"My first day on the job" by: 897UH

Codger_64

Codger_64

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For a month, It had been sitting on a shelf in a display cabinet beside a well used brother. During that time, I noticed the contrast between the scratched bolsters and shield, the hand rubbed staglon scales, and broken blade of the knife from last year's construction season and the showroom gleem of it's replacement. Today, I took it down for the first time. A few strokes of the hone on each blade and into the work pants pocket it went.

Now, at this point some may gasp that I would take an Uncle Henry stockman, fresh from the factory wrapping and sharpen it for every day carry. I bought this knife to use as a tool, and two more after the Schrade closing. I will likely buy four or five more to put back for the same reason. To use in my construction business. Look at it this way: America is still working with Schrades. And every one I deflower makes the remaining shelf queens more rare. I'm doing you a favor! :D

Maybe some day I will do a review of this knife, but it would be pointless. The 897UH is made the way we expect Schrades to be made. I could not tell you anything new about them. Fit, finish, walk, talk, design, etc. are just as you would expect from an American made stockman that retailed for $39.45 in 2004. ($13.25 in 1975!)

After using it to open my morning snack, it scraped PVC pipe of mud and burrs, chamfered newly cut pipe being prepped for building a pool pump intake manifold. It cut string and boxes. It opened a new tube of silicone sealer and cut strips of duct tape. Tomorrow it will reduce a sixteen foot by thirtytwo foot by eight foot deep .20 mil pool vinyl liner into four foot squares to be hauled to the dump, then cut the nylon bands to open the box containing the new pool liner, and slice the invoice packet open. It will cut out the liner hole inside the new main drain faceplate, Skimmers and returns, then a delicate fourteen foot cut around the peremiter of the stair opening.
It will cut new gaskets from sheets of gasket material, cut built up glue from the top of my PVC glue can, then sharpen my pencil and cut the nylon string as I prepare to set forms for repouring the concrete deck. It will open bags of sackrete for the fence post replacement, and four fifty pound bags of sand filter media, slice off sticks of two-part pool repair epoxy, cut a new pool safety nylon rope to length, chop caustic chlorine tablets, open bags of calcium hypochlorite, puncture jugs of algaecide, and on the way home open cans of brake and power steering fluid, and at the end of the day, clean my nails. And more.
During the day it will NOT be loaned, used as a hammer, chisel, screwdriver, punch, prybar, or projectile. Loaning to a worker is what caused the broken blade on it's brother late last year.
The same knife will do these things and more for a couple of years or more if it does not get lost, appropriated, or dropped into a load of fresh concrete.
I like my 897UH's! Wonder if I can get a deal on them by the dozen? Nah, I want to retire some day. If I had that many more I would never live long enough to wear them all out!

Codger
 
It has been a bit over four months since I took my new 897UH out for it's first day of work. It has done all the chores listed in the first post and more. Near nightly sharpening, an occasional scrubbing to remove dried concrete, pvc glue, and melted nylon rope, a bit of machine oil has kept it in good shape. The blades are scratched a bit, and the spey has a flattened end from scraping stray bits of concrete from finished pool steps, but it is still up and ready each morning at dawn for another day of hard labor, and a steamy ride in a sweat salt soaked pocket.

Since I found this site last fall I have been researching the 897 and other patterns of Schrade knives, their relatives and predecessors. I admit I have a long way to go in getting the complete story on any of the patterns, but I have dug up a lot on them. Here is the latest revision of my research into the 897UH Uncle Henry Signature Premium Stockman (such a big name for such a small knife!). I just call mine "Hank". :D

Schrade 897UH Signature Premium Stockman

In July 2004, the one hundred year history of Imperial Schrade Corporation came to an end with the forced bankruptcy and October liquidation of assets. During those one hundred years, the name changed several times, as well as company ownership. Several other companies were acquired, sometimes operated in tandem, sometimes absorbed. Begun by George Schrade and his brothers, it evolved over the years into the posession and guidence of Albert and Henry Baer. Albert, ever the business genious, steered the company to expanded markets with new marketing techniques, and new products designed under the watchful eye of Henry, whose signiture would appear on an entire line of upscale folding and fixed blade knives for the last forty years of Schrade's existance. Alongside the now famous Old Timer line of knives, the Uncle Henry Signature knives formed the backbone of Schrade's offerings of knives and tools.

Few knives were as popular as the medium Stockman pattern, the 897UH. The 897UH Uncle Henry Signature Premium Stockman was introduced in the 1967 catalog for a whopping $10. This at a time when a comparable Old Timer was selling for just a bit more than half that amount, and a knife from the rival company, Colonial Knife Company could be bought for even less. Putting this into perspective, a gallon of gas cost 32 cents, a coca-cola was a dime, the average new home was around $20,000, and new cars started at around $2,000. Given these illustrations, ten dollars was not a paltry sum.

The 897UH stockman began production in the early sixties, several years before the catalog introduction. While stainless steel blades were used from the beginning, several different styles of delrin were tried for the handle material before settling on the faux stag delrin, later known as "Staglon". Peach seed jigged bone looking delrin was handsome and used a short while, and several diferent base delrin and accent colors were tried. In later years, special limited editions were produced with special handle material, including a 95th anniversary edition.

The knife used the Schrade+ stainless steel three blade pattern that became popular with the 825, 895, 896K, 898, and 899UH. This blade material became a mainstay of the UH line of knives, both folders and fixed. In 1981, 197UH "Cat Paw" was introduced for a a run of a few short years using the familiar serpentine body and the single modified Turkish clip blade. It was one of the very few liner lock knives in the Uncle Henry product line, and a very interesting variation on the 897UH. Evidently the buying public was not swayed to purchase it over the other single blade offerings in the lockback and trapper lines and it was discontinued after a nine year run in 1989.

The 897UH had a closed length of 3 9/16" with a Turkish clip blade of 2 15/16", a 2 1/16" sheepfoot blade, and a 2" spey blade. This combination of blades mounted in the deeply textured serpentine Staglon handles proved to be extremely popular with knife users for more than thirty five years. It is both pleasant to hold and to look at with the nickle silver bolsters and Henry Baer signature shield, stainless blades, brass liners and pins, all mounted in a bi-color stag appearing handle.

With the closing of Imperial Schrade, quite a few variations of handle colors and materials have been seen on the market. Many, such as the burgandy Micarta, blue jigged bone, etc. were found among the stock carted off from the factory at the asset auction in October of 2004. My conjecture is that these knives were intended for 100th Anniversary editions, as several have been spotted with the anniversary etch and shield. A few of the earlier "Buckskin" knives, both completed and uncompleted have shown up. These sport a tan delrin base material and light brown accent color as opposed to the more familiar cream delrin base and coco brown accent color. Quite a few 897UH's have appeared with dark coco colored scales. The ones I have examined seem to be normal cream base knives that simply did not receive the final scale buffing that smothed the high points and ends revealing the cream base and flushing the scales with the shield, bolsters and pins.

Limited editions and special private editions of the 897UH seem to be relatively rare. All of the scrimshaw special edition sets I have seen used the larger framed clip blade 885UH stockman as the base knife. The same goes for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation sets, and the Ducks Unlimited sets. One issue, the 95th Anniversary issue seems to be the diamond in the crown of special issues for the 897 pattern. Mounted on an engraved plexi pedestel on a round wooden base and enclosed with a clear glass dome, it is quite an impressive presentation. Bone handles, and a gold filled etched blade, sterling silver bolsters guild the lilly.

An 897 pattern was used on a Cigar Box Classics issue with red accented yellow bone handles and the classic arrowhead shield in place of the UH signature shield.

A "second cut" green bone stockman of this pattern with SCHRADE-WALDEN NY USA was produced.

This pattern was also used on a Orangewood handled Lewis and Clark anniversary edition. It had a bark canoe shaped shield, and came with a double picture of Lewis and Clark in miniature frame.

Recently, a few Ducks Unlimited editions have come on the market, but their embelishment seen so far is limited to a blade etch on production variety knives. Whether or not these were ever marketed, or were slated to be a 2004 release is a matter of conjecture at this point.

A set made for MATCO Tools in 1996 contained a 12UH Roadie, 285UH Pro Trapper, and 897UH Premium Signature Stockman in an attractive formed burgandy lined black leather grained gift box with Matco Tools, Schrade Cutlery logos and "1996 Uncle Henry Limited Edition Collector Series" in silver lettering on the cover. Matco Tools and the Matco eagle logo are etched on the clip blade of each knife.

It is no surprise, given the long association of Schrade with the retailing giant Sears, Roebuck & CO., that a contract stockman of the 897 pattern was produced for them. Only the shield and tangstamp changed from the regular production knives. These seem to be relatively uncommon on the market currently in any condition, and rare in mint state.

I have carried and used the 897UH knives for many years and I find no fault with them. I have never broken the delrin scales on one, though one or two had blade tips broken when a worker used them for screwdrivers or pryed with them. They are just the right size for pocket carry, an excellent compromise between the larger 885UH Senior, and the smaller 834 Rancher. The long nearly straight turkish clip blade is great for slicing, and the sheepfoot opens boxes and cuts tape well. The spey blade makes an excellent scraper to clean up cut pvc pipe or strip wire, and in a pinch makes a good skinner blade for small game.

I was dismayed when I found that Imperial Schrade had closed and would no longer be producing my favorite stockman, but thrilled to find the current glut on the market allowing me to buy all I could ever use and half or less of retail. The last listed MSRP of the 897UH was $39.45 in 2004, but I have found them new for ten dollars to twenty dollars, and the rarer new in the presentation box ones for under $40. Excellent used ones routinely fetch only ten or less, and while the supply will no doubt dry up before long, they are plentiful now.



As always, I would appreciate anything anyone can add to this incomplete history of a most popular knife, and I am sure that Hank would appreciate it too!

Codger (I am working on a fixed blade version of the 897) ;)
 
Great info Codger. You turned me on to those 897's with your first post, and I too favor them (along with the 8OT and my favorite, the 61OT).

I'm curious as to how that Old Cutler "897 look-a-like" that we spoke of a few weeks back is holding up?
 
Honestly, I have not even tried it. It remains in the display cabinet along with my other folders. And I have not added the 897 copies which I have found to the above research writing yet either. I have a serious aversion to buying them since most are made in the orient, and how, other than a brief mention, can I honestly appraise them if I never have one in my hands? No one else feels they are worthy of a lengthy indepth appraisal, so I cannot even rely on the borrowed opinions of others for this. As for the Taylor made 897's.......I don't think even Taylor knows the specs on his knives, and if he does, he certainly is not passing the information along to his sellers. How the heck does he make them with carbon steel blades, give them a lifetime warranty, and call them a work of art? I think the sellers are making it up as they go along. Surely Stewert Taylor would not give out such blatently false hype on his chinee knives. I do notice the American flag still appears on his boxes. Dang that wayward ex-Schrade artist. I'll have to send them a communist Chinese flag so they can get it right.

At any rate, I'll just devote my energies to further research on the 897UH made by Schrade Walden and Imperial Schrade Corp. FOr such a mundane common production knife, it sure has some interesting twists and variations in it's short history!

Codger
 
Codger,
Nice write up.
I'd love to know the production numbers for these and the 8OT and 34OT just to get an idea just how many may exist.

Keep at it.
TTYL
Larry
 
I am afraid that the Schrade historian may hold the only key to those production records and she, like most of the former Schrade employees, has moved on to another life that does not include Schrade knife knuts. I certainly do not blame them.

I have learned a lot about these knives just by keeping my eyes open and performing a post-mortum. Incompleted knives give important clues to the order of assembly and finishing. I am yet to see firsthand a really embellished 897 like the silver and gold 95th anniversary issue. So far, all of the pictures of them that I have found are small and of poor quality, so even the details of the gold filled etching escape my scrutiny.

As far as numbers go, one can only imagine the quantity produced over a thirty year span. Shipped out bulk packed, gift packed, production packed, and finally clam packed, there may be enough new old stock left out there to keep the market supplied for a few years, even at today's buying rate. And I believe that a lot of these knives flying across the country on UPS and USPS will eventually make their way back to ebay. Remember that the American buying public has a very short attention span, and soon the frenzy over Schrade's closing will recede to a faded memory for most buyers like a Beanie Baby in the top of the closet. As the sales fall off, so will the prices they bring. As the prices fall, investment and casual buyers will look to unload at a moderate loss. Not many are in the market for the long haul in my opinion. The exception to this are the Schradeophiles like Uncle Henry's Lost Souls, and a few deep pocket collectors. But even they don't collect in cases of 72.

Well, most of you don't ;)

Codger
 
Excellent post, Codger!

I have always been a fan of the medium stockman, as most of you know. I have a couple of the 897UH, but most of my examples are from the regular Schrade army.

Thanks. (imaginary green coming your way) ;)

Glenn
 
Codger, it's obvious you really fancy the 897UH, you're a wealth of information. I have a couple of the versions you mentioned in addition to the standard 897UH. The Crimson Birch model was my favorite until I received one with the blue, rope-cut bone scales. This knife is just too beautiful to use.
 
Oh, there are many variations that I didn't mention. Crimson Birch is nice and the rope jigged blue bone too. Didn't LT post about the Lewis and Clark issue recently? That one has a canoe shield. And lots of different color variations can be found among the regular production knives as well. They tried various dyes over the years and some of them were dismal failures at the time, but the red, yellow and purple hues they imparted ( flaws) are very interesting and set these knives apart. Since over one hundred hand operations were used to assemble and finish the earlier knives, there is more variety in appearance.

As a matter of curiosity, does anyone have a 897UH (or any other pattern for that matter) in the clear tube, the brown box, the three (?) later boxes, and the three(?) clampacks? Did I miss a container? The cigar box and the tin?

Codger
 
Codger,

It is obvious that you are very well versed in the history and lineage of Schrade folding knives..... :thumbup:

I hope that you don't lose sight of the wonderful FIXED blade knives that Schrade has offered...... :D

Bill
 
Micheal your reverence to the 897 is frankly a bit scairy. Oh well no dedication to these artifacts is less than appreciated. I really stayed out of this thread to everyones I am sure joy until fixed blades were mentioned and since codger is a fixed blade man I offer a challenge for the most unusual and rare of Schrade sheath knives. I offer everyone first display and then I will make my offering . LT PS there were several other forms of packaging. which I am sure you know, which included a myriad of wooden and jewelery type boxes.
 
The most unusual and rare Schrade fixed blade? I'd guess that's the D-Guard dive knife. Mike Nelson would have loved it. I need one! Twice I've been the runner-up bidder on ebay and the only one I ever saw at a knife show was priced ridiculously high ($400).

Any others?

Phil

ps... enjoyed the entire thread.
 
Reverence? nah. Affection maybe. And I truly believe that unless we dig now for what bits and pieces of Schrade pattern history we can, a great deal of it will be lost. Ferreting out every little detail I can find on one pattern a month is the best I can do. Heck, you have done the same LT on the automatics. And Schrade collectors are better off for the research you have done, though it certainly has not lined your pockets. I seem to remember you saying that money was not the reason you did it anyway, but to give folks a reliable reference for the patterns.

And you are right to call them artifacts. They are all that remains of a once thriving American cutlery company. And not coincidentally, a cultural icon for several generations of North Americans. And what I am doing could be thought of as industrial archeology. I have no grand plan to capitalize on the research. Sharing it here is about as far as it will go unless you pick up a knife magazine and see these rambles as an article with some snatcher's byline.

A rare and interesting fixed blade? Hmmm. I'll have to think on that one. I was hoping that you would join in this thread (and most every thread) as you always know interesting details which are obscure and will never come to light by your witholding. Not to mention, examples of the knives or their ancestors, whatever the pattern discussed.

Codger
 
Rarest of the Rare ....

I'm not 100% on this one.....but.....I'm gonna go with the mythical...er...mystical...er,ah..mysterious emerald green handled Schrade/Herman Williams embellished Commemorative "Maidens of Ellenville" bustle dagger. It was allegedly designed to keep those "Hudson River Hotties" from being deflow.... :eek: er, separated from the own personal treasure, by unsavory types.....or so I thought I read somewhere.


NEXT!

Bill
 
This is the best I can do for "rare and Unusual" at the moment. Sorry about the lousey scan... this is the 137 "Wonda-Edge" serrated sheath knife I mentioned a few days ago. It may not be really rare, but I have not seen another one like it.

Codger

 
Here are some of the lesser known products made with the Schrade Cut Co 03-46 ( approx) marking. These razors are all marked Schrade Cut Co. Some people feel they were made in Germany. However they are not marked Germany, and a person I knew who recently died at 104 years old told me that they were indeed made in Walden and the craftmen who made them were respected as among the best of cutlers. He claimed that to be picked to work on these razor blades was a great compliment. He worked for NYK when he was 17. I have also heard that later some were bought in Germany and were so marked. The razor on top has an embossed and colored huron or crane with cattails scene. This was a very popular model. I have always felt that this pic was taken from the Wallkill river where this is not an unusual sight. This river runs through the village of Walden where Schrade was then located. The two bottom items are among the most rare ever of Schrade Cutlery items a fixed blade hunting knife with bone handles ( a very simple pattern. ) Frankly I do not remember ever seeing another it has a pattern marking of 662 on the back side. I cannot find a listing for it. and perhapes even rarer a pair of shears. I do not believe the shears were made by Schrade but rather for them again Germany keeps getting mentioned but no Germany marking on them. I know the man who cleaned out the Schrade plant in Walden in 56 when I asked him he said that they did not have the dies for shears. Yet here it is the only one I or he or anyone else I have ever met has seen, but who knows perhapes they were made here. By the way the blades of the shears appear to be blued and quite original that way. Oh yes one more thing if you ever doubt my dedication to these items I paid 67 dollars for the pair of shears normally a pair of old shears is about a dollar at a yard sale. So do not doubt my devotion only my sanity. Which is usually in doubt anyway. LT
 
I have seen a few of the razors in my time, usually hand-me-downs belonging to generational barbers I have known. Some of them were true works of art not only in design and embellishment, but in workmanship. Those are nice, LT!

The scissors (shears) are a new one on me, but then so is a lot that you show us. The fixed blade knife is very plain. It reminds me of the knives almost exactly like that produced later by both Imperial and Colonial in quite a few different handle materials. It must have been a quite popular pattern at some time (before WWII?). The relatively flat grinds look like George Schrade's Stagbrands, though I haven't seen one of those with a self guard, and flat scales. All that I have seen had the more rounded handles. But then, I have seen very few really early fixed blades from Imperial, Schrade (none from Ulster?), or Walden Knife. These very rarely show up on knifebay, or if they do, I've missed seeing them. Can you show us more early fixed blades? (Pre OT / UH)

Codger
 
I have dozens of straight razors however, while they are around, the Schrade Cut versions are fairly rare. As I pointed out the shears are the first and only that I or anyone I have ever met has ever seen. The pattern of the knife is really not important it is that it was made by Schrade Cut. These last two items are fairly unique which is why I posted them. In fact I do not remember another sheath knife that I have ever seen from Schrade cut. Although they must be around . George Schrade knife Co made straight knives ( stag brand ) and so did imperial and Schrade later. This pattern is an early inexpensive hunter similar to the style often sold with a hatchet as a set, by imperial. The guard is a bit different but the basic early style is there. However the handles on the Schrade are old jigged bone. These are as you are aware quite common from the other mentioned companies. the pre OT and UH also are fairly common and I am sure you are familiar with the leather wrap and hollow handle ( early plastic versions ) as well as the 49er series. these have been posted on numerous occasions. LT
 
Codger_64 said:
... In 1981, 197UH "Cat Paw" was introduced for a a run of a few short years using the familiar serpentine body and the single modified Turkish clip blade. It was one of the very few liner lock knives in the Uncle Henry product line, and a very interesting variation on the 897UH. Evidently the buying public was not swayed to purchase it over the other single blade offerings in the lockback and trapper lines and it was discontinued after a nine year run in 1989.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing the wealth of information about the 897UH and the 197UH, Codger_64. I have a liner lock 197UH in Staglon, but didn't know a thing about its history.

An 897UH sits in my top desk drawer, dedicated to home office use, since it is no longer my EDC. I use the sheep's foot blade for cutting string, padded envelopes, and cutting out magazine and newspaper articles of interest.
 
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