Schrade SP3 in action Coyote Style

gradall5200

gradall5200

Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
1,867
My neighbor shot a 46 lb coyote early this morning and came over and showed it to me. He kills a lot of stuff. anyway I asked if he minded if I came and gave him a hand skinning it, and of course he said no problem. Im always curious to see what junk someone pulls out to do there fancy work and When I saw what I thought was a schrade I asked if I could see his knife. Sure enough it was a lightweight, SP3. First I was glad to see someone using a schrade around here besides me and my dad. Next- granted skinning a coyote out dosent hopefully involve a lot of knife work equaling a better pelt, anyway I just would of expected some other knife,besides a small lightweight lockback. I guess seeing as how I have a closet stacked top to bottom with knives and others laying around everywhere, I take for granted having access to all of you guys knowledge and all my different knives. My first thought was to go home after we were done and donate him a schrade which I havent done yet but Im going to do. Not sure what to give him but he's a great neighbor who constantly hunts and fishes and dosent waste a thing. he skins and saves everything. and they eat everything thats edible ( there not eating coyote by the way). And he made that little light weight look like a champion, this thing was a razor, but this guy is good no mistakes and nothing fancy. we cleaned it on an old half of a pin pong table on the garage floor and when we had the pelt half way up he hooked the carcass to the truck and the other half to his four wheeler and pulled her to the neck then the rest of the fancy work. When we were done it was beautiful no cuts besides the very ass end and the eyes and ears and the jaw line. Just thought this would make for a good story getting to see a genuine schrade in action made my day. sorry if this was too boring but you guys are the only people who listen to me. stay sharp...- Joel
 
Joel, good story about a man who knows how to use a tool. As I am fond of saying, a Schrade knife is first and foremost...a tool. The SP3/SH3 Firebird Lightweight is a very inexpensive knife with very few components. The molded handle is Dupont Zytel (reenforced Nylon), and is nearly indestructable.

I recently bought a pair of these, an SP2 and an SP3 specifically to EDC and use. They were rejects, tang stamps struck through. One obviously has a lock bar that rides too high, projecting above the blade when locked. The other has a defect I cannot determine, possibly in the cutting of the gates from the handle molding. Last MSRP for the pair was $20 and $23 respectively. I paid considerably less. $5. They aren't "junk". Will they ever become "collectable"? I don't know. They will be good tools until they are worn out or lost. America works with Schrade.

Codger
 
I just picked this set up in a trade with some other stuff pretty neat. It will make a great gift or look good in the display cabinent.
 
Nice! The MSRP for this set in 1997 was $46.95. I don't have that later set, but I have the first one with maroon handles and coined shields circa 1987-88.
 
My dad has been carrying an sp2 on and off for years with a broken tip and all he says you just cant beat a knife that is that light in your pocket and holds an edge like that. I just got a new in the box sp2 for him for fathers day. I was never a fan of these lightweights but it would be like discrimination to leave them out of the mix and now there starting to grow on me.-Joel
 
The first knife I ever purchased with a Zytel handle was an Al Mar Airweight. When I picked up our first order from Al I asked him about the handle. I said "it looks cheap." He said it was less expensive than a standard knife with a metal frame, but the knife had ATS-34 steel in it. Al said, "It is a cutting edge, not a pry bar." He also said that the Zytel was surprisingly durable.

One of my employees (in the cutlery store) was very sceptical of the Zytel handles, but bought an Air Weight anyway. He became a true believer when he ran over his knife with a tractor on the concrete floor of his dad's shop. The knife was undamaged.

Well, I have had that knife for 20 years or so, and it is still as good as the day I bought it (despite being my EDC for a couple years). The knife was my first knife with a Zytel handle & my first knife with ATS-34 steel. I have been a fan of both ever since.

Since that time I have added numerous knives with Zytel handles to my collection, most of them Schrades from the SP & Cliphanger series. If you need a cutting tool, Zytel is an exceptional handle material. If you need a pry bar, go to Harbor Freight and buy one cheap.
Or better yet, find an American made pry bar that will last the rest of your life. :D

Just my $.02
Dale
 
I found an SP2 a few years ago and dropped it in my pocket.It turned into my loaner knife since my crew never had knives.It is one of the toughest little knives I've ever seen.These guys could tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer but they never hurt this knife.
Back in the eighties when I was trapping I would skin or case everything I caught except yoties.I could never stand the smell.I always had to pay someone to do it for me.Arnold
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top