Codger_64
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- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
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The recent "SHIKARI" thread brought up an interesting point about Schrade knives of the 1960's - 2004. That point being the appearance of reversed or even inverted guards.
They are more of a curiosity than a rare and desirable feature, at least to this collector. I have most often seen this oddity on the 153UH Golden Spike, and other hidden tang knives that allow disassembly with the removal of a tang screw in the pommel. While it is certainly possible for a factory worker to miss assemble a guard on a knife, it is much more likely that an owner monkeyed with it.
Logically, a one piece slide-on guard like the one on the 153UH can be assembled four different ways:
1. Proper orientation with the guard finger relief to the handle
2. Reversed orientation with finger relief to the blade
3. Inverted orientation with the finger relief toward the handle, but on top
4. Inverted orientation with finger relief to the blade
The 165OT pattern (seen with the SHIKARI knife) and several more Old Timer, Uncle Henry (and older knives), have a two piece pinned guard. Brass pins are pressed through the two guard halves and tang to hold the halves to the tang. The lower pin is a hidden pin, internal to the guard, and the upper pin is external, usually ground flush and buffed smooth in the final finish. Normally they are invisible on the finished knife. Sometimed the pins are slightly recessed on one side or the other and appear to be a cartouche (maker's mark). I think these are less likely to be rearranged by an owner, but it is definately doable.
Codger
They are more of a curiosity than a rare and desirable feature, at least to this collector. I have most often seen this oddity on the 153UH Golden Spike, and other hidden tang knives that allow disassembly with the removal of a tang screw in the pommel. While it is certainly possible for a factory worker to miss assemble a guard on a knife, it is much more likely that an owner monkeyed with it.
Logically, a one piece slide-on guard like the one on the 153UH can be assembled four different ways:
1. Proper orientation with the guard finger relief to the handle
2. Reversed orientation with finger relief to the blade
3. Inverted orientation with the finger relief toward the handle, but on top
4. Inverted orientation with finger relief to the blade
The 165OT pattern (seen with the SHIKARI knife) and several more Old Timer, Uncle Henry (and older knives), have a two piece pinned guard. Brass pins are pressed through the two guard halves and tang to hold the halves to the tang. The lower pin is a hidden pin, internal to the guard, and the upper pin is external, usually ground flush and buffed smooth in the final finish. Normally they are invisible on the finished knife. Sometimed the pins are slightly recessed on one side or the other and appear to be a cartouche (maker's mark). I think these are less likely to be rearranged by an owner, but it is definately doable.
Codger
