Help with dating a Walden

[Phil Gibbs]

Greetings Schrade fans!

I wonder if any of you guys can help me dating this little beauty:

Also, is this a "Schrade" made in Walden NY (pre Albert Bear); or is it a "Schrade Walden" made in NY (post Albert Baer)?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Larry303]

Now that is an interesting question!.. Schrade <Cut Co??> made in Walden NY versus Schrade-Walden the branding which my examples I believe all have USA stamped after Albert took over.........beautiful knife with those delicious swedges and Washington? bolster, bone handles and contemporary shield.....I believe model 2943 3/4 , 3 7/8"..so Schrade Cutlery Corp. before Albert Baer...unusual tang stamping? Hoo Roo

 

[thawk]

The SCHRADE WALDEN NY stamping was the initial stamp after the SCHRADE CUT CO era, so your knife is post 1946. Initially, secondary blades were stamped and the pattern was not indicated on the back side of the master blade, as they were with SCHRADE CUT CO. It varied from pattern to pattern, but eventually secondaries were not marked, and the 3 digit pattern numbers were added to the back sides on some of the SCHRADE WALDEN NY examples. These examples are fairly uncommon. Sometime in the early 1950's, U.S.A. was added to the stamp. It is tough to pin it down to a specific year.

I would surmise the 294 (shortened from the 2943 3/4 like Larry mentioned) you are showing here Phil was made soon after the SCHRADE CUT CO stamping gave way to SCHRADE WALDEN N.Y. in 1947. It is a dandy. Flat ground back and sabre ground front side on the clip? Additionally, I notice your example has 4 pins on the back handle. :thumbup:

 

[thawk]

Hope you don't mind me adding a few more SCHRADE WALDEN NY examples to this thread. I'd like to see other patterns marked like this.

SCHRADE WALDEN NY - 895 pattern, master only is stamped, 895 on back side

SCHRADE WALDEN NY - 834 pattern, all blades marked, no pattern stamp

SCHRADE WALDEN NY - 272 pattern, both blades marked, no pattern stamp

 

[Phil Gibbs]

Thanks for the help & education Guys! :thumbup:

 

[Larry303]

I note the 1953 Schrade Walden catalog shows the 294 as 3 7/8" 'Serpentine Jack Bladed Clip and Pen' with 'Bone Stag' handles then in 1962 the S/Walden catalog shows identical 294 however the handles are then described as' Unbreakable Staglon'....so early/mid 1950's looks the go....Hoo Roo

 

[rprocter]

Larry, it could be any time from 1947 to mid 1950's. More likely towards the '47 end because: both blades stamped and no pattern #.
The 1947 Schrade-Walden catalogue shows a 294 ST. "ST" = "stagged" which is the word used for jigged bone.
So the earliest this knife could be is 1947.
roland

 

[thawk]

Larry, it could be any time from 1947 to mid 1950's. More likely towards the '47 end because: both blades stamped and no pattern #.
The 1947 Schrade-Walden catalogue shows a 294 ST. "ST" = "stagged" which is the word used for jigged bone.
So the earliest this knife could be is 1947.
roland

I'm straying off track from the original topic here, but I find this transition time in stamps and the switch from bone to composite plastic handles interesting. It is sometimes subjective when trying to garner clues from the Schrade Walden marketing team, but this my take:

In the Schrade Walden 1947 catalog the serpentine jack knife is shown as a 2943 3/4 (as Larry mentioned) and described as BONE STAG, not "ST" or "STAGGED". In the same catalog, 2725 and #8 are described as STAGGED, and I believe "STAGGED" described knives were jigged composite handles, not BONE STAG. The 272 I show above is an example, it is plastic. They used a combination of BONE STAG and STAGGED descriptions up until 1958 when they used the "ST" designation exclusively. In the years between 1953 and 1958 you will notice a decrease in BONE STAG and an increase in STAGGED. I think in 1958 there may have still been some patterns shipped with BONE STAG handles, perhaps surplus from previous years mfg. The 1958 catalog no longer makes a distinction.

Still, I concur with Roland on this nice old serpentine jack with the SCHRADE / WALDEN / N.Y. stamped knife being a late 40's, early 50's example.

 

[rprocter]

Oops, i see where i made my mistake. I was reading the titles as referring to the catalogue below them, but they refer to the cat. above them. Hence my info was from the 1959 catalogue, NOT the 1947 catalogue.
However, having now correctly identified the 1947 catalogue, it does show the exact same knife as shown in the OP.
roland