Schrade 162OT Old Timer

T

THExKRAKEN

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Jan 15, 2013
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Does anyone have any experience with Schrade fixed blades that are made today? I'm under the impression that a lot of Schrade, Old Timers and Uncle Henry knives are made in china nowadays. I'm curious about this model in particular, there is just something about the way that it looks that I really like. It's not very expensive, and I think the blade steel is 7Cr17, or something like that. I want to know if anyone has a new Schrade, OT or UH that was manufacture today and if it holds up to how they used to make knives. Are we just buying the name or a quality knife?
 
They are Old Timer, Uncle Henry in name only. Schrade Cutlery sadly went out of business several years ago and the "Brand" was bought and the knives are manufactured in China now. I only have limited experience with the new knives. I personally don't care for them, but others might find them perfectly fine. You can go fishing in the bay and through patience you may be able to catch a trophy.
 
Stewart Taylor, who now owns all the trademarks that Schrade used to own, also has had "Schrade" knives made by Camillus (only from 2004 until Camillus closed), Utica, Bear and Son and Great Eastern. You need to know what to look for. The 162 pattern is not one of them.
 
So if I can find an older pattern, even though it's made today, it should be a fairly decent knife?
 
Schrade was a great company that was known for making inexpensive knives that a working man could afford. After they shut their doors the name was bought by a man looking to capitalize on that reputation to sell cheap knives in hopes that people would mistake them for the inexpensive knives that Schrade was known for. There is a difference between inexpensive and cheap. The knives that are made today under the Schrade name are cheap, and they will perform as such. That's not to say that there is anything inherently wrong with the knives, but I see no reason to go out of your way to stick with that brand over any of the other cheap knives. There are companies out there that still make inexpensive knives. If you're looking for a boot knife style fixed blade in that price range I'd suggest looking into Rough Rider. They have a much better reputation for putting out a decent quality product very inexpensively.

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If it's the Schrade name you like, I'd suggest sticking with the old USA made knives. They are plentiful on the secondary market and won't cost much different from the newly made impostors. They are also made much better.

Either way, good luck in your hunt, and I hope you find a knife that you really like.
 
I have used a lot of the new Schrade knives. I modify them and use them for whittlin'.

They mostly are pretty good knives, and in some respects I find them to be superior to the old Schrades - most notably, they are NOT made using the Swinden Key construction, and are thus easy to adjust if a little wobble develops in a blade. They take and keep an edge well, and with few exceptions have pretty good fit and finish. The blades are nice and thin, making them really useful for whittlin'.

I should say that I used to be a real fan of the old Schrades, but experiencing the unrepairable loosening of the blades because of the way they were made from the 1960s on, did not impress. I totally disassembled a couple of them and rebuilt them using pins all the way through the bolsters, and they continue to serve as knives that my students use.

I would love to get my hands on some Schrades that were built before they started using the Swinden Key method.
 
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