Elusive Schrades

[zerogee]

In the late 1920s-early 1930s, Schrade produced this pattern they called a Balloon Jack.
It is quite a handful, at 4" long, with thick convex bone handles, and a seal cap.
The picture of the seal cap gives you an idea of the "full" handle profile.

This has always seemed a rather strange pattern to me -- what was it intended for? What market niche were they aiming for? It amuses me to imagine that it was a doctors pattern for large animal vets.

 

[waynorth]

This has always seemed a rather strange pattern to me -- what was it intended for? What market niche were they aiming for? It amuses me to imagine that it was a doctors pattern for large animal vets.

It's for seniors, ZG! You know, those big handled kitchen tools they sell for old farts like me?? Perfect!!

Here's a Harness Jack with some advertising deeply stamped in the blade. I quite like how it looks actually. Holyoke must have had Schrade produce these for a lot of years. I've seen different jigging and tang stamps, hinting at different decades.

 

[waynorth]

A Hawkbill takes on a little class, with Peachseed bone handles!

 

[waynorth]

Schrade made very few stainless knives in the late 1920s. Hardly anyone trusted the steel, so they dropped them for a lot of years, before reviving them in more recent times.

 

[DennisStrickland]

these are great knives which 15 or 20 yrs. back could be had at a reasonable price. we're too late now since schrades have really jumped in price.

 

[Coonskinner]

What a great thread...I love old Schrades.

 

[dkonopinski]

What a great thread...I love old Schrades.

David

 

[Blues]

Let's please keep this thread to old, classic (elusive) Schrade knives so as not to let it become adulterated. The lineage is obvious if you've been following the thread.

 

[338375]

Charlie, does the stockman have something that was written above the tang stamp on the clip blade ?
It looks like there is something there but very light.

 

[waynorth]

Nice knives dkop! I was hoping to stick to the older ones here, and hope that others will post some more too!
Schrade did a lot of subcontracting for other companies. Their signature styles are often quite identifiable. Here is one done for DASCO (Damascus Steel Corporation I believe). With it, I have posted EA42's Schrade teardrop Jack pattern, that was used as the basis for the Dasco three blade.

Thanks for the pic, Eric!

Another Dasco sub-contract is this EE HJ, based on a Cattle knife, a beauty IMO!!

 

[waynorth]

Charlie, does the stockman have something that was written above the tang stamp on the clip blade ?
It looks like there is something there but very light.

I will have to dig it out, and take a closer look. I can't remember offhand, but I will find out.
(The knives live in a safety deposit box, as you can imagine.)

 

[mckgreg]

Charlie, you have become a encyclopedia to us and that is a good thing
Greg

 

[ea42]

Charlie, this thread is excellent!! Here's another Dasco for ya, not mint but obviously Schrade:

Eric

 

[waynorth]

Schrade DNA for sure! Thanks Eric:thumbup:; I KNOW you have some elusive ones!!
If you get some time from your busy schedule . . . . . . . .

 

[Pipeman]

Amazing thread, thanks so much.

 

[338375]

I will have to dig it out, and take a closer look. I can't remember offhand, but I will find out.
(The knives live in a safety deposit box, as you can imagine.)

No worries Charlie. I was just curious.

With all the fine knives you have, I'm guessing its more like a vault then a safe deposit box

 

[waynorth]

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions and kind comments!
If you have a seldom seen older Schrade pattern, please post it here, no matter the condition.
To keep it rolling, here are a couple more. Not as rare as some, but interesting;
Two Whittlers in different sizes, with saber grind master blades. They are true whittlers, with wedged backsprings;

 

[338375]

Great lookin Whittlers... Was the shield on the top one uncommon, or just from a certain time period?
I don't recall seeing very many of that design.

 

[ken erickson]

The whittlers= really nice scales!

Interesting for me to see saber ground blades on the whittlers. Any thoughts as to pros and cons for this pattern?

Also interesting the whittler with the milled liners does not have the threaded/fluted bolsters and vice versus. I really like the clip secondary blade on the larger of the two. Very cool knives!

 

[waynorth]

338, I've seen that shield on that handle pattern before, both whittlers and jacks. Who knows why is anyone's guess; maybe to tell the difference between it and the similar but larger pattern at a glance??
Ken, a serious whittler could tell you more, but a sturdy main is often seen on this type of knife, while the smaller blades are thinner and more razor-like. My guess is that as you go from "hogging" larger slices, to finer detail, the blades suit the cuts.