What's your latest Schrade? END DATE 8/12

[Ballenxj]

Lay it beside an LB-7 and look at the front bolster angle of both. The Camillus curves and the Schrade is straight. Side by side, you will notice other differences as well.

DANG, You "are" good at spotting these old Schrades vs Camillus.
-Bruce

 

[Codger_64]

DANG, You "are" good at spotting these old Schrades vs Camillus.
-Bruce

I've made the same mistakes myself. Colonial also made their Coyote lockback knives for Sears at one point. That was also a learning experience. It was a black handled lockback heat impressed as a promo for Sears auto care products. Mufflers, shocks or batteries, I forget which.

 

[delmas2nd]

and this is why i truly enjoy this forum. learning and sharing knowledge so freely. the little things that make the difference.. thanks for taking the time to educate us. i do appreciate it.

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

Lay it beside an LB-7 and look at the front bolster angle of both. The Camillus curves and the Schrade is straight. Side by side, you will notice other differences as well.

Nice work on the comparative dimension pics! You can't describe that with 10,000 words and get it right in folks heads.

I too can tell Schrade from Camillus "Buck Knives" lol in the wink of an eye but 5" lockbacks are the core of my collection. The front bolster is most obvious difference to me as well with pin placement a close second.

 

[rprocter]

Dave, do you collect all brands of 5" LB's ? or only ones made in USA ? About how many LB7's do you have and what is the lowest serial # ?
When i first began to seriously collect Schrades about 5 years ago, i bought many LB7's, most of them used but have always been impressed by how well they stood up to what looks like heavy use in many of them. For example, none have any blade play. I also have some used Buck 110's and some of these do have play.
I think i have 40-50 LB7's. It's still one of my favorite knives.
roland

 

[delmas2nd]

lol, i feel like a piker with just 21 LB 7's. my lowest number is 21713 plus of those there are two with staglon handles one of which has the serial number of 1371 but these were numbered separately if i am remembering correctly. this other is from the Dixie Collection.

 

[Ballenxj]

Nice work on the comparative dimension pics! You can't describe that with 10,000 words and get it right in folks heads.

I couldn't agree more. Those images helped a lot.

I too can tell Schrade from Camillus "Buck Knives" lol in the wink of an eye but 5" lockbacks are the core of my collection. The front bolster is most obvious difference to me as well with pin placement a close second.

Were the Camillus and Buck knives built the same?
-Bruce

 

[rprocter]

"Were the Camillus and Buck knives built the same"
No. Buck has always made their own 110's & 112's.
Camillus did make many of the 300 series Buck knives, but never the LB's.
roland

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

I liked my latest Schrade (a Harry Gant/Skoal Racing LB7 type) enough for it to merit it's own thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/953631-Question-and-info-about-Harry-Gant-quot-Mr-September-quot-1991-LTD-%28nickel-silver-LB7-type%29 but to answer Roland's question:

Dave, do you collect all brands of 5" LB's ? or only ones made in USA ? About how many LB7's do you have and what is the lowest serial # ?

roland

Short answer: not that many by collector standards but only Schrade USA! It's those Old Timers and Uncle Henry's that first got me hooked on USA Schrade. I have never broke 100 Schrade knives TOTAL and, like Delmas, I only have around twenty 5" closed Baer made lockbacks. I'm "small-time" but enthusiastic. I will post a group shot of them all sometime soon.

Loooooong answer: All are basically mint "safe queens" except for two. I had more but I have given away all my basic (user) LB7s to friends and now I don't even have one "normal" serialized LB7 lol. My earliest "plain-Jane" serialized LB7 was 156xxx if I remember correctly but I gifted it. I try to hunt the mint "Limited Edition" or SFO examples that have something "extra" going for them.

As far as using these type of knives, I often use a Frontier P-IV "Knife of The Future" (takes a wicked edge, has fantastic action and really is more "pocketable" than an LB7) and now my burnt stag Ducks Unlimited drop-point LB7 is the proud user-Schrade on my belt when appropriate (camping etc). Great bush-craft/camp kitchen folder. Both of these knives sport flat ground blades which can be made (and kept) insanely sharp on my "Chef's Choice" motorized diamond sharpener in seconds. I'm a happy customer with no shame in saying so.

My collection was originally going to be only Schrade LB7 type knives, ie. LB7, LB8, 7OT etc. Soon I expanded to the whole Schrade "Bear Paw" family of knives. Next all Baer empire lockbacks including Frontiers, Sears etc. Then I started on other Schrade patterns, especially Schrade factory stag when I could find it. My focus kept growing and it basically outgrew my wallet.

Turns out, I can't afford to collect all 100 years of Schrade and all the Frontiers and all of the cool Imperials and whatever comes next. I had to thin the Schrade herd a little to make ends meet but I sold none of my LB7 frame knives, none of my stag handled knives, none with engraving and none of my real scrimshaw knives.

Now I am going to try and stay strictly focused on Baer empire lockbacks (mainly LB7 type) and real stag or bone (upscale) versions of other Imperial Schrade patterns as I come across them. Super-extra hard to do though! I just love getting regular Schrade time capsules in the mail and I got nothin' against delrin.

After all, did Schrade make a knife that wasn't worth having? We all know the correct answer...

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

I couldn't agree more. Those images helped a lot.

Were the Camillus and Buck knives built the same?
-Bruce

I didn't mean to say Schrade or Camillus was making these type of knives for Buck. I was just referring to the generic name that non-knife folks call the LB7 style knives. To most of the world "He had a big buckknife" is how these type get described. I collect "buckknives" to folks that have no idea that Buck or Schrade were even knife companies. I do set them straight though! Take a deep breath and sit down Buck fans...

The Buck 110 is an inferior knife to the Schrade LB7. There, I said it! Buck might have been first but Schrade perfected the style. The way the front bolster covers the notch on the blade when closed makes it the superior design. Period. Why have the blade ripping up your pocket? But, but, but "Buck's heat-treat is legendary": blah, blah, blah. "420HC is great steel when Buck uses it": blah, blah, blah. Buck? Buck-schmuck lol "Can you say Schrade USA????" I can.

Schrade made the Ultimate Lockback and no one will ever, ever convince me otherwise! Maybe I'm a bit biased though Hard to tell.

I guess I do enjoy using my old 1978 Buck 112 in 440C but it's a guilty pleasure :jerkit: and one I may deny if pressed.

The "Usual Suspects", all hair-popping, paper slicing sharp with joints kept oiled:

 

[delmas2nd]

just got this one in an Ulster Boy Scout Knife. hmmm, should i clean or leave the patina on?

 

[Ballenxj]

just got this one in an Ulster Boy Scout Knife. hmmm, should i clean or leave the patina on?

I would probably clean it up to a useable knife, but I should leave that opinion to the more knowledgeable collectors here.
-Bruce

 

[thawk]

just got this one in an Ulster Boy Scout Knife. hmmm, should i clean or leave the patina on?

My rule of thumb is leave and promote a patina. Especially if I am using the knife. I try to stop corrosion and rust. The value of the knife is the key factor on how the knife is treated. I am in full agreement with Bruce.

 

[Motey]

I've been a busy buyer. I'm really stoked over the Loveless-Schrade, it's numbered 470, and complete with the papers and box. It's solid, only a very faint freckle or two on the backside of the blade. It even has the original two pieces of tissue the knife and sheath were wrapped in when shipped. It looks to have been in the sheath maybe three or four times, but was never stored in it. As a relatively new collector of knives, I've now decided Schrade is what I collect when it comes to production knives.

Here are the latest nine of my Schrades;

 

[thawk]

Nice knives Motey. I really like that Uncle Henry in the top right corner. What pattern number is that one.

 

[Motey]

It's a 144 UH. It's a really solid chunk of a knife. Here's some closeups;

ETA: Oh wait, did you mean my other right?

 

[thawk]

OK, it looks longer in the other pic. Those 144's are a sturdy shank. I see it has a serial number. It's a very desirable knife.

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

I've been a busy buyer. I'm really stoked over the Loveless-Schrade, it's numbered 470, and complete with the papers and box. It's solid, only a very faint freckle or two on the backside of the blade. It even has the original two pieces of tissue the knife and sheath were wrapped in when shipped. It looks to have been in the sheath maybe three or four times, but was never stored in it. As a relatively new collector of knives, I've now decided Schrade is what I collect when it comes to production knives.

Here are the latest nine of my Schrades;

Super nice group of Schrade, Motey! The RL-2 really is a nice design and has the "better" CPM154 steel. The "Guides Choice" UH144 is maybe my favorite Schrade fixed-blade pattern if I had to pick one. I drooled over ads for it when I was a kid and I ate the hype up. ""Guide's Choice"? Hell yeah! I'm gonna be a guide when I grow up and that's the knife I will carry!" lol Check out my Dixie Collection thread for more UH144 eye-candy: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/775962-1980-Dixie-Collection-Thread-%28144UH-and-staglon-LB-7%29

We seem to have very similar tastes in Schrade and I must say I'm also impressed because you slyly included some very tasty bourbon in your pic. I love sippin' Buffalo Trace as well. That's some good whiskey! If you haven't already tried them my other favs are "Makers Mark", "Woodford Reserve" and "Knob Creek". All well known and all tasty! "Bulleit Bourbon" isn't too bad either and is a good buy here in Canada where rye whiskey reigns and us bourbon lovers are few and far between . Here folks think Jack Daniels is bourbon and usually the only true kentucky straight bourbon on bar shelves is a dusty bottle of nasty and cheap Jim Beam. It's a constant heart breaker for me when I go out.

 

[Motey]

Ha! Yeah I had to include something for scale... I've had all of those delicious whiskeys, and many more of course. Now I don't know all that much about Canadians, but I met some Canadian grain farmers in Mexico when I was last there, and one can go his whole life thinking he can hold his likker, until you meet a Canadian grain farmer! They did deride me for my taste in whiskey made from corn, but hey! I like all kinds of whiskey, even rye... Just not as much as bourbon.

 

[Ballenxj]

I I've now decided Schrade is what I collect when it comes to production knives.

I don't think you could have made a better choice.

Here are the latest nine of my Schrades;

Show off. Very impressive indeed. How do you like the Little Finger knife? I have one and it seems like a very useable little knife.
-Bruce