Sears-Schrade A.C.A Edge? Was it actually a different edge or just hype?

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Dave Thinkstoomuch

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Looking over all of Rolands super-fine Sears knives made me wonder about this again. I'm sure the Sears knives with the A.C.A. Edge had Amazing Cutting Action but what professionally sharpened knife doesn't when it's brand new.

Were the Sears A.C.A knives any different than the "normal" Schrade brand production knives?
 
This is a question I have asked several times over the years and still not found a difinitive answer. Sears brochures refer to it as "Amazing Cutting Action". Schrade internal build sheets call for A.C.A. Edge as a part of the process on some knives, many of which are not Sears knives. I find no trademark listed for this in TESS. Perhaps Eric knows or can can ask one of the former Schrade principals or workers. My personal opinion is that it refers to a particular type of edge finish. Perhaps something like "Acute Cutting Angle", but that is supposition.

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Codger_64 said:
This is a question I have asked several times over the years and still not found a difinitive answer. Sears brochures refer to it as "Amazing Cutting Action". Schrade internal build sheets call for A.C.A. Edge as a part of the process on some knives, many of which are not Sears knives. I find no trademark listed for this in TESS. Perhaps Eric knows or can can ask one of the former Schrade principals or workers. My personal opinion is that it refers to a particular type of edge finish. Perhaps something like "Acute Cutting Angle", but that is supposition.

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Thanks Codger, I always ask myself this as well whenever I see one and no amount of "googleing" seems to get me an answer either. Oh, well. It was worth a shot. I wondered if they put something different like the "Razor Blade Stainless" bevel on these bigger knives. "Amazing Cutting Action" doesn't tell you much about what makes them that way.
 
The A.C.A edge was accomplished with a very coarse belt grind at a fairly low angle, followed by high speed buffing on a cloth wheel. The micro serrations caused by the belt coupled with the stropping action of the buff made for a very sharp blade. They had to be careful not to overbuff or the requisite grind lines would be polished out. Obviously this type of edge was better suited for the larger knives.

Eric
 
I've also wondered re: the ACA edge

Eric - Very good description!!
Would you mind please explaining just a little further on why the edge was better suited to the larger knives?
It's just not clicking in for me? :confused:
THANKS!!

-- Howie
 
Howie, it's a fairly rough grind, I think it was done on around an 80 grit belt. That'd eat into a smaller blade ( I mean pocket knife size) in no time flat, plus you had to really lean into the buff to polish the edge, which would also ruin a smaller blade, and likely losen the pivot to boot.. Nowadays the small knives are done in much the same way, but with a much finer grit and paper wheels for the buff. Wanna see a ridiculously sharp edge? When the guys buff the blades before assembly at the shop, they'll often take enough material off near the tip to actually put an edge on the blade. It's crazy sharp, like a scalpel!

Eric
 
ea42 said:
The A.C.A edge was accomplished with a very coarse belt grind at a fairly low angle, followed by high speed buffing on a cloth wheel. The micro serrations caused by the belt coupled with the stropping action of the buff made for a very sharp blade. They had to be careful not to overbuff or the requisite grind lines would be polished out. Obviously this type of edge was better suited for the larger knives.

Eric
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Thank you Eric, mystery solved.
 
I recently aquired Sears Craftsman 95078 A.C.A. EDGE.

Just some information I uncovered.

Sears applied for the A.C.A. EDGE Trademark on Jun 16 1972 according to the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office Volume 917.

According to TESS it was registered on Dec 23 1973 and canceled on July 22nd 1980.

For those that want to see for themselves the registration number is 0975439.

PDF of the Principal Register Trademark

https://tsdrsec.uspto.gov/ts/cd/casedoc/sn80975439/ORC20051119074110/download.pdf
 
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That's got to be inaccurate.If you look at any of the Sears/Craftsman 100th Anniversary pocket knives from 1986...they do mention the A.C.A. Edge on the packaging.Canceled trademark yes, but they had to have been advertising and applying that edge at least up to 1990.The only thing I didn't like about the A.C.A. Edge was it was a wide edge angle and on stainless steel took quite a bit to reprofile a narrower edge versus a thinly ground Schrade.I'm going to say contracted knives from Sears offered in the A.C.A. Edge were specifically made by Camillus as they possess an identical edge geometry.You remember their old slogan 'Camillus has the edge'.
 
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If your referring to my post what exactly is it that you find inaccurate? The two sources of US government trademark info?
 
What I find inaccurate is you assuming that because Sears canceled the trademark use of the A.C.A. Edge in 1980...that they ceased the edging process the marketing the A.C.A. Edge.You can argue all you want or you can look at Sears/Craftsman knives made after 1980 still in their blister pack on Ebay and see for yourself.
 
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You need to reread my post.

I made no assumptions about when Sears stopped anything.

I posted linked documents with from the US patent office and paraphrased the information when the trademark was applied for and when it was canceled.

You made all the other assumptions on your own.

Sears very well could have continued the edging process and etching far beyond its official ownership of the trademark.


Frotier76 said:
What I find inaccurate is you assuming that because Sears canceled the trademark use of the A.C.A. Edge in 1980...that they ceased the edging process the marketing the A.C.A. Edge.You can argue all you want or you can look at Sears/Craftsman knives made after 1980 still in their blister pack on Ebay and see for yourself.
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When I bought my set of Seas ACA kitchen knifes back in the 1970's it was advertised as made by Buck. I still use them, they are good knifes. I am a casual user, not a chef.
 
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