can anyone offer some info on this Schrade Walden? (pics inside)

allyourblood

allyourblood

Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
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this was given to my Dad from my Grandfather, and he gave it to me yesterday. appears to be ivory scales with brass (?) liners... blade tang states "SS102 STAINLESS" on one side, and "SCHRADE WALDEN N.Y. USA" on the other.

it was really difficult to open and close at first, but a drop of 3-in-1 did wonders, and now she's snappy again, just like new.

anyway, this is a cool knife, and i've not seen this design before, very slim and "slicey". my grandfather said it was a "fruitknife" (which, judging from the design makes a lot of sense). he was issued this knife when he worked in the agricultural dept. at the US/MX border: they used 'em mostly to cut open fruits and vegetables for inspection, before allowing shipments to cross into the States.

anyone have any history? when it was first released, the "name" of this model? any info you folks might have would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

abe m.
 
Welcome to our forum, Abe. Yep, that is commonly called a 'melon tester'. Imperial made them right up to the end, as did Colonial. You can find lots of them that were give a ways from fruit and vegetable vendors, have their name or logo on them. Were used in Migrant camps to settle arguments.

Some people collect those logoed ones. Not surprising the USDA would issue a Scrhade-Walden, as those are the best made I have seen. I don't know about ivory... they did some pretty good handles back in those days, and I have seen some of the imitation Pearl that looked almost as good as the real thing. I see in my reference book that Schrade-Walden offered an 'imitation ivory' handle on this model, and also black composition

The Schrade-Walden mark was used from 1946 to 1973, so the dates do match up to when your grandfather was issued the knife. There was also a longer yet model of this, I think the SS105.

Cool knife, and it is nice you have a blade that has been in your family for such a long time.

Phil
 
Phil, thanks so much for the info! yeah, i'm quite pleased to own this knife now. due to its history and age, i consider it one of the best knives in my collection (right up there next to the one my wife gave me!).

one more thing: do you (or any other forum members) know where i can purchase a new knife of this design (hopefully identical, though not necessarily the same color or materials)? it doesn't have to be fancy, i would just like to add a new user of the same ilk, just for fun. i'd like to see the two side by side, and see how it performs, and how it performed for my grandfather. i'd use this one, but i fear i may lose or damage it, which would be bad.

thanks again for the information. i really appreciate it!

abe m.
 
Alley, I think Smokey Mountain had some recent manufacture Schrade melon testers in the recent catalog. You might want to hurry before they sell out, they were going cheap. I think even the handles were a white composition, similar to yours.
 
Just to add a little to what OTguy mentioned about SMKW....
If you don't have a catalog, it's online (eknifeworks)...It's model #SCSS102B....It's still in stock.

NOT affiliated....just trying to help.

Bill
 
Your knife is not ivory it is celluloid. It is Faux ivory ( simulated ). The question of where to get one has been answered. It should be no problem since Schrade made many many of them. As far as the handles Schrade did not make these in Ivory in fact Unless possibly a very early production Schrade Cut co 1903-1946 they did not make any knives in Ivory. In Schrade Walden they never made any factory ivory knives ( unless perhapes a one of a kind special presentation piece. However I have never heard of, or seen any. ) Yours is a relatively early one under Schrade Walden because this material was discontinued when it was used up in around 1959. If you look at the handles you will see the lines running through the material are evenly spaced and parallel. In real ivory these lines are uneven because they are growth lines and just as with a tree or finger nail they are natural and therefore are never exactly even or parallel. Also one way to be sure if in the future you should wonder if a material is real or synthetic. Ivory usually is cool or cold to the touch. If you placed the material someplace sensitive like on your upper lip you will feel the cool ness. celluloid is usually warmer to the touch. All this being said as you are wandering around your next knife show it might not be wise to start sticking knives on your lips some of the people around you might consider it unusual. Also do not attempt to use other sensitives spots for this test while in pubic er I mean public. The newer versions are in delrin they will have no lines. LT
 
These "Sampler" knives were made right up to the very end.
There were 2 models made. The SS102RB at 4 11/16" retalied at $29.95 and the SS105RB at 5 3/4" retailed at $31.95 in the 2004 catalog.

I have an older 105 from before my "collecting" days that just about took off my index finger. Because its a slip joint and the blade length, using the knife on a hard surface would cause the blade to close rapidly if you caught it on the back side if the tip. After a couple of close calls and few gotcha's I retired the knife as a user and went to my old lockback LB5. I liked to carry the 105 because of the length I could get it out of my back pocket easily. I didn't have to fish around in the pocket trying to get it out because it had shifted to under the wallet like the shorter knives do.


TTYL
Larry
 
Melon testers fit fine in a shirt pocket like a pen, somebody should make one with a clip, I have an old German which has two blades on opposite ends, the secondary being a small pen, probably not really intended to be a fruit sampling knife because it is not that long but the slender blade is right for the job.

Testing on sensitive parts... LOL. My dad used to test the porosity (and therefore quality) of ceramics by touching an exposed not enameled section with his tongue, more porous is cheaper and will stick more. I also remember seen some expert on TV biting on an enameled antique figurine to test the hardness of the enamel, we all have likely seen that done on coins on TV or the movies. For ivory there is a destructive test, sticking a heated pin in some hidden area (as in the bottom of an ivory carving) plastics will melt, though I don´t know if I would like to stick a hot pin into celluloid, being so chemically unstable and explosive, also it´s not easy to find a hidden spot on a knife.

Luis
 
Hey Don thats a good idea however I have a feeling you are not the first to think of it. These (in the attached pic ) are Ulsters and Schrade Waldens. These are the most common patterns. LT PS I forgot to mention if you look at the celluloid version originally posted you will notice that the cell is starting to break down on that knife. See the discoloration ( and slight sort of bubbling or melting) at the tip of the bolster. Chances are this knife has been stored in a closed drawer or small confined area. It is just starting but cell is unpredictable. This knife should be displayed or kept in an open area and away from other knives ( since in a closed area it will cause any other exposed blades to rust.) Also large fluctuations in surrounding temp should be avoided. steady room temp is fine. I could explain the reasons for this but, After my long article last week I do not want to push my luck but er TRUST ME. I only mention this since the knife seems important to you and if this chemical process gets really going it can destroy a knife in a very short time.
 
LT,
The incredible number of knives, the sheer number of patterns, and the depth of your collection, never ceases to amaze me. :eek: Wow!
If I were a wagering man (er, ooops :D ) I'd bet you have just about 2 of everything there is to have. ( I guess we are all descendants of Noah!).
In fact.....I think you probably have THE Bowie knife from the sandbar, not the guy in California, or the Alamo, but our own LT. Hell, you've even got John Wayne at your house!

As always, thanks for sharing. I'm gonna go kiss my knives, or at least hold them somewhere near and dear to me while I sample something.

A-freakin'-mazing!!!

Bill
 
Recently I was going through a section of my library which consists of volumes of used knife books ( usually bought over the years in auctions ect. I happened upon a volume of AMERICAN KNIVES by Harold L Peterson. While sitting on the floor thumbing through this book surrouded by other volumes that I had not even sorted I came upon this ( see attached pic ) article on Both the Bowie bros. It also had a picture of a typical bowie believed ( at that time to be the same as the Alamo bowie. ). I remembered a knife that I had gotten at an auction which was a copy of a bowie. ( I knew it was hanging around somewhere. Your posting made me recall it and I thought it might be fitting to post. Yes you are correct wolfman plenty of stuff to bad no one gives a hoot about this history. Nobody but them boys in TENN. Oh well any info on Bullhead city. LT
 
OK LT,
Schrade!!!!.....so much for forum content.

Here is a link for you

http://www.bullheadcity.com/


.....even has a section about "Relocation"...I haven't read it, but you never know. If you are quite serious, I'll be glad to hook you up with someone who works real estate in the area. Heck, my son is just finishing up the process to get his license!

you can email me if you get "The Itch"...

Bill
denoflobos@aol.com
 
OK how about a little Schrade content. By the way did not bring up the matter of bowies. Meanwhile back at the fruit ie deli ( meat knife ) . Many of these knives were sold to produce and meat companies since that was by design, there ascribed function. Many of the companies would put there logo on these knives and give them to there customers. Some collectors specialize in only this type of knife. I have attached a picture of one such knife. Which was made for the ARMOUR meat company. Now I have chosen this knife because I wanted to show how these were marked. You will notice 2 steel dies in the pics. In order to read them correctly I had to use a mirror and photograph them backwards. Which to some people would not be a big deal however for me it was akin to quantum physics in complexity. I included several pics showing the dies, knife and the reflection process, ect.

This being said most of the issues by Schrade never had 2 dies when the picture (or logo ) was sent to the machine company to be made it was expensive and could be used for thousands of knives. However in this case there were two made if you look close one has had a piece welded ( or applied to make it longer so apparently for what ever reason the first die was to short. It is these little pieces of this history that I enjoy uncovering. ( Which shows that my life is a bit pathetic. ) I know many collectors who have never seen an actual die stamp, as I said thousands of knives could be made from them but they are unique. What is even tougher since Schrade made thousands of issues over the years is to get the correct die to go with the one of the actual knives. LT
 
Proud Member of Team Fruit Knife :D : (I haven't posted in a while)
pairOjacks.JPG

Circa late '60's when my dad was grocery store manager/buyer.
 
LT, did I say I´m impressed... again ?

Thanks for showing, what do you mean a bit pathetic ???, you are helping make the Schrade forum into an Online Museum, no dumb Bureaucracy here.

Luis
 
yeah, i wasn't sure on the ivory thing, it just looked kinda like it. no worries, i love the knife either way!

i took your advice and surfed to Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and purchased both the melon tester and a Schrade Superknife (you know you can't just buy ONE thing, hehehe).

my first knife was a Schrade Old Timer stockman, and this will be my second. i'm usually a fan of the newer folders, but there's something simple and "warm" (?) about the classics. great knives you all have there.

abe m.
 
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