Schrade 13DU (13OT Ducks Unlimited) info??

J

Jester60

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Well over a year ago one of my very first posts (maybe the first one) on BF was to come here asking around for a 13OT user. I had been given one by my dad when I was 18 and carried it for 10+ years for work and recreation till it jumped off a boat seat in a swamp to take a swim.

I was soon to find out that they were only made for a few years and were pretty hard to find ... as over 18 mths of off and on looking proved to me.

Well, looks like I finally found one (thought it's not in my hand yet). Bad thing is that during the search I've come to realize that these things can be somewhat collectable, maybe even more so in this case since it appears to be a like new, never carried or sharpened Ducks Unlimited Special Edition with leather sheath and box.

My problem is that if this is indeed a somewhat rarer version and may be of interest to collectors I'm not gonna want to carry it around and use it.

The right side of the blade has an image of 2 ducks settling on a lake/marsh and "Ducks Unlimited". It's marked "SCHRADE" with "U.S.A. 13DU" on the ricasso on the right side. On the same side on the brass bolster there are 3 small squares stamped into it side by side, the first has "SC" inside, the middle has what looks like a fist holding a hammer, and the last the letter "F". It also has a round button set in the middle of the handle with the DU ducks head on it. The sheath has the same ducks head tooled into it as well. The box end flap shows "13DU" and "Schrade Cutlery Corporation, Ellenville N. Y. 12428" in gold lettering. The front of the box has "DUCKS UNLIMITED" across it.

Does anyone here have any info on this knife or can point me to a source or two where I might be able to find more info on it?

Thanks
 
I don't recall seeing this one, but there were a lot of different DU knives commissioned. Curious if it has a Stainless Steel blade, even though it is not marked SCHRADE+ The hallmarks are interesting.

Is this the knife?

du1.jpg


Nice knife. I'd carry it with pride. Sounds like you would make good use of it.
 
Yep, that is indeed the knife. I couldn't figure out how to copy the pic. I'm hoping that the blade is carbon steel as well, all I know is to look for the 'Schrade+' on the ricasso and I doubt that's 100% reliable. I don't know if the current Schrade ' Taylor Brands, LLC ' made a version of the 13 or not. This knife was advertised as vintage but I know that doesn't always mean anything either.

I would love to carry this although I wouldn't get the use out of it that I got 30 years ago from the first one I had. Sadly I don't get to spend near as much time in the woods and on the water as I did when I was young and goodlooking. Should I find that it's value is close to what I paid I'd sure use it, I'd just hate to cut with it to find out that unused it was some kind of super rare, valuable piece that belongs in a true collectors case somewhere.
 
$80 seems like a fair price for that model with all the bling. They do come up now and then and the OT version as well. The "F" I believe is a date code but I forget how to read them; there are a few guys here who know that. As a fancy SFO I am pretty sure it is stainless; I think all of them marked LTD are probably stainless. I think even some of the OT models in the last years were stainless, even without the "plus" sign on the tang stamp. I think the 13OT is one of the best fixed patterns Schrade ever made.
 
AurevoirGopher said:
I have the this one and it is definitely carbon. Liked to stain real fast.
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That's the knife (well, not the exact one of course) that I was given as a birthday present. I really loved that knife. I have seen a couple of them come across the Bay but could never win one of them. Even used they were getting $100+ for them.

I may keep my eye on the bay just in case. Who knows, maybe lightning will strike twice in which case I'll make a display case for the DU model and hang it on the wall.

Thanks for the info and the great pics, there are so many memories that flood back to me when I see one of those old knives.
 
what a great pattern (14ot too)and has a great feel in the hand. love how it carries the tang thickness out close to the end. my #2 most favorite behind the 165. picked up a user on the bay recently for forty. took the dark brown dye off the fac sheath ,cut off the belt loop and am kicking idea's around on horizontal mounting for a belt..............keep watching users are out there.-------brady
 
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