Muskrat Manor

Here's Schrade's original Improved Muskrat, after some apparently hard use. This one's in the 1936 catalog supplement, with cell. stag handles, and a short time later available in Charlie's awesome peachseed bone version. Has the requisit single backspring of course :thumbup::D

Along with it are some shots of the original brass pattern masters and a grind sample:


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Eric
 
Very nice blades on that 'Improved' I think the Muskrat is a better knife for it. Do people regard GEC's 66 variant Mink as a kind of smaller Muskrat?

Like the look of that slant-bolstered Stock Knife in the same catalogue.
 
Willgoy, the slant bolstered knife is based on the same four inch "Premium Stock Knife" frame. They referred to it as a Texas Pattern back then. Not sure about the GEC as I've never handled that model. I think it's imortant that a muskrat patterned knife have the long slender skinning blades, they're thin enough to actually be quite flexible. Anything shorter than a four inch (or so) frame would seem to defeat the purpose.

Eric
 
It's really nice, actually! No gaps whatsoever, nice walk and talk, and great blades. It needs to be sharpened up a bit, but that's something I can handle! :)
 
now here is an answer to a question that nobody asked: what is the difference between GEC's 53 muskrat and the 81 muskrat? Here are a few pictures that show some specification differences. I have only used the 53 so far, so can't give any actual use comparisons. The 81's blades are really thin, and only take up half a spring each. Very nicely nested. The angle of each blade when open is a bit different. i think I prefer the jigging on the more recent 81 model. The 53's blades are strong and stout, not too thick though.







 
A mammoth single spring muskrat by Jim Dunlap. Knife is a petite 3 1/4" closed with pinched bolsters.
Charles
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I like the single-spring Muskrat from Queen Cutlery in ACSB. This is one of the very best made production knives I own, fit&finish better than any current GEC (and they're regarded as the benchmark for now) No gaps, no play, no rubbing at all and superb snap. It even arrived sharp gasp!:D

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Back when I trapped and did a lot of skinning, I used the muskrat's to death. Back then it was a Case as that was probably about all I could afford in a better knife. Took a lot of muskrats to pay for a new knife back then. I guess this is where my love for the Trapper pattern started as a more general use knife.
 
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