What is your fondest memory of Schrade knives?

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rev_jch

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Jul 29, 2002
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Well as we all know a dear "truly american" cutlery company has closed its doors. With that said what is your favorite memory of a Schrade knife?


Mine would have to be the muskrat my Dad bought me in 1975, 76? We were on our way to Salt fork State park and stopped off in Columbus, Ohio at the JC Penny outlet there (I live down the road from there now!). Dad saw a closeout on Schrade knives and bought me a muskrat in the old style Schrade presentation box. When we got to the state park I used that knife that week for every possible thing I could. Running around those woods like an indian. Using it to whittle, fish, every possible thing that a six (maybe 7?) year old could do. By the time the (2?) week was over the blades were already starting to turn black!!!!
 
I once had a big single blade foldering hunter type schrade with a high carbon blade that I had gun blued. Man I loved that knife, until a fast fingered nephew with a history of pocket knife snatching visited the house one day!

I never could prove it but man I wanted to scalp that little S**T!
 
I was never a Schrade man, but my grandfather was. Some of my fondest memories are of working with him in his shop, and watching him use his Old Timer to mark boards for cutting. That knife was almost sharpened away on an old Arkansas stone. I wish I could find it.

James
 
I have to many to mention. Schrade knives have been part of my life for 25 years or so. It really makes me sad to see them go.
 
Endlessly sharpening crayons then pencils for my daughter with an old 340T. I think many of us associate 'Schrade' with 'family' don't we?
 
When I was 13 and 14 I played on a football team that was filled with misfits, rejects, future ex-cons, rednecks, punks and delinquents ..... you know, all-around great guys! Before and after practice (and even sometimes during), we'd dip Skoal, cuss, fight and drink beer we'd swiped. I got my first Schrade, a two-blade jack Old Timer, in an after-practice trade with our running back for my crappy Pakistani lockblade. I was elated to have what I knew was a FAR better knife. Later that year, I traded a $4 Mex switchblade to one of our defensive tackles for his Schrade LB7 (the trade, incidentally, went down in school, during Mr. Miller's English class -- God, we thought we were tough). In two seasons we never lost a game. I wonder where the rest of those guys are now. I wonder where those two knives are now.
 
its funny how the things we grow up with become dear to our hearts when we get older. More so when we know that they can no longer be had, or at least going that way.
 
This is an easy one, I'm sure I've mentioned this before.

When I was much younger, my father gave me a 3 blade walden stockman that had belonged to his father. It was so clean and well-cared for. That's the knife that officially started it all for me. I still have it today. It's a wonder I didn't lose it all these years.

That pattern is my favorite, as some of you know. I think it's the 4th or 5th on in from the left...

Glenn
 

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In the summer of 1975, I was 15 years old and had started knife collecting with my Dad and my brother in late 1973....I was primarily familiar with Case knives and less familiar with the other brands....on a rainy day I was doing my paper route on my bike, and at one point while riding I happened to look down into the rain filled gutter....there I saw a small jack knife.

It turned out to be a Schrade Walden 834 stockman...with clip, sheepfoot, and pen blades and imitation bone handles. It was used somewhat and sharpened but in great condition with a nice patina. I quickly discovered that while it had no collector value, it was a great carrying knife and quickly became my favorite. I still have fond memories of my Dad praising the "good steel" in the blades of that Schrade whenever he borrowed it.
 
rev_jch said:
.....what is your favorite memory of a Schrade knife?.....
Click to expand...

Buying the Schrade "Ducks Unlimited" Special Edition a few weeks ago at Galyan's - for $15.00 !! :D

(BTW, what's the hook thingee used for? I'm not a duck hunter, but I sometimes play one on television... ;) )
 
Ahhhh.....That would be the guthook, made especially for smaller animals and birds. In this case for unlimited ducks.... :D

Bill
 
Fondest memory ?, tough question.

I got my first while in junior highschool in the 60´s, If I remember correctly it was an OT middleman stockman, once I broke a tip in carpentry shop, got it back in shape wth a grinder, some time later I got a new one and gave the old one away, the second one went with me to the U.S., 4 years of college at UCLA, and quite a few backpacking trips in the California Rockies, I don´t remember what was of that one, replaced in 1976 by the UH premium stockman that I still EDC.

My father in law passed away not long ago, he was a fine handy man. Once we were having dinner at my home and for some reason he pulled out an old Schrade stockman, jigged delrin, carbon blades, I pulled out my UH same pattern to show to him, he said his was in bad shape and gave it to me, said I would take better care of it, it was worn from over sharpening but usable, I gave all blades a decent edge and still have it, sometimes I slip in my pocket when I´m at home but rarely take it out, I want to use it but not loose it, it´s that fond memories thing.

Luis
 
Since I'm getting older and a little forgetful, my memory story doesn't go back too far. :rolleyes:

It was when a fellow forumite, textoothpk, just gave me a Frontier because I said I had never even heard of that model knife, in a discussion on the Schrade Forum.

It is a BIG dude, a little over 5" closed. It is a Trapper style knife with a clip blade that has a brass liner type lock, and a spearpoint/skinner blade that functions in the normal slipjoint manner. Man, they don't make factory knives like this anymore.

Definitely one of my favorites. Maybe textoothpk will post some pictures if he's lurking about.

Bill
 
El Lobo said:
Ahhhh.....That would be the guthook, made especially for smaller animals and birds....
Click to expand...

Explain, please. :)

How do you use this hook? I'm just a dumb fisherman - haven't hunted anything since high school.

Forgot to add: in addition to my $15.00 DU slipjoint (a gorgeous knife) - I also picked up a Schrade "Old Timer" FB with gut hook. For $9.00. :D
 
On the off chance that you aren't teasing......... :D

When "Zipping" up through your small game it's useful in removing the intestines.......or a very efficient "Come Along" for friends or enemies when strategically placed. :eek:

Bill
 
El Lobo said:
On the off chance that you aren't teasing......... :D

When "Zipping" up through your small game it's useful in removing the intestines.......or a very efficient "Come Along" for friends or enemies when strategically placed. :eek:

Bill
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. Using the hook as an implement for removing intestines quickly, etc. would have been my guess.

I also like the suggestion for the "secondary" use. ;)

(teasing? I never tease - I've been a comedy writer for some of the nastiest stand-ups in the business. It's a double-tap followed by a head shot or nothin'!! And as Noel Coward (?) said, "I am never UNINTENTIONALLY rude." ;) )

Thanks again.
 
A couple of years ago a good friend of mine and his wife hit a tough patch and I travelled out to the the Pacific NW to see them. We ended up doing a lot of clean up work in the yard and around the house. He was short of $ (a common state for both of us) but I was in one of my flush periods so money was no object during the visit. Just prior to my leaving, he sharpened up and gave me his Schrade "Old Timer" - a Muskrat he had carried with him for a long long time. This was actually the start of my knife 'collecting' and the Schrade he gave me is always on my desk. Recently I got him and myself one of the 100 year anniversary Old-Timer (medium stockman model in the tin) and this became even more meaningful when the factory closed two weeks ago.
 
First knife that I put a razor's edge on was a carbon steel Schrade. An 8OT, I believe.

For ages, I hardly ever owned anything but Old Timers and Uncle Henrys. I carried a 97OT for ages that I finally retired for an old style Delica in the late 90s. One of my uncles still uses it to clean gunk out of threads on valves and pipes in the oilfield before hooking up to pump chemicals into oil wells. So I guess the 97OT isn't quite retired. It is about half of it's original length and has had the kick ground down quite a bit in order for the point to be inside handles.
 
Suerte said:
First knife that I put a razor's edge on was a carbon steel Schrade. An 8OT, I believe.

For ages, I hardly ever owned anything but Old Timers and Uncle Henrys. I carried a 97OT for ages that I finally retired for an old style Delica in the late 90s. One of my uncles still uses it to clean gunk out of threads on valves and pipes in the oilfield before hooking up to pump chemicals into oil wells. So I guess the 97OT isn't quite retired. It is about half of it's original length and has had the kick ground down quite a bit in order for the point to be inside handles.
Click to expand...

That is great story and what OT's are all about. Old Timers were never about looks and fancy scales, just a honest workingmans tool. I love the part about the kick being ground down. If you get a chance sometime, a picture of that knife would be appreciated.
 
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