L.L.Bean 2OT

image.php

Back in 1984 Schrade produced the Silver Anniversary 1959-1984 Schrade 34SS.
The name "Old Timer" was first used by Schrade in their 1959 catalogue "SW159-J"
In that catalogue, is the first listing of the new "2OT" listed at $27 per dozen.
A large portion of the 2OTs, must have been sold without the wooden box.
There is no indication in catalogues SW159 or Sw61-J, of the 2OT being individually boxed.
And here is no 2OT knives listed in the 1960 (catalogue SW60-J)

However, in the 1961 catalogue (SW61-J) both the 2OT and 8OT are listed.
In the 1962 catalogue (SW62-4) only the 8OT is listed - for the first time individually boxed.
In that catalogue both the 2OT and 8OT were listed at the same price, $27 per dozen.
"Packed in regular Schrade - Walden Shelf Box"
 
Last edited:
This is the best 2OT I have seen. It is in an Australian Schrade collection.
Schrade2OT_zpse2218f2d.jpg
 
Last edited:
Why was the 2OT not listed in 1960 catalog but was in '59 & '61 ?
Was it discontinued after just one year and then brought back for just another one year ?
Do you think the wooden boxes were a promotional run ?
It is such a fine Jack knife it should/could have been a long time best seller.
I think 1960 was the first year for dumb Delrin. Maybe Schrade execs. were so fascinated by this plastic that could be machined that they lost track of the beauty of the 2OT ?
kj
 
Based on the posted information from koldgold I'm assuming the catalogs posted on the Collectors of Schrades site are not all encompassing and missing a few pages?
 
fatcity67 said:
Based on the posted information from koldgold I'm assuming the catalogs posted on the Collectors of Schrades site are not all encompassing and missing a few pages?
Click to expand...
There must be a lot of information that I do not have, I am only quoting from the Original Schrade lists I do have.
I belive Codger has some of the shipping lists, for the 2OT.

Joe, I can not answer your questions.
However, I will say the 2OT has never been on my “must have list”.
I looked for 10 years to find my bone 8OT, and the Schrade 8OT was sold up to the 2004 close down.

The 1959 price list SW159-J, has the 2OT sold by the dozen and not boxed.
208*805*808*808Y*825*832*832*and 906* were all sold “*Indicates Individually boxed knives”

I think the 2OT just like the 858OT, were too big for a "pocket knife".
 
Last edited:
:thumbup:

koldgold said:
There must be a lot of information that I do not have, I am only quoting from the Original Schrade lists I do have.
I belive Codger has some of the shipping lists, for the 2OT.

Joe, I can not answer your questions.
However, I will say the 2OT has never been on my “must have list”.
I looked for 10 years to find my bone 8OT, and the Schrade 8OT was sold up to the 2004 close down.

The 1959 price list SW159-J, has the 2OT sold by the dozen and not boxed.
208*805*808*808Y*825*832*832*and 906* were all sold “*Indicates Individually boxed knives”

I think the 2OT just like the 858OT, were too big for a "pocket knife".
Click to expand...
 
koldgold said:
I think the 2OT just like the 858OT, were too big for a "pocket knife".
Click to expand...

The 2OT is 3 5/8" or 3 1/2" which is a perfect sized pocket knife. The 858OT was much longer and was better suited for a sheath.
 
thawk said:
The 2OT is 3 5/8" or 3 1/2" which is a perfect sized pocket knife. The 858OT was much longer and was better suited for a sheath.
Click to expand...
Sorry for thinking the 2OTs were much larger knives.
As I have said before, the 2OT "was never on my must have list"
And I have never had one in my hands!

Schrade made a large number of knives between1960 and 1970.
And Schrade must have had a go reason, to stop making 2OTs.
Does anyone have the production numbers of the 2OT, 8OT and 34OT in the first 2 or 3 years of their sales.

There must have been a good reason for Schrade to stop producing the 2OTs. Ken.
 
"There must have been a good reason for Schrade to stop producing the 2OTs."
I think the most likely explanation is that the cost of production was too high relative to what it could be sold for.
1960 saw the introduction of Delrin with the hope that it would be cheaper than hafting with bone; i.e. Schrade-Walden was beginning to be affected by low cost offshore imports and believed the way through was to make knives at a lower cost than previously. Likely the 2OT was just the opposite: a costly knife to make.
kj
 
Schrade (and others) went to Delrin partly because the supply of bone had dried up, aside from the fact that Delrin posited a clear manufacturing advantage. I think it is possible that the demand for regular jacks, of which the 2OT is an example, had also somewhat dried up. It was a huge seller from the 1800s up until WWII, in dozens of configurations, but had fallen somewhat out of favor by 1960. I suspect that the Misters Baer had a keen idea on where the market was. I don't think (and I could be wrong) that imports were an issue yet at that time. I doubt if the 2OT was any more costly to make than any other slipjoint pattern of the time.
 
The 2OT and 8OT sold for the same price, and both had bone handles - and later sold in wooden boxes.
The 8OT sold well when the bone handles were replaced, and then came the big selling 34OT.
As tongriver says "I suspect that the Misters Baer had a keen idea on where the market was."
Schrade made some knives that did not sell well, I have been told the SLWii sold for well under its' RRP in 2004.
US collectors did not like the knives Schrade had made in China, and today they are hard to find - and will become very collectable in time, as they were still part of Schrade's history... Ken
 
Here is another 2OT i have. It has been used. Master blade is a bit short ( < 1/8"). No one has buffed this knife. It does not have milled liners. I think this shows definitively that some 2OT's had milled liners and some did not.





kj
 
KJ,

I have several 2 OTs and a 3 OT. Both of my Schrade Factory Collection 2 OT & 3 OT have milled liners as well as my Craftsman 2 OT and one other 2 OT. However, I do have two additional 2 OTs that do not have milled liners. I wonder if it had to do with when they were produced? Scratching my head in Maryland...

Tom
 
Tchase, you have some very special knives !
Some of the members here have a considerable amount of the Schrade 'paperwork' such as shop floor notes, minutes of meetings etc. Possibly there is a written record of the 2OT production and discussion of milling liners or not.
I think this is the only way to know the specifics of the 2OT production.
It would be a treat to have you post pictures of your 2OT's and 3OT.
kj
 
kootenay joe said:
Some of the members here have a considerable amount of the Schrade 'paperwork' such as shop floor notes, minutes of meetings etc. Possibly there is a written record of the 2OT production and discussion of milling liners or not.
I think this is the only way to know the specifics of the 2OT production.
It would be a treat to have you post pictures of your 2OT's and 3OT.
kj
Click to expand...

If these knives were only sold by the dozen and without a box;
Schrade may have decided to sell the 2OTs with the milled liners, when they started to sell them in individual boxes.
When did Schrade begin to mill the liners on their knives.
And why didn't they mill the liners on the 8OT? Noting the 8OTs were the same price.
I can see why Tom is scratching his head, with all those old Schrade knives.
I also note:
Schrade milled the liners of the SS34 when they decided, on the 25 Anniversary Old Timer 1959-1984.
image.php

I have an 885UH with milled liners and a larger then normal pull nick, when was it made?
image.php
 
Last edited:
I am sorry, I am just a general member and do not have permission to post pictures.

Tom
 
Tom, it is not expensive to join and i'm sure you would find this Schrade forum a most agreeable place and with some very knowledgeable members. Likely you know things about Schrade and the knives that all here would like to hear about as well.
kj
 
Tom, you can use an off site photohosting service to upload your pictures then paste the tagline in a post here. I use tinypic.com.

One hint, the first orders of 2OT to go out was a single one-time-only bulk order for Sears. Most of the rest were produced and shipped subsequent to that order.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top