Total number of Old Timer 34OTs made?

B

Bartleby

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Oct 28, 2005
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I have made a bet with a buddy about the most produced American knife. Anyone know the approximate total number of 34OT stockmans made in NY? Thanks.
 
Too numerous to count. It was their all-time best selling pocketknife. It would number in the millions easily. It outsold their second most popular, the 8OT by a long shot.
 
Bet is between 34OT and mil-k 818 demo knife. Both were made in huge numbers, for most of the second half of the 20th c. I won't tell you which side I picked, but there is lunch riding on it if we can get it resolved once and for all.
 
I’m with Codger, I would not like to attempt to write the number down on paper.
Not counting all the same knives with different blade stamps etc.
I’ll bet $10 and give the other knife makers a 50% start… Ken
 
Thanks fellas! We got numbers on the demo knife from the camillus collectors of over 12,000,000 Mil-k 818's, which is quite a few. I wonder if there is a record of a year's production of the 34OT? We could do some calculating....
 
Bartleby said:
Thanks fellas! We got numbers on the demo knife from the camillus collectors of over 12,000,000 Mil-k 818's, which is quite a few. I wonder if there is a record of a year's production of the 34OT? We could do some calculating....
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Because of government contracts for the Camillus and decades of those contracts, I seriously doubt Schrade's 34OT production numbers will come anywhere near close.
 
I posted on the traditional forums as well, and it seems that Buck has produced 15 million 110's according to one poster. In the 80's and 90's I used to see five guys carrying a 34 OT for every Buck or Demo tool so I would be surprised if it wasn't right on up there as well. Of course if the Buck wins, we will call off our wager and go dutch for lunch. Thanks gents.
 
Good luck. Few companies kept such production records. And sifting through what records remain is an ominous chore. As for the Mil-K818, the pattern was produced by many makers on government contract beginning at the end of WWII. And likely continues to be made today. One could ask Frank Trzaska about the military contract numbers in his records, but they would not include those made for civilian markets. Or made by one maker with markings of another maker. And then the 34OT is being produced in and imported from China still. One would have to ask Taylor Brands LLC for their producion and import records. "Good luck wid dat", as the saying goes.

Here is the Camillus S card for production of Schrade marked Mil-K818. IIRC, they also made them for Imperial. And they were made by Imperial/Ulster near the end of WWII with the Kingson mark.

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We limited our bet to American made, single pattern, single manufacturer. One could argue all of the makers that were part of IKAC could be one maker. I have read that the Mil-k 818 was marked Schrade for a year or two, but they were marked Imperials for a very long period indeed. I would also think that the number made by IKAC would be at least equal to Camillus production, so combined (although that would go against our lunch wager) the number would be hands down the largest.
 
Camillus was owned by Albert Baer who also owned Ulster, Schrade and Imperial. So technically it was all one manufacturer with several divisions. Camillus made knives marked for the other divisions as shown above on the S card, as well as many years worth under their own mark. So I guess it depends on how you like to slice the apple.

1947 IKAC catalog.
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loved the ad from 1947 referring to electric furnace steel. in those days that was a way of producing stainless that was getting more use than the open hearth method. it is tricky making stainless in an electric arc furnace as one has to balance Chrome content and heat to be able to remove the gaseous impurities.
 
Also, from what I have read, the injection of inert gasses to exclude inflow of oxygen etc. This was one component of the development of what became known as "Schrade + Steel". Another component was the introduction of cryo-treatment.
 
Thanks for posting the extra information sir, you always go that extra mile. We appreciate you!
 
Codger_64 said:
Also, from what I have read, the injection of inert gasses to exclude inflow of oxygen etc. This was one component of the development of what became known as "Schrade + Steel". Another component was the introduction of cryo-treatment.
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that technology would come way later in time. the reference to electric furnace was a give away as to the technology available at the time. Oxygen was injected into the steel to form CO and CO2 this made bubbles which on their way out of the molten metal scavenged impurities and carried them up to make what was called and is still called slag. the addition of inert gases came about in the mid 70's as they became affordable to the steel maker.
 
I'm talking about the in-plant heat treat, not the molten steel at the steel foundry. And mid seventies is about when the "+" mark appeared. Steel came to the plant in rolls and sheets.

By the way, happy thanksgiving!

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and a happy Thanksgiving to you. hear probably quiet i caught a cold last weekend and being the sharing person i am gave it to my wife she is now in the midst of it. but we shall soldier on and bake a good turkey in the ole paper bag and have our feast.
 
On the topic of the 34OT, we've discussed before the process change which left dark dye lines next to the bolsters, and we've noted that the 34OT in the 100th anniversary tins, if correct, have these lines. Here is an example of the '03-'04 production in the tin.

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I have one of these. It was sitting out in plain sight when my knives recently evaporated and it was missed. But I wasn't the only one to buy one. It was one of the more heavily produced 100th anniversary knives which actually made it to market before the July 2004 closing. And a large quantity were sold from inventory after the closing. The one illustrated above and below was in the collection of deceased actor John Hart, the Lone Ranger, as was the 152OT Sharpfinger I posted in that thread. John did like his Schrades it seems.

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Yes, the 8OT is not often seen. There were, if I am not mistaken, two or more anniversary design release programs. The banner shield is one. The other is the dual shield which has the stock shield with a second anniversary shield added. I have at least one 897UH like that and I think a 152OT, as well as a 152BEM which has a birdseye maple handle and anniversary features.
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All of the above are uncommon, more so than the 34OT edition. I suppose the second most commonly seen is the lightweight anniversary edition in the clampack. They were inexpensive on the primary market and seem to remain relatively so on the secondary even today. A good, easy get for a collector wanting "something" from the 100th anniversary to add to their collection. I have not seen many display header boards though. I'd better check to be sure that mine is still stored where I put it.

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Codger,
I have the full see of the bird’s-eye maple knives in a Display case.
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Your display header boards is the only one I have seen; is your board an earlyer board on the reverse side.
I found my un-used Display (with 6 of each knife for stock) about 5 or 6 years ago.
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This one was made in China for Schrade, before they closed down; I have never seen another.
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I would like a fully finished set of the Blue handled ACB Schrade, I have only seen one full set.
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