Old Timer

[enuf]

I found a new Old Timer, the tang stamp is Schrade but it does not identify where it was made - is it safe to assume “China”?

[kennedy knives]

I found a new Old Timer, the tang stamp is Schrade but it does not identify where it was made - is it safe to assume “China”?

China

[enuf]

What I figured - thank you

[Mumbleypeg]

Not so fast! Old Timers recently have had several changes. Taylor Brands bought the Schrade trade names a few years ago and moved production off to China. But a couple of years ago those trade names were acquired by Outdoor Brands (formerly Smith & Wesson), who moved production back to USA. Those I’ve seen look like Bear & Sons production. Clearly stamped U.S.A.

So depending on how new it is it might have been made in USA. Odd that it does not have the country of origin (COO) stamped on it. U.S. customs law requires COO to be marked on items made for sale in U.S.

Ken

[rea1eye]

If I remember correctly, Old Timer knives made after 1945 have USA or U.S.A stamped on
the tang if made in the U.S.

Bob

[LRV]

Please post a picture if possible
Thanks

[enuf]

Wish I would have bought it now just to have learned from it - it was brand new in a box tossed on a clearance table for $5. I am 7-hrs away from it now.

[Ridgegrass]

I've seen lots of Chinese and other Asian items marked simply with ink or a very light etch that rubs off easily. Gotta be careful. O'.

[Bloodhound]

I had a guy at the Fall gun and knife show try to tell me that he had a new Old Timer, that was a USA built knife in the box...I could see where someone had rubbed off the made in China stamp on the box...the knife didn't have a country of origin stamp...he quietly walked away. I am constantly surprised how often people mis-represent knives. Online sales, at shows and such. knife traders really have to know their stuff.

This place is a wealth of info and I learn something every time I come to this site

[tongueriver]

U.S. made Schrades have U.S.A. stamped into the metal. There is one important exception. The Schrade Walden knives made between 1946 and 1955 sometimes just had N.Y. and no U.S.A. These early folders are so distinctive compared to recent knives that one can easily tell they are American. There is another not-very-important exception. Some limited edition fixed blade Schrades with BG42 steel are not stamped U.S.A. These are high dollar items and not common. After the 2004 bankruptcy Stewart Taylor bought all the Schrade trademarks and had most "Schrades" manufactured in China. But there were a fixed blade and some switchblades made by Great Eastern, many goofy ones by Bear and Son, nice ones by Utica and for one year, Camillus (then they too went bandrupt). So it is actually a bit of a study to parse out all the fine points. Now apparently there are some so-called Schrades being made in America by "I don't know who" and I don't know anything about them. I think the bottom line is to look for the U.S.A. stamp; you might not get an original pre-2004 knife but at least you know where it is made.

[Mr Mike]

I've seen lots of Chinese and other Asian items marked simply with ink or a very light etch that rubs off easily. Gotta be careful. O'.

Did you know for a while that there were some products coming out of Japan marked USA? They actually have a city in Japan named Usa! Products were being marked USA but being produced in Japan! You have to be so very careful because so many people are trying to get over nowadays. And quite frankly I try not to buy anything from China especially! Why we deal with a communist country I have no idea?

[Ridgegrass]

You're right there. O'.

[tongueriver]

Found this on Wikipedia.
"There have been claims that products made in this town and exported to the US as early as the 1930s carried the label "MADE IN USA", for it to appear as if the product was made in the United States. There are reports that the name of the town was changed to "USA" for this purpose. The aforementioned claims are false. The city had this name long before the 1960s. Usa is a city and products must be labeled by country of origin, making it highly improbable that this would be an adequate loophole. In addition, any products being imported to the U.S. marked as being "made in USA" would have been flagged.[6]"

[Mr Mike]

That's true that the city has been there for a long time. But there are products that were marked USA and only USA that came out of Japan after World War II. You have to realize also that you can't believe everything you read online. Anyone can put anything they want on wikipedia. It's not like it's the OED or the Encyclopedia Britannica. Anyone can change the information on Wikipedia. I just posted that quote as a bit of trivia. But, I have seen those products as I do collect antiques.

[OLDE CUTLER]

That's true that the city has been there for a long time. But there are products that were marked USA and only USA that came out of Japan after World War II. You have to realize also that you can't believe everything you read online. Anyone can put anything they want on wikipedia. It's not like it's the OED or the Encyclopedia Britannica. Anyone can change the information on Wikipedia. I just posted that quote as a bit of trivia. But, I have seen those products as I do collect antiques.

Your statement that any body can put anything they want on Wikipedia is false. I tried to write an article for Wikipedia several years ago about a family member from 100 years ago that had served in the South Dakota legislature and was a part of our state history. I submitted my article and the required references that I had drawn on to write the article. I got a reply that my article had been rejected. It wasn't until 5 months later that I got a message from them that they had accepted my article because they had reviewed my references and they agreed with my article. They also have many other restrictions on what can be submitted.