I think the Imperial Frontier knives were pretty cool but rarely seen in my younger days for sale at any retailers…I saw some medium stockmans’ about the size of the 34OT that were give always at a central Montana Stockman’s meeting in the late 70’s and they were quite nice. I have a larger version about 4” or so-same as 8OT that years ago I saw and found on the street while driving by and picked it up even though it had been run over and sharpened many times…still usable today, broken yellow handles and all…. afishhunter (Steve) I notice you keep mentioning Swinden key troubles…..the good thing about the subject on “Swinden” key issue is, well it really isn’t much of an issue ….. if one doesn’t abuse or try to pull through material that over stresses the dang blade…General carving and skinning and basic cutting won’t be an issue and if it does, maybe a guy should be using a heavier fixed blade. I, and many many thousands of folks have used the schrade Old Timers and Uncle Henry’s over and over all our lives and have never encountered a problem with the Swinden and I have used my Schrade knives 50 years or more as hard as my Buck and Case knives. I have seen some Schrade’s with bowing back springs due to abuse and I am certain that if they were cared for and used properly, they wouldn’t be bent backwards like that…I’ve seen Bucks and Case knives bent and abused and wobbly just the same and one cannot be surprised to see and understand that there was abuse and misuse. It is clear that the Swinden key is difficult to tighten or disassemble for blade replacement, tightening or other repair but, it generally isn’t a concern to most folks, even those of us who really put a knife to work. I love the USA Schrades of old, they are and will remain some of my faves, I probably have 50 or more of them and they deliver a great value and did so until their unfortunate end. I miss them a lot! On the Schrade subject, I just today purchased a like new jumbo stockman 858 + USA today at the Long Beach vintage and antique show even though I didn’t need it as I have 2 other same specimens in my accumulation. Cheers and happy Sunday
I know Buck switched to Camillus for the 300 series knives because of "a large number" of returns for broken keys. (A bad lot/run? I don't know.)
Also, if they are superior to pins, why has no one used them after the patent expired?
I will agree that knives with pins can/do develop bad cases of wiggly wobbly blades, regardless of price point.
Sadly, some come so equipped from the factory like that ...
I received ... several ... "FROST" knives with wiggly wobbly blades when I was young. They (and the "Shimano" bicycle componets I had in the 1960's, after I upgraded to Sun Tour or "Schwinn Approved"), MAY still be in the mud of the Mississippi River, near the old U.S. 136 bridge, or they may have been removed in one of the dredging operations to keep the channel deep enough for the barges. (9 feet, I heard when I was a youngling in Junior High. I suspect it was deeper ... 12~15 feet seems more likely.) No way to know if they are still in the river, or where ever the mud from dreging goes.
I can understand why screws are generally not used on traditional knives; "people" wwould take them apart and not be able to get them together again.
(Recall; one of the metal handle with holes Buck 110 variants had screw construction. The model was dropped because enough "people" took them apart "for cleaning", could not get them back together, then sent them to Buck under warranty to be reassembled.
)
I wish I could remember the model ... and find one in good condition at a price I can afford. I "think" they were made at end of the 440C era and the 425M era; mid-late 1970's to mid 1989's, but I am probably mistaken.
.jpg)
)