BOKER U.S.A Wire Jack, pics

[oregon]

The tang stamp is a challenge to photograph clearly because it is not distinct (I can feel the tang stamp letters with my fingernail). When I examined it with a lit loupe I saw "BOKER" with "U.S.A." below on the blade tang on one side. This knife is very similar to the Geo. Schrade Scout set knife with the cap lifter in the blade. However, I don't know if the Boker knife ever had a blade guard in the wire handle like all of the Scout knives did when they left the factory. I believe that this is the "Pruner" model (thank you Glen Davis) and that it could have been made 1956-1958 by Boker USA (right after Boker bought Schrade).

1.5 ounce feather weight folder, 5 5/8 inches overall open, blade is a shade under 2.5 inches long.

Thank you for looking.

 

[oregon]

Group photo of Wire Jacks: Geo. Schrade, Geo. Schrade & Boker U.S.A.:

 

[Codger_64]

Those are neat. By the way, that was Geo. Schrade, a seperate company from Schrade Cut Co. He left his brothers with the Schrade company after a major tiff and opened his own company after a few false starts.

 

[oregon]

Thank you Codger.

Have you seen or heard tell of any other patterns, besides the Pruner shown above, from Boker U.S.A.?

I have a blurry pic. of 6 Geo. Schrade Wire Jacks for my desktop background. Two from that are shown above. The Pruner is the odd ball since it is a Boker. I use that photo as the universe of known Geo. Schrade Wire Jacks. I wonder if it is all inclusive. I took it from an OKCA newsletter a while back http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/Newsletter 0301.pdf page 7. It has the hatchet-bladed Wire Jack open at the top of the photo.

 

[lrv]

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=...-r.us/articles/The%20Mighty%20Wire%20Jack.pdf

 

[oregon]

Thank you kindly IRV for the link.

Glen Davis has made a huge contribution to the knowledge base for these unique folders. I've sent email to him. Does he post to the forums?

 

[oregon]

Glen Davis responded to my email to him. He hasn't taken pictures of all of his Wire Jacks. He linked to his website which includes photos of tang stamps.

I was wondering what the known number of models is. I count six plus the bronze blade = seven for Geo. Schrade Wire Jacks. Seven.

 

[lrv]

If you count the G.S. Wire fork I see 6 for George.

 

[oregon]

Excellent catalog pages. Thank you kindly Irv.

My count, Geo. Schrade folding knives, no forks, with wire handles (hatchet is stretching it I suppose): 8
1-6: Per Glen's photo in OKCA newsletter linked to post #4 = hatchet, fish, 2 hawkbills, scout & clip point
7: spear point in your posted brochure
8: copper/bronze bladed, used around explosives

 

[1066vik]

I've often wondered what this pattern was called -- I have a Geo Schrade pruner with red sheet metal blade guard from my grandfather's shop after he died -- it had seen a lot of use and abuse.
one side of the blade says "Atlas Bison Board Products" and the other says "Central Fibre Products Co. incorporated"
at the base of the blade it says"
GEO SCHRADE
PAT
9-21-26
B'PORT, CONN

 

[Codger_64]

Boker continued to make most of the George Schrade patterns as a sideline for the brief time they owned the company. When automatics (switchblades) were outlawed, there went their main reason for buying the company as that is where most of the profit came from. I have a "Boker Tree Brand" marked fixed blade bird & trout around here somewhere. George (and George Jr.) used "Stag Brand" on them and Boker mostly used "Schradebrand".

 

[oregon]

1066vik, is the blade shape of your GEO SCHRADE folder a wharncliffe/sheepsfoot like the pruner shown above with the Boker tang stamp?

I would really enjoy seeing a photo or two of your pruner. It sounds interesting.

 

[oregon]

Glen Davis was kind enough, thank you Glen, to hammer out a list w/o a moment's notice of Geo. Schrade Wire Jack patterns. He was uncertain if the hatchets were indeed Geo. Schrade or if they were mangler alterations so they weren't counted. Glen did not include the use of different materials as different pattern. BTW he talked about a photo of the whole group coming so that is something to look forward to.

1) Large Fish blade
2) Large other blade
3) medium hawk bill
4) medium spear
5) small hawk bill
6) small spear
7) small spear w/o cap remover
8) small fork

 

[oregon]

Excellent post Codger, wonderful information.

Would you care to speculate that if Boker made the Wharncliffe-bladed pruner, shown above, that Geo. Schrade was making it before Boker bot him out? Or did Boker originate that pattern of Wire Jack? I'm trying to throw a lasso around the entirety of Geo. Schrade Wire Jack patterns.

 

[oregon]

I've often wondered what this pattern was called -- I have a Geo Schrade pruner with red sheet metal blade guard from my grandfather's shop after he died -- it had seen a lot of use and abuse.
one side of the blade says "Atlas Bison Board Products" and the other says "Central Fibre Products Co. incorporated"
at the base of the blade it says"
GEO SCHRADE
PAT
9-21-26
B'PORT, CONN

Online, via Google, I found two (one with red insert) as you described the Wire Jack (closed Worthpoint) using the advertising key words from the two sides of your knife's blade.

It is a Hawkbill blade. A regular production item. There were two sizes of these Geo. Schrade Hawkbills.

 

[1066vik]

you're right - I would think of it as a hawkbill pattern on a fixed blade, but have seen it described as a pruner on some folders -- my mistake for using the wrong terminology.
here's a pic -- on a good day i take marginal at best pictures, and the lighting is horrible today, so it looks to be in a lot worse shape than it really is.

 

[oregon]

Thank you kindly for the photo 1066vik. Photography is a cruel mistress. Once in while it is a gas to experience but generally its a bitch.

What interesting folders these all-metal vintage George Schrades are. American manufacturing in a golden era.

Tough Glide should stop the aging of the metal. I've used it with good results. Horrible vapors so I've used it outside with rubber gloves.

 

[1066vik]

thanks for the tip -- I thought about hitting it with some peek or nevr-dull, but was afraid of cleaning off the advertising etchings as well as the surface crud.