June 7th, 1988

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I've always wondered who put the clam in the clampack. Haven't you?



KNIFE TRANSPORT/DISPLAY PACKAGE
Inventors: Mark L. Gardiner
James Economos
Assignee: Imperial Schrade Corp., NY,NY.

A package for transporting and displaying a knife having exposed blade and a handle includes handle confining and blade-confining walls for respectively bounding handle and blade compartments having complementary contours to that of the handle and exposed blade, respectively, for resisting relative displacement between the knife and the package during transport and display. Ribs are formed integrally with the package for steadying the blade and the knife, and for stiffening the overall package.

19 claims, 4 drawing sheets

Love 'em or hate 'em, these clampacks, as they became known, made a big impact in the marketplace. Less prone to crushing and shelf wear than boxes, much more pilfer resistant, and the enclosed knife was on display in a clear protective frame with an informative backing card. This was, in a way, a revolution in marketing. Mass marketers, such as Walmart, K-Mart, etc., were the first to use them, but by 2003, the "CP" code knives were right there in a seperate listing in the catalogs. I have several Schrades and Craftsman knives in the clampack, some with odd packaging markings like the Canadian version of the 897UHCP.


Codger, eh?
 
I was going to start a thread about clampacks, I wanted to get opinions on which would be more collectable, clampack or NIB. I'm talking about many years from now when most of us will only be memories in the minds of our offspirng, to find an 897UH Stockman untouched by human hands since the day it was packaged at the old Imperial Schrade Corp. factory sometime before June of 2004. Something to think about, of course this would deny you the pleasure of taking it out of the box to play with it every now and then, but you should have some others to keep you busy. With new in the box, one can only wonder, did this knife actually come new in this box.
Rick
 
Very interesting questions you pose. In a way, the clampacks might be more in demand down the road for those seeking a truly mint example of a knife. Many "NIB" originals loose components, suffer shelf and handling wear, and are no longer "Mint" as they came from the factory. I know that many collectors "assemble" a NIB knife by acquiring the right paperwork and box for a nice knife they have. And a few you see for sale are mismatches.

Long term survivability of the clampacks, and the knives they contain, is an issue we are yet to really see. Will the plastics age and crack? Yellow? Will the ink, acid cardboard, clear plastic pack, steel , nickle silver or brass, leather and handle plastics get along in an enclosure over the long haul? Perhaps someday (if we live long enough and they are no outlawed), collectable knives will be sealed by a grading service like coins are now, and you can buy one in MS-65. Those coins are sealed in inert containers to preserve their condition, while still allowing them to be "handled" and viewed. I suppose the clampacks are a poor man's version of this.

I am still trying to pin down dates for the clampack designs. I am fairly sure that they coincided with the artwork changes on the boxes, but those design changes are hard to pin down as well. Anyone have any dates for me on either? So far, I only have that the tan box/clampack changed to the blue stripe in 2001.

Codger
 
That is an interesting question. Personally, I would be adverse to having the knives stored for long periods of time with the blades partially open as they are in the clampack. If any of the knives had carbon steel blades, there would be other maintenance problems as well. While the clampacks pose some storage problems due to their large size, they may offer some advantages to the modern collector. They could be displayed on an old revolving rack or you could put pegboard paneling on the walls of your den to replicate a hardware store environment and hang them from pegs on the wall along with your collection of hammers, screwdrivers and such. ;)

As for me, there is nothing like being able to handle these knives, even if it's infrequently. Once in awhile, I go through them, give them a wipe with a polishing cloth and maybe a drop of oil on the joints. My recollection is that everything important and valuable that I have ever owned has come in a box, not some frigging plastic package.
 
Actually, some very nice Schrades came in clear plastic tubes years before the advent of the clampacks, so it is not an entirely new idea, just new in the fact that it is a better display, and it is sealed.

Codger
 
Good research,Codger !!

I wonder who owns these patent rights now?
I would think they should be receiving licensing fees.
Personally,I don't like them and I agree with Redshanks about longterm effect on the spring.It's like storing a firearm with the firing pin cocked.
 
I hate the clam packs on any product but especially knives. I'm sure they are designed to be opened soon after purchase and not with the knife collector in mind, especially for long term storage.

I did however pick up a brand new Old Timer 12OT Pal in a sealed clam pack. What is kind of strange about it though is there is a finger print, probably from one of the Schrade factory workers, on the blade. I guess there is a little bit of history on each blade. :-)
 
Can anyone tell me if there is any effect on the springs of the knives when they are stored for years with the blades partially opened? Will this weaken the spring? If so maybe we should cut the clam pack enough to close the blades.

Does anyone have thoughts on this???? :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Thanks,
Dale
 
As a collector/accumulator, I'm not a fan of clam packs. First off, the knife springs will weaken over time, just like a knife in a store display. Second, storage and curation become an issue. They don't stack, take up more space than a box, and if dented or crushed the plastic is no longer transparent and 'new' looking.

Whe I receive a clam-pack knife, I remove the knife and put it in a roll, save the printed card, and toss the plastic.

Having a knife "untouched by human hands" condition isn't important to me. If I can't foldle the knife, I don't see the point in owning.

IMO, and from watching eBay sales, clam-pack knives do not sell as high as NIB knives. But I'd love to hear what you guys think about it.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
Dale, I bought 2 of the cigar box knives that were still sealed in the packages and opened them up just to close the blades on the knives. I had to ask myself, what's more important, a sealed package containing a knife that's lost its snap, or an opened package containing a knife that's as good as the day it was made?
 
I agree with Bob W, the clampacks are not collector friendly. They take up several times the space of the boxes and do not allow fondling. :D

Your point is well taken redshanks.
I know the knife and how it functions is more important to me. How do other collectors feel? How do the big time collectors do it, guys like LT (I would mention Codger but alas the MM89, as lovely as it is is a ffffolder, and Codger is ffffffixated). :D :D

Seriously has anyone read anything about this anywhere? Is there a time limit that a knife can be open before it begins to weaken the spring?

Thanks all,
Dale
 
Seriously has anyone read anything about this anywhere? Is there a time limit that a knife can be open before it begins to weaken the spring?
Click to expand...
Depends on the spring and the knife. There was a topic a few months back about a spring on a Wenger SAK that went soft after only ten minutes during a photo shoot. With Schrade OldTimers it seems like "years" would be a good guess. I have bought display models with plenty of snap left, and others that are soft but may have been in the case for much longer.

Anyone done a real test with empirical results?

-Bob
 
Bob, I don't have any firsthand experience, but I hear they're making drugs to help you when your Wenger goes soft.
 
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