Some Schrade thoughts.

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OTguy

Joined
May 31, 2004
Messages
445
When I started accumulating Schrades, I did so for a couple of reasons. One was that they are quality knives at reasonable prices, another was that they were plentiful and inexpensive(for the most part), and another was that they appealed to my sense of what a traditional, American knife should be. The only thing that has changed recently is the price factor. I buy alot of my knives off ebay and I know lots of you guys do also. The prices that most Schrades are going for now have really shot up, as I'm sure you noticed. Now I realize that we have supply and demand working here, but the only thing is that I don't believe there is a real supply issue with some of the more common models, just a perception that there are only a few 34OT's(or whatever) left on the market and paying 30$ for one is still a good deal. Don't misunderstand me, 30$ for a 34OT isn't a bad price for a good knife, but as recently as August this model and other common models were going begging for 10-15$ new. This past summer I bought a new 8OT, 6OT, 34OT, X-TIMER lockback, and even a barely used 156OT and the high bid for all of these was 10$ ! What most folks may not know is that Schrade had been cranking these things out decades and that there are probably millions in circulation, making only the rarer ones in good condition truly collectable. If this sounds like a rant, then its only because I'm frustrated with having to try to fill in my collection while competing with speculators and uninformed buyers, but I guess thats the free market at work and I'll have to deal with it.

That brings me to the next part: I've strayed from my Schrade buying and have started picking up some German made knives. Bokers, Anton Wingen, Otter brand, looking at some Eye brand stuff too. I hear the shouts of Heritic! from the background, but the hard truth is that I'm just trying to get the best traditional stuff with good craftsmanship and steel for for the most reasonable price I can, free market at work again. Don't run me out of here yet, still plenty of Old Timers on my watch list and I'll pull the trigger if the price is right, but I have expanded my horizens a little bit.

How about the rest of ya'll? Be honest, I fessed up and you guys are still talking to me. Right?
 
Still talking to ya, OT guy? Of course. Ya can't be angry with someone speaking the truth, even if said truth hurts. You make some excellent points. And any kinda hobby should be fun, enjoyable. If some aspect of it is making it less pleasurable, then it's time to move, or shift. And in knife collecting, that is easy. All you have to do is change to collecting a different pattern, handle type. Or country of origin. As per my screen name, I mainly collect Texas Toothpicks. Schrades have always been secondary, although my interest in them has grown since I became involved in this particular forum.

Prices for even common Schrade knives had gone up, way up, artificially up in my opinion. I have written here recently that I think they will go back down when people come to realize that. In the meantime, I have noticed that the prices of my favorite pattern-- the toothpick-- have gone down. Way down, as much as the price of Schrades.. even recently made ones! have gone up. I'm taking advantage of this, as I have always tried to make my collecting pay for itself via buying and selling and trading. Those duplicate Schrades of mine, as well as some bargain prices ones I've just picked up, are doing real well on and off ebay. To tell the truth, it almost hurts my conscience. Almost.

But I can understand how that is hurting some really dedicated Schrade collectors. Sure, the value of their collection has gone up, but the price of filling in that hole or two has also risen. I don't think that is fair, but it is life, and the free market at work. Just as you hope we're not holding your words against you, I hope I am not branded a Carpet-Bagging-Mercenary.

I have some of the German knives you mention, in the toothpick pattern... Eye, Bulldog, Boker, ect. Fine pieces. You'll have fun with them, and find the prices reasonable, the quality in most cases high. But unless you wanna pay Spark to change your Forum ID here, we've still gottcha, "OTguy" and I imagine you'll be a steady visitor here. So keep checking in, whatever you do, and remember, the rules are loose here, you only need to mention 'Schrade' in any post you make to remain a member in good standing!

Phil
 
I´ve been buying foreign knives for years, mostly from the USA, LOL.

The story of Boker (and the Boker brothers) is interesting, from the 1820´s in Germany, to New York, Canada and Mexico (Casa Boker in an old Building in downtown Mexico city is still in business), today also manufacturing in Argentina.

I wouldn´t feel too bad about buying Boker which has offices and a big market in the USA and around the world, also makes many of the other known German brands.

Some of the History of Boker:

http://www.aficionado-a-havanas.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/boystoys.html

I have Boker and I have Schrade, I have Buck and Camillus and Kabar, I have Gerber, Spyderco, SOG and Cold Steel, I have Kershaw, I have Aitor and Muela I have Laguiole and Opinel, and hopefully I´ll have Canal Street Cutlery too.

And not to be Heretic, I also have a Mexican Bowie form the Aragon family in Oaxaca.

Luis
 
I have a '64 Ford F-100 and a '67 Ford F-100 and belong to a collector club for them. But my construction truck is a Chevy. I see no great conflict there or in appreciating good knives of whatever manufacture. I use Old Hickory carbon blades almost exclusivly in the kitchen, which are made by Ontario, if I am not mistaken. (The wife still absconds with my Schrade Woodsman 165OT when cutting meat!) And my "workhorse" knife is a Camillus produced U.S. army pocketknife that is built like a tank. None of these other knives prevent me from collecting and enjoying my Schrades. I am likely to also procure the Camillus produced repops of the Schrade knives in time.

Luis Quote: "And not to be Heretic, I also have a Mexican Bowie form the Aragon family in Oaxaca."

Surely you have a scan of this knife! I am sure there are some excellent cutlers in Mexico, but their art is seldom seen here!
 
Codger_64 said:
...Surely you have a scan of this knife...
Click to expand...
Here you can see something from José Ojeda in Jalisco, I´ll have to get a picture of my Bowie later:

http://cultura.iteso.mx/c3/03a/metalisteria.html

Luis

Edited to add a picture of my liitle knife:

180ieb
 
Beautiful! Great deep engraving! Nicely done handle too! I certainly see no heracy in appreciating that type of skillful art! I would not mind having him rework one of my Schrade fixed hunters, but that most guys like that want to start from scratch with their own design. And then there is the little problem that their work is worth much more than my humble budget allows!
 
I absolutely agree. The "rush" on Old Timers is jacking the prices artificially. Once everyone that wants one has one, the prices will likely drop and definitely stabilize. There were just too darned many of them made to ever become truely "rare." They were sold by the millions...

$30 for a recent production Old Timer is crazy. SMKW has many models in stock from $9 - $15, including the 34OT.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
Just thought I'd update this a little. Ordered some of the closeouts from SMKW a week ago and they arrived today. A 194OT and ... well I'm not sure what to call it. It could be a 97OT Buzzsaw trapper, thats what the tang stamp says, except it has UH stag-derlin instead of brown and doesn't have the pick and tweezers. We know that it was probably put together at the end out of what was on hand, but I think it should have a proper designation. How about 97UH? Maybe someone more familiar with Schrades designation system will have something more accurate. No complaints though, both knives are put together well, good snap, liner locks well fit. Nice to know the quality was still there right up to the end. I feel better now with 2 new Schrades in hand, sorry about the earlier rant.
 
Only two!? After ordering one of each of the available OldTimers, I placed a second order for a bunch of the under-five-dollar Imperial knives, and another OldTimer they added to the inventory.

I see that second knife you're talking about. I didn't order one, but it's a good buy. Where else you gonna get a 4-1/8" pocket knife with 1095 steel for $13? Since it has an OT blade stamp, but a UH body, perhaps that'll be one of the future collectables.

You can read some of my posts in other topics about the quality of the last SMKW OldTimers. My results were the same as your's.

I sure wish they had the Senior Stockman available. The Bearhead Trapper and Green Bruin are unavailable again, glad I got mine. I suspect some knives will swing from unavailable to available and back again as they unpack and sort the knives.

The X-Timer drop point is still $41. The other X-Timers, even the larger Camp Knife, are $15. I like the drop point, but don't want one that bad. I suspect if there are any closeout of the Drop Point, they won't be made available until the full-price stock have sold. I noticed the last mail catalog didn't have any of the closeouts, but was full of the Seconds, which are priced higher.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
I have also ordered several knives lately before they are all gone. I think I placed three orders in the last 2 weeks. My take on the knife you described as being a 97OT is that it was destined to be a Ducks Unlimited knife (SDU6CP). If you check the Schrade website you will see what I mean. I ordered that one too. Still waiting on it. I also ordered what appears to be a Federal Duck Stamp knife that never made it out with the tin and etching. If there is a silver lining to Schrade's closing, it is the opportunity to get some of the quality limited edition knives without the limited edition price.
 
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