Put a Harley in your pocket! A HL7CP that is!

Codger_64

Codger_64

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In April of 1988, a new item listing was issued for the LB7NS with nickle silver bolsters. This pattern was used for a new SFO, the HL7CP for Harley-Davidson. The Winewood handle was laser engraved with the Harley Davidson text, the 440A stainless blade and backspring were polished, as opposed to the standard LB7 finish. Initial quantity estimates were for 1,200 pieces clampacked with a black sheath with nickle silver hardware, and HD logo embossed on the flap.

24nfw5l.jpg


It is interesting to note that prior to Schrade's involvement with the Harley-Davidson knife account, the knives were provided by Buck. Schrade's efforts to acquire that account paid off with the ordering of quite a few SFO patterns, including a special Ebony wood handled 171UH with fancy blade etch.

Codger
 
Michael, I can't see the picture. Is your picture server down?

Dale

PS- Never mind, I see it now. Nice!
 
Not an imaginatively artistic beauty but...the significance of some of these SFOs is that, particularly ones with minor changes like the laser logo and NS pins and bolsters, we can very closely authenticate dates of production changes. Did you notice that all the visible pins are the same size? Compare this to the earlier production models to see the difference. Also note the backspring pin locations.



Codger
 
I must be slow this morning.I don't understand what your saying about the pins.The sizes of the pins and the number of pins on all my versions vary with the age of the knife not seeming to matter.Pin placement varied also.What am I not seeing.Arnold
 
The above knives aren't lined up chronologically. I'll dig a bit and give you some engineering change order dates, and maybe even some reasons for the changes.

1977: early production ramp up began -
1978: First full year of production with numeric serials. First year in magazine advertisements
1979: First year of production with Alpha-numeric serials. First year in catalogs.
1982: LB8 version with Staglon covers and UH shield introduced.
1988: LB7NS was produced with nickle silver bolsters and pins.
1989: Serialization ceased.
1991: Cover pins reduced from three to two.
1993:
1. All Delrin smooth handled LB7's were to be made with three cover pins instead of two in order to close up the open cover on the front edge of the cover scale.
2. Move backlever hole .464 toward the butt end by .040 toward the back edge. This would change the lever geometry, affecting the lock/unlock poundage.

These next two have not been yet confirmed as having been done, other than in samples.
3. Co-form the butt piece as part of the pile side bolster scale. This would project .122 inches and allow simpler assembly.
4. Add a .003 deep recess on the flat side of both pile and mark side bolster scales to allow clearance for the spring to flex without rubbing.

1994: LB7DP was added with a drop point blade replacing the traditional clip blade.
1999: LB7ES was added using European natural Stag covers. Later SFO's would include stagged bone, and burnt stag.

Codger
 
I just realized what was wrong.My screen wasn't showing a picture.Now all I get is an x.Don't know whats wrong.Arnold
 
Try a right click/refresh.

Here is an LB7 broken into most components. The butt piece and covers/pins and the bolster scales are still assembled. This one is from 1992.



Codger
 
Server isn't down. Double click the pic and it will open in the Hunt101 screen.

If all else fails, click "quote" then copy the url, paste it in your browser. You may be blocked by the server in Jamaica mon!
 
I think your right.I think someone had too much Red Stripe.Even my avatar isn't loading.I'll try again later.Arnold
 
Someone once asked what the ES meant on the LB7ES and I don't think it was ever answered. It looks like it stands for European Stag.

Codger, how do the tangs stamped just Schrade or with the addition of the Uncle Henry script fit into the timeline?
 
Codger_64 said:
The above knives aren't lined up chronologically. I'll dig a bit and give you some engineering change order dates, and maybe even some reasons for the changes.

1977: early production ramp up began -
1978: First full year of production with numeric serials. First year in magazine advertisements
1979: First year of production with Alpha-numeric serials. First year in catalogs.
1982: LB8 version with Staglon covers and UH shield introduced.
1988: LB7NS was produced with nickle silver bolsters and pins.
1989: Serialization ceased.
1991: Cover pins reduced from three to two.
1993:
1. All Delrin smooth handled LB7's were to be made with three cover pins instead of two in order to close up the open cover on the front edge of the cover scale.
2. Move backlever hole .464 toward the butt end by .040 toward the back edge. This would change the lever geometry, affecting the lock/unlock poundage.

These next two have not been yet confirmed as having been done, other than in samples.
3. Co-form the butt piece as part of the pile side bolster scale. This would project .122 inches and allow simpler assembly.
4. Add a .003 deep recess on the flat side of both pile and mark side bolster scales to allow clearance for the spring to flex without rubbing.

1994: LB7DP was added with a drop point blade replacing the traditional clip blade.
1999: LB7ES was added using European natural Stag covers. Later SFO's would include stagged bone, and burnt stag.

Codger
Click to expand...

Like everything Schrade, there are exceptions. This LB7 is from one of the Dixie sets produced in 1978, it has Staglon handles and the Uncle Henry shield. Not a true LB8, but a forerunner:

 
I don't yet have the dates for the tangstamp changes, but should be able to figure them out at some point when I have seen enough LB7's with documentation. I do know that SCHRADE+ over LB7 U.S.A. was first, then sometime before serialization ended the UH sig was added.



#0326 would have been one of the first 1,000 made, and I think dates from 1977, before catalog and ad promotion. X33734 and AV62834 are the first ones I've yet seen serialized with the UH sig.

UH Fan said:
Schrade didn't have a whole lot of info on these knives. I do know that there were approximately 10,000 of the first set manufactured, and they were manufactured in 1978. (Can't find any records from Schrade to back the claim that there were 4 different sets). This set marked the introduction of both, the 144 and the LB7 w/ staglon handles, as well as Schrade's 75th year in business. The following year, the 144UH was added to the regular line of Uncle Henry knives, and in 1982, the LB8, which is the LB7 with Staglon handles, was added to the Uncle Henry line.

From what I can tell, the Dixie Collection was sold to three customers: Parker Frost, Orgill Brothers and Smokey Mountain Knife Works...
Click to expand...


UH Fan was the Schrade unofficial historian. Like some later LB8's, this Dixie retains the LB7 tangstamp.

Codger
 
I finally got the pictures this morning.Redshanks asked my question.What about the blades stamped Schrade with no +.I've seen two on Ebay listed as C/S and was told some of the earliest were made that way.Arnold
 
I've not seen one with no +. You see above the earliest knife, under number 500 and it has the SCHRADE+. Taylor does not use the +. Link me and I'll look at them.

Codger
 
Nice. That one is a COPE7 from 1994/95. I think you will find that all UST SFo knives omitted the +, at least post 1994. Earlier may be seen with the SCHRADE+ USA LTD stamp, or even the production stamp.

Codger
 
Codger, I don't think they omitted the + stamp. First of all, the tang is not stamped, it's actually engraved. Secondly, I don't know of anyone who has successfully blued stainless steel and certainly not to the deep blue luster of these blades.
 
You are probably right about the blade not being stainless, but many of the LTD blade were, and did not use the + mark.

From 1978



From 1980



From 1989
.


Codger
 
As most of you Old Timers here know, every time I do a close examination of a pattern, I look for private marked examples, one of the most long time and prolific being Sears with their J.C. Higgins, Ted Williams, and Craftsman lines. Here is a Camillus LB with a Craftsman tangstamp and the Sears catalog number of 95233.

24z9f9j.jpg


With a bit of searching, I am pretty sure one will find a later SFO LB7 with the three pins, and perhaps another catalog number.

Codger

Edit: Knife shown to be a Camillus, not Schrade! Thanks!!
 
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