Elusive Schrades

[waynorth]

Ken, further to saber grinds;
Cynically, saber grinds give an attractive third dimension to the blade, so maybe it's just marketing. But you rarely see a saber blade broken, whereas I've seen a lot of flat grounds broken (ahem), so it more probably is a strength issue.

 

[waynorth]

Here is one of my favorites. I have posted it elsewhere, but it deserves a spotlight here!
At 3 1/2" long, it is at the lower end of Moosedom, but it is a Moose IMO! Like the good but short basketball player, it makes up for its stature in "presence". Despite having two backsprings, it manages to not be "blocky", and has a good feel in hand or pocket.
One of those subtleties that you hope knifemakers will strive for in their multiblades.
The blades are nicely shaped, and you can't stuff much more blade into that compact handle!
Here it is, with some extra views for the knifemaker in all of us!

 

[malextwo]

Just what you'd expect to find in a scout/utility (except the back crack). Ima lovin' it!!

 

[waynorth]

Nice utility knife, MaleXtwo. The history of that shield and the Boy Scouts of America is an interesting one.

 

[waynorth]

I've found this scan to be a good one to show anybody who asks about Schrade bone jigging. I've discussed it with other Schrade collectors, and although we do not know for sure, we think this information is a good guess.
The pic shows 12 knives, and 4 types of jigging.
The three at upper left seem to characterize the oldest jigging Schrade used. The knives with it often have the old "arched" tang stamp.
The three knives at upper right may be from after George Schrade invented his jigging machine. I suspect that machine may have done the jigging for New York Knife Co. also, with slightly different settings!!
There seems to be a period when this "basketweave" style was tried out on the knives in the lower left. I think it was hard to maintain the pattern - notice how confused it is on the third of those three knives.
It's not as common, and I'm sure it precedes the last "Peachseed" style on the knives at lower right, which was used into the Schrade Walden period, up to sometime in the 1950s or so. I wish I could confirm some of this, but for now it is just a semi-educated guess!

Same scan as above, split horizontally, and enlarged. Hopefully you can "click" them up!!

 

[mckgreg]

Charlie, does the center knife of the 3 in the lower right have the same tang stamp as the ones on each side of it?
Greg

 

[waynorth]

I believe it has a Schrade Cut Co stamp as most of the others, but the last knife (lower right) has a Shapleigh D-E stamp, Greg. I'll check it for sure, by and by.

 

[waynorth]

Schrade made many Utility knives, and Scout knives both authorized and unauthorized.
They were mostly 4-blades, but occasionally you run into these 3-blades.
The wood handled one (NIB!!!) was purchased for my 65th birthday last September, by my wife!!!
And no, you can't have her!! The wife or the knife!!

There is some speculation that the wood handled one was made for the military, either as issue, or as a PX item. Does anyone know about this??

 

[ea42]

Charlie, it boggles my mind how you could have two different versions, MINT no less, of the same model!! Interesting how they didn't polish the mark side on the "utility" models. (Can you imagine finding a utility knife of that quality nowadays, at a similar pricepoint to what those sold for back then??? )

Here are a couple more for you, both Shapleigh contract knives (the senator has an unfortunate pin crack )

Third pic is a senator done for Lane Baskets. Never heard of them before seeing this knife:

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Eric

 

[ChuckV]

wow what great looking SCHRADES ihave afew Schrades in my accumulation but bothing like these babies .being anew guy ihave been looking for this thread for aweek or more.My thanks to pipeman for showing me the way.

 

[waynorth]

Welcome ChuckV!! Glad you are enjoying the show!

Thanks for showing us your D-Es Eric! That cattle knife is a minty beauty!
I wonder if anyone will ever discover what "Lane Baskets" was?
Sounds like something from "Anne of Green Gables"!!

 

[Mike Robuck]

I religiously read this thread. It’s almost sensory overload at times, but I had no idea that Schrade made such quality knives back in the day.

I think Charlie told me Schrade made this DE and it’s all I have to contribute, but if some other company made it I’ll remove it.

Thanks for taking the time Charlie and everyone else.

 

[waynorth]

Still looks like a Schrade to me, Mike! I have no answer as to why the handles are sometimes jigged parallel to the handle, and sometimes at a slight angle, but Schrade did both. Thanks for posting it.
While on the topic of Schrade sub-contracts, here's another. I just got this from a fellow collector, who had two, and graciously sold me one. He kept an absolute beauty, in jigged bone!
At first this looks like a row of Schrade Cut Co Jacks, and so it is! But one has some nice markings, of a different brand.
Sperry & Alexander, 1893 - 1920s (LG4).

 

[ea42]

S&A! I'll be damned, that's a new one on me Charlie!

 

[4ever3]

I'm with Mike, I had no idea of the old Schrade quality. I've been through the 7 pages of this thread more times than I can count, just lookin' and taking it all in. Thanks Charlie, and all that have posted.

 

[waynorth]

I'm with Mike, I had no idea of the old Schrade quality. I've been through the 7 pages of this thread more times than I can count, just lookin' and taking it all in. Thanks Charlie, and all that have posted.

I'm glad you and Mike are enjoying it, 4ever3! I'm also looking forward to seeing more from anyone out there!!
I think I have a couple more that belong here - stay tuned!!

 

[mckgreg]

I have no answer as to why the handles are sometimes jigged parallel to the handle, and sometimes at a slight angle, but Schrade did both.

Charlie, that is what I noticed about the 3 in the lower right of the previous scans you posted. The center one had verticle jigging and the other 2 were on an angle. The shape of the gouge appears the be the same, just verticle.
Greg

 

[4ever3]

Call me crazy, but the jigging being on a slight angle adds a touch of class to an already classy knife

 

[waynorth]

Here are a couple of Jacks for comparison of the handles. Several small details put them in a similar manufacturing period, I think. The only real difference between them is the secondaries, one being a screwdriver.
You can see the differing angles of jigging of course.

 

[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 finally got a look at the stainless knife. That marking is not now on the blade, 338! It must be oil/wax not well wiped, for the pic!