Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger

I noted here in this forum in October of 2006 regarding the Chapter 11 dissolution bankruptcy of United Cutlery and more specifically their manufacturing division, Arrowhead Manufacturing in Rockford, Tennessee. They had just begun production of Sharpfinger clones.

United Cutlery Brands was founded in 1984 by Kevin Pipes and John Parker (SMKW), David Hall and Phil Martin of Blue Ridge Knives. David Hall ran the operation. Hall bought out the last of the partners in 2000 and was then sole owner. Tomahawk was their sourcing division finding, importing and wholesaling knives from overseas. Arrowhead was their manufacturing division in East Tennessee. Arrowhead's President was Jim Hamilton. They used the latest CNC milling machines, laser cutters to cut blanks etc. The factory began running full tilt in August of 2003. They purchased some of the machinery from the ISC liquidation in late 2004.

They produced three brandings of the modernized 152OTX pattern knives and two brandings of traditional styled Sharpfingers. The three were branded Harley Davidson, Rigid and Klaas. The two traditional ones were Outdoor Life FS0152C and Rigid Maxedge RGO153MX.
United Harley Davidson a.jpg
United Rigid 1.jpg
Klaas Custom Hunter a.jpg
 
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For those who wish the original Schrade Sharpfinger knives were still being made here in the U.S.A. there is good news. They were made in such quantities for such a long time that many have survived to this day in like-new condition and can be purchased at very reasonable prices. Often at or below the original retail price when adjusted for inflation.

Here is a recent survivor from the 1980's, still new in the woodgrain fold down box with sheath and papers.

5-20-24 152OT a.jpg5-20-24 152OT b .jpg5-20-24 152OT e.jpg
 
Special orders of Sharpfingers by Ducks Unlimited local, state chapters and the national organizations of both the U.S. and Canada were so prolific that it seems there is no end to the variety still waiting to be found. Here is a recent find.

502SCDU c.2000 , wood ducks flying scrimshaw art, DU logo “Ducks Unlimited Limited Edition Scrimshaw” blade etch, plain ground blade, blue box, last type sheath branded. If my identification resources are correct, there were only 100 of these made, Un serialized. Another 130 pieces were made and etched for the Arkansas DU state chapter.

5-22-24 502SC D U a.jpg
5-22-24 502SC D U c.jpg.jpg

5-22-24 502SC D U d.jpg
 
Schrade made a green carded bonus clampack 152OTCPSS, exclusive to Walmart in 1996. It featured an Arkansas sharpening stone.

The stone bonus series included several other clampacked Schrade patterns as well. They provided Walmart with a point-of-sale promotional banner which some of you may remember seeing.

These are genuine real-deal fine grained silica quartz Arkansas novaculite mined from outcroppings in the Ouachita mountains.
Bonus Banner.jpg152OTCPSS 1996.jpg

It is unknown how many of these bonus clampacks were sold in 1996, but I rarely see them on the market these days.
 
This is an as-new production 152OT in the tan "a sharp idea" banner box. A survivor from the mid to late 1990's. The traditional plain grind 1095HC blade has the next to last non-serif tangstamp.

6-1-24 a 152OT NIB.jpg6-1-24 b 152OT NIB.jpg
 
Oh wow only @ 100? of those du.. i gotta go digging see how many i have...And great im gonna look for a klaas klone to add to my klone collection.. only seen 3 of the hd ones for sale over the last 14 years... rare??
 
triumphil2204 said:
Oh wow only @ 100? of those du.. i gotta go digging see how many i have...And great im gonna look for a klaas klone to add to my klone collection.. only seen 3 of the hd ones for sale over the last 14 years... rare??
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Rarity of the United clones is mostly due to the lack of time in which they were produced and lack of sales promotion during that time. I'm not aware of anyone who knows the actual production numbers on the five brandings/two patterns. And Arrowhead gone now many years, their existence is pretty obscure and so then is the demand for them.
 
As I keep mentioning, with more than three million Sharpfingers produced and sold during the company's last 30 years, 1974 - 2004, it's no surprise that new SFOs and limited editions come to light quite often even today.

Frequently some details of the packaging or the knife itself, aided by a little research, can closely identify the who, what and when. But not always. Then we are left with best guesses. Here is one of those and my best guess.

Schrade produced some custom shielded Sharpfingers for L.L.Bean in 1988, 788 shipped noted in records (see post #491 this thread). While they did order other patterns both before and after, this is the only order I noted for the Sharpfinger for them, none since.

Yet this new find has the L.L. Bean shield. It also bears the non-serif tangstamp and plain ground blade common in the late 1990's thru 2001. But most significantly it has a unique molded texture Delrin handle. By all appearances it is a factory assembled knife, not an aftermarket creation. So my best guess is that it was a factory sample rejected for production. Perhaps not even intended for L.L. Bean, but to showcase the new handle molding.

152 LL Bean f.jpg152 LL Bean e.jpg
152 LL Bean d.jpg
 
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Codger_64 Codger_64
Dang! Where are you finding all these treasures? Very cool, I’m seeing some second hand vintage Sharpfingers in my future. Can’t believe I let the last one I had go.
 
Grateful said:
Codger_64 Codger_64
Dang! Where are you finding all these treasures? Very cool, I’m seeing some second hand vintage Sharpfingers in my future. Can’t believe I let the last one I had go.
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Consider that ISC closed nearly twenty years ago and in that time many collections and estates have been sold. And will continue to be for years yet.

The Sharpfingers were not high dollar knives when new and remain quite affordable with only a few exceptions. You should have no trouble finding one to your liking and purpose at a reasonable price if you are patient.

Collection Box a.JPG
 
Codger_64 said:
Consider that ISC closed nearly twenty years ago and in that time many collections and estates have been sold. And will continue to be for years yet.

The Sharpfingers were not high dollar knives when new and remain quite affordable with only a few exceptions. You should have no trouble finding one to your liking and purpose at a reasonable price if you are patient.
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They are pretty easy to find on line for reasonable money although often secondhand. My OCD wants the OT version as well as an Uncle version. Thinking now ill carry one next deer season.
I’m pretty curious about the 154’s too. Never actually handled one but it looks like it would make a decent hunting knife.
 
Grateful said:
They are pretty easy to find on line for reasonable money although often secondhand. My OCD wants the OT version as well as an Uncle version. Thinking now ill carry one next deer season.
I’m pretty curious about the 154’s too. Never actually handled one but it looks like it would make a decent hunting knife.
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As you know, I have all versions. The 154OT was only produced a short while before they added the guthook feature and called it 158OT. But they can also be found in every condition reasonably priced. In field use I never felt any improvement of the 154 over the 152 personally. It's still fun to experiment though. And having the full set of OT and UH versions of the three is nice and doesn't break the bank.154UH b.jpg
 
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