Is this a Schrade fake?

There are no clues to be had in the tang stamp, and there is no further knowledge to be gained from the second kick of a mule.
 
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I bought this one at a pawnshop in 2011 (if memory serves), in the same plastic tube and with the same insert as shown above by Hawk. I can find no sign of pins in the bolsters. OH
 
I know what you're thinking, "OH NO, NOT AGAIN!" Well, I couldn't help myself when I ran across this knife. I don't have a horse in this race but I have always leaned toward the above, '100 Years', knives as being Taylors because of past experience with a known Taylor with the same kind of handles. I saw these scales and had an ugly flashback of my Taylor 881Y experience. But look at the tang stamp. I don't know what to think anymore. Anyone ever see this bird before?

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Black tin says something about nearly 100 years ago... :D

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There is one fer sale on eBay as we speak. Check that tang stamp carefully, but don't let the mule kick ya!

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This one can be had online if someone is so inclined. :p
 
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I remember seeing those whittling kits before and didn't recognize the knife. Funny, I later found the kit on ebay. The thing that struck me is that it has those slab-sided scales similar to the '100 years' knife. I had just assumed the whittlin kit was kinda old, but I see it has the latest Schrade logo on it. I say it bolsters the argument for the '100 years' knife being a real Schrade, but I'm still not convinced, yet.
 
I'm not convinced either way. But that color of slab is sure that same duller color. Curious to me why those knives in a black tin have stamped masters with staps that were in style in the 1970's.
 
thawk said:
I'm not convinced either way. But that color of slab is sure that same duller color. Curious to me why those knives in a black tin have stamped masters with staps that were in style in the 1970's.
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A curious knife all the way around with mysterious handle, late date 'Schrade Knives and Tools' logo on tin, early tang stamp and later shield. Do you know the year the Whittlin Kit came out? Maybe a date on the tin? The miss matched or mix and match blades seems to have happened throughout Schrades history and especially in the last years. Those slab sided scales sure makes me more open minded about the possibility of the '100 year' knife being out of Ellenville though. There used to be one or two guys that worked at Schrade that posted once in a while on the forums. Be nice if someone who worked there could solve this mystery for us. That or an S-Card or something.......
 
I believe Schrade had a number of orders for special knives, around the time the factory closed down.
We now know there were knives put together using anything they could find.
I would say that the knife above in the tin, is one of those 2003-2004 knives with an early 881Y blade. I have checked my early 881Y knives, and that blade is the same.

I have a number of contract knives and set, Schrade was working on just before they closed down; most of the used that shield and had a LTD stamped blade.

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This Old Timer has an 881Y Walden blade. Could be an early lunch box special [1970's]
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My Whittler Kit came with a 34UH duck knife.
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This knife has Saw Cut Yellow handles
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I agree with your dating of '03 - '04 on that one. Seems that Schrade and/or the one making the special order were not always that particular about tang stamps. One particular one that comes to mind is the SMKW Scrimshaw 'The Trapper', s-card dated '92. Most I've seen have 296Y tang stamps from another (Walmart?) SFO knife or a smaller number of LTD stamps. Only very few have a 296SC stamp, per s-card spec.. Same kind of thing with the DU knives with 97OT blades instead of LTD. The thing that would keep me up nights is the scales on the Whittlin knives compared to the mystery knife and the ones we know for sure are Taylors. They look alike to me.
 
Re: the 97OT Duck knife.
I have seen a large number of those un-finished knives, without the shield and blade etch sell on ebay.
I do not think there were many of those knives finished, and supplied in a tin.
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Saddlebum said:
The thing that would keep me up nights is the scales on the Whittlin knives compared to the mystery knife and the ones we know for sure are Taylors. They look alike to me.
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I get stuck on the Swinden pins, still wondering what happened to that machinery. I see all kinds of bladeless handles attached to bolsters being sold now on eBay waiting for who knows what blades. More mysteries in the making.
 
thawk said:
I get stuck on the Swinden pins, still wondering what happened to that machinery. I see all kinds of bladeless handles attached to bolsters being sold now on eBay waiting for who knows what blades. More mysteries in the making.
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That is a good question Hal, I have knives I know were made without the Swinden pins, that I can not see the pins in the bolsters.
Blades and shields of all kinds can be found on ebay, and we know Schrade was working on a number of different knives in 2003-04.
I am surprised with the lack of information known about some of those knives, like the knives Schrade had made in China for 2004.

I know most Schrade collectors like the pre 1970 knives, and others collect bone handled knives.
However, it is hard to find information relating to Schrade's 100th Anniversary line up - and to date I can not find any information regarding the knives Schrade had made in China.

Someone must know about the Chinese knives;
that Schrade obviously had so much input in the quality control of those well made knives.
The fact Schrade had their name stamped on the blade, with "China"; also makes those knives unique, in Schrade's history.
ASX4CPT was made in China.
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i have the special edition tin still in its original wrapping. looks just like yours.

koldgold said:
Re: the 97OT Duck knife.
I have seen a large number of those un-finished knives, without the shield and blade etch sell on ebay.
I do not think there were many of those knives finished, and supplied in a tin.
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koldgold said:
I know most Schrade collectors like the pre 1970 knives, and others collect bone handled knives.
However, it is hard to find information relating to Schrade's 100th Anniversary line up - and to date I can not find any information regarding the knives Schrade had made in China.
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I understand your curiosity and interest in the China Schrades and can appreciate having interests that are not popular. I have some myself. But I just find the reality of Imperial Schrade having knives made in China so disturbing for mutiple reasons that I don't even like to think about it. :eek:
 
Saddlebum said:
I understand your curiosity and interest in the China Schrades and can appreciate having interests that are not popular. I have some myself. But I just find the reality of Imperial Schrade having knives made in China so disturbing for mutiple reasons that I don't even like to think about it. :eek:
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Schrade was trying to be a leader in good cheep knives like the SQ range of knives like the SQ111.
I have all the SQ range of knives, with one exception the SQ111.
At one time I thought I could find one, and asked friends in the USA to look for one.
I was prepared to pay $400+ for one. However, I now believe they did not get to first base.
I have a number of the copies of the SQs and badgers, made by Taylor - they are so poorly made, when compared with anything Schrade made or even had made in China.
I often think what was in the pipeline at Schrade; were they going to use China to make the frame of the SQs, wile they made the blades?
Profit and turn-over is what keeps company's going; and there can be no doubt Schrade had some very fine knives in-mind for their 100th Anniversary.
 
Schrade was just trying to keep their head above water while being directed by a know-nothing outside "turnaround specialist" hired by a disinterested owner. The same specialist was hired to direct Camillus but he was fired from there forthwith or the company would not have survived the additional two and a half years after Schrade was forced into bankruptcy dissolution.
 
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