Tang Stamp Question

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Mar 19, 2008
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Is there a significant reason why there are different Tang Stamps on Schrade-Walden Fixed Blades?

For example, on the same patterned knife, i.e. 141, 147, 148, so on. I have seen two and three line tang stamps. The pattern number on the opposite side of the name by itself. The Tang stamp on the opposite blade side than other like knives.

All the tang stamp variations fascinate me.

Jackie
 
The significant thing about the stamps is they are Schrade. Back in the 50's and 60's, the Schrade Walden management decided there was a need to have a specialist whose job description included making it thought provoking, confusing and perplexing for anal knife collectors 50 years later. They hired well. I share your facination.
 
If there is a reason, significant or otherwise, for the left-handed tang stamps of some of the earlier SW sheath knives, it escapes us here in this new century. Perhaps a hint lies in the early left-handed sheaths not uncommon earlier, less common later. Why left-handed sheaths? I've asked a lot of folks including Mr. Levine and no one knows for sure. Conjecture ranges from the idea of wearing a sidearm on the right, to clearance for right hand carry of a longarm (rifle or shotgun), to just simply a fad of fashion with users of the earlier era. It does make sense to use a left-hand stamp with a left hand sheath (presentation of the maker mark upon drawing the knife), but... why use them with right hand sheaths?

Why split the marks between the two sides? We could make a guess. SFO's such as those for Sears etc. seldom used the SW pattern numbers, and by adding them to the off-side the same blanks could be used for either SW or SFO. I have several examples where the pattern number is an off-side etch. The Craftsman mark did not appear on pocketknives until the WWII era and then as a blade etch, not a stamp. That came later. And the use of Craftsman stamps on sheath knives came much later, 1960's approximately. Until then custom etches were used with standard SW tang stamps even on Ted Williams knives. Speaking of which, Ted Williams knives were made from circa 1961 thru the late 1970's. Have you ever seen one stamped Ted Williams either in block text or signature replica? Why not?

Michael
 
Michael,

Again, thank you for the information. This may sound like a dumb question. How do you judge which is the right and left side?

Jackie
 
When you hold a knife out in front of you with the blade edge down, the right side is blade right. The left side is blade left. Maybe there is a more technical term to use and maybe a better way to explain it, but this is how I think of them. For instance, the first Schrade Walden 165's were all marked blade left. Then just before the change to Schrade Cutlery Corporation, the mark moved to blade right where it remained. The 15OT pattern was first marked on both sides with the pattern and serial on blade left. It all migrated to blade right later, first on the tang then up near the thumb notches. The 152 was always on tang right. Except... when the Kresge SFO's were made and the entire art (etch and scrim) switched to blade left as well as the tang marks (pattern numbers inverted too). These were the K-Mart Scrimshaws.

The Schrade Manager of the Department Of Confusion sometimes worked overtime. :D

Michael
 
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