Need some help.

[cody6268]

Need some help choosing a Schrade. My local knife store recently bought a collection, which includes a bunch of USA Schrades. Never before locally have I had the opportunity to really buy American Schrades. Locally, everyone's interested in Case and Boker. I mostly am interested in Schrade, Camillus, and Boker USA.My Granddad is one of the few I know that collected them actively. Only seen one or two every now and then here locally.

These are the choices I've laid out. Most of the rest are either patterns that don't interest me; and those that still do seem overpriced. My birthday is coming up, so I might get my folks to buy one of the two; since neither is really "expensive" by my standards. If not, I need some help figuring out which one to get.

Schrade USA LB-7. Serialized (78XXX; so 1978?), so early model. It's been used and carried a little; if at all. $30. No box, but the sheath is included (and I know Schrade can make one heck of a leather sheath). I will likely use and carry this one. Been wanting an LB-7 for ages.

Schrade USA 34OT "Compliments of Schrade 1982". A nearly identical standard (without the etch) 34OT was my first knife. Granddad bought it new about that time, carried it, then gave it to me in 2006 for my tenth birthday. Thus, the 34OT has a very sentimental connection to me; but Schrade did make a ton of 'em. It was their best seller. Boxed, with paperwork. Never used or carried, but has a little carbon staining on the back of the main blade.

[tongueriver]

Sorry; I just keep coming back to "Both." That early 4 pin LB-7 would be my choice if I really could only get one. In that case, buy some more Schrades later when you can!

[edge213]

Out of the ones you mentioned, my personal preference would be the LB7.

[Meridian_Mike]

Schrade USA LB-7. Serialized (78XXX; so 1978?), so early model. It's been used and carried a little; if at all. $30. No box, but the sheath is included (and I know Schrade can make one heck of a leather sheath). I will likely use and carry this one. Been wanting an LB-7 for ages.

As I understand.... the serial numbered knives went in order of number... not necessarily years. I think they started in 1967 with just numbers (0001, etc) until that was exhausted, then the added letter prefixes.
SO... a 78,000 SN would be early but I have no idea what year.

[doglegg]

Sorry; I just keep coming back to "Both." That early 4 pin LB-7 would be my choice if I really could only get one. In that case, buy some more Schrades later when you can!

As long as it doesn't put you living under a bridge, buy them both and a couple of extras.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Once upon a time, someone on this board told me to "buy the knives that speak to me". I think that was really excellent advise. That's how you end-up with a collection of knives that you love. There doesn't need to be any other reason or logic.

On the flip side, some people need to have a "theme" in their collecting. They like to have goals that they strive for, like having an example of every variant of a particular pattern, or having every pattern of a particular brand's handle material. Having a goal will certainly narrow your focus, but it will also mean that you may go months or years without buying a knife as you hunt to fill that elusive hole in your collection.

Some collectors do both - and every knife they buy spawns a new theme and a new goal. After a while, the total set of themes start look like one giant theme of "every knife ever made".

There is no wrong answer! So, what kind of collector do *you* want to be?

[Meridian_Mike]

Once upon a time, someone on this board told me to "buy the knives that speak to me".

That is what I do....
My problem is.... A LOT of pocket knives speak to me in a loud voice..... they say, "BUY ME!"

[Doc B]

Once upon a time, someone on this board told me to "buy the knives that speak to me".

That is what I do....
My problem is.... A LOT of pocket knives speak to me in a loud voice..... they say, "BUY ME!"

Ditto...what Mike said

[cody6268]

Sorry; I just keep coming back to "Both." That early 4 pin LB-7 would be my choice if I really could only get one. In that case, buy some more Schrades later when you can!

As long as it doesn't put you living under a bridge, buy them both and a couple of extras.

With my birthday coming up in a little over two weeks from now, it comes in at a good time. The three was looking at were those two, and a "Compliments of Schrade" 33OT as well. My plans right now are to buy the LB-7 with my own money; get my folks to buy the 34OT as a birthday present; then if I get any extra cash; pick up the 33OT if it's still there on the 8th of Nov.

[bladecollectorr]

Schrade USA LB-7. Serialized (78XXX; so 1978?), so early model. It's been used and carried a little; if at all. $30. No box, but the sheath is included (and I know Schrade can make one heck of a leather sheath). I will likely use and carry this one. Been wanting an LB-7 for ages.

As I understand.... the serial numbered knives went in order of number... not necessarily years. I think they started in 1967 with just numbers (0001, etc) until that was exhausted, then the added letter prefixes.
SO... a 78,000 SN would be early but I have no idea what year.

::shrug::

The first LB7s were made in 1977 not 1967. 1978 mfg date is correct for that 78XXX serial number.

Those "Compliments of Schrade Cutlery" 34OTs and 33OTs etc are much nicer in my opinion than regular ones. Note the raised 3D rope shield vs the normal plain ones. It's a definite upgrade.

I agree that if you can afford them, well, buy both!


Here's the data on the LB7 serials: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/lb7 ... st-4408498

"First serial numbers were four place digits. I have 0326, so there is a 0001 out there, possibly a 0000, and a 9999.

Serials up to 17693 were produced in 1977.

Serial numbers 17694 - 334585 were produced in 1978 when 316,892 LB7's were made.

Serial numbers 334586 - 785250 were produced in 1979 when 450,665 LB7's were made.

Highest all numeric would be six places, 999999. I have recorded serial number 914569. Thus the first million knives had no alphas. This point was reached some time in 1980. A total of 1,106,906 LB7's had been produced by the end of that year.

When the single alphas were added, the serials still kept to six places max, so only 99,999 knives were made of each alpha. Lowest alpha recorded so far is A25594.

When the rotation went to double alphas, the serials went to seven places. I've recorded BB56630 as the highest double alpha. Some time after this, the serialization ended."

[kootenay joe]

So how many million LB7's were made ? All of the serial # ones could be added up but then there are just as many years of production with no serial numbers.
Be careful buying an LB7 or Folding Hunter pattern. They can look brand new but check the very tip of the blade. It should come to a sharp point. Often the owner decided to 'touch up' the edge, get it just a bit sharper, but unless you have near perfect technique, the blade tip gets slightly rounded off.
Here is a Schrade 125OT with factory tip.
kj

[bladecollectorr]

It's nice to see younger knife collectors cody. I always tell people I collect tools not weapons but these days most (non-knife) folks I meet just can't grasp that and I get seen as eccentric at best and perhaps even criminal at worst. I tell them I collect Schrade knives and they picture Uma Thurman with a katana not me with a gent's pen-knife.

I started out collecting the Bear Paw Family lockbacks exclusively. Then branched out to other Schrades that just "spoke to me". Over time this has morphed into collecting Schrades with higher-end handle materials such as micarta, jigged-bone, Sambar, sterling, gold and MOP. The delrin knives do make great users though. It is a strong and pretty attractive handle.

I tend to spend a little more on Schrade than I can afford so every once in a while I sell off my least coveted examples to pay for more desirable and rare knives.

My "keepers" tend to be rare knives that can't just be replaced by throwing money at the problem. I will sell a super-nice common knife to buy a rare one when I have to. I figure I can always replace the common ones if/when I am more flush with cash. Unless a knife is completely irresistible I will not ever pay a dollar more than I can sell it for (including shipping and other fees).

Any knife I spend money on means less (or no) money for the next one. This has led me to having a more focused collection and also the realization that there will always be way more great Schrade knives to buy than I can afford.

Bottom line is that if you learn the going values and do not over-pay then mint or near-mint collector knives will hold that value and need not become a pit you can't climb out of in tough times. Used knives DO NOT hold their value as well. I'd suggest only buying used knives if you get them very cheap and/or plan to continue to use them.

[bladecollectorr]

So how many million LB7's were made ? All of the serial # ones could be added up but then there are just as many years of production with no serial numbers.
kj

27 years of production times 400 000 per year would be 10 million 800 thousand LB7s. Maybe more, maybe less but it's a very big number indeed.

[tongueriver]

27 years of production times 400 000 per year would be 10 million 800 thousand LB7s. Maybe more, maybe less but it's a very big number indeed.

[kootenay joe]

O.K. so about 11,000,000 LB7's have been 'out there' and i bet the majority are still 'alive' somewhere. You could stack them on their side and build a house out of them !
kj

[tongueriver]

KJ's monologue/advice is well written and well said and well to be remembered. Another tool for new collectors is the ebay "sold listings" tool. For instance, I have a search out for a certain catagory of Schrade knives and the URL looks like this:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat= ... 29&_sop=10

Now then, if I look at the column of menu items on the left, I can scroll down (WAY down) until I find an item that says "SHOW ONLY: SOLD ITEMS."
This will show auctions that are over and were actually sold, best seen as "most recent first," Many will not have sold. This, used judiciously, will be really helpful to newcomers to get an idea of the market for certain knives that they are interested in.

Here is an example URL"
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat= ... Complete=1

[bladecollectorr]

KJ's monologue/advice is well written and well said and well to be remembered. Another tool for new collectors is the ebay "sold listings" tool. For instance, I have a search out for a certain catagory of Schrade knives and the URL looks like this:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat= ... 29&_sop=10

Now then, if I look at the column of menu items on the left, I can scroll down (WAY down) until I find an item that says "SHOW ONLY: SOLD ITEMS."
This will show auctions that are over and were actually sold, best seen as "most recent first," Many will not have sold. This, used judiciously, will be really helpful to newcomers to get an idea of the market for certain knives that they are interested in.

Here is an example URL"
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat= ... Complete=1

The actual nuts-and-bolts of how to find out the selling prices online is crucial info I neglected to provide. Thanks for the tip. I've been doing that so long I sometimes forget there was a time when I didn't know how.

KJ is an awesome contributor and I now want a house made from LB7s. Watching out for the sharp tip on unused knives is a very important assessment. I may have written the long-winded collecting advice you kindly praised... or not

[kootenay joe]

Such kind words. Thank you. I very much appreciate the support.
I have 3 early LB7's (1977 & 78) NIB if anyone would like to be their new owner.
kj