Need info on UH Rancher (834UH)

T

toothed

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Nov 7, 2000
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I saw an Uncle Henry Rancher (834UH) with "stag" handles being sold for $47.50 at a retail store. The clerk insisted that the handles were real "antler" (as it was represented to the store's buyers when they bought it at a trade show). This western outfitter store was dimly lit but, sadly, I wouldn't know the difference between real stag and a good imitation even if the lighting had been bright. (I blame this on my years of buying only G-10, Ti and stainless steel handled knives). There was only one knife so I couldn't compare it to another to see if the stag pattern was identical (suggesting an imitation slab). I checked some internet sites and saw this model being sold on average for $24 with a "Staglon" (I assume some sort of delrin) handle.

Warning: Christmas spoiler to come.
Has anyone heard of Uncle Henry Ranchers with real stag handles (limited editions or possible custom jobs)? Would these knives be specially marked? What should I be looking for to validate real stag? Or are stag-handled UH Ranchers probably made of Rudolph's antlers? (A fantasy)? Sorry, kids. Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Hi Toothed. I saw your post on another forum and followed it here, to my favorite place on Bladeforums. As you can see by the 'Pearl' thread, we frequently get pretty active here. And we learn as well.

I don't know the answer to your question for sure, but I'd bet the handle is 'Staglon', the fake stuff. Our friend, LT, will be able to help you out, however. I imagine it is the PR department at most knife manufactors that cause all the confusion, helped out by the excellent 'faux' material engineers. I've got a Camillus Sword Brand #32 fishing knife in the original box that states, right on the front and proudly: 'Inida Stag Handle'; It is not, however, stag, but pretty good looking delrin, the same stuff they have used on half a dozen other variations of that toothpick.

Perhaps one way to know whether or not a knife handle is stag or 'staglon' is simply to look at the price. Real, finely crafted stag from India is expensive. Working with it to properly make a knife handle is time consuming (too expensive for assembly line knives). One slip when peening a rivet and..

I just went to one of my knife cases and picked up two real stag handled toothpicks, one made by Bob Gargill (Cripple Creek) and the other a rehandled Utica by some unknown craftsman. I wish I could hand them to you right now to examine and admire. They are simply beautiful.

LT! We all enjoyed your Pearl Quiz. How about another one on Stag?

Phil
 
Hi, textoothpk. Thanks for your quick reply. (By comparing our screen names, I feel like we're almost related);)

I went back to the store today while it was daylight and have concluded that the handle in question is imitation stag. I studied photos at various internet sites last night and noticed certain points in the stag pattern (shield side) all appeared to be identical--so I tried to memorize this image and went back to the store. Lo and behold, the knife in the store had the very same pattern. Besides, in better light I could tell that the scales were not natural material. However, I had to look good and hard--the Staglon was that convincing.

I was really interested in the knife if it indeed was stag-handled. I guess I was greedy and was trying to take advantage of a store that was selling a real stag-handled Rancher at an undervalued price. Too bad, I won't pay $47.50 for something that should be priced at half that amount. What really impressed me though was the quality of the knife for something that normally is priced for around twenty-something bucks. I'll buy one later at the more reasonable price. Maybe I'll buy it sooner rather than later.
 
Hello.
If you have a WalMart nearby, they usually have these in stock. I picked one up last year after Christmas. It came in a Whittlin' kit with a Tin, a small container of oil, a stone, a wood block to whittle, and the knife. It was less than $25.00, on a closeout type deal. It was a real nice knife, and was worth $25.00 by itself.

Good Hunting.

Bill
 
Yep, real wood. I tried whittling on it......I don't have the wood any longer.

:(

I guess I wasn't "CUT" out for whittling.....Bada Bing.

It is still a nice knife, even in Staglon. Is that short for "Stag long gone"?......Naw, probably not.
:D

Bill
 
From the period of 1960 until 1978 approx Schrade did not produce bone pocket knives. They began again in various lines Jim Parker, knives IXL, special editions ect after that point. Today they have partially gone back to the material due to demand for the Old Schrade Walden and Schrade Cut Co knives which were made in many cases of that material. However not all of these new knives are jigged (the old timer classics line is jigged) ( as most of the old ones were) some are stagged. Recently ( within the last few years) they have produced many of there patterns in this material under various tangs special editions ect. I have attached a pic of 4 knives two are in the 885 pattern one is the regular staglon ( plastic simulated stag material ). The other is in real stag it in itself is an unusual knife it was made on contract for ( I believe )Smokey mountain Knife works) and is tang marked New York Walden Knife Company. These were made by Schrade and I guess either Schrade or Smokey mountain had license to use that marking in any event it created quite a stir at first on ebay buyers thought they had found a real rare NYK. It also shows that Schrade could make them in bone. ( although the shield is not inlaid on this version ) I have also included as further proof a picture of a regular 897 pattern and a version in stag ( no shield, the newer bone releases in some cases are now inlet shielded) also made by Schrade which again they started making due to demand. It is strange how things change prior to 1880 aluminum was considered a semi precious metal due to the difficulty of making it so knifemakers of the period made them the top of the line. (The few Schrade Cuts in stainless are among the most rare and sought after since there were only a couple of models ) Today they are no big deal since aluminum is inexpensive to produce and it is hard to find a Schrade that is not stainless. Years ago Knives were made in bone because there was no plastic. Then plastic came in and everyone wanted one made of it. Believe it or not I remember the first guy in the neighborhood to get a fiberglass fishing rod ( that was a big deal and expensive). Now natural materials are getting tougher to get so for various they are back in vogue. I would venture to say that it is quite possible that the knife you saw could have been a special edition in real stag however you would certainly have to made your decision upon looking at the piece it is pretty easy to tell upon inspection. I have often seen the staglon version advertised on ebay as real stag by people who just do not know the difference. As Ricardo Montoban ( an actor you may remember as Khan in Star Trek) used to say when he advertised CORDOBA ( chrysler products ) cars on TV . The seats were made of Corintian leather to those who do not know that means PLASTIC. Come to think of it has anyone ever seen a live Nauga you know like in Nauga Hide. LT
 
LT,the reason you've never seen a live Nauga.....is because they are all too busy "HYDEING" from man made material hunters.

In my experience with Schrade Staglon, it has a burnt orange (football) kind of color around the edges. Like the 885 at right, in the picture.
While real antler is often torched, it is usually brown, or dyed red, but I haven't seen orange on Schrade. Case stag maybe a brown/amber on older scales, but not this orange.

Just my experience, and to keep this thread ...."Alive, it's alive!!!"


:D Apologies to Mary Shelly.

Bill
 
Hi LT, and thanks. That's a load of useful information.

After my second visit to the store, I'm pretty certain that the knife I was looking at was an overpriced regular Rancher with Staglon slabs. The patterns in the stag, imo, was exactly like the many photos of the knife I saw at various websites. (Could it be that they've started cloning deer already?). ;)

If anything, I think I'm now a little more aware of what real stag looks like. Further, this incident heightened my opinion of what a good value Schrade knives can be. The fit and finish of the knife with its nicely done Staglon for around twenty something bucks is unbelievable.

El Lobo, the Staglon on this knife was not "orange." Maybe it was either "too new" or "too old"?
 
Sorry about the spelling El lobo my wife used to check all that for me and just do not care enough to correct most of the mistakes. I just try to get the idea across. LT
 
Hey LT, no sweat, I was just funnin' with you anyway. I was just running with your reference.

It was a "dad" type joke, as my usually embarassed children like to tell me.

Regards,

Bill
 
OK I will try again perhapes this time I can correctly do the whole message and the pic.

attached is a pic of 3 knives all the large folder pattern LB-7 or LB-
8. Two of them are genuine stag one is an Uncle Henry ( staglon ).


Man you are quick I had not even sent the corrected whole message. LT
 
I'll guess the middle knife as Schrade Staglon:footinmou .

By the way, can I please have that one on the right? NO...? OK, can't fault me too much for trying to bamboozle a very nice knife.

:D

Bill

P.S.
Do you know why the Texas Longhorns choose burnt orange as their uniform color? There's a hint in my earlier post about Staglon.
I know it's off topic, but this is more action in here than we've had since your "Difference" thread.
 
Your correct the middle one is the plastic. I guess your question has something to do with burnt stag. I assume that the longhorns are a football team the only football I follow is ARMY and it is more like a death wish I even followed them to Dublin in the late 80tys to watch them play Boston college in Lansdown stadium the first time american college football was played in Europe ( it may have been the last). They ( army had some chance) they Boston had some kid ( I think) named Flutie ( or something like it ) did he ever become known? Any way I lost a pile of money and attempted to visit all 700 pubs in that town ( by the way it is not that big a city). Now you know everything I know about football. I will be happy to talk all night since I am sitting here alone FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA HORSESHIT. Take some advise forget about knives for tonight and start hugging those kids they grow up to quick. It is none of my business so please excuse my unsolicited advise. LT
 
Mine are 23 and 27, but I'm gonna hug them anyhow.

Talk to you again soon, I hope. Thanks for the advice.

Bill
 
Please remember on this nite all our brave troops who because of their sacrifice and all those who sacrificed before them are the reason we are comfortable warm and take for granted the blessings that others have fought died and are dieing for. God bless them all. Give them the strength and faith they deserve with your prayers.
I have a flask which I had engraved a few years ago it reads

To all my friends who now do rest-
called to God at his request-
Unable now to lift your glass-
to all our number first to pass-
as was our custom in the past-
This honor now is mine alone-
My toast to thee the valiant few-
I lift this vessel and drink to you-

To those who gave some and those who gave all whether in a rice paddy, in Normandy, or carrying people out of the twin towers on 911
we are the best. GOD BLESS US EVERYONE.
And to all a good nite LT.
 
Thanks, LT. Now that I've become somewhat of an "expert" on fake stag I had also correctly guessed the middle knife as the imposter. ;)

That was a fun test--got more? :D
 
Hello! Just dropped into this forum today and saw the thread. I bought an Uncle Henry LB-7 for about $40 in 1984 from a local hardware store, naively thinking the Staglon handles were real stag and that the knife had been mispriced. It was a nice knife, but a later closer exam revealed my error. I took it back, and at a knife store later where some custom knives were ordered found a beautiful Uncle Henry LB-7 with very thick hand-filling stag handles. There was no mistaking the two. In addition, this knife had a series of serrations down the back of the spine and the entire length of the blade, and all the metalwork had been highly polished. The serrations were not sharp enough for sawing, but for getting a good grip and for a nice look. This one retailed for around $110-$120, and again this was in in '84. I've never seen another like it, although I am definitely not a Schrade expert. I _think_ it was factory work, but may be mistaken. Oddly enough, I was out shopping for a Rosewood handled LB-7 which all my co-workers carried at the time when I came upon this one. I resisted the urge to use it as a work knife, and it and the sheath have sat for the last 20 years.

Regards,

Svashtar
 
If you look at the earlier thread with the 3 LB-7 knives you may see one similar to the model you describe ( without the custom back filework you describe.) If your knife does not have any other etchings for any series Schrade may have issued then chances are it is out of there custom division. Since the year is 1984 it may have been a knife done by Herman William who specialized in this among other knife related work. Attached is a pic of a stag clasp unusual since it has no etch ( as do most of the Schrades of this style since they are mainly used in special editions ( Custer, walk of tears ect). the other parts of the photo are a filed backspring and a filed back blade. These are examples from other Schrade knives.
 
Beautiful knife, LT.

Interesting point you made earlier in this thread, concerning natural and man made materials as used in knife handles. Yep, at the time those fancy 'staglon' and other faux-natural materials came out, they must have been eager bought. No more dropping your favorite knive on a rock in the cold weather and having it crack or break. We have to, sometimes, put ourselves back in the place of now departed knife users to understand some things.
 
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