Schrade contract knives

[waynorth]

Contract knives are neat to sleuth out. I'd like to ask all you Schrade forum guys to "show and tell", and comment on, some knife pairs or groups that point to Schrade DNA! Here's a pair below to illustrate what I mean. I got into this comparing with my Harness Jack collecting, to follow the patenting and evolution of punch blades, which were so important when more horses were involved in our society.
This pic shows a Schrade and a Keen Kutter that have some remarkable similarities, not least of which is the handle pattern. The main blade on the Keen is worn, but almost certainly used to resemble the Schrade. Comments please, and pics if you can!

 

[waynorth]

Just thought I'd pop this one up into view, see who slept through it

 

[Codger_64]

Contract knives can be a lot of fun to chase. Schrade made knives not only for hardware wholesalers, but for other knife companies as well. You are liable to find an SFO made for Case, Queen, Olcut (Union), Western, Remington, Simmons, Shapliegh, Belknap, Sears, Wards, Pennys, Western Auto, True Value, or even kitchen cutlery manufacturers. I have a Schrade made for Zylco.

Sometimes they modified them with a simple etch, sometimes with parts changes, different handle materials, shields or a custom tangstamp. Sometimes a mixture of these items, sometimes just the tangstamp.

For many manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, it was the easiest way for them to expand their own line of cutlery without going to the expense of tooling up for a new pattern they wanted to add to their line. Even Schrade had SFOs made for them by other companies. Sometimes they bought just the parts, sometimes skeletons, sometimes the finished knives. Likewise, Schrade sent parts out to other companies for assembly and finish.

Codger