Chasing patterns - Schrade Sharpfinger

Codger_64

Codger_64

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Everyone has a different idea of what a collection entails. For some it is an example of every pattern produced by a favorite maker. For others it is one example from each of many makers. I like to collect many different patterns by several makers, but also pursue the quest of acquiring examples of every variation of selected single patterns made by one company from beginning of production to end. One might think that specialization would be restrictive, but not so. Particularly with a pattern produced continuously for thirty-two years, and which was a favorite of commemoratives, limited editions and special factory orders by companies, clubs and other organizations. Luckily this portion of my collection was overlooked by thieves during a burgulary a few months ago.

Today I indulged myself with playtime and retrieved my Schrade Sharpfingers (152OT/UH) and offspring knives (154OT/UH, 158OT/UH). Taking advantage of the moderate weather and sun, I took them out on the back porch countertop for a family portrait. I think I only missed one, a 152OTDS, dual shielded anniversary model which I found later when putting the rest of them back to bed in the cabinet drawer. And a 152GA, a 154H, both special orders for Peterson publishing to sell subscriptions to Guns & Ammo and Hunting magazines. Those two were duplicates in the collection and are packed to send to a collector friend on the West Coast.

As you will see, many are new in the box, some are as-new without box, some are used both with and without sheaths. There are even some blanke from the factory liquidation in 2004 and a presecessor knife, a Kastor/Camillus import from the early 1900's.

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Michael
 
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Michael,
although I can't say I'm a fan of Sharpfingers (I never even handled one), yours is very close to my concept of knife collection, which is, basically, a dedicated, oriented, focused accumulation and search.
And that's always nice to see...especially for someone like me, who's not genetically engineered to collect anything :p

Fausto
:cool:
 
Nice. I acquired my first sharpfinger recently, and I'm looking forward to using it next season. Looks like it'll be a handy little skinning knife. Got in a pawn shop deal: $25 for it and a 34OT. A little vinegar soak to clean off the rust and they are in great shape.
 
A fine collection there. I have one Sharpfinger that I've used on a few deer, it's an excellent pattern.
 
quattromori said:
Michael,
although I can't say I'm a fan of Sharpfingers (I never even handled one), yours is very close to my concept of knife collection, which is, basically, a dedicated, oriented, focused accumulation and search.
And that's always nice to see...especially for someone like me, who's not genetically engineered to collect anything :p

Fausto
:cool:
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It is actually a subcollection, one of three. The three consist of the three knife patterns I have used for many, many years, long before I became interested in knives for their own sake. As well, the three were what I was able to purchase as a young adult and able to buy my own good knives for my outdoor pursuits of work, hunting and fishing. Over the years they became trusted familiar friends. A knife, my stockman broken by one of my workers, led me here some years ago as I searched for an exact replacement. And it progressed from there. I am a near lifelong user of this pattern and a collector of it for ten years or so. They are still pretty much my go-to patterns for use, though I do have many, many diffeerent ones acquired out of curiosity.

Also, I enjoy reading about and researching history. And the cutlery field is rich in history of people, of manufacturing methods and of the products they made and sold, and which people used in their everyday lives. So for me, it isn't merely collecting for the sake of accumulating. Other than a few of the remaining employees of the company, I may well know more about these patterns of this brand than anyone in the world. And I get a certain amount of satisfaction from shareing my research with those interested. :)
 
Woodrow F Call said:
Nice. I acquired my first sharpfinger recently, and I'm looking forward to using it next season. Looks like it'll be a handy little skinning knife. Got in a pawn shop deal: $25 for it and a 34OT. A little vinegar soak to clean off the rust and they are in great shape.
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I think you got a good deal. Last MSRP on them in 2004 was about $38.00, though soon after the company closed, retailers scurried to dump stocks and sold them at very deep discounts, sometimes at near their wholesale costs of $19. Today, unless a knife is in very poor shape, a used one will often bring it's last MSRP or, if a new in the box production example, sometimes nearly twice MSRP. Used reasonably and given reasonable care, one can easily last a lifetime. I still have and use my first one acquired in the early seventies when they were still relatively new on the market.

halfaxe said:
A fine collection there. I have one Sharpfinger that I've used on a few deer, it's an excellent pattern.
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I have found it to be an excellent compact field knife for many types of hunting and fishing. There is more than a grain of truth to the old magazine ad for these from 1974, as well as the one later in 1976.

1974 ad
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1976 ad.
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I have one of those - I got it with a Guns & Ammo subscription back in the 70s. I don't hunt so it never really got much use.
 
The first fixed blade knife I ever received, and the first one I really cut/stabbed myself with. My Grandfather gave me a Sharpfinger to use while fishing. Carried that little razor proudly. Then one day I went to resheathe it on my hip and promptly stabbed it through it through the sheath and into my hip. Sadly I was an idiot child and neglected to clean it before putting it away after fishing season. Learned a lesson, but lost a knife.

Picked up one off the popular auction site a few years back for around $30-$40 in very good shape. Just sharpening it up brought back a lot of good memories.
 
Stelth said:
Beautiful collection, Codger.
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Thanks. It is still growing each year. Every year I find a dozen new variations and, when opportunity and money coincide, I am able to add several a year. Some, once you miss them they are gone for ever. Here is one I missed and I regret it to this day. It was being sold by actress Beryl Hart, widow of John Hart. You can tell by looking at it that he used and appreciated it. Hi-Ho Silver! Away!

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These knives fascinate me. Being in Europe I've never come across one but they really do look like an extension of the hand. Useful!

I'll have to start looking out for one, or are there other contemporary makers offering them?

Thanks, Will
 
I love that pattern and never tire of looking at different models. I don't see a more useful pattern that has ever been made. I have 3 different ones and I carry one at least a few days a month.
 
jc57 said:
I have one of those - I got it with a Guns & Ammo subscription back in the 70s. I don't hunt so it never really got much use.
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It was a very popular subscription bonus when first introduced and was repeated a few years later. And so many went out that more than a few survive today new in the original boxes as you suggest.

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One of the 154OTs shown was a bonus for the same publisher for HUNTING magazine.
 
Halfneck said:
The first fixed blade knife I ever received, and the first one I really cut/stabbed myself with. My Grandfather gave me a Sharpfinger to use while fishing. Carried that little razor proudly. Then one day I went to resheathe it on my hip and promptly stabbed it through it through the sheath and into my hip. Sadly I was an idiot child and neglected to clean it before putting it away after fishing season. Learned a lesson, but lost a knife.

Picked up one off the popular auction site a few years back for around $30-$40 in very good shape. Just sharpening it up brought back a lot of good memories.
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That was one of the design flaws of the early sheaths and it is not uncommon to pick up a used one today and find a tiny tell-tale slit in the back of the sheath. I've done that myself, but you learn to hold the sheath differently when resheathing.

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This slit can be repaired with careful use of crazy glue. :)
 
Hello Michael. Thank you for posting your collection. It brings back memories of being a kid walking in the woods with my dads sharpfinger. I feel bad to this day as I lost that knife somewhere in some logpile. He never gave me crap about losing it thankfully. I have picked up one older one thinking that I may gift it to him but I decided to wait to find one in better condition. They are useful to carry and use and the fit my hand real good. This post reminds me i need too get on the ball and find one.
Thank you
Nathan
 
It has been a while since I bought one, but I have one on the way now. I was lacking even one NIB SHarpfinger scrimshaw edition. The one comeing is like this.

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A 1983 special factory order for Kresge (K-Mart). In order to offer something unique, the art was reversed and printed on the pile side of the handle, the tang stamp was changed from the usual 502SC to 205SC and applied to the pile side tang along with the usual blade etch.
 
navin74 said:
Hello Michael. Thank you for posting your collection. It brings back memories of being a kid walking in the woods with my dads sharpfinger. I feel bad to this day as I lost that knife somewhere in some logpile. He never gave me crap about losing it thankfully. I have picked up one older one thinking that I may gift it to him but I decided to wait to find one in better condition. They are useful to carry and use and the fit my hand real good. This post reminds me i need too get on the ball and find one.
Thank you
Nathan
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Hi Nathan! Your tale of woe is not unusual at all. And new ones are still out there if you have the patience to watch and wait for one in the right condition at the right price. As I have mentioned, they can often be bought for less than their last MSRP, adjusted for inflation. Be aware however that there are modern copie with nostalgia markings. There are enough subtile differences to tell them apart though, particularly if you have a used example in hand to compare.
 
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