Quality of new Schrade

P

popcornpicker

Joined
Apr 3, 2007
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All of the sellers either say "new Schrade" or "Schrade U.S.A., so far the only difference is in the China marking as far as the knife quality I've seen. This may change and I will always buy American first, it's just a shame to see so many classic designs go offshore.
 
Tim, do you own any Taylor Schrades and have you tried them out enough to see how they hold up ? roland
 
I recently received a Taylor LB3 that I got off the auction site. The description did not say USA, and the picture wasn't very clear, but it was cheap enough that I figured I'd check it out. It honestly doesn't seem like a bad knife. Nice sharp blade, good and tight, everything seems to fit together very well. Overall I would have to say it's a nice enough knife for what I paid for it. HOWEVER, it does NOT have the same comfortable feel the USA made LB3 I normally carry in my pocket does. All the edges on the Taylor made knife body are rather crisp and sharp, while the original has more rounded-over edges to the body and just feels better in the hand. So, while I don't think the import is a bad knife, it doesn't measure up to the original in the ergonomics department, and therefore won't get much use, except as maybe a letter opener.
 
I do roland and they suck!!! Just wondering how many times were gonna go over this subject. No offense popcornpicker its not you fault its just that someone posts something about the taylor schrades about once a month and it seems like it just causes everyone to get worked up or at least me anyway. Last month somebody posted something regarding the quality of the china schrades and I wrote what I thought about them in the end of my post I wrote pal or something and the individual got all worked up almost as much as I was and said dont call me pal bla bla bla. I know now that schrades are being made in china by taylor there gonna come up in conversation here time to time but the die hard schrade guys hate them regardless of what people think about there quality and others will say its unfair to hate on them just cause there made in china with every other $3 knife you find at wal-mart now days. regardless I dont mind a comparison at all in fact its rather interesting to me. I'm just not playing for the team thats defending them. Thats why you can get most of there line for under $10. Im sure someone will come in defending the taylor chrades but its my 2 cents and its still free speech last I checked so im saying my vote is this...SUCK!!!! I started a thread a couple of months ago offering a taylor schrade I came across on accident or someting like that and offered it to anyone who wanted to compare them and I even paid shipping. I told the guy I sent it to the only deal was if someone else wanted to see it send it to them. he said no problem. I had one reply.. Just one. so if anyone is doubting my word or anyone elses, I offered a free comparison and free shipping, so lets move on or maybe Im the one that should move on I guess who knows. its just that everything we buy now days is made in china and this is my small part in not supporting them on account of everything eles I own seems like its made in china cause there is no choice anymore. -Joel
 
I have not yet held and examined one of the TBLLC knives marked Schrade of any pattern which was made with quality in fit and function. If anyone says that such a knife exists, I guess I will have to just take their word for it. I certainly will not buy them hoping to find a "good" one.
 
As Chris Farley said in Tommy Boy (and I'm paraphrasing here).....You can get the best look at a steak by sticking your head up a cow's butt but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it. If some say there good, that's fine by me but I won't spend a dime on the masquerschrades.
 
Joel, i read and appreciate your posts. your input that Taylor Schrades "suck" is valid because you have tried one or more out. sharing first hand knowledge is most important in any forum about knives. repeating something that perhaps may be the accepted wisdom, but without first hand knowledge, i believe carries less weight roland
 
I am die hard made in USA guy and all my Schrades are older and USA made.
My last purchase was from a friend who is a collector who sold me a NIB Golden Spike that he bought 20 years ago for $45.00
I know a little about the Taylor Companybuying of the name Schrade and supposedely they are made in China.
My son just brought home a Schrade knife of a pattern I have never seen and it is marked Schrade USA Ltd. He bought it a flea market for $30.00.
Is this a China model?
Any input will be appreciated.
Scott
 
Scott, I can't say with 100% certainty without seeing the knife but... so far at least... the imported knives either have a tiny etch or stamp that says China. To my knowledge none are being imported with USA markings and the marking as you describe it is a legitimate marking previously used by Imperial Schrade.

Michael
 
I have three chi-Schrades.
One was purchased by accident when they first started showing up on ebay. The second was given to me. The third I purchased with the purpose of comparing the china model with the USA model. The model # was SQ586, the XTAC Extreme Tactical.

Upon opening the two new knives I found that the USA version opened smoothly with the thumb. The Chinese model was hard to open, to the point of hurting my thumb. The knife felt gritty when I opened it, as if sand, or more likely polishing compound had not been cleaned from between the blade & liner by the pivot pin.

The US knife was a bit sharper, though the design of the blade does not lend itself to a shaving edge due to the thickness of the steel used.

I used heavy corrugated cardboard for the cutting test. The Chinese knife was noticeably duller after about a dozen cuts approximately 12 inches long. The US knife still retained it's edge far beyond that, I finally got tired of cutting & quit. The US blade was still as sharp as when I started.

The fit & finish of the china knife was noticeably of lower quality than the US knife.

Based on that test that I personally preformed I believe the American made knife is vastly superior to the Chinese made knife.

In my opinion a knife is a tool. Many years ago I made my living as an industrial mechanic. I found that inexpensive tools usually failed at critical times, often leaving me with a damaged bold head or nut. Then I had to buy a quality tool & replace what the cheap tool had damaged in it's untimely failure.

If one only sees a knife as a sharp toy, then I guess the cheap ones will work just fine, but my knives are tools. Tools that on some occasions my life has depended on. With stakes that high, I want a quality tool, not a cheap toy.

Just my opinion based on a side by side comparison.
Dale
 
Incidentally, on the topic of the quality of China made goods, today I bought a pair of shoes.

I have feet problems & have to wear a custom made orthotic in my shoes. Consequently I need quality shoes that are roomy with removable insoles. For years I have worn Clarke Shoes, made in England. So I went to look for another pair as I knew that they make a style that serves my needs. I checked multiple stores.

I found that no shoe stores in my area (Portland & Salem Oregon), carry Clarkes any longer.

The explanation was that they are now made in China and their quality is not what it once was. The first pair of Clarkes I had lasted about 8 years. The last 3 or 4 pair I have owned were worn out in a year or less. According to one of the sales people I spoke with, Clarke's moved their production to China about 4 years ago. About the time I noticed a decline in the longevity of their shoes.

Most of the shoes I saw were made in China. So I asked, what is the difference between them & Clarkes? He said these other companies own & operate their own factories & oversee the quality. Clarke has them made by a Chinese factory, without their supervision. Well, I wasn't convinced. I finally found a shoe store that carried an American made shoe, SAS. I bought a pair. The difference in quality was instantly evident to me when I put them on. I had tried on half a dozen pair of Chinese shoes that were less than comfortable. The SAS was very comfortable, so I bought them. They were only about $30 more than the last pair of Clarkes I bought.

I guess the moral is that you can still find a quality American made product if you look hard enough.

I know some of the Chinese knives I have seen appear to be of better quality than others. Maybe there is something to what the salesman said about a company owning it's own factory in China & overseeing the QC.

Dale
 
whether the Chinese Schrades are well made or not, my interest(and that of most here i believe) is with Schrade knives up to the 2004 change over date. to me they are reminiscent of an era when many men and boys carried a knife and often found need to use it. that they always were well made, not outsourced, and inexpensive, therefore available to all, adds to my interest and is why i have come to focus on these Schrades, not Chinese ones or other "fancier" brands. it's not about the quality of the Taylor Schrades. roland
 
I used heavy corrugated cardboard for the cutting test. The Chinese knife was noticeably duller after about a dozen cuts approximately 12 inches long. The US knife still retained it's edge far beyond that, I finally got tired of cutting & quit. The US blade was still as sharp as when I started.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dale for that invaluable info, I only wish that you had kept cutting and kept a detailed account of how many cuts you did. This might help put all the sceptics to silence who probably wont be satisfied with anything less. But you have helped already.

The cardbaord cutting is an excellent indication, although i wonder if the cheaper china knife should be brought up to same same or similar sharpness first on a stone (if possible)??

After Rolands comments Ive decided to take the challenge to satisfy myself and perhaps others and do some testing. Yesterday I spent over $100 dollars on two 70T china models and two chipped point 70T USA knives and today a China 165 OT. Im going to completely destroy all 4 70Ts and do cutting test first on cardboard and record & photo each stage and all the data for myslef and the forum (thats of course unless someone else beats me to it and does it first???)

Ill be a few weeks yet.

Cheers Tim;)
 
Codger_64 said:
Scott, I can't say with 100% certainty without seeing the knife but... so far at least... the imported knives either have a tiny etch or stamp that says China. To my knowledge none are being imported with USA markings and the marking as you describe it is a legitimate marking previously used by Imperial Schrade.

Michael
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.
I will try to post a pic next week as I left my camera in my camper.
The knife is a heavy fixed blade with a stout 4" drop point blade.
The handle is fake stag with two large brass pins in the stag.
The handle has a dip for your index finger and a curve for yuor other three fingers.
I haven't seen the pattern anywhere before.
He bought it at a flea market in Pa. and it appears to to be unused.
The brass ahead of the handle at the base of the blade is the only thing that doesn't appear quite right.
It looks like it was wire wheeled and it is a little rough. Not like a Schrade factory finish that I am used to.
I will post back with a photo.
Scott
 
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