Three fingers, three sheaths

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I have been owning, using, and looking at sharpfinger knives for years now, but never really studied them closely until this year. Since this past fall, I've looked closely at hundreds of them from all vintages. Only recently was I able to acquire a mint example of the earliest one seen at the bottom in the scan. My user all these years is the one in the middle with the dark oiled sheath, circa late seventies after the sheath change. The one on the top is the last production, post 2002.

Other than minor differences in bladestock thickness, the knives themselves are near identical. The projection of the lower choil is more rounded on the earlier knives than the latest one, and there is a minor difference in the tang stamps. The earliest knife has a serif at the top and bottom of the "1" "152", and the other two do not. The "l" on them is a single stroke "l52"


I hope the scan is clear enough for you to see the sheath differences. Choil keeper strap with large snap, decorative tool lines, white stitching, and no throat notch on the earliest type.

Handle keeper strap with small snap, no tool lines, brown stitching, and small left offset rounded throat notch on the second type.

Handle keeper strap with large snap, no tool lines, brown stitching, and a small left offset rounded throat notch on the last type.



Note that stitching color on the first sheaths may also be seen in brown. And many knives are found with replacement sheaths from later production, or even undyed replacements, and that many early production knives will be found without original thongs, included with the earliest, then deleted from the contents of the box on subsequent production. Don't ask when. These had a high loss rate, so finding one with the thong intact is a plus. I am sure that I have not seen nearly all the production detail changes to both knives and sheaths, but I will keep watching. Your questions and input will help.

Codger
 
Thanks to Robert Clemente's sharp eyes and Larry's research, yet another Sharpfinger sheath has come to light. I should have seen it myself a while back, but researching can be myopic.

This sheath was produced at the time when the 13OT and 14OT, and a few other patterns were introduced and is patterned after those sheaths. It was listed as an acessory sheath in the 1983 catalog, and included with a few gift boxed sets and scrim sharpies of the early eighties. My guess is that the sharpie was just too sharp pointed to work well with this style sheath, because after brief usage, Schrade returned to the deep drawn original style sheath and kept using it through the remainder of production.

The SAS17 sheath was a folded semi-tubular sheath, and it's depth negated the need for a keeper strap. Now I have one more sheath type to acquire. Hopefully without the "knife-bites" I have seen so far.



Codger
PS- anyone with a spare of this type in good condition, please shoot me an e-mail?
 
Thanks for the info Mike. But your post brings up another question for me. After reading your post I went & checked my 3 Sharpfingers. One was given to me by my Grandmother in the early 1980's. She got it from her cousin who was a sales rep for Imperial. It has a serif at the top and bottom of the of the 1. The same for an old one I bought on ebay to re-handle (inspired by all the cool re-handle jobs posted in the forum).
I then checked the one I bought a couple months ago new-in-box off a store shelf. It has a 1 that has a serif on top but not on the bottom.
I would think this is fairly late production as it is in the blue and tan box. Is this a third type of "one"? :confused:
 
Evidently so. Tang stamp dies were very subject to wear, and were replaced several times over the years during the long productin span of the 152OT, and on many other long production knives. I have a couple of stainless blanks with the top serif you described. I had not really looked closely at them until now. Stainless likely makes them post '96-98? The tan box was pre 2001, which means that knife likely was as well. My late production knife came in the last type box, and is sans serif. Perhaps they went to and fro on the typestyles over the years?

Codger
 
Read this post today, had seen one of the odd Sharpfinger sheaths, but not for years. Doing my semi-weekly swing through the local antique malls... there it was. With the pictured Sharpfinger inside. Marked way down.
As shown, could use a bit of leather die on one corner. Stitch loose in two places. Has not been poked all full of holes.. it is a good sheath, fits perfectly, very secure. Not a large enough belt loop for my tastes. Knife is an SC502, Bear and Dog, 1983 issue, artwork by Frank Giorgianni.

Phil
 
Yes, Robert showed me a boxed one with the raccoon scrim. I think that was a 1986 issue.

Odd I hadn't noticed them before!

Codger
 
Mike... I've been sending you emails, they keep getting returned. I want you to have the sheath for your collection, being the fixed blade guy here. Email me.
Phil

PS... anyone need the Bear and Dog sharpfinger? Shows some use, need the very tip re-profiled.
 
Thanks Phil. Email sent. I am off my normal server for a bit while some problems are ironed out. They seem to have their heads in rectal defalade. The hotmail address is active, though forum rules won't let me list it.

Let me know how much for the sheath and knife, unless someone else needs the knife.

Codger (Michael)
 
Speaking of e-mails...
Phil do you have my e-mails going into your junk folder again?
Almost done with that man cave?
TTYL
Larry
 
I thought I remembered this thread about the type styles, I even found it (two for two:D ).
I was going to start a new thread, but this is better.

I was looking at some 152 blanks I got from LT tonight to see which I was going to do next. I laid 4 of them out on the work bench and immediately noticed a big difference between them.
The one on the left had 152 stamped in it with the serif on the bottom of the 1. The others do not, the bottom of the 1 is sans serif. In addition the one on the left measures at .169 inch ant the others are .124, .121, & .123 respectively.
QUESTION: When did they change the thickness of the blades? Can it be tied to the change of type styles? Does anyone have a knife made of thinner stock that has the serif style 1? I have a 154 with serif that is the thicker blade stock. I have a 156 that is thinner stock but has the serif, though I am not sure that is a good comparison because I think it is one that was made for the Anniversary not not finished for it. My wife bought it off ebay & gave it to me at Christmas.

Has anyone noticed a correlation to blade thickness and the type style? Or have I gone off my meds? :eek: I think I took them today, ( I take Ginko to remember to take the others) :D



Codger, what do you think about this?

Thanks,
Dale
 
I believe that the stock thickness variations are just an artifact of the steel stock available at the time the knife was blanked (and finish surfacing by Schrade), and does not correlate to the tangstamps.

I'll check my own few sharpfingers when I get time, meanwhile... any of you interested in furthering the cause of scientific Schrade Sharpfinger research... send me your sharpfingers and I'll do a complete dimensional analysis and post the results here. Alas, I have gifted all of my sharpfinger blanks to the youngsters and oldsters with a yen to make a knife, so except for a LE sharpie or two, Blankmeister is blankless.

Codger
 
A follow up:
I found another 152 that is sans serif at both top & bottom of the 1. It is a different thickness yet, about .137". I also have a Schrade + 152 DU blank (stainless steel) that measures .140".

Codger,
I bring these to your attention because it is another possible angle on your research. You had wondered if it was possible to date the knives by the style of the sheath and or type style (if I understood your original post in this thread). It is possible that the steel thickness also plays into this dating process.
I would hazard a guess that as steel prices went up, steel thickness went down. However, I am no expert on the American steel market, but it might be an another angle for you to look into.
I hope this is helpful. Who would have thought that this could have gotten so involved. I almost becomes an exercise in minute details. I guess we all knew that Schrade didn't keep good records (at least not that are where we can find them).

Now my head hurts.....I am going to take a hot shower.
Dale
 
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