Need help identifying vintage Old Timer

D

dwain125

Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
18
Hi Folks,

I just picked up a nice Old Timer but I can't identify it's model. One of the reasons I bought it was curiousity and it is a nice old knife. I believe it's blade has been changed. Tang stamp reads "Schrade USA 970T"; opposite side is stamped "Stainless",. The only 970T I can find any reference to is the buzzsaw trapper with both a saw and a blade. My knife is a single blade knife. If blade was replaced, they did a good job because blade fits perfectly. I know pictures would help, but can't figure out how to post pictures on this forum. So I guess I need 2 types of help. Knife is a single blade with yellow delrin handle, nickel silver bolsters, brass liners and 3 brass pins. Overall length is 7 3/8" and closed is 4 3/8". Although the knife resembles 120T and 180T models, it is too big to be one of them. I've also ruled out 1940T (too small and locking) and 1230T (has a lanyard hole). 1250T and 1260T are possibles but I haven't found any size specs on those 2 models yet and their front bolsters look slightly different from my knife. Will try and figure out how to get pictures posted. In meantime, any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
No luck yet on pics, but I have ruled out Model 1250T as too big and a linerlock. Does anyone have specs on model 1260T or any other models to suggest?
 
IMG_0148_zpssjlsnwmk.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

Ken,

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, none of the Old Timers on their list matched my description. I think I have managed to attach a photo of knife. Does anyone recognize this model? Thanks
 
That knife looks like a 194OT frame:
From what I understand, there was a lot of knives made up from old parts, in the last days of Schrade trading in 2004.
There are 22 gallon drums of old parts from the Schrade close-down, still being sold today.
A good knife repairer, could make a knife like that one.
One thing to remember, that is not a Schrade production knife... Ken
 
Ken,
You are probably right. I thought the knife was a re-blade when I bought it and I bought it mainly to figure out what it was. Only 2 things keep throwing me. First the length of the frame is 4 1/8". I was mistaken earlier when I said it was 4 3/8". The 970T was one of only 2 or 3 Old Timer frames that I could find that were 4 1/8" and they were all buzzsaw trappers. This is why I no longer think it is a re-blade because I can't find a single blade Old Timer model that was 4 1/8". That includes the 1940T which was 3 7/8" and a liner lock. The second thing is a statement by Dale Vincent in his list of Old Timer Models on AAPK where you referred me to earlier. In concluding Dale mentions a lot of weird things coming out of the Schrade factory at the end "including a 970T with Uncle Henry Staglon handles and a single clip blade." I have emailed Dale to find out if he has heard of any single blade 970T's in yellow delrin coming out of the factory.

Now I realize that even if my knife somehow came out of the Schrade factory at the end, it is still a mish-mash not a production model. I just want to know if it's possible. I have no intention of selling the knife. I intend to keep it in my collection as a weird cousin to my other Schrades. On the other hand, if it didn't come out of the Scharde factory but rather is some knife repairer's creation, it's still a nice knife and still keeping it.

Thanks for all your input and tips.
Dwain
 
Whatever the case, that is a great knife to own. Slim, pretty, and very functional! It is not unique, I've seen a lot of that very knife sold on ebay.
 
You have an "End of Days" knife made from parts cobbled together at the factory at the end of Imperial Schrade in 2004. 97OT blades have been used on several special order knives to complete orders requiring a blade of that type. Smokey Mtn. Knife Works SFO "The Trapper" being one of them and Ducks Unlimited SFOs. I have never been able to figure out where the yellow saw cut scales came from though. There are others of the same size but they are smooth. Like the limited 296Y trapper and the H296Y Heritage limited edition knives. I have seen your knife go for as much as $205 on ebay because many feel they are very collectable. I like that they are so slim and all, but would have been well served to have a liner lock, imo. The thought of that big blade closing on my fingers makes me cringe. Nice find, enjoy the knife!

21et8gn.jpg
 
Last edited:
Those trapper blades were all over the place in the end.
The Old Timer trappers were also assembled single-bladed with Uncle Henry scales. You'll also find SC blades in the mix too.

OTTrappers.jpg


So congratulations, you have an interesting piece of Schrade History!
 
While I think your knife is most likely an End-of-Days snap-together-anything-that-fits knife, it's important to note that even before 2004 Schrade had a long history of mix-matching blades and frames and handles. Uncle Henry, Old Timer, Schrade, Old Crafty, Primble... anything was fair game if it fit. :D
 
Bob W said:
While I think your knife is most likely an End-of-Days snap-together-anything-that-fits knife, it's important to note that even before 2004 Schrade had a long history of mix-matching blades and frames and handles. Uncle Henry, Old Timer, Schrade, Old Crafty, Primble... anything was fair game if it fit. :D
Click to expand...

SMKW was a good customer of seconds and unscrimmed scrims.
 
I suspect that some dealers may have requested batches of oddball variations just to have something interesting to sell.

"Factory Error," or S.F.O.? ;)
 
The saw-cut scales get me thinking, I have not seen them before.
After looking at some of my S.F.O. knives from 2003-2004; I then remembered my little 72OT.
image.php

I think there was a lot of up and coming knives for 2003-2004, that did not make it to production.
A number of S.F.O.s were also sent back to Schrade - some could have been samples... Ken

This is a blue bone ACB72 with an ACB8. They also did not make it to production.
image.php


I do not know how many of these 2003 knives made it to production, the frame and blade is the same as your yellow knife.
image.php
 
Last edited:
I just started wondering if the smooth yellow scales from a knife like the 296Y were "saw cut" at some point to make this knife. I am not familiar with the manufacturing practice but I have noticed that the grooves in these knife handles are very shallow as compared to say, a standard production Old Timer. Many times you can't even see them in pictures unless the angle and lighting is just right. Like my picture above. Can the saw cut texturing be added at any time after the scale is molded and then mill it out for a shield inlay? I've always wondered how these handles came to be.
 
That is a good question, I had not seen "yellow saw cut" until I found my 72OT... Ken
 
Saddlebum said:
I just started wondering if the smooth yellow scales from a knife like the 296Y were "saw cut" at some point to make this knife. I am not familiar with the manufacturing practice but I have noticed that the grooves in these knife handles are very shallow as compared to say, a standard production Old Timer. Many times you can't even see them in pictures unless the angle and lighting is just right. Like my picture above. Can the saw cut texturing be added at any time after the scale is molded and then mill it out for a shield inlay? I've always wondered how these handles came to be.
Click to expand...

Perhaps Codger will tune in on this one; I don't believe there was ever any milling done on any Delrin covers. Done deal right out of the mold.
 
tongueriver said:
Perhaps Codger will tune in on this one; I don't believe there was ever any milling done on any Delrin covers. Done deal right out of the mold.
Click to expand...

Eric would know better than I, but to my knowledge, all texture on Delrin, excepting the heat stamped scrims and advertising, was made into the molds. One exception might be custom shielding on some knives where it was more expensive to alter the molds than to mill a shield cavity. As for changing the color of the handle material in a stock mold, that only required a different color of Delrim pellet feedstock for the molding machine as was commonly done to make black, green and blue covers for special issues. I have pictures of some molds somewhere, and uncut cover molding shots. But another member here may have them closer at hand. I would have to dig a while to find them in recovered files from a crashed hard drive.
 
Thanks everybody for your comments. Like I said at the beginning, I primarily bought the knife because I wanted to figure out what it was. Now I know.
Saddlebum, I wish it was a liner lock as well. Thanks again folks.
 
That is a neat knife you have there dwain125.
I love the 194,94 Trapper style Schrades. Great pattern.
Good find. Here's some of mine







 
Last edited:
Bob W said:
Those trapper blades were all over the place in the end.
The Old Timer trappers were also assembled single-bladed with Uncle Henry scales. You'll also find SC blades in the mix too.

OTTrappers.jpg


So congratulations, you have an interesting piece of Schrade History!
Click to expand...
I just bought a Schrade Old Timer 296Y on eBay. It has saw cut Delrin handles , clip and spey blades and a pick and tweezers. Does this sound like an "End of Days" knife or what?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top