Schrade Walden Sears Craftsman SFO

Codger_64

Codger_64

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WHen I saw the 2OT going above my own idea of it's value, I zigged instead of zagged. This is a Craftsman knife I've had my eye on for years. See if you can tell what is special about it. Here is the seller's description. Not entirely accurate.

"This is a vintage Craftsman pocket knife with 4 different types of blades that look to be absolutely pristine...The knife is 3 3/4" long, and comes in a leather case that's in great shape with just a couple handling marks on it."



Michael
 
Looks to me like there is an extra blade hidden in there. 5 blades? While we are on the subject of Craftsman's, didn't you post a list at one time with the Schrade/ Sears numbers? I checked the sticky and could not find it. I picked up a #9549 Craftsman camp knife today and not sure if it is Schrade or Cammilus.
Thanks
Dave
 
Extra blade? Yas. This is a saw knife Craftsman #9555 by Schrade Walden circa 1967.

9549 - Ulster 114 Utility 4 bl. 3 5/8. (I first see it listed in1966)



Michael
 
Congrats on that saw knife, they must be pretty hard to find. The condition looks great. Yes that's my 9549, belt hook and all. I picked it up at an antique shop today for $10. I came out of the shop a happy camper with a nice camp knife.
Dave
 
For the Ulster line, they called the Delrin handle material "Bonite", and the white was "Ivoroid". There were likely several Sears numbers used for this pattern over the years. 9502, 9528, 9533, 9549... This number had an etch, that one a belt hanger, this one a different etch, that one bone or polished blades. You can see that the list is still growing. Seven pages and nowhere near complete. Confirming the numbers with production records is the hard part. That is one reason I've not published a list.

$10 for a nice complete one? Cool beans! SOme collectors would give that much or more just for the belt hanger clip! As you might imagine, along with the box, it was one of the first components to be lost or canned!

Michael
 
Thanks Michael for the information, very interesting stuff. As a history buff, I really like the historical aspects of the knives in my growing collection. Did Ulster or Shrade make any knives for Montgomery Ward? and if so, is the cross referencing of numbers any easier?
Dave
 
J.C. Penneys, Wards, Ace, True Value (Cotter), Belknap, Shapliegh, Sears, Boker, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Buck, Coast, Holub, U.S. Navy Ships Stores, Meyer Merchandise, Reynolds Tobacco, Knox, Hoffritz, Best, Carter and many others only referred to as "special customers".

A comprehensive list would be mind boggling! Easier? Well, the fewer knives a company purchased over the years, the easier it would be, given that the records are specific enough to allow it. A part of the problem with Sears is that not only were different numbers used for the same basic pattern at different times, but the same number was often recycled for different patterns.

Then enter Camillus back into the mix. Camillus records are, per Mr. Williams, not available at this time and were previously quite closely held by the company. As stated in an earlier thread, the history of Sears Roebuck and Camillus/Schrade/Ulster goes back over one hundred years.

While Sears vendor loyalty was a big factor in who provided their knives, loyalty to the Baers was often more prime to Sears. In 1972, Schrade Walden provided Sears with 149,500 knives, and Ulster 145,000. 294,500 knives is substantial in anyone's books! This was up from 254,000 in 1959.

Michael
 
WOW, I can see that there would be nothing easy about the numbering systems. Seems I would have better results matching a pattern, scales and bolsters to a manufacture than I would using the numbers. Now I just need more example knives. Lots More!!
Dave
 
9462 - Camillus four blade large equal end agate style covers, Dunlap shield (1939)
9462 - Ulster 45 Premium Stock 3 1/2"(1961)

9466 - 29G (Prov.) (1958)
9466 - Ulster 296 (1959)
9466 - Ulster 29NS (1962)

9510 - SW 142 (1958)
9510 - SW 148L Fixed blade (1959)
9510 - Ulster 916 (1964)

9521 - Camillus three blade slim premium stockman agate type covers, Dunlap shield (1939)
9521 - Ulster K50D Slim Serpentine Jackknife Stag Head 3 1/4"(1959)
9521 - Ulster Prov. (1962)

These are random from the first two of seven pages so far.

Examples? Yes, myself as well. Luckily, it does not require mint perfect specimens to do this comparison. But still, it consumes what should be my collector budget for knives of personal interest. There will be a "fire sale" of Codger knives one of these days when I am able to once again turn to my own collection!

Michael
 
Thank you, I printed that out so I won't have ask again. Don't suppose you have anything on a wards #450 on any of your lists? Short story. I recently had an x schrade employee working for me. He knew my interest in knives and kept telling me of some books he had from the engineering department, big thick books with every knife made by the company. Needless to say I bugged him every day to see the books, they never showed. I think he was using them to prolong his employment which worked for a couple of months. I finally had to let him go, he could not remember which were work days and which were party days. I sure wish it had worked out differently, the books, if they ever existed, would have been great sources.
 
DaveinNY said:
...big thick books with every knife made by the company. Needless to say I bugged him every day to see the books, they never showed...
Click to expand...

To my knowledge, no such books existed. I could be wrong, but generally speaking, once a production was done, it was done. ISC, at least until the latter days, had no interest in preserving the details of production (read: money) gone by. I'll ask around, but unless the guy was a top engineer for many of those years (and would now likely be to old to be a 'partier'), he was just yanking your chain.

No, Wards records are sparse. Camillus actually made more knives for Wards. Perhaps CAMCO can tell us if you show detailed pictures.

Michael
 
He was just a kid, late 30's and I figured as much, I let him stay longer than I should have, hoping for an opertunity to see such books. Although he did mention that his Father and Uncles were long time Schrade employees. He did say that each page had schematic views, like a gun part schematic.
 
He may not have really been in possession of the books, but his description of them doesn't sound like something he made up out of the thin air.

Excuse me while I get ready for the Easter Bunny's visit. ;)
 
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