My regular knife shop (where my paychecks may as well be sent directly to) had an Imperial Apex AP25 two blade jack knife with zytel handles, on the shelf, new, and still in the box. Imperial went out of business a few years ago, the knife was made in Ireland (a country I didn't own any knives from), and the dealer said I could have it for just eight bucks. How could anyone pass that up? So it's mine now. I'm not crazy about the zytel handles, but it's still a neat little knife, and light too. And the box brags about the ten year warranty, which probably means nothing now that the company is gone. It's become my new shirt pocket knife. The blade is marked "stainless". Any guesses on what steel this may be? 420? And what year did Imperial go out of business?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
New Imperial
- Thread starter melt
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,102
Imperial Schrade Corp. (ISC) GONE July 2004 :thumbdn::barf::grumpy:
Oh well you get the point> intellectial property now owned By Taylor Brands LLC 
products (for the most part) now made offshore (China) :barf:
Oh well you get the point> intellectial property now owned By Taylor Brands LLC products (for the most part) now made offshore (China) :barf:Having seen and owned a few of those Irish Imperials, I can say moving production to China was probably be a good thing as far as quality goes.
They're OK users, nothing more. I've seen steel on those sometimes being sold as "440", but who knows? Certainly not miracle steel, but usable, especially with some blades reprofiled.
They're OK users, nothing more. I've seen steel on those sometimes being sold as "440", but who knows? Certainly not miracle steel, but usable, especially with some blades reprofiled.
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2007
- Messages
- 214
This thread is worthless without pics! 
Just to clarify and expand: The Imperial-Schrade Corporation went bankrupt and was dissolved in 2004. They had already closed the Ireland factory a few months prior, the idea being to save money by having their bottom-line products contract made in China.
I have both an Ireland and a pre-bancruptcy China Apex. No difference in quality; they are both rather poor. The Ireland-made Tradesman knives weren't very good either. But I do have several Ireland-Imperial knives that, although inexpensive, are well made and completely functional. Here are some examples:
I have both an Ireland and a pre-bancruptcy China Apex. No difference in quality; they are both rather poor. The Ireland-made Tradesman knives weren't very good either. But I do have several Ireland-Imperial knives that, although inexpensive, are well made and completely functional. Here are some examples:
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2001
- Messages
- 1,055
And prior to that, I'm pretty sure Imperial produced knives under their own name before they were bought up by Schrade. I may be wrong; I can't find the reference I got this from.
I have several old Imperials. They're nothing fancy, and are often "shell" knives, in that the handles are clipped on (sometimes aluminum) shells rather than pinned on scales. I also have a cute little Imperial letter opener with a built-in carbon bladed knife.
-- Sam
I have several old Imperials. They're nothing fancy, and are often "shell" knives, in that the handles are clipped on (sometimes aluminum) shells rather than pinned on scales. I also have a cute little Imperial letter opener with a built-in carbon bladed knife.
-- Sam