Erzatz 897UH spotted

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I was in the local Wal-Mart (chinese embassy) tonight and out of old habit I made a pass by the knife picture display counter (formerly known as the knife counter). Vainly looking for something familiar, but no longer made. Whoa! What is that? An 897UH? Blade etched Winchester? "Lemme see a number 21 please!" So after the old codger (him, not me) rummaged through the drawers looking in huge sheath knife boxes, he finally whipped out(O.K., slowly produced) a box marked Winchester Stockman. I fumbled with the flap on the box a moment before the old gent produced a nice pocket worn Queen stockman from his pocket and slit the end of the box. What came out was a pathertic attempt to copy an 897UH. It looked like the stag had been printed on. The blades were half the weight of my Schrade Uncle Henry. The box said Carolina Knife Company...Made in China. The most expensive component was the etch. I am sure it cost at least as much as the box to produce. So I thanked him, flashed him a real 897UH from my pocket, and left. If you happen to have a Schrade of this persuasion and need a laugh (or cry) amble on down to Sam's "Buy Chinee" store ( formerly "Buy American") and compare them for yourself. I am sure there is at least one left. I didn't buy it.

Codger
 
Those have actually been around for quite awhile now - at least 6 or 7 years. Chinese made knockoffs of US patterns...they also prety much directly copied a Queen #19 trapper and other standbys.

I have heard that Gerber owns "Carolina Knife Co" and imports these....they are definitely not exclusive to Mall Wart, though, as I have seen them all over.
 
Yep, the great name of Winchester is now printed on toilet paper. Back in the olden days, they made fine knives. And for a time, Blue Grass Cutlery issued some excellent ones so emblazoned. I am positive that knifeaholic is correct; Carolina/Gerber/China products.
 
I'm sure you guys knew this, but maybe some folks don't....Gerber is actually owned by Fiskars (think orange handled scissors... :rolleyes: ) and, according to one of the guys in our nearest WalMart, they are the present "Knife Darlings" for WalMart. IIRC, Gerber bought Carolina from Blackie Collins and others, then Gerber was swallowed up by Fiskars. I think they have held the Winchester name in Europe, etc, for some time. Don't know how they steamrolled Bluegrass to distribute the cheapies here in the U.S.A.??

Feel free, please, to add or correct my memory, as it is fading and cloudy... :(

It's a shame about Gerber, IMO, as they used to have some well done, innovative products (LST, the Silver Knights, a belt buckle knife, etc.).
My closest WalMart has no Schrades left.....wonder if we'll see Taylor's stuff in there some day?

Bill
 
El Lobo said:
IIRC, Gerber bought Carolina from Blackie Collins and others, then Gerber was swallowed up by Fiskars.
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I was wondering why I saw Blacki Collins name on so many pieces of junk. I spotted it on a really cheap sodbuster in the complex engraving on the blade. This is the knife I once broke with my bare hands by the way.

I think they have held the Winchester name in Europe, etc, for some time. Don't know how they steamrolled Bluegrass to distribute the cheapies here in the U.S.A.??
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Yes. Well, I don't know who all is involved, but Bluegrass has some imported knives from China and other countries. I asked them what steel they used and their only description was "the highest grade of steel..."

I don't think they are related to Gerber. They said the imported Winchesters in many discount stores are imported by Gerber, but the ones Bluegrass sells are different. Just two different companies renting out the name from those whores at Winchester.
 
El Lobo said:
My WalMart has no Schrades left.....wonder if we'll see Taylor's stuff in there someday?

Bill
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That is exactly why I looked at the chinee fake 897 in the first place. I do expect someday to see the Taylor knives there. Maybe they just can't meet the volume yet that Woo-mart requires from it's vendors. I must admit that even a Taylor made copy of a Schrade has to be better than the crap I looked at. And it was priced under $15. And robbery at that price.

Codger

Codger
 
Codger_64 said:
...........even a Taylor made copy of a Schrade has to be better than the crap I looked at.......Codger

Codger
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:foot: :foot: :foot: :foot: :foot:

Well, out of curiosity I went to a site to get a close peek at a Taylor 897 Uncle Stewert. I was wong...er....wrong. The stag has the exact same printed on look. Could Taylor be supplying Carolina Knife Company who id supplying Wal-Mart who is supplying the red army? I dunno, but it is awful close. Awful. Even at $15.75.
http://www.dealers-mart.bigstep.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=642007|1296244&PRID=1526768

C...C...Codger :confused:
 
Codger_64 said:
:foot: :foot: :foot: :foot: :foot:
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Point of order. That's a foot-in-mouth icon. I think people keep mistaking it for a barf icon, which would be correctly chosen as this: :barf:

It's a multi-forum-wide epidemic. Maybe Spark can put up a sticky or something. :)
 
To the point: Carl, I quite well stuck my foot in it when I said "even a Taylor made copy of a Schrade has to be better than the crap I looked at." since it seems they were near identical. Although you are right, a :barf: would be appropriate.

Codger64 1/3 :p
 
Codger_64 said:
To the point: Carl, I quite well stuck my foot in it when I said "even a Taylor made copy of a Schrade has to be better than the crap I looked at." since it seems they were near identical. Although you are right, a :barf: would be appropriate.

Codger64 1/3 :p
Click to expand...

My mistake. I have seen the icon mixup many times, and given the topic I assumed a barf was the only suitable reaction so I didn't look it over too well. :)
 
Maybe he was throwing up his shoe...

Glenn
 
OOcolonalinsetty.jpg
 
It actually does not look this good in real life.


Will the real Schrade please stand out?


:barf: :p
 
Here is a Schrade U.S.A. 897UH that is real, but you may not recognize it. It is a "Buckskin", or tan base material instead of the usual cream. This particular one never had the darker brown accent color added to the staglon delrin.


They look quite different from your production 897 when finished. Here is the completed "Buckskin" 897UH.


And here is an uncompleted production 897UH, cream base. It looks completely brown because the dark brown accent coat was never buffed down to reveal the base color. Productus interuptus. I wonder what could have caused a Schrade Cutlery Corp knife to not be completed? :o


Codger
 
Codger, my man..... :thumbup:

Thank you for posting those pictures as they were very educational to Schrade starved folks, in the west, like me.

That knife is very cool.. :cool: .. and I believe you REALLY, REALLY, like(vague Sally Field speech reference).....

FOLDERS..... :D ...as well as your myriad of fixed blades.

Keep up the good information... :thumbup:

Bill
 
I've been reminding Ebay sellers to list the country of orgin of the Taylor/Sch***s they have listed. Here is an answer from someone selling a 'golden spike':

"EXACT same quality knife, owned by a USA Company, but made in China. You will have to spend over $85.00 to get the USA Knife. Thanks."

Don't know why I am posting that in this thread, just seemed to fit.

Phil
 
To eliminate any possibility of confusion..........

My sheaths are made in the USA
By a US citizen
They are not available at Wal-Mart and so far not on eBay.

Any questions?

Paul
 
Phil, here is an older Colonial stockman of about the same vintage as the fish knife you showed us. Yes, it does look cheap and it was. A man working for 75 cents an hour could afford one. But the faux stag handle was still an upgrade from slick black or brown plastic.
 
I have one of those Colonial stockmen, its a decent knife steelwise. Construction is very solid. Bolsters seem to be some potmetal variant of the Schrade design and liners are God-knows-what, but it's better than the shell-handle things.
 
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