Introduced in 2002, the $19.95 Schrade Simon SS1 was a small open frame key chain knife. According to the introductory ads:
The simple 3" Simon knife locks for safe use and is crafted from stainless steel and lightweight anodized aluminum. The 2 1/4" stainless steel blade is pierced for easy one hand opening. Simons most unique feature is its plunger type device that allows fast and easy attach or detach from a key chain, belt loop or vest.
* Simple one hand use
* Easy to use, easy on the pocketbook
* Quick release mechanism
* Perfect for key ring, vest
Schrade expanded the offerings of the simple Simon SS1 line in 2003 by adding more blade and handle finishes, dynamic color treatments:
SS1 - Natural blade and handle $19.95
SS1AB - All Black blade and handle $28.95
SS15 - Black blade and Realtree camo handle $28.95
SS16 - Black and Blue Marble finish blade, handle $28.95
SS17 - Natural blade and Damascus style handle $28.95
Models and prices remained the same for 2004.
According to Schrade product manager Tim Faust in 2002,
Simon is probably Schrades hottest new knife. Simon comes from Simple
Simon -its a very simple knife to use, and helps simplify people's everyday lives because its carabiner type device allows quick and easy attachment and detachmnt from key chain, back pack , fishing vest, etc. Its the perfect knife for travel, for use around the house, for cutting boxes or tape at the office,etc.
Weighing an ounce or less, and less than a quarter inch thick, the SS1 is an easily carried knife. The carabiner clip, originally a looped wire, was changed to a flat spring steel bar after introduction. As with most open framed knives, the Simons blade is mounted to one side of the frame, and nests in a black plastic cover attached to the side of the frame. Smooth opening and closing is facilitated by a tiny ball bearing inset into the forward frame portion that forms the lockbar. When the blade full closes, the ball drops into a matching detent on the blade making accidental opening unlikely. Lubricity is provided at the pivot torx screw by a nylon washer. The satin finished Schrade+ stainless chisel ground Wharncliff blade has a kidney shaped piercing to facilitate opening the knife. This piercing is placed so that when the knife is closed, the frame stamp (there is no tang stamp) can be clearly seen through the hole.
The knife is awkward at first to use, having no finger groove on the lower frame to prevent a forefinger from slipping off the short handle onto the blade, but with a bit of playing and experimentation, I found that using a thumb-forefinger pinch on the pivot screw provided the surest grip and allowed adequate control of the blade. Texturing the screws would have been an improvement, as would adding a slight lower finger groove, but it is , after all, a simple knife.
The clip spring bar seems weak, and I expect that it would fail after a bit of flexing. I want to find the earlier wire bar knife and compare it. The blade had no up and down play, and once I tightened the pivot screw with a torx wrench, there was no side to side play at all. Fit and finish of the six parts is quite good.
I give this little knife high marks for its price. And I invite others to add their two cents, corrections, additions and comments.
Codger
