Are the NEW Old Timers JUNK or NOT??

Several USA 152OTs in the Schrade section of the AAPK stores.
One looks new with sheath $29.95
So why buy Chinermade??
Another possibility just a tad longer than the 152 is the Helle Speider 05 made in Norway.
Curly Birch handle, finger guard, laminated stainless blade for about $40.
Helle05LhsPnt.jpg

HelleNsheath.jpg
 
Bear Cutlery made these for Taylor Brands, They also made some wood handle knives with Walden Cutlery markings, these knives were released before the Chinese made Schrades came on the market, There are that many for sale on our favorite auction site it seems like someone is trying to offload them.

Russell
 
Thanks TR,
I've been seeing these 'new' USA Schrades for a while and hadn't heard where they were coming from.
I assumed (you know what they say about that)Schraylor had contracted with somebody to make non China Schrades again.
From rebecca's auction descrip sounds like that somebody is Bear and son.
It's getting (or has been) where Schrade shopping online must be similar to walking backwards thru a minefield while blindfolded.
I have found it helpful to paraphrase a time-tested and proven verified olde saying into a new unverified olde saying.
"If it appears too new to be old & true, it probably is".
 
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Dave Thinkstoomuch said:
Why buy a cheap import when you can buy a next-to-new USA made Schrade on eBay or a million other auction sites for less than the new Chinese cheapies? Sheaths aren't as good either. USA Schrade is still easy to find. Grab yourself a slightly beat-up "user" for next to nothing. It will last you your lifetime if you take care of it. For me it's more a personal boycott thing. Taylor Brands still waves the American flag on their packaging but the reality is that they killed a 100 year old USA tradition and put lots of good people out of work. If Taylor called them "Taylors" and displayed the Chinese flag on his box I might buy the cheapest one just to check them out. As it is I just see them as trying to fool people and that bothers me. Schrade is gone. Taylor killed it. Period.
Click to expand...

Yes,I'm surprised that they haven't had the chinese put the original tang stamps,with the USA mark,on their imported crap!:mad:
 
Dave Thinkstoomuch said:
...Schrade is gone. Taylor killed it. Period.
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While I understand and also feel the angst at Schrade's demise, and agree that TBLLC knives aren't "SCHRADE" knives, I think we do ourselves a disservice (and yes, Stewart Taylor as well) by blaming the demise of ISC on him and his company.

There were many reasons, primary and secondary that ISC closed for good in July of 2004. A disinterested owner (Albert Baer had been dead for some years, CEO management devolving to his heir... wife), management lacking the "vision" and creativity that built the company in the first place (Again, both Baer brothers were gone, and remaining management was hamstrung by the owner, a "professional turn-around consultant" forced on them), a bank with limited patience which held unpaid notes for borrowed operating capitol, changing markets, a shift in the buying power of traditional buyers to a younger generation of buyers without traditional brand loyalties (and in many cases "nation-of-origin" loyalties), I could go on and on. Ocam's razor does not work in this instance. In my own opinion, the simplist answer is not the correct one.

Michael
 
....true and Taylor gave the contract to the Chinese ,he gave the jobs to the Chinese, and expects Americans and Australians to support that effort and purchase, you dont think the Chinese are really buying that pseudo American stuff do you?.of course they will only sell on price and not because of any inherant quality.....I personally will always overlook them in terms of useability or heaven forbid collectability.....you ought to see how long a few Chinese stainless specimens lasted in my fishing environment....Ruuusssttyy!...how come my USA Schrades consistantly fare so much better?...they may look similar but of course thats the point isn't it..the gullible will buy on looks and price alone....good luck to them at least the Chinese use Aussie Steel but it isnt enough you need USA knifemaking ingenuity as well IMO..... Taylor did not kill Schrade but he is not breathing life into whats left either....profit and Chinese jobs are healthy...I find it hard to get excited by either. Hoo Roo
 
Larry303 said:
....true and Taylor gave the contract to the Chinese ,he gave the jobs to the Chinese, and expects Americans and Australians to support that effort and purchase, you dont think the Chinese are really buying that pseudo American stuff do you?.of course they will only sell on price and not because of any inherant quality.....I personally will always overlook them in terms of useability or heaven forbid collectability.....you ought to see how long a few Chinese stainless specimens lasted in my fishing environment....Ruuusssttyy!...how come my USA Schrades consistantly fare so much better?...they may look similar but of course thats the point isn't it..the gullible will buy on looks and price alone....good luck to them at least the Chinese use Aussie Steel but it isnt enough you need USA knifemaking ingenuity as well IMO..... Taylor did not kill Schrade but he is not breathing life into whats left either....profit and Chinese jobs are healthy...I find it hard to get excited by either. Hoo Roo
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As one well-recognized knife expert told me not long ago, Taylor did not get wealthy selling high quality, high priced knives. IMHO, one would not be well advised to expect him to do so now. His market is and always has been low-end knives sold to relatively uninformed buyers who cannot tell the difference in a genuine ISC Schrade and inexpensive (but shiney) imports with similar "nostalgia" markings. I wish I had his money and he had my ex(s). :)

As the ISC corporation was dismantled with bits and pieces sold off and scattered, and employees (some of which still do not have employment in their field) sent on their way, IMHO, there is nothing left of the company besides the logos, slogand and other trademarks and other than artifacts such as the knives which were produced by them, some bits of advertising art and a few surviving records. It would be an expensive, time consuming and unprofitable endevour to reassemble the ISC Corporation and rehire the former employees, regain market shares and breathe life into the Frankenstein resulting. Perhaps it might work in some parallel universe where Albert Baer still rules the American cutlery scene,, but not in this one. And I certainly do not expect any other American cutlery firm to ascend to the position once held by Imperial Schrade (not even if China dropped out of market competition altogether).

Michael
 
Codger_64 said:
As one well-recognized knife expert told me not long ago, Taylor did not get wealthy selling high quality, high priced knives.
Click to expand...

I have seen Taylor knives since the 1980s. Even sold a few back then in the cutlery store.
The question that pops into my mind is; "When did he ever sell any high quality knives?"
:confused::confused:

Dale
 
So, I just received a chinese 34OT in the mail yesterday. The auction had a crummy picture but I thought for $9.00 I'd take a gamble. I'm starting to dabble more in customizing anyway, so if nothing else I can take it apart and not feel bad about screwing up a good knife. DEFINITELY a piece of junk. It feels like it weighs about half of what my real 34OT weighs in hand and is a full 1/8" shorter in overall closed length. It also appears to be thinner. The blades are absolute crap, the factory edge was dull and when I ran it across the diamond stone the steel just poured off the blade. Let there not be a doubt in anyone's mind that they are pure trash. Just my two cents.

Chuck
 
Haven't had a chance to buy a new knife for a while. Had a fellow at the local TrueValue actually try to steer me toward the low end chinese stuff (costs less, they're all made in China now etc.)the other day. Bought a Case 63087 stockman instead, which has more of the feel of the 34OT than the chinese Taylor version.
 
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