Looking For Info On These Traditionals - Picture Heavy

Wallbright · Jan 19, 2012

I recently purchased these cheaper knives and posted in the maintenance, tinkering, and embellishment sub-forum to ask for tips on restoring them, including which might be more collectible unrestored, and David, Obsessed with Edges, recommended posting them up in this forum to get some info on their age, etc. I know I probably don't have any very valuable items, and some have been abused, but I was wondering if any of you could give me some history on these knives.

Here is the other thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ditionals-Safe-To-Restore-Advice-On-Restoring

Here are pictures of the knives. I will post them as thumbnails that are click-able as not to bog down anyone's computer.

Sharp "200" Japan

Gerber (Sportsman?)

Irwin 440SS (Steel type maybe?)

Colonial Fish-Knife Prov. RI

Hammer

Wallbright · Jan 19, 2012

Queen #24

Colonial

Shapleigh St. Louis USA

Imperial Ireland

Kershaw 5275 Japan Advertisement Knife

Made in Germany Fish Knife

Imperial Diamond Edge 852DE

USA

Schrade Old Timer 720T

Hammer Brand USA

sappyg · Jan 19, 2012

Whew... I can't speak so much to the history of your knives but I must say, you have great taste.

yablanowitz · Jan 20, 2012

I remember the Sharp from the mid 1980's, they sold them at K-Mart here. I may even have one if I dig through the knife chest.

The Gerber Folding Sportsman looks to be mid-70's vintage, they were great knives back then.

The tang stamp on the Queen was used from 1973 to 75.

The Schrade peanut dates after 1974 when they dropped the Walden from the tang stamp and before they went under in 2004 (?).

Beyond that, I can't help.

Nice batch of knives.

TLARbb · Jan 20, 2012

The Gerber sportsman has had the blade modified (clipped) so that it looks like a Buck 110 style. The blade was probably the trailing point skinner version of the knife; you have a "Folding Sportsman II" model. I bought the ones I have in the mid to late 70's, but I'm not sure when they started manufacture nor when they stopped. Having been modified like this, it will be not worth much money, but the knife itself is a good one and should be a good user.

Ed J

Wallbright · Jan 20, 2012

sappyg said:
Whew... I can't speak so much to the history of your knives but I must say, you have great taste.

Thank you very much. That means alot coming from a member here. I just started collecting this month so I was unsure if I made good buys.

yablanowitz said:
I remember the Sharp from the mid 1980's, they sold them at K-Mart here. I may even have one if I dig through the knife chest.

The Gerber Folding Sportsman looks to be mid-70's vintage, they were great knives back then.

The tang stamp on the Queen was used from 1973 to 75.

The Schrade peanut dates after 1974 when they dropped the Walden from the tang stamp and before they went under in 2004 (?).

Beyond that, I can't help.

Nice batch of knives.

Thank you very much for the information. I am hoping I can fix up the Gerber and Queen back into users. The Queen was really abused on the blade but I am hoping with some fine steel wool, mineral oil, WD40, Flitz, and some patience I can get it back to good health.

TLARbb said:
The Gerber sportsman has had the blade modified (clipped) so that it looks like a Buck 110 style. The blade was probably the trailing point skinner version of the knife; you have a "Folding Sportsman II" model. I bought the ones I have in the mid to late 70's, but I'm not sure when they started manufacture nor when they stopped. Having been modified like this, it will be not worth much money, but the knife itself is a good one and should be a good user.

Ed J

This is good to hear as the wooden parts of the handle were loose so I ended up taking them off to clean. In the process one of them chipped but I am thinking I might try to make new ones. It looks like it will be a pain in the rear end on getting them the perfect size but I think this knife would benefit from some work. Also, I cleaned the handle but the edges seem to leave black marks on my hands. Is this normal for this knife?

Boggs · Jan 20, 2012

The Queen #24 as you all ready know is considered a Slim Trapper with the handle material of Imitation Winterbottom ( Queen was real big on the use of the Winterbottom jig.....both imitation and cow bone).. and the tang stamp was used from 1973-1975

yablanowitz · Jan 20, 2012

Wallbright said:
Thank you very much for the information. I am hoping I can fix up the Gerber and Queen back into users. The Queen was really abused on the blade but I am hoping with some fine steel wool, mineral oil, WD40, Flitz, and some patience I can get it back to good health.

They were using 440C stainless back then. The ones I have from that era have all been very good knives. It looks to have some good years left in it despite the abuse.

This is good to hear as the wooden parts of the handle were loose so I ended up taking them off to clean. In the process one of them chipped but I am thinking I might try to make new ones. It looks like it will be a pain in the rear end on getting them the perfect size but I think this knife would benefit from some work. Also, I cleaned the handle but the edges seem to leave black marks on my hands. Is this normal for this knife?

That frame is brass, and brass can do that. For some people it seems to be worse than for others. Probably has to do with the natural pH of your skin.