I have had an Old Timer Fixed blade knife with about a 3 inch balde for several years. So far it has performed better than a brand new Cold Steel Voyager I just got in the mail about a week ago. Does any one else have any experience with Old Timer Fixed blades?
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Old Timer Fixed Blades
- Thread starter KyleTuck
- Start date
Codger_64
Moderator
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Sorry Glenn. I saw the words FIXED OLD TIMER and being an old Codger myself, I had to check it out. I thought maybe it was my ex posting!
Some here have had more experience with Old Timer Rigid knives (Schrade's terminology) than I, but I have had them a long time, and have picked my favorites according to how well they served me over the years. Two of the three, oddly enough, were also the favorites of their designer, Henry "Uncle Henry" Baer. Those two were the 15OT Deerslayer, and the 152OT Sharp Finger. Both were 1095HC Carbon steel, and both had sawcut Delrin handles. The third favorite of mine (my personal #1), is the 165OT Woodsman. I have about a dozen of each of these patterns, including the first of each I bought way back when (and also examples of the last ones made). They have all been used a lot over the years, and sharpened a lot, but still have near full blades. And a great patina. Yup, I have had some experience with them. And have enough put back that my children and grandchildren, maybe greatgrandchildren will too.
Codger
Some here have had more experience with Old Timer Rigid knives (Schrade's terminology) than I, but I have had them a long time, and have picked my favorites according to how well they served me over the years. Two of the three, oddly enough, were also the favorites of their designer, Henry "Uncle Henry" Baer. Those two were the 15OT Deerslayer, and the 152OT Sharp Finger. Both were 1095HC Carbon steel, and both had sawcut Delrin handles. The third favorite of mine (my personal #1), is the 165OT Woodsman. I have about a dozen of each of these patterns, including the first of each I bought way back when (and also examples of the last ones made). They have all been used a lot over the years, and sharpened a lot, but still have near full blades. And a great patina. Yup, I have had some experience with them. And have enough put back that my children and grandchildren, maybe greatgrandchildren will too.
Codger
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
- Messages
- 8
I've been a fan of Schrade since I purchased my first Schrade folder years ago. I recently acquired a Schrade 13OT without a sheath from a pawn shop near my home. At first, I couldn't find anyone that knew anything about this knife. Then they started showing up on ebay.
I'm trying to find either an original factory sheath for this blade, or a sheath maker who can fabricate one for a reasonable price. I write this knowing fully well that one man's "reasonable" is another man's "outrageous."
Also, any information about the knives themselves is appreciated.
I'm trying to find either an original factory sheath for this blade, or a sheath maker who can fabricate one for a reasonable price. I write this knowing fully well that one man's "reasonable" is another man's "outrageous."
Also, any information about the knives themselves is appreciated.
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2003
- Messages
- 6,541
Tulsapianoguy,
I can't speak for others on this forum, but I believe we have both. A few members might have a sheath to offer, but we have a regular here that does some outstanding leather work.
Paul, you're on...
Glenn
I can't speak for others on this forum, but I believe we have both. A few members might have a sheath to offer, but we have a regular here that does some outstanding leather work.
Paul, you're on...
Glenn
Kyle Tuck:
Welcome, and you have found the right spot. I just joined last week, and some of the guys on this forum could probably tell you which Shrade employee built it, just from sniffing the handle
I learned more about OT and UH in fifteen minutes going over the archives, than I knew in my whole lifetime of owning and using Schrades.
Check out Codger's posts, and you will find more info on Schrade than you could imagine. And TulsaGuy, there is a fellow called Sheath Maker on here, who has some photos of his leather work (search in archives) and he does some of the best quality stitching and tooling I have ever seen. (And I have seen some pretty heavy duty saddle maker's work, having worked in my younger days at a custom Saddlery Shop selling saddles, headstalls, etc.)
Welcome, and you have found the right spot. I just joined last week, and some of the guys on this forum could probably tell you which Shrade employee built it, just from sniffing the handle
I learned more about OT and UH in fifteen minutes going over the archives, than I knew in my whole lifetime of owning and using Schrades.
Check out Codger's posts, and you will find more info on Schrade than you could imagine. And TulsaGuy, there is a fellow called Sheath Maker on here, who has some photos of his leather work (search in archives) and he does some of the best quality stitching and tooling I have ever seen. (And I have seen some pretty heavy duty saddle maker's work, having worked in my younger days at a custom Saddlery Shop selling saddles, headstalls, etc.)
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2005
- Messages
- 1,771
Welcome KyleTuck and Ira!
Yes, Sheathmaker, Paul, is about the best there is for sheaths. His work is outstanding, and he is a heck of a nice guy to boot (no leather pun intended).
My experience with Old Timers (fixed and folding ) only goes back about 30-35 years (maybe longer as I seem to remember I had one or two as a kid). I know there are people on the forum who have used them longer. What I like about the 1095 steel (carbon steel) is that it is much easier to sharpen than stainless steel and it holds an edge better, IMHO. The Derlin handles are practicably indestructible. Even when they changed some of the patterns to stainless steel, they were still better than a lot of the stainless on the market. In my experience, carbon steel is usually not hardened quite as hard as stainless so when you hit a bone with a softer blade the edge will roll instead of chipping. It is easy to roll an edge back with a packing house (or smooth) steel like many butchers use. This in the long run saves on your knife's edge and extends the life of your knife as you don't have to grind away the steel every time you sharpen it.
When I ran a cutlery store I saw a lot of damaged (usually abused) knives. More often than not it was a stainless steel blade that was damaged and not a carbon steel. The one exception to that might be the idjits who pry with their pocket knife blades. Someone has said that a knife is the least effective and most expensive pry bar you will ever buy.
I hope this is helpful,
Dale
Yes, Sheathmaker, Paul, is about the best there is for sheaths. His work is outstanding, and he is a heck of a nice guy to boot (no leather pun intended).
My experience with Old Timers (fixed and folding ) only goes back about 30-35 years (maybe longer as I seem to remember I had one or two as a kid). I know there are people on the forum who have used them longer. What I like about the 1095 steel (carbon steel) is that it is much easier to sharpen than stainless steel and it holds an edge better, IMHO. The Derlin handles are practicably indestructible. Even when they changed some of the patterns to stainless steel, they were still better than a lot of the stainless on the market. In my experience, carbon steel is usually not hardened quite as hard as stainless so when you hit a bone with a softer blade the edge will roll instead of chipping. It is easy to roll an edge back with a packing house (or smooth) steel like many butchers use. This in the long run saves on your knife's edge and extends the life of your knife as you don't have to grind away the steel every time you sharpen it.
When I ran a cutlery store I saw a lot of damaged (usually abused) knives. More often than not it was a stainless steel blade that was damaged and not a carbon steel. The one exception to that might be the idjits who pry
with their pocket knife blades. Someone has said that a knife is the least effective and most expensive pry bar you will ever buy.I hope this is helpful,
Dale
The following quote, is a cut and paste from Schrade's definition of Staglon: "Staglon® Saw-cut Delrin to simulate Stag, shock proof and unbreakable."
End quote.
Okay, speaking of stupid things done with good knives, here is a confession.
I have a 171 UH, carbon steel fixed blade Staglon Handle that I used for thirty four years now. I Used to carry it on me horseback all the time cross draw fashion, in case I needed to cut myself or my horse loose from a wreck, and just used it for almost everything in the woods. It sharpens just like a razor.
Well, about two years back, I was skinning a goat and butchering it into quarters. The 171 UH, is a perfect weighted knife to hack out rib cages at the point they go into the backbone, and I just usually cut the ribs out rather than saw them like some folks do. (a lot of folks don't know the ribs can just be cut out by hanging the animal head down, and grabbing the ribs firmly, and hacking down the ribs, right next to where it joins the spine, and you can just cut the ribs off instead of using a saw) The UH 171, will do this job better than any knife you can find.
But anyway, I get out my trusty little hammer, and take my 171 UH, and place the blade edge on the pelvic bone like I have done for years, and start tapping the blade lightly, to separate the pelvic bone in two, in order to cut the two hams apart. I've done it with deer and goats for years, with no problem before.
But this time, I give it a tap, and the staglon handle splits into two pieces. I was quite surprised, in addition to realizing exactly how stupid I was for doing this.
I realize, only an idiot would take a hammer and tap on a knife that runs about a hundred and fifty bucks nowdays. My dad taught me better. Well, I guess I should say he tried to teach me better.
Anyway, here I was with a cracked down the middle staglon handle. Not realizing Schrade was out of business and I could find no new replacement handles sitting around at gun and knife shows waiting on idiots like me, a knife maker at one of the guns shows, told me about Devcon 2000 epoxy.
I got some Devcon 2000 epoxy from Ace Hardware, and vised the handle down and glued the handle back together, and luckily, it is back at working order and cannot be detected unless you look real close. One day I hope to get it fixed correctly.
But I no longer use it as a hatchet on pelvic bones. I still use it for cutting out the rib sections, but I broke down and bought a small hatchet for pelvic bones splitting for about six bucks.
Anyway, the point is, I can't believe how ignorant some knife owners can be. : ) And Staglon, is "breakable".
End quote.
Okay, speaking of stupid things done with good knives, here is a confession.
I have a 171 UH, carbon steel fixed blade Staglon Handle that I used for thirty four years now. I Used to carry it on me horseback all the time cross draw fashion, in case I needed to cut myself or my horse loose from a wreck, and just used it for almost everything in the woods. It sharpens just like a razor.
Well, about two years back, I was skinning a goat and butchering it into quarters. The 171 UH, is a perfect weighted knife to hack out rib cages at the point they go into the backbone, and I just usually cut the ribs out rather than saw them like some folks do. (a lot of folks don't know the ribs can just be cut out by hanging the animal head down, and grabbing the ribs firmly, and hacking down the ribs, right next to where it joins the spine, and you can just cut the ribs off instead of using a saw) The UH 171, will do this job better than any knife you can find.
But anyway, I get out my trusty little hammer, and take my 171 UH, and place the blade edge on the pelvic bone like I have done for years, and start tapping the blade lightly, to separate the pelvic bone in two, in order to cut the two hams apart. I've done it with deer and goats for years, with no problem before.
But this time, I give it a tap, and the staglon handle splits into two pieces. I was quite surprised, in addition to realizing exactly how stupid I was for doing this.
I realize, only an idiot would take a hammer and tap on a knife that runs about a hundred and fifty bucks nowdays. My dad taught me better. Well, I guess I should say he tried to teach me better.
Anyway, here I was with a cracked down the middle staglon handle. Not realizing Schrade was out of business and I could find no new replacement handles sitting around at gun and knife shows waiting on idiots like me, a knife maker at one of the guns shows, told me about Devcon 2000 epoxy.
I got some Devcon 2000 epoxy from Ace Hardware, and vised the handle down and glued the handle back together, and luckily, it is back at working order and cannot be detected unless you look real close. One day I hope to get it fixed correctly.
But I no longer use it as a hatchet on pelvic bones. I still use it for cutting out the rib sections, but I broke down and bought a small hatchet for pelvic bones splitting for about six bucks.
Anyway, the point is, I can't believe how ignorant some knife owners can be. : ) And Staglon, is "breakable".
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
It was Wal-Mart's policy to give a no questions asked replacement, then dunn the vendor for the stock. This was one factor that ran Schrade shy of profits. I don't doubt that some of these came from those returns. But then...from what I hear, Schrade was quite lenient about their warranties as well.orvet said:Yeah right!
Then they take it back to the store where they bought it from you and expect you to give them a new one, with some lame excuse like; "I couldn't find my tire iron."
Codger
sheathmaker
Custom Leather Sheaths
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 4,650
Kyle Tuck, Tulsapianoguy and Ira; A big collective welcome to all of you to the forum. I do make sheaths, BUT I don't hawk my goods here on the forum. Many of the forum members have been gracious enough to post pictures of my work in various threads here, and Larry was kind enough to give me my own "corner" in the Collector's Corner of Schrade Collector's R Us site referenced here many times. Email address is available either in my profile or the collector's corner site.
Paul
Paul
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
- Messages
- 8
Sheathmaker,
I see from your profile that you're in Kerrville. I'm working in San Antonio and could easily drop by on my day off to let you measure the knife, and chat about sheath style, etc.
If you have the time and interest please email me.
-tulsapianoguy
I see from your profile that you're in Kerrville. I'm working in San Antonio and could easily drop by on my day off to let you measure the knife, and chat about sheath style, etc.
If you have the time and interest please email me.
-tulsapianoguy
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2005
- Messages
- 786
We seem to have a few of us in the San Antonio to Austin area.Arnold
- Joined
- May 30, 2006
- Messages
- 8
Dripping Springs is also home to the Salt Lick BBQ and Collings Guitars. Bill Collings builds some of the finest acoustic guitars on the planet. But this is all about knives...
Yeah, it's about knifes, but it's also lot about nice people.
A word about Mr. Collings.
Our kids go to school together and I didn't know who he was or anything about his company. His wife was over one day with the kids playing, and I asked "What is your husband doing today?" and she says.."Oh, he went off riding motorcyles with Lyle Loevett down to Wimberley."
I thought she was kidding around. Later I found out what he did, and that he knew all kinds of musicians from making high quality guitars for folks.
But his wife and him are real down to earth folks.
A word about Mr. Collings.
Our kids go to school together and I didn't know who he was or anything about his company. His wife was over one day with the kids playing, and I asked "What is your husband doing today?" and she says.."Oh, he went off riding motorcyles with Lyle Loevett down to Wimberley."
I thought she was kidding around. Later I found out what he did, and that he knew all kinds of musicians from making high quality guitars for folks.
But his wife and him are real down to earth folks.