Old Timer imitator review

[Bob W]

I wanted to do a comparison review between the Schrade Old Timers and the imitators and reproductions. But I couldn't bring myself to pay $16 for a Chinese 34OT. So all you get is a comparison review between an original Schrade-USA 34OT and a Rigid Executive RG0814. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," and all that.

Price:
Rigid Executive, $6.99 on closeout
Schrade 34OT, I don't remember. Under $20, on closeout.

Country of origin:
Schrade - USA
Rigid - China

Materials:
Rigid: "440 stainless" (undoubtedly 440a) steel blades. Brown sawcut plastic handles. Brass pins and liners.
Schrade: Unknown steel - probably stainless although the tang doesn't have the "+". Brown sawcut Delrin (aka, "plastic") handles. Brass pins and liners.

Appearance:
Knives are nearly identical. The Rigid shield is "Rigid" and the Schrade shield is "Old Timer". The Rigid handles are lighter brown.

Blades:
Configuration is identical. The Schrades' may be slightly thicker; I don't have a caliper to check. Nail nicks are larger on the Schrade.

Sharpness Out-of-Box:
The Rigid is just sharp enough to rip, not cut, looseleaf paper. The Schrade is completely dull and only bends the paper's edge with the same amount of pressure and pull.

Packaging:
Both have similar glossy cardboard boxes. Rigid uses a bubble wrap bag while Schrades' bag is plain plastic. The Schrade included a company flyer; the Rigid did not have any paperwork.

Fit and finish:
The fit of the Schrade between the handles, springs, and bolsters is very good. The Rigid is OK, but has slight gaps in the springs and liners.
The Schrade has a loose main blade and sheepsfoot blade; the spey blade is perfect. The Rigid has a loose sheepsfoot blade; the main blade and spey blade are tight.

One interesting construction difference. Looking inside the knife, the Schrade's pins are hollow while the Rigid's are solid.

Neither knife uses a half-stop. Both have decent springs with good snap on the main blade. The spring on the Rigid's secondary blades is a bit weak.

Photos:
Schrade is upper knife in each.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I thought you guys would be interested also.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

[lrv]

Bob,
Nice factual review.

If possible, check the weight.

The 3 non US versions I have reviewed are all lighter.

Thanks
Larry

 

[Bob W]

I don't have a scale handy, but the Rigid feels like it could be lighter than the Schrade.

I'd also like to point out that (in my experience) the USA-Schrades generally have no blade play at all. The one used in the test was pulled randomly off my shelf and is sub-par compared to others that I own.

But of course the Rigid was chosen randomly by the workers at SMKW and may not be typical of that brand's build quality either.

-Bob

 

[ducks_and_bucks66]

Thanks for taking the time to share Bob. It's good info to have as I'll never buy an imitator. It's like I tell my wife....she may find other guys that may be similar, but it's always the real deal that will satisfy the most.

I was curious as to the subtle differences between the knives but figured any money I spent on an imitation is money I couldn't spend on the real deal.

 

[Bob W]

I was curious as to the subtle differences between the knives but figured any money I spent on an imitation is money I couldn't spend on the real deal.

At $5 - $7 apiece for the Rigid knives, it won't cost you much to find out for yourself. They might even be collectible themselves some day, since United/Rigid went out of business.

I chose the "Medium Stockman" because the 34OT is probably the most common Old Timer model (and the first knife I ever owned). As long as there are Old Timer imitators and reproductions, there will always be a 34OT comparable.

As I mentioned in the first post, if the Taylors weren't so expensive I would have compared one of their's too. But $16 for a plastic-handled, stainless, chinese pocketknife? No thanks... Guess I'd rather have three of the Rigids, an old bayonet, or a few closeout SAKs for my $16.

Best Wishes,
-Bob