early 165 UH

Knife manufacturers had fought with natural and manmade handle materials for a lot of years. Most of the earlier synthetics were not hard, moldable, fracture resistant, temperature resistant, stain and abrasion resistant and dimensionally stable enough in the right proportions. The Baers jumped on Dupont Delrin like a duck on a junebug when it became commercialy viable. And used it from then, 1961, through the end in 2004.
 
We don't know for sure. Delrin wasn't the first moldable plastic, it was an improvement on nylon. Nylon came about circa WWII. Look at the pre-Delrin plastic handles used on Imperials, solid handled Kingstons, etc. "Stagged plastic" and many other names were used. Styrene was advertised by the George Schrade company in the mid fifties.
 
Plastic wrapped "Imperials" were used in the depression era to make knives more affordable and the "Candy Stripe" pattern was popular in the 50's right?
 
boy those are some really nice 165's guys. that uncle henry version is just beautiful. 165's catch my attention like they do codger's-----right codger? happy collecting--seeya, brady
 
Wow! Those are some nice, early 165's guys, the "bling" is incredible! Here's one more for the pot, blingless since it came off a display board:

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Eric
 
Truly nice Eric! I wonder if the other knives in the display coincide with the date that the case and serial number of the 165UH imply. If not, it is still a beautiful display and properly refilled.

The last of the last of the 165 SFO's which I seldom see here or elsewhere is the one produced for the 100th anniversary with wood handle and special blade etch. Anyone else have one?
 
There were 165UH produced and shipped in 1968. 2,584 were ordered before the end of the year, but it appears that less than 2,000 actually shipped. Orders rose to 2,864 in 1969 with just over 2,000 shipped. Orders plummited in 1970, and only 941 shipped that year. With production based upon the previous year's sales, 1,000 remained in inventory at year's end. 466 of those shipped out in 1971, 310 in 1972.
 
In response to lack of demand. It is not uncommon to see an initial promising level of sales the first year a new product is introduced. Quite a few of those first two year's production pieces might have been accounted for by dealer's purchases of new filled displays. But the public wasn't buying. That is why they dropped them from production after they moved the existing pieces in inventory. The pattern was reintroduced in 1994 to a new generation of buyers with several features changed. They gave up on the pattern a second time after 1997, a four year catalog listing run.

If I had to guess, price was probably a factor both times. Given the choice of the 165OT for $20 or the 165UH for $25, most buyers of those hunting knives chose the one less expensive with the same blade, handle shape and steel. Likewise, in 1994, the 165UH was listed at $69.95. The 165OT had been discontinued after 1991, but it's last MSRP was $51.95. So the 165OT wasn't there to compete with it's UH cousin the second time, but the old faithful 153UH was at $59.95, ten bucks cheaper.
 
That opinion comes to us from the perspective of a collector in 2008, not a hunter grabbing a knife for the next day's hunt in 1994. Or 1970. Schrade buyers were, by and large, users of knives, not collectors enamored by esthetics. I selected the Schrade Walden Old Timer version of the 165 pattern myself back then. It has served me quite well for many years. But yes, I agree, I like the several UH versions in my collection. Prettier, yes.
 
I agree with you by people buying them as a using knife. That is what I did. If I only knew then, what I know now ! ! ! I preferred the "Uncle Henry's" for the looks as well as the stainless steel, the models that had it that is. The carbon steel would rust in my pocket if I carried it just one day in the summer months because I just sweat so very much. (Salt and moisture, bad combination, L.O.L.)
 
Thanks Michael! The case is all original. here's the run down on serial #'s:
127UH - 18432
897UH - 82101
285UH - 00067
165UH - 01646

Figured the display was introduced right around 1969, or the same time the 285's were developed.

Eric
 
Eric, if my production numbers are correct, and if they began serializing the 165UH from the beginning, your example would have been produced and likely shipped in 1968. We have to remember that more often than not, patterns were produced and shipped a year or more before they appeared in our relic catalogs. Salesmen received advance notice and sometimes samples. I would have to check the sales meeting minutes and other records from 1967/68 to see if there are further clues there. Your 285 pretty well cinches the early date though. If I have time tomorrow, I'll look up the production record on those.

Some times I think I am doing nothing more than confusing collectors by putting out production dates earlier than those we have always were assumed were chiseled in stone by the catalogs. I've been told before that it is inconsequential, unimportant minutia. I'll lay the blame squarely where it belongs though. On an original owner who claimed to have bought his 165OT before they were in production. I bought the knife, not the story. But his story panned out.
 
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