Bone 80T

Sorry I am late into this thread. Meerschaum bone is just that, bone. I recall, but cannot find, a past discussion on it.
I had a Meerschaum pipe a long time ago, and marveled at the beauty of the color it gained as it was used. Over the years, the material went from nearly pure white, to a graduated color; dark brown at the inner rim of the bowl fading into a reddish tan to creamy white at the outer edge. (Quit smoking about 40 years ago, or might not be telling you this!)
Smoking was more of an art back then, steeped in what we NOW know is ignorance. But Meerschaum pipes were revered, and valued for the colors that developed with use, and I believe that Schrade was trying to use the marketing technique of association with something valued and revered to sell knives. This "Meerschaum bone" (let's call it MB) was dyed to give it that translucent, gradual color change that looked so beautiful.
I believe it is the basis for the ubiquitous OT delrin, much cheaper to produce of course. But the nature of the plastic did not allow the translucence or "glow" that you could get by dying, and lightly oiling, bone.
 
P.S. nice comparison shot, Thawk! It confirms what I've seen in the old school knife making company, Queen cutlery. A cutler had a row of 50-60 nearly finished knives, and was cutting swedges on the master blade, FREEHAND! With one pass on the wheel! One slip, and the knife would be junk, yet he did the whole row , one pass left-handed, one pass right handed, without a bobble! What I see in your pic makes me think that's how Schrade did it also!
 
Right about that Waynorth. Each one I line up has a different look, maybe a little uneven from side to side. Makes you really appreciate the swedges on old Cut Co, Keen Kuttter, Diamond Edge, etc. You've shown some that were downright artistic. Maybe not all done the same way, but nevertheless.
 
After a little catalog research, here's what I've come up with regarding the meerschaum 'Bone" question:

1961- catalog shows new 2OT and 8OT and describes them as being made with genuine bone.

1962- catalog shows 8OT and describes handle as "meerschaum unbreakable plastic handles" hmmm...

1963- catalog shows the Safari Set, with the accompanying 8OT with "meerschaum bone handles" (Those of you with this set can vouch for those handles being delrin)

1965- catalog page shows 34OT, 8OT, 108OT, 25OT, and 15OT with handles described as "bone meerschaum" , and "meerschaum bone". There's also this- "The hardness and resiliency of Old Timer handles makes it impractical to imprint or stamp"

1966- This catalog describes the Old Timer handles on one page for the first time as staglon. On another page devoted exclusively to the Old Timer line, they're described as 'meerschaum bone" and, here's the tie-in again, "meerschaum unbreakable plastic".

I believe that "meerschaum" and "meerschaum bone" were Schrade's original description for staglon, and was used to describe the coloring, as in Charlie's description, and not an actual bone handle. The handles on the 8OTs were definitely made of bone in 1961 though.

Eric
 
I'm totally in agreeance with you Eric..process of deduction wasn't it my dear Watson!
Schrade displayed a sound knowledge of marketing in those days and gave what the consumer wanted.In the latter days near closure, they produced/designed knives that looked more like the Chinese knives people were buying and assumed thats what folk wanted,but they missed the point.. folk were buying on price alone and Schrade still carried high prices for their Chinese looking clones a fatal mistake IMHO.We generally dont even collect them now even they are genuine USA Schrade because they are most unlike USA Schrade . Hoo Roo
 
Larry303 said:
I'm totally in agreeance with you Eric..process of deduction wasn't it my dear Watson!
Schrade displayed a sound knowledge of marketing in those days and gave what the consumer wanted.In the latter days near closure, they produced/designed knives that looked more like the Chinese knives people were buying and assumed thats what folk wanted,but they missed the point.. folk were buying on price alone and Schrade still carried high prices for their Chinese looking clones a fatal mistake IMHO.We generally dont even collect them now even they are genuine USA Schrade because they are most unlike USA Schrade . Hoo Roo
Click to expand...

Henry Baer coined the term Meerschaum bone for the 2OT bone handled knives, and the first knife to use the 3OT designation for that matter.
Delrin displaced the bone rather quickly as the OT line expanded, but the name was too good to lose (Baer was no dummy!), so became even better as "Meerschaum Unbreakable etc."! Then came Sawcut Delrin.
 
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