Need help with Ebay buy

textoothpk

textoothpk

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Well, my first clue I was way off base on this was that none of the real Schrade collectors and none of you guys expressed any interest in this, which I won, and just received today:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6572858543&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

What do ya think guys? Any ideas? Please be frank, honest, give me your honest opinion.

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Phil
 
I dunno Phil. I've never seen one stamped on the blade with the text stamp "PROTOTYPE" before. All of the protos I have looked at and handled were either made from LTD tangstamped stainless blades, and had no marking identifying them as a prototype, or had a sample room tag, or sample numbers on the sheath. The pins are in the stock locations, but should they have been rivets, like on the 13 and 14OT? Maybe Rich or someone else here has seen that stamp used and it just escaped my attention. I have seen bolster stamps "PROTO" before, usually small and done in a professional manner. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Codger
 
The sheath may give a clue, are there any markings on it? It's just as unusual as the knife. I think the knife and sheath is worth MUCH more than you paid for it, regardless of the story behind it. It looks very different to see it without bolsters, you have something unique.
 
Sheath.. good point. Seems like a cheap knockoff of a Buck flap type. Here is a Buck sheath beneath the one that came with the Schrade. No markings, no country of origin, no numbers, nothing. The profile of the bottom of the sheath does not match the profile of the blade, but it is an excellent fit.

"PROTOTYPE"... it is not stamped, it is not etched. I think it was engraved. I'd put money on it.

Fit and Finish... Excellent. That old carbon steel exposed tang, sandwhiched by the handels, just gleams. Lots of high polish work went into it. I do feel that the exposed tang and the handles were finished separately, not as an assembled unit. But the blade is not high polished. Nor has it been used. Small stains here and there. Yes, the pins are in the same places as the rivet holes would have been in the blank.

Handle material.. I am not sure. I think it is very fine linen micarta. Smooth, silky smooth. Excellent fit and finish. No cracks... if it was an aftermarket job, it was a good one.

Tang Stamp... please note it is off center. My own 14OT is out in my truck, buried beneath bowhunting gear, but I have a 13OT here with me and the tang marks are nicely centered. Proves nothing, really.

Thank you two guys... Any and all comments welcome, I will not be insulted by anything any of you think or write about this piece.

Anyone had dealings with the seller before?

Phil

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My favorite BRLevine quote is "read the knife". That's what I have tried to do above, read the knife to you guys.
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Here is the sheath that came with my Bicentenial Craftsman Eagle knife. All the knives in the series had matching, custom fit sheaths like this. One of the knives was a custom Buck Special. I believe Buck contracted all of the sheaths.

The spine of the tang looks very polished on your knife. That detail does not match the blade finish? I have seen some special issue 14OT's come up on ebay lately, and several older discontinued knives with no tangstamps at all. I think it is quite possible that the knife is a "mule" for that handle material, possibly for putting it on a PH1 or PH2 SFO. Rich has told us time and again that with Schrade, anything was possible, and I think that more than applies to the toys emptied from the sample room. That said, I keep thinking about that odd marking. Why go to the trouble to engrave when you have a stamp? BANG! It's done.

Codger
 
Phil, I have seen other Schrade samples and protos where the entire knife was not completed. Your knife with the unpolished blade may have been a new handle style under consideration and therefore finishing the blade was immaterial. I do believe the weird stuff is more valuable than the run of the mill knives and the even weirder stuff that can't be explained is probably more valuable still, if not more interesting.

There was a relationship between Buck and Schrade that I would like to learn more about. For some strange reason, there are Buck knives coming out of the Schrade sample room. I don't know if these were competitors knives that Schrade was evaluating or if Schrade had something to do with their manufacture. Keep in mind that the various knives in Schrade's sample room may have been in there for decades and are just now seeing the light of day.

edit: I forgot to add that whoever engraved the word "Prototype" on the blade may not have had access to a stamping press where the work on the knife was done, but certainly could have had a small engraving machine. The tang of my black Copenhagen/Skoal LB7 was also engraved, not stamped, so it's not out of the realm of reason.
 
Redshanks,
For many years Schrade made knives for Buck and almost every other company under contract.
Your very likely to find many versions of Schrade made knives for them and as we know many non knife making companies like Sears.
TTYL
Larry
 
Thanks for all the comments and insights. The seller assures me the knife did come from the Schrade factory. I'll accept, until further evidence proves it wrong, that the knife is legit. I've secured an excellent condition/old 14OT box/paperwork for the knife, which will make it feel more at home, a nice place to display it. I will not buff out the blade to match the exposed tang, rather leave it as the craftsman did who worked on it. About the engraved "prototype"... someone emailed me that the knive would not have been slammed with a stamp after that handle was affixed to it, as it could have done damage, hence the engraving. Seems reasonable, but I am not looking for excuses to make my ebay win seem more than it is. A fine line between what is a valuable collectible and what is simply an interesting conversation piece.
 
I've said again and again, to me the value lies in the interesting part. Jeff Cooper said, (at least I think it was Cooper) "The only interesting rifles are accurate rifles". I might say "the only interesting knives are those with a story to tell". Afterall, I can cut an envelope or game animal with a piece of glass or flint. But a knife with a history, from either the maker or an eventual user, is to me an interesting knife. And very few things in life can be documented from maker through the chain of custodianship like a piece of murder evidence. Heck, they frequently don't even do that right!

And there is always the chance that a former sample maker from Schrade will drop in here and answer a lot of questions we have about our acquisitions. But if not, the oddities would make good research subject.

I think you got yourself a unique piece. I'm glad now that I didn't bid on the box. Did you get the 13 box too?

Codger
 
It is real and for all of the reasons stated. Frankly I missed it nice catch. LT
 
Codger_64 said:
Did you get the 13 box too?

Codger
Click to expand...

No, he lost it to a higher bidder named dodge19660. I sure hope dodge19660 isn't a regular here, I had to rescue it in the last minute. ;)
 
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