Taylor-Schrade Traditionals: Your Opinions, Reviews and Overviews

[Tdhurl1103]

I stopped in at a flea market yesterday and ran across a table that had many knives. Most were modern folders from the likes of M-tech and other cheap convenience store knife brands. I think you all know the types I'm talking about. Anyway, I wasn't interested in those, but I also noticed the table had some Imperial Schrade traditionals. I like Imperial (well, the older stuff, ie made in the USA from Providence). These offerings from Schrade looked rather nice, and I could tell they were brand new. The price ranges were from 14 to 30 dollars.

Now, I like cheap knives. Heck, who doesn't? And, I considered getting one, but I balked. I didn't know much about them at all. I know Taylor Brands/Schrade's newer stuff is all foreign made (China/Taiwan maybe) but I had never seen, at least on BFC or even in some online store, the Imperial Schrade traditionals. I was curious about what materials/steel they used. So, after I got home I looked online at Taylor Brands and saw these knives are made in China from the typical lower lower-end stainless steels (not even 8cr13mov).

I also came on BFC and did a search which didn't garner any real informative results.

Since frequenting this sub I have learned many of us, me included, do have a respect and love for some of the cheap knives from brands like Rough Rider, Imperial (USA), Colt and Winchester, but I was wondering your thoughts on the Imperial Schrade.

Thanks for any replies

 

[afishhunter]

I have a couple of the Taylor-Schrades. An Uncle Henry LB7, (two) Old Timer 7OT, and a 4 blade Imperial Congress.
The 440A (or equivalent) steel they use is quite good. It takes and holds a shaving sharp edge, and is easy to touch up on a ceramic rod or a strop. I've never had to take mine to a stone.
They come sharp out if the box, mine have no blade wobble open or closed, the blades are well centered. The Congress has very minor blade rub on two of the blades (expected with that pattern). No gaps or very small gaps between the springs and liners (cigarette paper wide gaps, at worst).
I have a couple pre-Taylor Schrades, as well. In my opinion, the new made are just as good as the old, and in a couple cases, the new are better than the old; no Swinden (spelling?) Key construction.

 

[5K Qs]

I stopped in at a flea market yesterday and ran across a table that had many knives. Most were modern folders from the likes of M-tech and other cheap convenience store knife brands. I think you all know the types I'm talking about. Anyway, I wasn't interested in those, but I also noticed the table had some Imperial Schrade traditionals. I like Imperial (well, the older stuff, ie made in the USA from Providence). These offerings from Schrade looked rather nice, and I could tell they were brand new. The price ranges were from 14 to 30 dollars.
...
Since frequenting this sub I have learned many of us, me included, do have a respect and love for some of the cheap knives from brands like Rough Rider, Imperial (USA), Colt and Winchester, but I was wondering your thoughts on the Imperial Schrade.

Thanks for any replies

Tdhurl, like you, I'm a fan of old Imperials and current Rough Riders and Colts. Also like you, I've wondered about current Taylor Schrade Imperials. In fact, last night I ordered a large and a small Imperial cracked ice canoe and a yellow-handled Imperial small sodbuster. Maybe I can tell you more in a week or two.

One thing I can tell you is that $14-$30 is WAY over the prices I've seen at online dealers. All three knives I just ordered were under $7 each.

- GT

 

[Modoc ED]

This thread " Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints" has a lot of information about all knives in this class - not just Rough Rider. I got a couple of the new Schrades for a nephew for his birthday. They were well made (fit and finish) and the nephew seems to like the steel. I taught him how to sharpen a few years ago and he can sharpen them up pretty good and they hold a good edge. I forget what I paid for them but since we don't talk prices here it doesn't matter.

Having said all that, I think the Rough Rider and the Colt knives are the best ones from China. Very nice knives and pretty good steel.

 

[Tdhurl1103]

Thanks guys for the information so far. Yeah, I thought there might have been a bit of markup, considering where I was. Anyway, I've been in the Rough Rider thread, which is where I learned to appreciate them. I just didn't see much concerning the Imperial Schrades so thought I'd ask for a bit more detail.

I think it's very cool Ed, that you introduced these blades to your nephew. I was thinking of getting a few of these.....or perhaps the RRs for my son as well. He already has a SAK Cadet that he uses periodically.

 

[edbeau]

Knives that I collect include Imperial Frontier knives. These knives were made by Camillus for Schrade. They are very well made knives and were not budget knives. They were stopped when the Old Timer series came out.

Picture is of the 4" Stockmans

 

[edbeau]

More information on the Imperial Frontier Series can be found here http://www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us/frontiers/index.htm

 

[Mr. Chips]

I have used the Chinese made Imperial Schrade knives quite a bit in the last couple of years, and I am impressed. These are good knives.

I have modified several and used them for extensive whittlin'/carving, and for that purpose they are great. They take and hold a good edge, and the fit and finish is very good. I like the fact that the blades (at least in the 4" Stockman), are thin. For my style of whittlin' that is a real plus.

Try one. I think you will like it

 

[Will Power]

This China made Schrade 3 OT lockback arrived last week. It cost a lot less than those figures you quoted. Fit&finish very good, no blade play at all, smooth lock-up, pins nicely domed. Glamour it is not but then, the original US made OT knives were not either, nor were they supposed to be. But inexpensive and tough as they were meant to be. I've seen some eye watering prices demanded for some US made OTs and I frankly can't see the justification apart from some odd nostalgia factor. I also have one of these Chinese 3 OTs in Buffalo Horn and it's a really decent item.

I tend to agree with Ed and GT, Rough Rider is the more varied and interesting low priced knife company, some examples are very satisfying knives indeed, these Schrades are no nonsense workhorse types worth looking into.

 

[knarfeng]

Since frequenting this sub I have learned many of us, me included, do have a respect and love for some of the cheap knives from brands like Rough Rider, Imperial (USA), Colt and Winchester, but I was wondering your thoughts on the Imperial Schrade.

Thanks for any replies

You should change the thread title. "Imperial Schrade" is not "Taylor Schrade".

So, after I got home I looked online at Taylor Brands and saw these knives are made in China from the typical lower lower-end stainless steels (not even 8cr13mov).

Taylor Scrhade uses two alloys
7Cr16MoV used in the Delrin models.
9Cr17MoV used in the Bone models

7CrMoV is about a dead match for 440A in composition. 440A is what Schrade-USA used. So this is not "lower end", but rather "equivalent to what Schrade USA used".

9Cr17MoV is reasonably close to 440C in composition.

Oddly enough, last month I got rather curious about the Taylor Schrades. I bought a pair of Uncle Henry 834UH Ranchers.
One made by the original Schrade-US
One made by Taylor-Schrade
I wanted to compare side by side.

My observations are below:
►as far as "fit" goes. They are about equal. No real gaps on either. Springs are almost flat, but not quite, on both. No blade wobble on any of the blades on either knife. Equally smooth actions. Both were a bit stiff when I first got them, but both are smooth now, after cleaning, oiling and working the actions a bit. Spring strengths are about equal (4-5) on both knives.
►For "finish", the US Schrade has more nicely rounded corners on the bolster and springs. I used a Sharpmaker coarse stone to round the corners of the Taylor, and it's pretty good now. The original has a small swedge on the main blade, the Taylor does not. But the Taylor blade is thinner at that spot, so I'm not certain that a swedge was an option for them. (see crinking comments below.)
►I did some minor manila rope cutting comparisons to look at the steel performance. The Taylor is at least as good as the original. (Both last noticeably better than Case Tru-Sharp, which I ran as a comparison point.)
►I was curious how Taylor would handle crinking the sheepsfoot. The Taylor is crinked a little, but mostly it is offset. The positive part of this is that the sheepsfoot blade comes out straighter, making it easier to use. The negative is that the blades are thinner. Neither knife has blade rub, but it is possible to cause the blades on the Taylor to rub together if you push hard against them while opening the knife. You cannot do that with the Schrade. I don't normally experience blade rub when opening either knife.
►I've carried both now for a couple of weeks. In performance I can tell no difference. Now that I have rounded the corners, the fit and finish is equal. And I think I like the offset blades better than the more heavily crinked blades.

In short, the Taylor-Shrade is pretty close to a dead match for the original US-Schrade.
Schrade-US had a reputation for making excellent working knives. I think these are likewise good working knives.

 

[supratentorial]

I pretty much ignored the Uncle Henry (USA) knives and the Schrade+ (USA) knives. I'm not sure why. I never tried them. I had carbon Old Timer and vintage Schrade knives and loved them. I still use some of the Old Timer (USA) and vintage Schrade knives. I don't have any experience with the knives made in China for Taylor though I've looked over a Taylor Old Timer (China) in a retail store. My general impression was that they weren't as nicely made as the originals. I could definitely pick out flaws. I haven't seen the Taylor Uncle Henry knives.

Frank, Nice photos. Not trying to nit pick... the knives do look similar... and it's not the end of the world on a $10 knife... but the main blade on the Taylor looks really thick near the tip. That's something that I have not noticed on other Chinese made stock knives like those from Rough Rider.

 

[SAK Guy]

Thorough review Frank. Thank you!

 

[knarfeng]

I
Frank, Nice photos. Not trying to nit pick... the knives do look similar... and it's not the end of the world on a $10 knife... but the main blade on the Taylor looks really thick near the tip. That's something that I have not noticed on other Chinese made stock knives like those from Rough Rider.

Good eye. I'd not noticed till you mentioned it. The spine on the front half of the Taylor clip blade is thicker than the US Schrade. It is most noticeable at the tip. But the tips actually performed about equal for small piercing tasks. (I've carried both knives exclusively for a couple of weeks, using them for my daily cutting tasks.)

Edited to add re the $10 knife.
IMO the Taylor Schrades are closer to the US Schrades in quality and performance than any US knife currently manufactured, irregardless of price.
Decent fit and finish. GOOD 440A.
To my mind these are quite similar to the knives I grew up with in the 60's. (I never owned a bone or stag-handled knife till I started hanging out here.)

 

[Tdhurl1103]

You should change the thread title. "Imperial Schrade" is not "Taylor Schrade".



Taylor Scrhade uses two alloys
7Cr16MoV used in the Delrin models.
9Cr17MoV used in the Bone models

7CrMoV is about a dead match for 440A in composition. 440A is what Schrade-USA used. So this is not "lower end", but rather "equivalent to what Schrade USA used".

9Cr17MoV is reasonably close to 440C in composition.

Oddly enough, last month I got rather curious about the Taylor Schrades. I bought a pair of Uncle Henry 834UH Ranchers.
One made by the original Schrade-US
One made by Taylor-Schrade
I wanted to compare side by side.

My observations are below:
►as far as "fit" goes. They are about equal. No real gaps on either. Springs are almost flat, but not quite, on both. No blade wobble on any of the blades on either knife. Equally smooth actions. Both were a bit stiff when I first got them, but both are smooth now, after cleaning, oiling and working the actions a bit. Spring strengths are about equal (4-5) on both knives.
►For "finish", the US Schrade has more nicely rounded corners on the bolster and springs. I used a Sharpmaker coarse stone to round the corners of the Taylor, and it's pretty good now. The original has a small swedge on the main blade, the Taylor does not. But the Taylor blade is thinner at that spot, so I'm not certain that a swedge was an option for them. (see crinking comments below.)
►I did some minor manila rope cutting comparisons to look at the steel performance. The Taylor is at least as good as the original. (Both last noticeably better than Case Tru-Sharp, which I ran as a comparison point.)
►I was curious how Taylor would handle crinking the sheepsfoot. The Taylor is crinked a little, but mostly it is offset. The positive part of this is that the sheepsfoot blade comes out straighter, making it easier to use. The negative is that the blades are thinner. Neither knife has blade rub, but it is possible to cause the blades on the Taylor to rub together if you push hard against them while opening the knife. You cannot do that with the Schrade. I don't normally experience blade rub when opening either knife.
►I've carried both now for a couple of weeks. In performance I can tell no difference. Now that I have rounded the corners, the fit and finish is equal. And I think I like the offset blades better than the more heavily crinked blades.

In short, the Taylor-Shrade is pretty close to a dead match for the original US-Schrade.
Schrade-US had a reputation for making excellent working knives. I think these are likewise good working knives.

Looks like someone already changed it. I'm not sure why calling them Imperial is not correct here. The blades say "Imperial Schrade" and the tang stamp says Imperial. And those were the ones I saw and inquired about with this thread.

Was I not correct in assuming the Taylor Schrade Imperials were vestiges of the Imperial Knife Company from Providence RI?

A link to the knives I am talking about in my OP. http://taylorbrandsllc.com/collections/imperial/folding-knife

Also, the website lists the blade steel to be 3Cr13 which the Z knives app calls "entry level" and 7Cr17 which the Z knives app says is 440A. The 7Cr17 is used on the Sodbuster patterned knife.

 

[knarfeng]

Normally when one says "Imperial Schrade", one is talking of the earlier US company.
(The Schrade corporation is defunct. Taylor Brands, LLC bought the brand names from the people overseeing the bankruptcy.)

What you are evidently asking about in your opening post is "Schrade-branded knives made in China for Taylor Brands, LLC".
Those include "Old Timer", "Uncle Henry", and "Imperial".

You can change the title to include "Imperial" if you want. I recommend you keep "Taylor" as part of the title.

Go to the opening post of the thread.
Click "edit".
Click "go advanced"
Towards the top of the resulting screen is the title.

 

[Tdhurl1103]

Normally when one says "Imperial Schrade", one is talking of the earlier US company.
(The Schrade corporation is defunct. Taylor Brands, LLC bought the brand names from the people overseeing the bankruptcy.)

What you are evidently asking about in your opening post is "Schrade-branded knives made in China for Taylor Brands, LLC".
Those include "Old Timer", "Uncle Henry", and "Imperial".

You can change the title to include "Imperial" if you want. I recommend you keep "Taylor" as part of the title.

Go to the opening post of the thread.
Click "edit".
Click "go advanced"
Towards the top of the resulting screen is the title.

Someone already changed it. I knew how to edit the title, but someone did it for me before I could do it. No worries.

 

[supratentorial]

Good eye. I'd not noticed till you mentioned it. The spine on the front half of the Taylor clip blade is thicker than the US Schrade. It is most noticeable at the tip. But the tips actually performed about equal for small piercing tasks. (I've carried both knives exclusively for a couple of weeks, using them for my daily cutting tasks.)

Edited to add re the $10 knife.
IMO the Taylor Schrades are closer to the US Schrades in quality and performance than any US knife currently manufactured, irregardless of price.
Decent fit and finish. GOOD 440A.
To my mind these are quite similar to the knives I grew up with in the 60's. (I never owned a bone or stag-handled knife till I started hanging out here.)

Do you also have a USA made Old Timer 8OT for comparison? I don't have any of the same knives that you compared. In terms of performance, there's not much difference between my Schrade USA 8OT and my GEC 81. And in terms of quality of construction...Neither has gaps or wobbly blades. Both have good grinds, good steel, and take good edges. The GEC has nicer handle material.

Have you also tried their 9Cr17MoV?

 

[knarfeng]

I have not tried the Taylor Schrade 9Cr17MoV.
I have tested another Chinese knife in that alloy and found it very similar to 440C in edge retention.

I have a US-Schrade 8OT in carbon steel. I agree that the Schrade carbon blade steel is pretty similar in performance to that of GEC.
But the Schrade fit and finish (both the 8OT and the US-made 834) is lesser than my GECs. (which agrees with my experience with the mid-level Schrade and Camillus knives I grew up with. GEC makes the nicer knife.)
No blade play, and no gaps, but the springs are not dead nuts flat in both open and closed position. All the GEC knives I have used are absolutely flat both opened and closed.

I specifically bought the 834 Uncle Henry Taylor Schrade, because I was able to obtain a low mileage US Schrade of that model. I wanted to compare them head to head. There are minor differences between the two knife designs. The US Schrade had superior finish with its rounded corners; but both were equal in lack of gaps and with springs being approximately flat opened and closed. Both had smooth actions. Both performed equally well in daily cutting chores. They were equal in edge retention. You know edge retention is a big thing with me. Give me a knife with blade steel with a hardness close to 60 and I am reasonably happy.

 

[supratentorial]

That 9Cr17MoV sounds interesting.

I looked over my Old Timers (USA) and the springs weren't flush in the open position on the secondary blades. The springs were flush on the primary blades. And all the springs were flush in the closed position. I haven't seen a Schrade factory tour for comparison but GEC grinds the springs in the closed position as part of the finishing process. Overall, the GEC knives show more finishing and polishing. Functionally, I don't think there's much difference.

 

[Toddwalla]

I love budget knives, and after reading Frank's excellent review, I think I'm going to have to throw one in the cart 👍🏼