Schrade 13OT Trailblazer info and value information needed

[Mr. Tettnanger]

I recently acquired this Schrade 13OT with original box and sheath. I assume that the sheath is original? It is a really neat knife that is in good shape considering it's age! I gave it a quick clean and have been admiring it. It also came with a custom leather crossdraw sheath.

I have done a little research on this model. It looks like it enjoyed a very short life span. Manufacturing dates look to be only between 1978-1980. I assume that this is a fairly rare bird.

Any further information and an idea on value would be appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[Mr. Tettnanger]

A few more pictures:

 

[tongueriver]

In the same time frame they released the 14OT (the Timberline) which is identical except for a clip blade instead of the drop point of the 13OT. They also hafted quite a few in plain wood and no bolsters for el cheapo contracts with various firms.

 

[tongueriver]

And here is another variation.

 

[Mr. Tettnanger]

In the same time frame they released the 14OT (the Timberline) which is identical except for a clip blade instead of the drop point of the 13OT. They also hafted quite a few in plain wood and no bolsters for el cheapo contracts with various firms.

Do you know what steel was used? I know that Schrade used carbon and stainless. I thought that all of their stainless had a “+”?

 

[tongueriver]

In the final years of Imperial Schrade there was a runnning change of 1095 steel to stainless in the former patterns which had always been 1095. These were not marked with a plus sign, so they cannot be as easy to identify as to steel composition. The company just quietly moved completely out of the non-stainless inventory. I think the stainless ones have a little weaker response to a magnet. Meanwhile, the 13 and 14 patterns I believe were all 1095 non-stainless steel. Don't quote me on that if there is money involved. Meanwhile, the stainless steels used in almost all vintage knives were high carbon steels. To say that one or the other is "carbon" steel can be misleading. Carbon is really the most important ingredient when making steel from iron and is almost always present in steels whether they are non-stainless or stainless. There are some more rare modern steels that might not fit this model but I don't know anything about them.