Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
Hi Robert! Welcome to the forum! I moved your post down here where there is more room to discuss it.
Imperial Schrade began having their packaging printed overseas as a cost saving measure well before the closing in 2004. I don't recall seeing the tan "Sharp Idea" or "Blue Striped" boxes printed overseas, so this must have begun around late 2002-early 2003. If the knives themselves say:
..SCHRADE
U.S.A. 108OT
On the tang, and the paper insert in the package has the "Message From The President, Walter Gardiner", and both package and paper have the company name as "IMPERIAL SCHRADE", your knives are genuine Schrades produced in Ellenville, New York before the closing, in spite of where the packaging was produced.
As far as...I was informed 6 months ago the ones with made in USA didnt exist apart from on ebay or private sale..., yes, some do exist still in small out of the way retail stores here in the states. I would suppose their being found still in a store in far Northern Australia would be very uncommon, so you were indeed lucky!
I like the little 108OT Junior. It easily rides unobtrusively in any pocket and is of adequate size to handle most everyday tasks with ease. It is also one of the older Old Timer patterns, having been introduced circa 1964, so as you can see by the fact that it was still produced when Schrade closed 40 years later, it did find a lasting market niche.
Congrats on the find!
Michael
Imperial Schrade began having their packaging printed overseas as a cost saving measure well before the closing in 2004. I don't recall seeing the tan "Sharp Idea" or "Blue Striped" boxes printed overseas, so this must have begun around late 2002-early 2003. If the knives themselves say:
..SCHRADE
U.S.A. 108OT
On the tang, and the paper insert in the package has the "Message From The President, Walter Gardiner", and both package and paper have the company name as "IMPERIAL SCHRADE", your knives are genuine Schrades produced in Ellenville, New York before the closing, in spite of where the packaging was produced.
As far as...I was informed 6 months ago the ones with made in USA didnt exist apart from on ebay or private sale..., yes, some do exist still in small out of the way retail stores here in the states. I would suppose their being found still in a store in far Northern Australia would be very uncommon, so you were indeed lucky!
I like the little 108OT Junior. It easily rides unobtrusively in any pocket and is of adequate size to handle most everyday tasks with ease. It is also one of the older Old Timer patterns, having been introduced circa 1964, so as you can see by the fact that it was still produced when Schrade closed 40 years later, it did find a lasting market niche.
Congrats on the find!
Michael