Codger_64
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Schrade, from as early as the 1926 catalog "E", took it upon themselves to help educate the public about knives. From time to time, they added publications with this in mind.
This information is posted online elsewhere with illustrations, and I'll give that link at the bottom. It was derived from a Schrade publication, another version of which was published in 1997. Larry, is the '97 version on the Schrades-R.us website? Well, I just thought you fellows might be able to use some of this info, so here is a brief copy/paste. Enjoy!
The Blades Used in Schrade Knives
All of the materials that go into Schrade knives are of the highest quality and have been selected for use after extensive testing. The most important part of a knife is the blade and the steel that it is made from. In selecting the steel for a knife blade we look at two main attributes:
The ability of the blade to hold an edge when properly heat treated, and:
The ease of resharpening once the edge is dull.
Over the years we have settled on two steels that we feel give the best all around results in our knives. One is a high carbon steel and the other is a stainless steel.
We use AISI 1095 high carbon steel in our Old Timer knives (except where noted). This is a very traditional cutlery steel which has a carbon content of between 0.95 % and 1.05 % .1095 steel is famous for both its edge hold ability and resharpening ease. One of the characteristics of this steel is that it will darken or discolor with use, especially if used on meats or fruits. Care must also be taken with a carbon steel knife in order to prevent rust. The blades should be kept dry and lightly oiled occasionally.
On our Uncle Henry line and Heritage line we use AISI 440A stainless steel. Knives with this steel will have a Schrade+ in their tang stamp. 440A gets its stainless properties from the inclusion of 17% chrome with 0.7% carbon in the steel. We have found that 440A is equally as good a cutlery steel as 1095, as well as having the added benefit of a high degree of stain and rust resistance.
Typical chemical composition of 1095 and 440A are given below.
Steels Used in Schrade Knives- Chemical Composition
1095: Ladle (Sample)
Limits (%)
Carbon Magnesium Phosphorous (max) Sulfer (max)
0.90-1.03 0.30-0.50 0.040 0.050
440A: Ladle (Sample)
Limits (%)
Carbon Chrome Magnesium Molybdenum Phosphorous Silver Sulfur
0.60-0.75 16.0-18.0 1.00 0.75 0.04 1.00 0.03
Liners (or Scales)
The handles or covers are riveted to pieces of metal called liners or scales. Most Schrade knives are made with solid brass liners that will not rust.
All knives have at least two liners, and multiblade knives may have more. Liners in the middle of a knife separating it into partitions for housing the blades are called "center liners" and are usually made of the same material as the two outside liners.
The Handle (or Cover)
The handle of a knife is called, in trade phraseology, a cover. In Schrade knives the materials used are as follows:
Delrin® A durable material which will not break, chip, swell or shrink
Staglon® Saw-cut Delrin to simulate Stag, shock proof and unbreakable.
Bone Shinbone of beef cattle, dyed various colors and cut and shaped to size.
Blade Terminology
Over the years the cutlery industry has developed a nomenclature to describe the various parts of a pocket knife. The following vocabulary of words and phrases pertaining to blades is generally accepted within the industry:
Edge The sharpened side of the blade.
Back The side opposite the edge.
Tang The portion of the blade below the shoulder and the part covered by the handle which contains piercing for the hinge pin on which the blade pivots. (Varieties of Tangs)
Point The tip of the blade. (Sketches)
Nail Mark(nail nick) A thumb nail groove cut into the blade so it can be opened easily. (Sketch of Nail Mark)
Choil The angle at which the edge flares away to the tang, which allows the full length of the cut edge to be sharpened.
Kick A projection on the front edge of the tang, on which the blade rests in the closed position, which keeps the front part of the edge from hitting the spring.
Swedge A bevel on the back of the blades.
False Edge A section on the back of the blade is sharpened a short distance from the point.
Full Tang Bevel A bevel running to the entire length of the blade, full to the tang.
Mark Side The side of the blade with the nail mark. (Sketch of Mark Side)
Pile Side The reverse side of the blade
Tang Stamp The imprinting of the manufacturer's name and style number of the knife on the tang usually found on the pocket blade in a multibladed knife
Pocket Blade The largest blade on a multibladed knife. (Sketches)
Pen Blade The smallest blade on a multibladed knife. (Sketches)
Crink A slight bend at the tang in a multibladed knife which permits the blades to miss one another when closed, and all close properly. (Sketches)
Hunting Knives Terminology
Like pocket cutlery, hunting knife terminology has developed over the years and is used in the Cutlery industry when discussing knives. The following is a basic vocabulary pertaining to hunting knives:
Balance The proper weight in a knife, correctly distributed between the blade and the handle. Proper balance simply means that the knife feels and handles well for its intended use.
Bevel The sloping areas which fall from the spine or thickest section of the blade toward the edge.
Choil The area immediately in front of the guard at the bottom of the blade, occasionally shaped to accept the index finger to facilitate a more secure hold on certain types of knives.) The choil allows the full length of the edge to be properly sharpened.
Escutcheon (or shield) A small metal on the handle which can be used for engraving the name or initials of the owner, or merely for decoration.
False Edge A swaged or ground area on the back of the blade, running to the point, which gives the appearance of a true edge when viewed from the side. Sometimes used for heavy work like chopping or hacking or other cutting that might be damaging to the cutting edge.
Guard A separate piece of metal affixed to the blade in front of the handle to keep the hand away from the sharp edge while cutting.
Hilt The handle section including the guard and pommel.
Pommel (or Butt) The end of the handle and usually a separate piece of material shaped and blended into the handle.
Hollow-Ground Blade bevels that have been ground concave in cross section.
Obverse Side The front or display section of a knife. (To be properly displayed, the knife should be pointing to the observer's right, edge down.)
Quillon That area of the guard which extends out from the section surrounding the tang and forms the protective shield for the hand.
Ricasso The flat parallel-sided section of the blade between the guard and the beginnings of the bevels. It is the area commonly preferred for the maker's mark.
Scales The slabs of handle material which are attached to the sides of the tang to form the handle.
Tang The section of the blade shaped to facilitate the fitting of the handle. A Square Tang is the full width of the handle and is designed to accept the scales which are pinned or riveted in place. A Round Tang is shaped to pass through the guard and through a hole drilled lengthwise in the handle. (Varieties of Tangs)
Springs Theory
On the back of a knife will be found the spring, which holds the blade in the open or closed position. It is essential that this spring be properly heat-treated so it will be neither too stiff, too soft, nor too brittle. The portion of the spring on which the end of the blade (tang) rubs when being opened is called the "walk." The walk must be smooth, otherwise the blade will grind when being opened or closed, and the knife will have poor or rough action. (Open the blade on any Schrade knife and you'll notice how well smoothed and clean the spring is.)
Springs are made either single-end or double-end, depending on whether they're for a Jackknife or a double-end knife (Sketches). A knife that opens smoothly and whose blade snaps into open position with a lively click is said to "walk". When the blade snaps shut similarly it is said to "talk": All properly adjusted knives are said to "walk" and "talk".
http://www.rangercamping.com.au/Knives_Handbook/Knives_Handbook_Blades.htm
Someone here a bit more versed in computer work can probably do a screen capture and bring this in here in better quality, but heck... this is worth every penny you paid for it at least!
Codger
This information is posted online elsewhere with illustrations, and I'll give that link at the bottom. It was derived from a Schrade publication, another version of which was published in 1997. Larry, is the '97 version on the Schrades-R.us website? Well, I just thought you fellows might be able to use some of this info, so here is a brief copy/paste. Enjoy!
The Blades Used in Schrade Knives
All of the materials that go into Schrade knives are of the highest quality and have been selected for use after extensive testing. The most important part of a knife is the blade and the steel that it is made from. In selecting the steel for a knife blade we look at two main attributes:
The ability of the blade to hold an edge when properly heat treated, and:
The ease of resharpening once the edge is dull.
Over the years we have settled on two steels that we feel give the best all around results in our knives. One is a high carbon steel and the other is a stainless steel.
We use AISI 1095 high carbon steel in our Old Timer knives (except where noted). This is a very traditional cutlery steel which has a carbon content of between 0.95 % and 1.05 % .1095 steel is famous for both its edge hold ability and resharpening ease. One of the characteristics of this steel is that it will darken or discolor with use, especially if used on meats or fruits. Care must also be taken with a carbon steel knife in order to prevent rust. The blades should be kept dry and lightly oiled occasionally.
On our Uncle Henry line and Heritage line we use AISI 440A stainless steel. Knives with this steel will have a Schrade+ in their tang stamp. 440A gets its stainless properties from the inclusion of 17% chrome with 0.7% carbon in the steel. We have found that 440A is equally as good a cutlery steel as 1095, as well as having the added benefit of a high degree of stain and rust resistance.
Typical chemical composition of 1095 and 440A are given below.
Steels Used in Schrade Knives- Chemical Composition
1095: Ladle (Sample)
Limits (%)
Carbon Magnesium Phosphorous (max) Sulfer (max)
0.90-1.03 0.30-0.50 0.040 0.050
440A: Ladle (Sample)
Limits (%)
Carbon Chrome Magnesium Molybdenum Phosphorous Silver Sulfur
0.60-0.75 16.0-18.0 1.00 0.75 0.04 1.00 0.03
Liners (or Scales)
The handles or covers are riveted to pieces of metal called liners or scales. Most Schrade knives are made with solid brass liners that will not rust.
All knives have at least two liners, and multiblade knives may have more. Liners in the middle of a knife separating it into partitions for housing the blades are called "center liners" and are usually made of the same material as the two outside liners.
The Handle (or Cover)
The handle of a knife is called, in trade phraseology, a cover. In Schrade knives the materials used are as follows:
Delrin® A durable material which will not break, chip, swell or shrink
Staglon® Saw-cut Delrin to simulate Stag, shock proof and unbreakable.
Bone Shinbone of beef cattle, dyed various colors and cut and shaped to size.
Blade Terminology
Over the years the cutlery industry has developed a nomenclature to describe the various parts of a pocket knife. The following vocabulary of words and phrases pertaining to blades is generally accepted within the industry:
Edge The sharpened side of the blade.
Back The side opposite the edge.
Tang The portion of the blade below the shoulder and the part covered by the handle which contains piercing for the hinge pin on which the blade pivots. (Varieties of Tangs)
Point The tip of the blade. (Sketches)
Nail Mark(nail nick) A thumb nail groove cut into the blade so it can be opened easily. (Sketch of Nail Mark)
Choil The angle at which the edge flares away to the tang, which allows the full length of the cut edge to be sharpened.
Kick A projection on the front edge of the tang, on which the blade rests in the closed position, which keeps the front part of the edge from hitting the spring.
Swedge A bevel on the back of the blades.
False Edge A section on the back of the blade is sharpened a short distance from the point.
Full Tang Bevel A bevel running to the entire length of the blade, full to the tang.
Mark Side The side of the blade with the nail mark. (Sketch of Mark Side)
Pile Side The reverse side of the blade
Tang Stamp The imprinting of the manufacturer's name and style number of the knife on the tang usually found on the pocket blade in a multibladed knife
Pocket Blade The largest blade on a multibladed knife. (Sketches)
Pen Blade The smallest blade on a multibladed knife. (Sketches)
Crink A slight bend at the tang in a multibladed knife which permits the blades to miss one another when closed, and all close properly. (Sketches)
Hunting Knives Terminology
Like pocket cutlery, hunting knife terminology has developed over the years and is used in the Cutlery industry when discussing knives. The following is a basic vocabulary pertaining to hunting knives:
Balance The proper weight in a knife, correctly distributed between the blade and the handle. Proper balance simply means that the knife feels and handles well for its intended use.
Bevel The sloping areas which fall from the spine or thickest section of the blade toward the edge.
Choil The area immediately in front of the guard at the bottom of the blade, occasionally shaped to accept the index finger to facilitate a more secure hold on certain types of knives.) The choil allows the full length of the edge to be properly sharpened.
Escutcheon (or shield) A small metal on the handle which can be used for engraving the name or initials of the owner, or merely for decoration.
False Edge A swaged or ground area on the back of the blade, running to the point, which gives the appearance of a true edge when viewed from the side. Sometimes used for heavy work like chopping or hacking or other cutting that might be damaging to the cutting edge.
Guard A separate piece of metal affixed to the blade in front of the handle to keep the hand away from the sharp edge while cutting.
Hilt The handle section including the guard and pommel.
Pommel (or Butt) The end of the handle and usually a separate piece of material shaped and blended into the handle.
Hollow-Ground Blade bevels that have been ground concave in cross section.
Obverse Side The front or display section of a knife. (To be properly displayed, the knife should be pointing to the observer's right, edge down.)
Quillon That area of the guard which extends out from the section surrounding the tang and forms the protective shield for the hand.
Ricasso The flat parallel-sided section of the blade between the guard and the beginnings of the bevels. It is the area commonly preferred for the maker's mark.
Scales The slabs of handle material which are attached to the sides of the tang to form the handle.
Tang The section of the blade shaped to facilitate the fitting of the handle. A Square Tang is the full width of the handle and is designed to accept the scales which are pinned or riveted in place. A Round Tang is shaped to pass through the guard and through a hole drilled lengthwise in the handle. (Varieties of Tangs)
Springs Theory
On the back of a knife will be found the spring, which holds the blade in the open or closed position. It is essential that this spring be properly heat-treated so it will be neither too stiff, too soft, nor too brittle. The portion of the spring on which the end of the blade (tang) rubs when being opened is called the "walk." The walk must be smooth, otherwise the blade will grind when being opened or closed, and the knife will have poor or rough action. (Open the blade on any Schrade knife and you'll notice how well smoothed and clean the spring is.)
Springs are made either single-end or double-end, depending on whether they're for a Jackknife or a double-end knife (Sketches). A knife that opens smoothly and whose blade snaps into open position with a lively click is said to "walk". When the blade snaps shut similarly it is said to "talk": All properly adjusted knives are said to "walk" and "talk".
http://www.rangercamping.com.au/Knives_Handbook/Knives_Handbook_Blades.htm
Someone here a bit more versed in computer work can probably do a screen capture and bring this in here in better quality, but heck... this is worth every penny you paid for it at least!
Codger
