Two 8OTs - One Schrade & One Ulster

[jxr1197]

I love this place – where else on the internet can you find grown men ruminating over the virtues of plastic knife handles from 60 years ago?

...I doubt the reason the manufacturer of this material only made one batch was because the recipe required hard-to-find moon-dust or dragon scales. The "timing" that you speak of regarding delrin's appearance sank this material for a reason. Delrin must have been superior for some reason and perhaps a lot of reasons. To me, a "preponderance of evidence" implies that delrin wouldn't-didn't-doesn't shrink like this material does..

My guess is delrin won performance-wise regarding shrinkage (and maybe other factors too) so industry moved on.

The little bit of info I have on the material comes from talking to the owner of the company that made the handles, although back then it was his mother that ran the place. It seems like experimenting with different formulas was par for the course at the time and a single vat, like this probably was, wouldn’t even get a name. I think there’s no doubt that Delrin would have kicked this stuff’s ass even if people liked the shrinky dink look of these handles. My interest in them lies in their mysterious past and scarcity. If I need an 8OT to carry I grab a Delrin one just like anyone else.

[bladecollectorr]

I love this place – where else on the internet can you find grown men ruminating over the virtues of plastic knife handles from 60 years ago?...

Right?!!! We're a funny bunch. In a good way.

I, for one, know that these trivial details and $3.00 will get me a cup of coffee. Most cafes will even forgo the Schrade trivia if you plead with them to just make it stop.

[kootenay joe]

Here is an example of shrinkage that is mainly in the 'width' direction rather than length. This is an unused Camillus (short underline) #20 a single spring Muskrat. I think these handles are not celluloid but some other pre-Delrin plastic. Can someone please give a date range for this tang stamping ? I'm sure it is pre 1960 or handles would of been Delrin.
kj