Looking for info on old Schrade button knife

[freddieT]

Howdy,
I am pretty much a novice in knife knowledge so I hope you can enlighten me. I recently found an old button knife. It has two blades. One appears to be a small file with a knife tip. The other is a blade. The one with the file reads "US PATS DEC 21, 09 SEPT ** 10" and another date that I can not see but ends with 16. I assume that is 1916. The larger blade has "SCHRADE CUT. CO. WALDEN,NY" The handle is some sort of yellow looking celluloid. Closed it is approx 3 3/8 inches long, open both blades and it is about 7 1/16 inches long. Each side has a button and sliding lock. The file blade works and the larger blade does not.
I would be most appreciative of any info as to identification, rarity, value, production numbers or anything else.
Many thanks,
Freddie

 

[lt632ret]

Schrade made doubles in three sizes 2,7/8", 3,3/8", 3,3/4". These were made with COMBINATIONS OF spear, file, and clip blades depending on size and exact model, They were made with no bolsters, tip bolsters, and full bolsters again depending on size and model. The last date you are looking for is June, 6, 16. Your knife was made after this date and sometime before 1946. Actually the entire encription should read US PATS, DEC 21,, 09 SEPT 13, 10, JUNE 6, 16. Your knife should indeed be celluloid. These knives while also made in other materials were mostly done in various celluloid colors and patterns. model numbers would vary with blade styles, handle materials size ect. Most of the ones yours seems to be, would have been 7404 models with various letter denotations after the 4 to denote individual factors ( cell color, blades, ect). Your knife has a steel spring inside the center of the knife. This spring has two sides ( one for each blade ) . It looks kind of like a bent bow, or rocker, the center has a notch which fits under ( for want of a better word ) clip. If one blade has no spring and only flops around when the button is pressed ( kind of like a man in need of viagra ) then it would seem one side of this spring is broken ) I mean on the knife not the man. These springs can be made or purchased. Replacing the spring while not rocket science is rather tricky.

Giving you a value on this would be much more realistic with a picture. A parts knife can start at five or ten dollars. A pristene mint version several hundred. Right now you have a parts knife which if nothing else is wrong is a 30 to 60 dollar knife. I do not know handle condition, blade condition, or really any thing pertinent ( like if the locks work correctly) for pricing. Sorry.

As far as production numbers no records were saved from Schrade Cut, I do know the fellow who drove the records to the dump. However there was a mind numbing amount of these produced over the 35 year period ( Until the tang marking was changed ). Value in the case of these is while somewhat in the articles themselves, mainly in the condition that the article is in at this time. If you need any thing else of a specific nature please let me know and I will try to help. I am adding a pic of a few of the variations.