Carbon steel in 171 UH?

I

Ira Aten

Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
28
I was reading Codger's post where he put a lot of Schrades information off their catalog.

In that, Schrade says the old timer schrades are made from carbon steel, and the Uncle Henry uses Stainless + steel.

My question is this. I have a 171 UH pro hunter, but it is not a stainless blade, it is the carbon blade.

I got it around 1976.

Is a carbon blade on a pro hunter model 171 UH normal for that make?
 
What is your tang marking exactly? Are you sure it is not stainless ( no offense ) early UH while made of Stainless did not always carry the + to designate it. Often these knives even though stainless would darken almost patina from oils or just through use. However always remember with Schrade you may find anything. LT
 
Somewhere back in the archives, there is a post by our Schrade moderator where he mentioned several UH knives that were made in 1095 carbon steel. I believe the 171UH was one. He also mentioned that the "+" mark was not used on stainless knives until circa 1974. In the sticky at the top is a posting I did last year on Schrade steels that quote from these posts. I have both variants of the 171UH in carbon steel, and have seen only the second variant (flat pommel) in stainless.

LT is correct, a few years back everyone assumed that Old Timers were carbon, and Uncle Henry's were stainless, but we know not that isn't always true. Even as the 41OT was always stainless for it's short life, and the 153UH was carbon early on, then became stainless. The 152OT was always carbon, but production on it and many other Old Timer patterns changed to stainless (unmarked as such) late last century.

The catalogs themselves contain errors, so can't always be relied on to be accurate.

Codger
 
I have a S/W birds head pommel 171UH ser # 7050 which is carbon and a much later square pommel 171UH in stainless.
I just finished cleaning the birds head and spent a lot of time trying to get those damn stains out. It's carbon.
My guess from the limited evidence at hand is that the early models were carbon
TTYL
Larry
 
Out, damn'd stains! Out I say!...

How Shakespearean of you Irv...er, Larry. :D

Bill
 
No, my 171 UH is carbon, no doubt. Best knife I ever had, and can sharpen it like a razor. When it gets too discolored, I just use Barkeepers Friend, and it gets all the rust and discoloring out pretty good. The only stamps on it READ SCRADE
U.S.A. 171 UH

It also has the Uncle Henry signature on the brass hand guard.

I don't have the sheath for it anymore, and sure would like to know where to get a good one to replace it. The original was made from saddle skirting leather, and had a pouch for a small whet rock. I wonder if anyone makes those knife sheaths.
 
Our very own sheathmaker (Paul Long) who visits here makes killer sheaths. He has made some beauties for Phil (textoothpk) and Michael (Codger), maybe they'll show a couple of them.

Bill
 
Yes, Paul has several patterns now from our favorite Schrade fixed blades, including the 171UH. He uses the best Hermann oak tanned leather, dark deerskin, and can decorate, inset, or leave plain. Phil had one made with cartridge loops on it. Two of mine have hornback alligator insets.



The best costs less than you think!

Codger
 
I apologize for the quality of the scans. My cheap scanner is only a little bit better than my cheaper camera though. These scans do not do Paul's sheath work justice by any means. Phil's picture gives a better idea of the attention to detail.

350644.jpg
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I have a collectors corner with a few of Pauls sheaths on the web site.
If anyone else has a picture of Sheathmakers art please send em along.
www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us

follow the links to the collectors corners and look for pauls pictures.
I have a 171UH sheath with the knife in there too.
TTYL
Larry
 
Ira, I'm in Texas also. What part of the state are you in? I'm in Kerrville about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Paul
 
Sheathmaker:

I'm in Dripping Springs, so we are (in Texas terms) practically neighbors.

I have to go to Kerville in July to take my daughter to the Schreiner College to the Western Artists museum school. I love Kerrville, bueatiful country.
 
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