Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger

[Codger_64]

Here is a custom Drop Point Sharpfinger which, while handsome but plain, is very special to me for several reasons. First, the production 154OT knife was rehandled in signature Burnt Sambar Stag and polished, engraved by Herman Williams in 2013. And secondly because the original owner was a collector friend who has since passed, Rich "Howie" Healey.

 

[Codger_64]

Prison Sharpfinger? Color filled heat stamp on the pile side handle, "Fishkill Penitentiary". Obviously intended for officials and staff, not the inmates. Established in 1896 as the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, it is now called the Fishkill Correctional Facility. Likely commemorating their 100th anniversary in 1996.

 

[Codger_64]

In 1998 SMKW sold the Sharpfinger in conjunction with Safari International with a special blade etch, "Sportsmen United For Conservation & Preservation". Limited to 500 pieces, 10% of the sale was donated to that organization.

 

[Codger_64]

Another SDU152 LTD Oak Sharpfinger, 2004 one year issue. All previous year sets, 1999-2003, used the PH2 as the featured fixed blade knife.

Nice to find complete in original box with papers and branded sheath. No idea of production numbers, but 2004 was an abbreviated year as Schrade closed mid-year.

 

[Codger_64]

My fathers day present from my son arrived today. An old familiar SC502 Scrimshaw from 1983, "Bear and Hound" art, NIB condition with papers. The SAS17 drop-in sheath was introduced with this issue and continued to be used through 1988 after which it was replaced with the more familiar handle strap sheath through the end of production in 2004.

Also of note, in 1983 Kresge/Kmart ordered this knife reconfigured. SC502 became SC205 and stamped on blade left, artwork was reversed and imprinted on the left handle

 

[Codger_64]

In 1988 Schrade replaced the 154OT Drop point Sharpfinger with the new 158OT Guthook Skinner, basically adding a guthook to the top of the earlier 154OT. Not wasting time in promoting the new blade shape, they included a limited edition Scrimshaw version 518SC as a dealer bonus in that year's Hunting Knife HK88 assortment display. They also gave the dealers a 3'x5' American flag to display.

The HK88 "America's Pride" 518SC art is a Frank Giorgianni drawing of an eagle catching a fish. I've seen these over the years but either the condition or price wasn't favorable. This one met both criteria for me.

 

[Larry303]

Nice knife, however the guthook design never did anything for me......never used it in the Field either...but it had impressive name 'Guthook'....

 

[Codger_64]

Nice knife, however the guthook design never did anything for me......never used it in the Field either...but it had impressive name 'Guthook'....

Same here. I did try the guthook feature on a different pattern Schrade fixed blade, Safe-T-Grip or X-Timer... don't remember... and didn't find it useful for me. And feel it is a needless complication of the otherwise elegant Drop Point Sharpfinger pattern. Still this knife is one of the Schrade Sharpfinger collector triad of 152OT-154OT-158OT and so I include it here.

 

[Codger_64]

The SMKW 1993 4th of July 'Blowout' catalog featured a SFO 518SC on it's cover. The Limited Edition 518SC with stylized American “Freedom eagle” and flag color filled art was offered for $24.99, was serialized and limited to 2,500 pieces, with a stainless blade.

 

[Codger_64]

In 1998 Schrade issued a display cased set of knives, ", "Wildlife Collector's Limited Edition". The artwork of the scrimshaw 154UH drop point knife in the set was recycled from the 1983 SC502 "Bear And Hound" Scrimshaw. For this 1998 issue, the recently dropped 154UH blades were used rather than the much earlier discontinued SC501.

 

[Codger_64]

Here is an obscure SC502 Scrimshaw Sharpfinger I saw years ago but missed buying and never found the story behind the art. A bear with "75" on it and text "Unlimited Edition" There are no explanatory blade etches, unserialized and no pile side handle stamp. The art stamp is repeated on the box cover.

I am left to speculate. 1975 would have been Henry Baer's 75th birthday. Albert's 75th would have been 1981. I have it in hand and there were no unseen papers found underneath the box tray as is often the case. Anyone have a clue?

 

[Codger_64]

Once again I came across an unused, as new example of the earliest production Sharpfinger, circa 1974-1975. Accompanied by a pristine first issue sheath with pointed choil retainer strap which shows little to no handling wear. It is sewn with white thread which does not tear the leather between stitches as do some later sewn sheaths.

There was no papers, box or stone but the price was very reasonable, less than original MSRP after adjusting for the fifty years inflation.







Here is the original first catalog ad seen circa 1974.

Here from post #821 is the original first box.

 

[Grateful]

Codger_64 That’s a real treasure. Great find.

 

[Codger_64]

Codger_64 That’s a real treasure. Great find.

Thanks. I realize that these days there is little interest in the original Schrades among younger collectors and particularly users. A Schrade engineer pointed out a few days ago that we had reached the twentieth anniversary of the Schrade closing. So naturally they have little or no memory of the American cutlery empire that was once Schrade.

 

[Codger_64]

A new one in the never-ending variety of Schrade Sharpfingers. Made to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Les Schwab tire stores, founded in 1952. I don't know if these were for presentation to franchise owners or their prized customers. Likely made and shipped in 1992.

 

[Codger_64]

A new one in the never-ending variety of Schrade Sharpfingers. Made to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Les Schwab tire stores, founded in 1952. I don't know if these were for presentation to franchise owners or their prized customers. Likely made and shipped in 1992.

View attachment 2629117View attachment 2629118

Checking my photo archives this morning I found the parent SGS-1 set for the Schwab anniversary knife above. Still no clue as to the quantity produced, but positive proof of the origin of my single Schwab knife shown above,

 

[Codger_64]

How about a 152 custom? This one uses a plain grind carbon steel 152OT blade rehandled in smooth white bone and scrimshawed in an obviously non-traditional style. Well executed colorized Japanese Dragon and Phoenix art. I've not had luck identifying the artist yet but hope to. 2024 is the Japanese year of the dragon so it might be fairly recent. The collector who originally owned it passed away recently so I can't ask him.

 

[Codger_64]

Another very early Sharpfinger acquired at a below MSRP price after it sitting somewhere unused for fifty or so years. Remarkable condition of both knife and sheath considering age and lack of original box.

How early? Factory production records first mention the pattern in 1973 showing 9,500 pieces shipped by year end and another 2,300 in process. even though most research sources state 1974 for the first production.

1974 was the first full production year and 36,093 were shipped. That year they began advertising in many outdoor magazines and added them to in-store display boards. Those first 45,593 knives gave them enough to crunch numbers and the numbers looked good. The knife wasn't cheap but not expensive either. And showed promise of great annual growth of sales. More than three million of them were produced over the thirty years before they closed in 2004.

 

[Codger_64]

Another oddity found. In this instance a rather pedestrian late production Sharpfinger and sheath has been housed in an ornate custom carved wooden box with deer outside and turkeys inside,

 

[Codger_64]

I am bringing forward a post I made in October 2006 regarding the Chapter 11 dissolution bankruptcy of United Cutlery and more specifically their manufacturing division, Arrowhead Manufacturing in Rockford, Tennessee. Stick with me and you will see their FSO152 Outdoor Life, their rendition of Henry Baer's 152OT Sharpfinger.

I know this is the Schrade Collector's forum, but I believe this news is somewhat relevant since this company did produce some Schrade pattern derivatives, most notably the Sharpfinger knives with various branding (Outdoor Life, Harley Davidson, Rigid,Klaas), and I believe some Schrade patterns for Taylor Cutlery such as the X-Timer series of fixed blades.

After a week or so of chasing rumors of a chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy filing, finally I have confirmation from two seperate sources of what was in fact a chapter 11 dissolution filing for United Cutlery. United Cutlery has declared bankruptcy and is going to be dissolved/sold according to a post by Kit Rae on a fantasy knife forum five days ago.

UC did file chapter 11 last Monday. I resigned as UC's product development director several months ago to pursue my own design business. I had been with them for 20 years and felt it was time to move on, though another one of my reasons was the direction the company was going. It was once a great company to work for and we did a lot of good projects there.

A few weeks ago UC laid off the entire PD staff, so it looks like any new projects are dead. They filed chapter 11 last week. There may be a chance they can reorganize and get bought by another company, though the LOTR license is gone.
__________________
Kit Rae
Kit Rae Design Studio LLC
www.kitrae.net

United Cutlery was started by four partners. Originally begun as a design and importing company in the sporting cutlery industry. As United markets grew, they started producing and distributing products under the United brand.

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 is now sole owner. Tomahawk is their sourcing division finding, importing and wholsaling knives from overseas. Arrowhead is their manufacturing division in East Tennessee. Arrowhead's President is Jim Hamilton. They use 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.

So there we have the timeline for their production of the Outdoor Life Sharpfinger Spring 2005 through Spring 2006. Just one full year including ramp up to production and cessation of assembly of final components on hand. Small wonder they are seldom seen on the secondary market twenty plus years later.

Produced in Rockford, Tennessee on some of the same equipment and possibly by the same hands as the ISC production in Ellenville, New York, I dare say this U.S.A. made knife belongs in any extensive collection of the originals.

The hollow ground stainless blades are well done with lasered markings and the handles are familiar in texture and well fitted with flush compression rivets.