swinden key construction fail or even loosen up. Not to say that it's not possible, just that it has not happened to me through a lifetime of using them.
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Same here. They may not be built to last forever ...... but they last forever. :)

-- Mark
 
supratentorial said:
Haven't seen many knives at a flea market, antique store or gun show that wasn't junk and priced 200x more than it's worth.
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I find fair or better priced traditional slipjoints in good or better condition at gunshows all the time.
 
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