Yellow Schrades

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I was cleaning and servicing my slipjoints today (the wife call it "playing with, can you believe that?) and when I came to my 296Y Trapper, I started wondering how many Schrade patternd appeared with yellow scales. I know that they made more than this one pattern, surely, but I can only recall having seen a stockman (881Y), a Trapper (293Y), an Imperial fish knife, and sampler pattern besides this 296Y Trapper. Thinking back, it seems that most of the yellow pocket knives I have seen in farmer's hands, store displays, and gun shows were Case, not Schrade.

How many more yellow Schrades were there?

I remember reading a "design logic" opinion that yellow scales were introduced because it made a farmer, fisherman, etc.'s dropped knife easier to see and recover. I bought my one and only because it was an orphan from a closed Freds Store and they sold it to me at the 1970's price of $11. Someday it might want some siblings.

Codger
 
They made the trapper and large stock as you mentioned, plus at least these others:

808Y small stockman
708Y small penknife
834Y medium stockman
835Y medium stockman "Birdseye" rivets
882Y large 4" stockman "Birdseye" rivets

The above knives were made into the 70's and all in carbons steel.
 
Just curious, I went back and looked at the pre-Schrade Walden (Schrade Cutlery Corp.) numbering system and I could find no Yellow at all.

I've read the 'dropped and lost' theory before, I think it holds water, particularly in the case of fishing knifes (toothpick style). Interesting, but Schrade-Walden never made it's fishing knife in yellow, only staglon, at least I have not seen one.

Phil
 
My 296Y has a "Schrade+" tangstamp and seems to be stainless. Early to mid eighties is a guess?

8OTY
34OTY
293Y Trapper 3 7/8"
296Y Trapper 4 1/8
708Y small penknife
808Y small stockman 2 3/4"
881Y stockman 4"
834Y medium stockman 3 5/16
835Y medium stockman "Birdseye" rivets 3 5/16
882Y large 4" stockman "Birdseye" rivets 4"
H296 Heritage Trapper 4-1/8 inch

Toothpick?
Fisherman's Pride Schrade Walden fish knife
Imperial fish knife
sampler patterns (700, 102, 105?)

Any more?

Codger
 
Here is a picture of the models offered in there brochure in 1975. This line was introduced because it was conducive to marking or scriming. As it turned out the yellow micarta and white imi ivory delrin proved to be more popular. I do not know the reason for this perhapes price or production problems, Remember this was 1975 and Schrade was really just getting into the scrim and were really pushing the advertising end of this market.. Now many of these knives were sold unmarked. Also some were made with the birds eye rivit ( large ) some not.

I also included a pic ( from the same brochure ) showing Fruit knives in white delrin again this was some of the same promotion.

What you may find interesting is that in the Y ( yellow series ) picture. there is an example knife for Texas Sweet ( I believe a produce company ). This outfit had several knives made by schrade over the years. However I have included an example of one of there knives which is in the white delrin fruit knife style that they had commissioned. I also included an original die stamp which was used to make this version.

I hope this helps or is at least interesting. LT
 
H296 Trapper 4-1/8 inch

Tang Stamp: Heritage Schrade+
Blade Etch: Trade EVERLASTINGLY SHARP Mark
Shield: Oval, Coined "SCHRADE"
 
The heritage trapper was a later release much like the Old Timer classics ( in bone ect ). That is why it carried the blade etch which was from the original Schrade Cuts and meant to infer an older flavor or invoke nostalga in the buyer to sell the knife. They are rather pretty. LT PS same with the shield which was of the type used in the late 60tys and early 70 tys.
 
LT, Great picts as usual. That stamp is really special.
Do you have a yellow Schrade toothpick/fishing knife you can show us?
I have the Imperial Jackmaster versions but I think Phil is looking for a real Schrade.

Codger. I'll add the 8OTY and 34OTY to your list.
TTYL
Larry
 
The numbers for the yellow handle knives that I posted came out of the 1964 Schrade catalog. I am pretty sure that most of these patterns in yellow were made well into the 1970's.

I have owned several Schrade Walden fish knives with the yellow handles....the ones that I have owned and seen were etched "Fisherman's Pride" on the main blade.....yellow celluloid handles so they were probably 1950's era, with the stone in the handle. I have never seen one in yellow delrin, so this model was probably dropped in the early 60's in favor of the staglon/bolsterless version.

And Codger....many yellow handled patterns were made with the Imperial and Ulster tang stamps....like jack and stock patterns...but I have no comprehensive listing.
 
Here are a few Larry, all Schrade Waldens the Y ( yellow ) knives are all cell all of them are under Schrade Walden the square sharpener ( lower left ) is a Schrade Walden with a craftsman etch. the oval sharpener next to it was the regular Schrade version. The one above that has no sharpener and the Fishermans special blade etch above that is the rarest ( which I have posted before ) it is a gaffer under Schrade Walden. Very few of this model were ever made and most of them were unmarked or under Ulster. This knife has 3 backsprings. I have never seen another under Schrade . I have 2 other identical under Ulster. the top 2 on the left are the delrin version that Schrade went into when they started doing staglon. The bottom one is only marked Schrade Walden on the shield blade is just Stainless USA. LT
 
I never knew there were so many patterns done in yellow handles. Obviously.

Now I have a question that will make most of you roll your eyes because it is probably very basic collector knowledge and I may be the only one on this side of the Pacific who does not know this.

How can a novice easily tell the difference between yellow celluloid and delrin. I know about using a heated pin on bone and delrin, but what about celluloid?

Codger
 
Here is a pict of one of my older toothpicks. Schrade Cut Co. Yellow. Almost lemon drop color.Cell in great shape.
pick0001.jpg
 
Once you have placed one of each side by side you will never wonder again it is quite apparent. If you look at the pics already posted you can see that the actual cell is much more translucent. ( see the toothpicks, cell and the brochure delrin ) They are two distinctly different materials whos main shared property in this case is the color. Schrade used to make what is called a butter and molasses pattern of celluloid when they went to delrin this became K horn which was an attempt to simulate the original cell pattern. I have all this junk but at this point do not feel like digging it out and my camera is also tired. However yellow delrin was much easier to imprint cell had a habit of bursting into flame however aesteticly the cell is much prettier. Delrin was also a lot more stable for general use and storage. Shrade even had a fake wood made out of delrin called wondawood. Obviously the trend was to to get away from natural materials. Once you have held both you will have your answer. However for a start just look at the pics. I would like to suggest ( if you do not have it ) a copy of Sargents one or two which had one of the best cataloging of of old Schrades around. Knifeworld.com may have a used copy. It is not great but one of the best pictorials for Schrade which has been done. LT
 
Thanks again. Yes, after looking at Larry's picture, I can see that the celluloid looks, well, like lemon drop candy in it's translucense. And I know the delrin is solid color with no transluscense at all.

And flamability? Old movie film makes a good improvised munition. With some added ingredients of course. We used Kodak film snips for firestarting cheaters in the Boy Scouts. That wasn't in the merit badge book, but it was a good tip when the woods were wet.

I have NO knife reference books yet. The library begins later this summer. And that book is now added to my "gotta have" list. I think that makes four now. That reminds me, I wonder how Deb is progressing on hers?

Codger
 
Did you know.....they make ping pong balls out of celluloid????
All these advancements in plastics, and still it's the flammable favorite. I wonder if Delrin bounces, or if there are yellow/lemondrop ping pong balls????

Oh, Don Luis, Don Luis, paging Don Luis......

Bill
 
Hey woofer what you drinking I want a double. Actually the lemon drops really resemble celluloid after it ( the lemon drop ) is licked a few times and the cloudy sugar coating is removed. However going back to the original listing about ping pong balls as I recall some of the more intoxicated sailors in the crowd did try to catch them in there mouth so who knows perhapes your listing is prophetic. Most anything will bounce if you can throw it hard enough. Where is the DON??? LT
 
Lt just gave me some kind of an award on the other post.
I just had to tell you I really put the filter on for this one.

I wonder if the ping pong balls caught by the drunken sailors tasted like lemon, chicken or f---...

I gotta go hang some more sheetrock and close the glue can.

TTYL
Larry
 
Adaptation on the Lincoln quote when Lincoln was told that Grant ( a distant relative of mine ) drank a quart of whiskey a night. ( As I am sure you know since Grant was his only winning general he responded ) "Tell me what brand he drinks so that I can send a case to my other generals". What is your brand of glue? LT
 
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