Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger
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Codger_64
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Once again the photo host I was using quit. This time without notice or trace. I'll attempt to repopulate the missing pictures as I can. I had to do that previously when Tinypic shut down. The last two pictures I used imgur.
Codger_64
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The latest, a 2003 short issue of the 152UH Wolverine in the clampack. Originally the knife listed in the catalogs from 1994 - 1998, five years. It was revived briefly in 2003 for sale exclusively through a big box store per Clemente.A new one. A late production 152OT using a 502SC blade blank.
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Codger_64
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The two knife gift set, SGS-1, was offered in a clampack version from 1987 thru 1997. I've not seen too many of these still in the package. The retail list price was the same as the SGS-1 gift set in the fancier box, though I suspect that the merchants did not make the full suggested markup. Listed as "new!" in 1987, retail was $40.95. Last listed in 1997, the set in the clampack listed for $58.90. In today's dollars, adjusted for inflation, that would be $94.09.
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I was just gonna post that one for ya. You beat me to it. I agree that you don't see them too often. It certainly caught my eye.
Codger_64
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Snatch! I managed to get it. As much as I dislike clam packs. Waiting for another SGS-1 box to arrive and then I will have them all I think. Except for the SFO's anyway. There should be five production variants if I am correct. But a sixth is possible.
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I'm glad you did. I dislike clam-packs too and don't have a single one in my collection. I like handling my knives too much. At the same time, the knives are forever sealed in a time-capsule of sorts. Pros and cons. I'm guessing that leaving them in the dark is best if you don't want the plastic to yellow.
Codger_64
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Yes, the clampacks are notorious for yellowing and becoming brittle from age. Realistically though, they were only intended to last from factory to store point of sale display and then be opened and tossed by the customers. They never were intended to be archived and last decades. Like slabbed collector coins. Some of the bonus clampacks were interesting too. Compass, sharpening stone, playing cards, knife care kits were all offered in one pattern or another.
Codger_64
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I finally added one more to my set of SMKW special production run 152UH "Deer Hunter Series". So I now have four of the five. The 152UH Wolverine listed in the Schrade catalogs from 1994 - 1998 and was discontinued until a short reissue of clampacked knives for 2003 as noted above. However in 2000 SMKW ordered 7,500 152UH, 1,500 of each of five blade etches.
Codger_64
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With the help of a friend once again, I found an example of these issues from the 1987 SMKW catalog.Earlier in this thread I showed the 1983 SFO for K-Mart, a scrimshaw with reversed art of a bear and hound with unique pattern stamp, SC205 in place of the stock 502SC. Well it seems that perhaps Schrade anticipated further orders by this customer which never materialized as a large quantity of the stamped and assembled knives remained after that order. In 1987 many of them were sold to SMKW. They were purchased as-is with no art on the ivory Delrin handles and with what appears to be customer supplied "clip art", commercial graphics from a book which are high contrast and most suitable for pad printing. As I don't have an example in hand but this SFO set was silkscreened printed either by SMKW or ISC, not hot stamped in-house by Schrade. At any rate, the SMKW catalog for Spring/summer 1987 advertised "Sportsman's Skinner" exclusive knives in seven styles, six with art and one plain, none illustrated with added blade etches. With art was priced at $10.99 and without at $9.99. These show up on the secondary market from time to time and still a quantity of the blank SC205 appeared after the factory liquidation sale.
The art was:
Deer Hunter
Turkey Hunter
Fisherman
Duck Hunter
Coon Hunter
Bird Hunter
Hopefully these will aid in future identification and perhaps allow collectors to get a sense of actual value before laying down a lot of long green for a secondary market example.
I believe this series was either pad printed or silkscreen printed rather than hot die stamped. I won't know for certain until the knife is in hand.
Codger_64
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Just this thread and the catalogs and examples I and others have found.
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Great info on this knife's K-Mart to SMKW connections. It's funny you saw the tang-stamp and thought "K-Mart" before surveying the handle. That tang stamp also made me think it was a K-Mart SFO I'd never seen before until you posted the SMKW information.
I can't recall seeing another "Fisherman" Sharp Finger. I figured it wouldn't stump you though. The second I looked at it I thought the ink wasn't stamped in. I think you've got it figured.
Codger_64
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This is the first one with the "Fisherman" art that I have seen. And none of them come up very often which suggests that they were sold in modest quantities. I haven't a clue as to exactly how many of each art.
Deer Hunter
Turkey Hunter
Fisherman
Duck Hunter
Coon Hunter
Bird Hunter
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I knew it was a rare duck. It couldn't have found a better home.
Codger_64
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A rare duck? Funny you should mention that. Here is one I just found. A Limited Edition Ducks Unlimited with Fibron handle, coined duck head DU shield and flying ducks etch. I have no idea of how many or when. Except that it wasn't late production as evidenced by it's plain grind instead of the hollow grind of the last years.
Codger_64
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Research is ongoing, but it looks like this knife may be a sample produced for a six knife set ordered in 1990 and then abandoned before production. All six were to have had the "Winewood" Fibron handles and coined DU shields.A rare duck? Funny you should mention that. Here is one I just found. A Limited Edition Ducks Unlimited with Fibron handle, coined duck head DU shield and flying ducks etch. I have no idea of how many or when. Except that it wasn't late production as evidenced by it's plain grind instead of the hollow grind of the last years.