Just Need Some Clarification on an old Schrade

S

Schroeder Cross-Dunn

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May 7, 2017
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Okay so i was considering buying a Schrade 834 stockman knife. I was curious about the steel used so i researched it and nothing came up except some eBay listings that claimed it was "stainless" but we all know that eBay sellers are a reliable source for information. So all i really want to know is what kind of steel was used, carbon or stainless. Thanks for taking the time to look at this post.

s-l1600.jpg

Specifically a knife like this one.
 
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I think those were made in both carbon and stainless. I believe the stainless knives were marked or stamped . I'm sure someone with more knowledge about these knives could verify this .
 
My understanding is that Schrade USA added a "+" after the company name on the tang stamp of stainless steel knives: SCHRADE +. No plus sign indicated carbon steel blades.

- GT
 
As others have said Schrade used a + after the model number for stainless. It looks like in the pic and I believe and pretty sure the 834 is what Schrade called an "open stock" knife meaning it is the same as the Old Timer 34ot but with better looking jigged delrin scales. It would be carbon steel which most find more desirable. The open stock knives were jigged bone until Schrade stated using delrin.
 
You're welcome, SC-D. :)
FWIW, I'll add a couple of pictorial examples (if your eyes are good enough to read the tang stamps :rolleyes:).
This 34OT has carbon steel blades (no "+" after SCHRADE on tang stamp):
dGrZ34q.jpg


This 93OT has stainless steel blades (SCHRADE+ on tang stamp):
5xIDZqa.jpg


- GT
 
Jfowler said:
I think those were made in both carbon and stainless. I believe the stainless knives were marked or stamped . I'm sure someone with more knowledge about these knives could verify this .
Click to expand...

I'm just curious as i don't think I've seen an older Schrade use a "Stainless" "S" or "SS" kind of mark. 5K Qs says they used a plus sign to indicate if it was stainless. Why didn't they just use a "SS" "S" or "Stainless"? It's a rather odd way of marking a knife.
 
5K Qs said:
You're welcome, SC-D. :)
FWIW, I'll add a couple of pictorial examples (if your eyes are good enough to read the tang stamps :rolleyes:).
This 34OT has carbon steel blades (no "+" after SCHRADE on tang stamp):
dGrZ34q.jpg


This 93OT has stainless steel blades (SCHRADE+ on tang stamp):
5xIDZqa.jpg


- GT
Click to expand...

That is a really strange way to mark that a knife is stainless, Case uses "SS" and others use "Stainless" which is more obvious and clear. Guess Schrade wanted to stand out among the other stainless tang stamps.
 
Schroeder Cross-Dunn said:
Okay so i was considering buying a Schrade 834 stockman knife. I was curious about the steel used so i researched it and nothing came up except some eBay listings that claimed it was "stainless" but we all know that eBay sellers are a reliable source for information. So all i really want to know is what kind of steel was used, carbon or stainless. Thanks for taking the time to look at this post.
s-l1600.jpg

Specifically a knife like this one.
Click to expand...
Judging by the corrosion on the blades, that one is NOT stainless.
Schrade marked stainless blades with a (+)
 
Schroeder Cross-Dunn said:
Thanks for the reply. Just so i know what kind of stainless did Schrade use? I would assume something along the lines of 440C or 440A but I'm no expert.
Click to expand...
SC-D, if you want to immerse yourself in the details of Schrade's steels, here's a link to a thread I found that seems quite fascinating (including a photo in Post #2 of a Schrade tang stamp that DOES include the word "STAINLESS"):
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/schrade-blade-steels.378164/
There's info near the end of Post #1 indicating that Schrade's stainless was originally 440A and at some point (late 1990s?) switched to 420HC.

(I googled "what stainless steel did schrade USA use" and got lots of hits that look interesting, but I don't have time now to check them out. YMMV ;))

- GT
 
5K Qs said:
SC-D, if you want to immerse yourself in the details of Schrade's steels, here's a link to a thread I found that seems quite fascinating (including a photo in Post #2 of a Schrade tang stamp that DOES include the word "STAINLESS"):
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/schrade-blade-steels.378164/
There's info near the end of Post #1 indicating that Schrade's stainless was originally 440A and at some point (late 1990s?) switched to 420HC.

(I googled "what stainless steel did schrade USA use" and got lots of hits that look interesting, but I don't have time now to check them out. YMMV ;))

- GT
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. Thank goodness for the internet :)
 
yablanowitz said:
I've never had a chemical analysis done on one, but judging by performance and "feel" on a stone, I'd say 440A with a decent heat treatment.
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Well it's good to know that they did a decent heat treatment. Some 440A is just terrible but it sounds like you have luck with it. Maybe I'll pick one up for myself as a Christmas gift.
 
Before schrade had the + on stainless they were marked SS, stainless, or stainless steel. I do not know the exact time they changed to the + stamp but it would have been post walden (after 1973).

The knife you posted is not stainless. Some turn their nose up at schrade + steel when they discover its 440A but believe me, its very good stuff and takes a wonderful edge.
 
I have a schrade + trapper that has a couple spots where the steel has darkened a bit. It's stainless but.....
But the knife hold an edge like nobodies business. I generally prefer carbon steel for the usual reasons, but functionally it's good.
 
Schrade + usually turned up on the Uncle Henry branded knives, most of the Old Timers were Carbon Steel except the odd one or two that might of had an Uncle Henry blade in it. During the early to mid 1980's Schrade started to use Stainless here and there on the Old Timer range but were never marked, I have in my collection some of each blade material.

Russell
 
Rusty1 said:
Schrade + usually turned up on the Uncle Henry branded knives, most of the Old Timers were Carbon Steel except the odd one or two that might of had an Uncle Henry blade in it. During the early to mid 1980's Schrade started to use Stainless here and there on the Old Timer range but were never marked, I have in my collection some of each blade material.

Russell
Click to expand...

There were quite a few old timers with the + mark. I think some were stainless and not marked, but they did not number a great amount.

Some + marked OT's were the 98ot, 93ot, 858ot, 3ot, 5ot, 6ot and 7ot. Most of these started as carbon and switched to + within a few years, which can be seen in the catalogs.
 
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