Schrade with 1095 steel?

Well to be frank I'm still an 8OT user...always will be.I just think a $27-$29 (back then) Old Timer 8OT was a finer knife than a Case knife...

*Delrin is far more durable than bone and the sawcuts feel good.The yellow delrin of a CV bladed Case stockman is untextured

*Schrade had a sleeker look and I liked the longer sheepsfoot blade

*A long pull nail-nick on the clip-point by Schrade USA was much nicer as Case doesn't do this

*If Old Timer knives weren't possible to acquire I could get by just fine on Case's CV Steel.Schrade's 1095 Tool Steel was fantastic though!

*Case may have a richer snap but it's still a non locking knife meaning you still have to treat it equally

*A Schrade was functional in sharpness so initial presentation wasn't as good as Case.3 or 4 licks though across a stone and it's ready to go.

Yeah Case knives were ridiculously overpriced versus Schrade USA.The only time I was taken by a Case knife was a 6392 Stockman knife from 1984 bearing the 'New Grind' I was gifted many years ago...loved the blades.Of course the jigged bone scales have not been so kind to butterfingers.
 
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Frotier76 said:
Well to be frank I'm still an 8OT user...always will be.I just think a $27-$29 (back then) Old Timer 8OT was a finer knife than a Case knife...
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I agree. Better steel (or better treatment), better finished and fitted parts, and a consistency almost on par with Victorinox.
What Case offers, more attractive and varied handle material choices.
 
Bottom line: Find a US-made Old Timer on the big auction site that DOESN'T say "Schrade+" and it's very very very very likely to be 1095. Find one with a little patina and maybe bit of pocket wear, and you're likely to save a lot of money. There are still great Old Timers out there looking to be put to work.
 
Frotier76 said:
I haven't found any of the Old Timer pocket knives to be in stainless steel.I won't state that the stainless 'bait and switch' claim for the slipjoints is untrue because the pocket knives were really slow sellers versus the modern knives taking popularity.So it probably took a few more years to siphon out all the remaining stock of the 1095 bladed pocket knives in stores.
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Bob W said:
I don't believe the 34OT or 8OT were ever stainless, except for maybe a limited edition at some point or due to an occasional factory error. The 34OT was the most-produced knife in Schrade's history, and the 8OT was certainly up there. As long as the tang stamp says USA, you should be good to go.
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Hickory n steel said:
I'd have to agree with you as my 34OT came from Walmart in around '04 and has carbon steel blades ( the overall quality isn't the best, but the steel is excellent )
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I recently posted a weak acid bath demonstration showing that some of the Old Timer pocket knives were in fact stainless, including the 34OT. They're out there. It's unfortunate for many reasons. At the time, it was extremely confusing and there wasn't much info available. I loved their 1095 stock knives. And I probably would have bought more Old Timer knives back then but I got a couple in stainless and lost confidence in buying their knives.

Frotier76 said:
Well to be frank I'm still an 8OT user...always will be.I just think a $27-$29 (back then) Old Timer 8OT was a finer knife than a Case knife...

*Delrin is far more durable than bone and the sawcuts feel good.The yellow delrin of a CV bladed Case stockman is untextured

*Schrade had a sleeker look and I liked the longer sheepsfoot blade

*A long pull nail-nick on the clip-point by Schrade USA was much nicer as Case doesn't do this

*If Old Timer knives weren't possible to acquire I could get by just fine on Case's CV Steel.Schrade's 1095 Tool Steel was fantastic though!

*Case may have a richer snap but it's still a non locking knife meaning you still have to treat it equally

*A Schrade was functional in sharpness so initial presentation wasn't as good as Case.3 or 4 licks though across a stone and it's ready to go.

Yeah Case knives were ridiculously overpriced versus Schrade USA.The only time I was taken by a Case knife was a 6392 Stockman knife from 1984 bearing the 'New Grind' I was gifted many years ago...loved the blades.Of course the jigged bone scales have not been so kind to butterfingers.
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I also still use my Old Timer knives. Wish Schrade was still around making these knives.

Back then it was not uncommon to find them on clearance for half of retail. That puts them in the Rough Rider range today. Prices are different now that they are "collectible".

I think this comparison is pretty impressive. They were a very good value back then.

supratentorial said:
Some photos of a Schrade USA 8OT and GEC 81 for comparison.





http://s171.photobucket.com/user/supratentorial/media/fs/IMG_3486_zpsahephlr9.jpg.html
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http://s171.photobucket.com/user/supratentorial/media/fs/IMG_3486_zpsahephlr9.jpg.html
 
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Yep, there are always oddballs. And in my experience, that one's an oddball. But I'm not dipping my knives in acid to find out. :)
They perhaps used blanks from the Uncle Henry pile. There were also some Limited Edition 34OT knives done in stainless as well. Could have easily been a left-over blank from one of those runs.
 
An acid test is not required. I only did it for demonstration. I couldn't think of a better way of proving it then a very over the top demo. I thought it would eliminate doubt. But even now there are folks claiming they probably don't exist. I've owned many examples.

If one has experience with knives, they'll notice the difference when they sharpen the blades. Or you could just cut an apple to get some patina.
 
supratentorial said:
I recently posted a weak acid bath demonstration showing that some of the Old Timer pocket knives were in fact stainless, including the 34OT. They're out there. It's unfortunate for many reasons. At the time, it was extremely confusing and there wasn't much info available. I loved their 1095 stock knives. And I probably would have bought more Old Timer knives back then but I got a couple in stainless and lost confidence in buying their knives.



I also still use my Old Timer knives. Wish Schrade was still around making these knives.

Back then it was not uncommon to find them on clearance for half of retail. That puts them in the Rough Rider range today. Prices are different now that they are "collectible".

I think this comparison is pretty impressive. They were a very good value back then.
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Mine was 14$ at the time ( I didn't buy it but someone did and forgot about it before even opening it, so when I found it laying around I kept it )
 
Hickory n steel said:
Mine was 14$ at the time ( I didn't buy it but someone did and forgot about it before even opening it, so when I found it laying around I kept it )
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The 8OT is still one of my preferred users even to this day. I have prettier and more expensive knives. But functionally, the 8OT is just fine.
 
Oh no Jake I wasn't suggesting that Old Timer slipjoints weren't in the Plus Steel(stainless).It's just that the last time I bought an 8OT in Wal-Mart back in 1999/2000 in the dark and light blue striped packaging it was in 1095.A couple that I've bought on 'the bay' in the same packaging style a few years after Schrade USA went out of business I bought with a few tell-tale pepper spots to relieve my suspicion.I guess in this time period the stainless started making it's way in the early 2000's on the pocket knives.I would bet that 34OT you show in the vertical Schrade blue letter packaging is in Plus Steel...I noticed the blade steel isn't mentioned on that clampack.
 
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Well the Plus Steel I'd say it depends what you're doing with it as I found it to be decent for cleaning game and cutting natural materials.For that reason I do have a few full-tang blades in Schrade USA's Stainless.As a pocket knife steel stainless is just too soft.You get edge roll and constantly have to strop it,dulls a lot quicker.You can get it sharp but not ultra sharp like the 1095...you give up a lot for rust resistance.
 
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I agree. I had a strong personal preference for their 1095.

I wish you could still get those old peach seed bone carbon steel Schrades from Sears! :)

supratentorial said:
Very nice, Jack! I have a Schrade Craftsman knife on the way. I bought it from KJ on the BF Exchange. :thumbup: A few more goodies on the way also.

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Isn't that actually an 881 model? I know it's not 880 because it doesn't have the Kon-Kav grind.See now I'm curious as hell why Schrade Walden was getting selective on between using straight and notched long pull nail nicks.
 
supratentorial said:
Here is the original packaging for the stainless 34OT shown in the demo.

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Interesting. That's the last pre-Taylor Schrade package design. I've always heard that Schrade was transitioning Old Timers to stainless at the very end, but never dreamed it would happen to the 34OT. :(
You might find more info about this at the Schrade Collectors sub-forum. I vaguely recall a knowledgeable regular contributor quoting a Schrade employee about the transition. Sorry I don't have more details than that.
 
Yes, I agree, tha carbon Bladed Schrades are just fantastic - for a Blue Collar working mans knife- they actually exceeded themselves, the Carbon are getting very collectable in their own right.
In saying that, I still like the schrade Stainless, they are good knives as well, and the Stainless - well for me has never let me down and I havent read a lot of pooh-hooing about the SS either
 
Schrade's stainless definitely had its place (in packages marked stainless steel ;) ).

The link has a lot of information. There are also some funny(?) anecdotes... like they had hoped that if they changed the steel without changing the stamps maybe people wouldn't notice. ...and that they had complaints from some folks about the 1095 rusting after cutting an apple. Some folks had apparently thought it was inferior for that reason. I've heard similar complaints about more recent knives. I suppose some folks only have prior experience with stainless steel. A lot of modern knives are stainless.

The stainless steel Uncle Henry and Schrade made Buck 301 were very popular knives.

 
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