Schrade

Imho they are decent knives. A lot of people do not like them because they're made in China. But to me they are pretty good users. Just know that you are not getting anything special.
 
It probably depends on whether you are asking about the original Schrade knife company which went bankrupt and closed its doors in 2004 or the current line of Chinese knives imported under the Schrade name.

The Schrade company was a classic American knife company which produced knifes in the US from 1904 to 2004. They had a good reputation for quality. Unfortunately they went out of business in 2004 and all of their assets were sold in a liquidation auction. Taylor LLC, a knife importer, purchased the trademarks and patents at the auction. They now import knives from China bearing the Schrade name.

I don't have any experience with Taylor knives, but the actual Schrade knives where pretty good.
 
Schrade used to be pretty awesome. I've bought lots of their sharpfingers and their 110 copies. I think they were called "cave bears"?

Anyway, they used to be good stuff. Anymore, not so much... But I have seen a couple of ok blades. Good value for what you get in a couple of their recent fixed blades.
 
They love to copy existing designs now, almost to the last grind angle and shape. The old US made Schrade was good, the new... Not so much. Do a quick search, you will find a lot of interesting discussions.
 
They are now pretty much Chinese made knives with a famous trademark in the knife world. They aren't terrible knives now. The old Schrade USA knives were pretty good. My Schrade 110-like knife was my favorite user for years in the field. Bought it from a knife salesman in Laredo Texas.
 
seth.vanfossen,
What do you think of Schrade ? Of the current Knife manufacturer's out there, what percentage of their knives do you think, are made in Taiwan or China ?
 
I wouldn't buy any now for the reasons mentioned above, but I have 2 US made Schrades from the 80s (wow, getting old when that doesn't seem like that long ago) that are very good knives. An LB7 and PH2 given to me by my Dad. Both were used heavily and processed a lot of deer. No lock rock or side-to-side whatsoever on the LB7 and I was never gentle with it.
 
I don't want to go on *too* much of a rant here, but

The new Schrades are the epitome of what I see as the real issue I have with Chinese knives. A USA manufacturer goes out of business, the name is bought, and a (usually much) lesser product is made offshore. People then continue to buy the product expecting the original quality.

If this is not simple deception, why not just produce the product under a different name.
 
seth.vanfossen said:
What does everyone think of Schrade?
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I collect the original Old Timer knives: Excellent carbon steel, expansive choice of models, ultra-durable handles, and build with a consistent level of qualities matched by few other companies in that price range.

The new Old Timers, not so great. The carbon steel replaced by low-end stainless. The plastic handles don't have the 'warmth' or 'depth' of the old dyed Delrin. And according to most comparison reviews, the build quality of the modern imports does not measure up to the originals.
 
I have a few of the newer Schrade Old Timers and they're not bad. In fact, they're pretty darn good. I had read so much bad about them, I was reluctant to give them a try. Just as an experiment, I ordered one along with the same pattern in an American made brand and another Chinese made brand that has received high praise on these forums. Of the three knives, the Chinese Schrade had the best fit and seemed the more solid knife. Since then, I've bought several more and they've all been pretty nice knives. They're not up to the quality of Case or Queen but they are definitely worth their low prices if you just need a knife to run hard and put up wet.

None of their more modern designs interest me so I can't comment on them. However, I can predict that Benchmade, Spyderco and ZT have nothing to worry about from Schrade's competition.
 
I really like the USA old timers. A friend of mine broke his, so I made him a way stronger "interpretation" of one! :D

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Love the brand. My experiences with the SCH303M and a few of their slipjoints. I'll be honest the quality on some of their really low end knives can be iffy but they have a great budget line of folders. And their fixed blades are also really cool.
 
before doing anything else I recommend everyone, yes even our mods take time to read this link http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/622355-Elusive-Schrades?p=6517088#post6517088. I think your eyes will see what has been over posted here many times. The OP's question has been responded to many times here on BF, and the attached thread does an excellent job of showing what many fail to realize. Owning a real schrade is an honor and a source of great pride.
 
But the original Schrade company and the original Old Timer knife are gone. They made really great knives but they don't exist anymore. The current company that is Schrade makes good knives but they suffer because people compare them to the original and fail to accept them for what they are, good working budget knives for today's working person. And that's the concept of the original Schrade Old Timers. The original company is gone but the concept continues.

I can wax as nostalgic as the next guy, especially since I recently found my father's Schrade Old Timer pocket knife, almost 50 years after his death. It was rusty and neglected but I will treasure it forever. There are many wonderful memories attached to that knife and my relationship with my father. Old farts like us have lots of great memories.
 
I do kind of like their hollow handle fixed blades that are milled from a single piece of steel, but I can't comment on the quality as I've never done more than hold one at a store.
 
Lee48 said:
But the original Schrade company and the original Old Timer knife are gone. They made really great knives but they don't exist anymore.
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But their old knives still exist. In the millions. And they can often still be had at great prices.

I paid less than $13 for this Schrade Walden 834 six months ago. Now belongs to a coworker.
Schrade%2520Walden%2520834%2520Open.JPG
 
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