Comparing LB8 Papa Bear variances with known date of Manufacture

My opening photos/info to this thread Page 1, are still valid to any LB8 discussion...some LB8 variances with confirmed dates of manufacture...re-birthed to stimulate further Schrade LB8 Papa Bear interest...Hoo Roo
 
Another previous post I found where Admin forgot to banish to the Bermuda Triangle, my opening photos from my post....look at them if interested while you still can...Hoo Roo
 
The opening photos in this thread give some proven dates of manufacture of the LB8's as many are box dated etc.....always interesting to look at...the LB8 was my first Schrade and still my favourite EDU = Every day user.. after owning some 2500 odd Schrades..Hoo Roo
 
Just received from USA two x Brand New LB-8 Schrade + Papa Bears with Serial #97576 & 97545.....Brown Box with Brown Sheaths, example 2 on opening thread photos here...with those Serial Numbers they were manufactured in 1978/79...3 pins with earliest position 2nd pin....43 y.o. and both these pristine mint sets have been opened only once, when wrapped originally in protective paper by the original purchaser. & 'put away'.....what's the story?.....I contacted the Lady owner immediately she put 20 identical sets up on the Auction site because it did not ring true...my first thought was the Chinese are making more of their dreadful clones out of another decent USA Schrade folder.. .20 identical sets most with consecutive numbers @US$35 with postage included...and described as a "Stocking Filler", just prior to Xmas....she informed me they had been put away originally when manufactured, by her late father & never touched and did not know much about them....she knew nothing about posting to Australia so I had to guide her through the process and she let me have 2 for US$65 as I had to pay USPS Postage and the other buyers had postage included..she offered that deal ..I did not ask her to reduce her price and nor would I......they all went immediately to those that recognized what they were..one buyer bought a large number & I see is immediately selling them for US$125+ on the Auction Site..and they're selling..tidy profit.......I also mentioned to an Aussie collector mate..& member here..he hadn't seen them...he had 2 sent to a USA address and gets them bulk sent to Oz...you can be lucky sometimes.....but becoming very much more scarce because of this site advising details of USA Schrades..for which I'm happy.....at least the "Charity man" didn't get to """snaffle""" them and attempt to sell them at 'Airport' prices....did any other members here get any?..good luck if you did......I will give one to my ex Viet Vet brother for his 76th birthday this year.....LB-8's would have to be one of the nicest folding knives ever made by USA Schrade....Hoo Roo
 
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love the LB series of knives with the LB 7 being my favorite followed closely by the LB 8. in looking at the price list the LB 8 is listed as new in 1981 price list. i have an LB 7 with the LB 8 handle wonder when i was made?
 
G'day Delmas, I did mention the LB-7 blades on the LB-8's in my opening post in this thread...likely manufactured 1978..the irony being Schrade started the initial run of LB-8's using LB-7 blades and then ended the LB-8 series once again using LB-7 blades in the late 90's.. as they evidently still had many LB-7 blades to utilize......PS...I've just done something with these two LB 8's that I have never done previously with a 'Collector' knife....I had over 2500 USA Schrades as the peak of my Schradeaholism and apart from a wipe I never "cleaned a knife back to nooooo"...these 2 LB-8's although wrapped in protective paper for the 43 years they lay untouched in their sheaths in their original Brown Box's with original 'bling'.. had the inevitable green vertigris on brass bolsters and pins...nothing dramatic and no pitting..however because I will be presenting one to my brother as Birthday gift, I used 'Mothers' Polish and they have come up gleaming like the day they were made...plus I put quality leather nourishment/protectant on the original brown sheaths.....of course I no longer regard these examples as totally original 'Collector Pieces', having been cleaned, but I don't intend to sell them in the future.....simply beautiful looking USA Schrade knives, from an era when quality steel/materials still mattered.....Hoo Roo
 
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i have very few "Collector knives" to worry about only a display only LB 7 ser. # 1973 in a box labeled as such. and a 165 OT in its box. other than that most of my knives have been gleaned from many sources and have been used. but do love the Schrades i have. cleaning them was necessary as it is dusty in basement.
 
Just picked up an LB8. It appears to have never been carried or used. Not a mark on it. It sure is a beautiful knife. 3 pin handle with the spring pin forward toward the bolster. No serial number.

Uncle henry
SCHRADE +
LB8 USA
 
Reviving this LB8 Thread I first posted in 2010,..relative to member Haasmand, recent question/post...many photos on Page 1 may assist with your search for info....Hoo Roo
 
Larry303 said:
G'day Delmas, good questions mate and partly the reasons for my post to get a collective view....
The Dixie Collection Papa Bear was, I believe, really an LB7 with staglon scales.Identical 4 pin configuration same blade with LB7 stamping etc and no 'Uncle Henry' <I just looked at a 4 pin LB7 from the late 70's to compare>...albeit with a brass Uncle Henry shield unlike any other LB8's that followed. The fact the Dixie is the only 4 pin I have noted further bears out my assumption.
The brown box LB8 with the bolster #96612 is inscribed identically to the 4 pin LB7. This is the main reason I made above post as the evidence indicates it may be of that production period of 1978 when LB7 were made with those numbers. My confirmed 1980 Gold Rush LB8 is identical in all respects to the brown box LB8. Same 3 pin configuration and same blade stamping etc.
Robert Clemente states in his History of Schrade OT's and UH's that first date of production of the LB8 was 1982 so that may require amendment certainly by two examples and possibly three examples prior to that date..<1982>.
I have numerous later edition LB'7 and LB8's with no bolster numbers whatsoever..so it would appear Schrade ceased numbering them both at the same time?.....and certainly by the late 80's as the Sharp Idea Box example would indicate...
I will be interested in Codgers' take on all this when our Chief Papa Bear comes out of his hibernation.......Hoo Roo
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i also have a 1980 issue Gold Rush two knife set but unlike your set I have the 4 pin LB7 with brass UH shield. I also have seen standalone issues of this knife with UH Box, sheath.
 
Dave Thinkstoomuch said:
I had missed the brass shield difference on your '78 set. Thanks for pointing it out Larry. Now I need one of those too!

Another thing I found interesting is that your 1980 "Gold Rush" set came with a three pin LB-8 whereas my 1980 "Dixie Collection" set came with a four pin. This strongly implies to me that all the Dixie sets sold were manufactured in 1978 regardless of when they were sold.

Thanks for sharing Larry.
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I have a 1980 Gold Rush set that has the LB7 4 pin Staglon with brass shield. Numbered SD473 with 2 line stamp.
 
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