I don't know Jack.

[vjb.knife]

I have been collecting knives for a long time, like 50 years or so, but I have to admit that I don't know much of anything about traditional knives. Show me some old Gerbers, Benchmades / Pacific cutlery, SOG, Cold Steel, Benchmarks, etc. And I am pretty well versed, but Case, Buck, Old timer and those I just don't have knowledge of them at all. So I am coming here for some help with a few knives that my Father owned and never really used for the most part. If I had to guess they are probably anywhere from the 1960's to the 1990's, (sorry for the wide window) I just don't have any idea when he bought them. I would appreciate any kind of info on them that you guys are willing to impart, age, nomenclature rarity, collectibility, if any, etc.. I am hoping that the boxes actually match the knives. I am going to throw some pictures up because that is as good as I can do to describe them other than condition. Thanks in advance for any info.

This Buck Stockman is in what looks like unused condition but has some rust.



Case Copperhead - this one is in excellent condition.






This schrade appears to be unused but again a little corrosion


Another Schrade also looks unused but has a few rust spots.





This little Imperial knife is pretty rough looking but it might not have been used, it's very small.

 

[Arathol]

The Buck 301 is from 1988.
The Case 3249 is 1993-99, can't see the entire stamp. There should be a series of dots under the USA mark that designate the year.

 

[vjb.knife]

The Buck 301 is from 1988.
The Case 3249 is 1993-99, can't see the entire stamp. There should be a series of dots under the USA mark that designate the year.

I read a little about the dots and looked pretty closely and there aren't any.

 

[Arathol]

I'd guess that its maybe one dot(1999). The dots are quite often hidden under the bolster when the knife is open. You might have to play around with moving the blade to see it.

 

[black mamba]

The Schrade 2 blade knife, a muskrat pattern, is from the late 1970s to the early '80s.
The Schrade 3 blade knife, a stockman pattern, is from the mid 1980s to the late '90s.

 

[abcdef]

I have a great link I can send showing consolidated information about most vintage USA brands, but I am not sure I can post the link due to forum rules. I will gladly share if you can reach me by going to my profile.
Fun fact: My grandson is named Jack, and he's spectacular.

 

[RickHuf]

This is a bit random but since you have those nice boxes, I'll just share this since it seems to be often forgotten. This goes for anything really.

If they have bar codes on them they won't be older than mid seventies. That's when the bar codes were first used. 1974 first, and then adopted widely over time.

 

[afishhunter]

Suggestion: Both Old Timer's and the Imperial:
Use 0000 steel wool, soaked in 3 in One oil (honestly, any oil or even transmission fluid will work) to scrub the blades to remove the rust.
Since they have 1095 carbon steel blades (no "Schrade+" in the tang stamps. The base clamshell Imperial's never had stainless blades. Stainless was only used by Imperial in their Frontier Double Eagle line.)

To prevent rust from forming again, you have two options:
1) (High Maintenance) Apply a light coat of oil to the blades, like you do/would a blued firearm barrel (inside & out), receiver, and other blued parts.
You will need to apply a fresh coat of at the end of each day's use, or at least quarterly, if you don't use them.
Like I said; "High Maintenance".

NOTE:
Most would/will say: "Use Mineral Oil (available at any pharmacy) because it is food safe."
Personally, over the last 65 years I've used motor oil (fresh and ... "well used" ... and 2 stroke), transmission fluid (Dextron and Type F), 3 In One ... whatever I had on hand. I've never gotten ill from using my knife for food prep or cutting my steak, using a knife I kept the blades oiled to prevent rusting.
There isn't enough oil on the blade to cause harm.

2) (Low Maintenance)
(a) Force a patina by soaking the blades in lemon juice (ketchup/catsup, and yellow mustard also works, but takes longer.) About 45 minutes to an hour in the lemon juice should be enough to start turning the blade gray.
(b) Form a patina naturally, by cutting/peeling apples, citrus, meats, peeling & field dressing critters, cleaning fish, etc.

Patina is NOT rust, nor is it harmful to the blades. Patina prevent rust.
It is not necessary to oil a blade with a patina, be you area desert dry or jungle (or Florida/ocean) humid.

Since the Buck 301 has 420HC blades and springs, there is no chance of rust.
Judging by the blade loss of the clip point, (the belly is almost gone at the tip) I am going to guess that this knife was used ... a lt.
What you think is rust, is more likely dirt, dried sap, or possibly dried gravy or blood.
Wash the blade under warm running water with a rag. Whatever it is will come off.

Finally, (1) Put a drop of oil on each side of the tangs inside the handle, then with the blade 1/3~1/4 closed, where the tang contacts the spring, both outside, and if you have a syringe, under the tang inside the blade well.
(2) At a minimum, strop the edges. If you're going to use the knife, check the edge after stropping, the use a stone if necessary.
If you use a stone, the edge angle should be between 10 degrees per side (20 degrees inclusive) to 15 degrees per side (30 degrees inclusive.
I take mine to 10° per side. That is what I was taught a knife (includes a cleaver and "kitchen" knives, tho a fruit only paring knife can be taken to 7° per side, according to my teachers) should be sharpened to by my father, paternal and maternal uncles, grand fathers, grand mothers, maternal grea grandfather, maternal and paternal great grandmothers, and maternal great-great grandmother, when I was 5.

I have never had an edge chip.
The more acute the edge, the longer the working edge lasts (AKA: "The knife feels sharp in use, and keeps working.")