Schrade Walden fishing knife

[textoothpk]

Probably a question for our LT here. I just bought this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2206532409&category=48817&rd=1

An approximate date of manufactor? As it is a Schrade Walden, I gather it was from 1948 to 1973. I think the only way to further identify the time of manufactor, is to know whether it was made in the Walden, NY factory, or after 1957 in the Ulster factory at Ellenville.

Doesn't really matter as I don't already have one in my collection, and along with texas toothpick patterns, I collect fishing knives. Anyway, as for the classic yellow, two blade, 5" fish knife, I can cross another maker off my want list.

Just a short story here about texas toothpicks. I stopped into a friend's favorite watering hole one afternoon to show him my latest aquisition, a Cargill-Cripple creek stag toothpick. He was suitably impressed, as were a couple of the other guys at the bar. But then Grace, the waitress stopped by, reached out and took the knife, slammed it shut (ouch!) expertly flipped it open quicker than any of us could do a spyderco, and held it up. All eyes on her (Grace is very attractive) and the gleaming, slender, long knife.

"It's a Corvette", she said. Well, I have to admit, with those sensuous, flowing lines, she may have been on to something. "It's just like a Corvette," she repeated, and shook her head. "No wonder you guys like it. Reminds you of a chick, doesn't it? It's feminine-curvy looking, and that's why you like it so much."

I'm not going there. But I was glad to get the knife back into my hands and into my pocket. A couple days later, I stopped back in with another toothpick for Grace.. a 5 1/2" BlueGrassCutlery, Goldstone celluloid Winchester. She loved it, and understands that I'm off the hook as far as tipping for a while.

Phil

 

[lt632ret]

I am fairly certain your knife was made in the Ellenvile ( old Ulster plant ). What is the exact tang marking does it have USA that would guarantee it. If not then it was made in Walden. This is a later Schrade Walden pattern they also used a Staglon version ( called the old lunker) and before that cell. They are pretty though I saw this one on ebay. Good luck with it. Your story of the waitress reminded me of a tale of a young lady who loved to date, she liked to have dinner and go dancing and in general was lovely attractive company. She did have one quirk in her nature she always told her dates to bring her a new pocket knife instead of flowers and candy if they were going to bring her a little present before they went out. She would take the knife from each one and put it in a desk drawer which was almost full. One day her boyfriend said to her "you know you are a wonderful person and real fun to be with but, what is it with the knife thing."

Her answer was that presently while she is still young a lot of men wanted her company but with the years age would come to her as with all mortals. She said she liked being single and had no plans to ever marry. He said yes, yes, but what about the knives? she said she was saving the knives until she was old and her looks had faded, because she had found out years ago there is nothing a 16 year old boy will not do for a new pocket knife. LT

 

[textoothpk]

Thanks, LT. I had just "bought it now" on ebay, it having only been listed for an hour or something like that. I'll post the complete tang stamps when I get it. As part of my texas toothpick collection, I'm trying to get one classic yellow fishing knife from every manufacturer. I'm hoping this is an Ellenville blade. I try to put a little thought and effort into my collecting by constantly seeking the best and oldest example from each maker.

I have one of the 'Old Lunkers', I like how Schrade choose to make it with no bolsters. Adds a little interest and variety to my collection. The handle is, of course, 'Staglon' which is OK in that I imagine real stag without bolsters, with the extremely narrow end bolster of a t-p/fishknife would be cracked and broken.

Women and knives... I enjoyed your story. My girlfriend has in her purse a Bob Cargill designed (Blackjack made) dogleg two blade. In her typically well-educated-New England way of speaking (graduate of Williams College) she says she feels 'empowered' when she carries it.

Thanks again for the info on my new, yet undelivered, knife.

Phil