SCHRADES MY TRUE LOVE

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:11 am

that is a GREAT story LT. Kind like it was meant to be

W5RWU · Post by **W5RWU** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:39 am

LT thanks for clearing up The difference between a Schradeaholic and a Schrade addict! I have been at deer camp for th past 2 days and ya'll have been busy ! could you post some SCHRADE CUT CO pics ! I really like the single blade hunters ! I put to use a 225uh just today . IT made short work of the task at hand !
see ya"ll Randy

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:48 am

kinda off topic and kinda on topic. A 225H

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:57 am

mm, that's some of the best lookin iron wood i've ever seen.

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:32 am

Hey Musky when are you and Dale going into business? LT

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:56 am

thanks guys. Don't know about Dale, I may start doing work for people soon ,if time permits.

LRV · Post by **LRV** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:06 am

Robert Clemente can be reached at
[email protected]
He has another e-mail but he looks at this one 1st.
His book as LT say is great for OT and UH collectors. We keep finding new things to add to it.

LT thanks for the info. You better start wearing knee pads. Ive seen that floor.
TTYL
larry
OH: MM let us know if you do go into business. I got a old 2OT in need of a handle.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:58 am

LT,
I took the wife shopping & I get home and you have a thread going on my favorite knife the 123OT!

It is my favorite of the whole OT line. I just got beat on one today on ebay.

When am I going to go into business? If I did that I wouldn't have time to read your posts or work on knives for you. I would be too worried about making money!

Frankly reading your post and fixing an occasional knife for you and playing with my own knives is more fun than making money.

Actually I got my first order from a cash paying customer last week, (I prefer the kind who trade knives & knife parts for work). He wants a set of Cocobolo handles steak knives for his wife who is a vegetarian!

Go figure!
I gave him a good deal, $80 for a set of 6 steak knives. He thought it was a bargain, so if I can break even we will both be happy.

Keep the history coming. I know you haven't really got started yet!

Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:36 pm

Dale,
I'd have to agree. I like tinkering around when I have the time and not being rushed or forced to work on something or get it done by a certain deadline. My first job I did was a patch job on a handle and I got a few parts on trade, and many have just sent me parts out of the goodness of thier heart, which I deeply appriciate. It is and always will be a hobby or a pastime to me, when you get to the point where you don't enjoy it anymore, it's time to stop. But I try not to let it get that far

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:08 pm

OK Randy here is the deal your request is messing up my time line but, for you I figured I could at least give you a bite of the sandwich. I hope to get back and explain this next group of pic in the future. When you mentioned hunters and the 225 I believe you are referring to folding hunters so here are some pics which I am going to explain in just a cursory manner. I did not even open them up. First there is a display in it are Schrade cuts, Walden, UH, OT, a parker contract a sears contract, an Ulster and hell I do not remember and do not have the time to take the display apart. Also there is a large handmade wooden display knife that says Uncle Henry ( even though the handles are not correct I found it at a show.) Also in this pic are two original jigs steel molds used to make this model knife. Other pics include a period Schrade cut display 20tys 30tys earlier??? with some jigged bone and cell versions also some Frontier models ( ie imperial ) as well as an Old timer wall display with the OT hunter version. I just snapped these quick as you can see by the quality. I did this fast for several reasons I wanted to post them for Randy since he asked and is a good guy. I hope to get back to these at some point and show how they were pinned in some cases with 3,4,5,and even 6 rivits in the handles as well as talk about the jigging tool and contracts and about a million other aspects, but right now I am out of time I write ( such as it is ) for a couple of periodicals ( glad they have a proofwriter with my spelling ). One of these which really is the only one on a regular basis is the AKA switchblade newsletter out of PHOENIX I have a deadline and as such not being overly bright or prolific I am going to have to concentrate on writing it at least the rest of the day. Then usually on Monday I put some JUNK. Excuse me wonderful old knives and memorbilia on the bay. Now that probably takes someone who knows what they are doing a couple of hours for me the genius, it is a day of stumbling around. So I will be tied up but plan to stop in when I stop for a drink (er I mean to collect my thoughts ) . Hey I was looking around this neat site and see they have away to open a store if someone could explain how I do it ( I was lost with the site instructions ) I need someone to hold my hand when i cross the street ( so to speak ) when it comes to computers. So anyway I hope you enjoy the pics consider them a teaser for when we can actually discuss there content. LT

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:19 pm

lt, will you adopt me?

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:24 pm

I would if you were a girl. LT

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:08 pm

So after explaining that I have an article to do and pondering that ,at the same time I am thinking about items to post on ebay and really getting nothing done then something pops into my mind. Perhapes a letter to include in my ads . done in the form of a poem or song to the tune of moonlight bay. What this proves is that it is time to stop everything for the day. time for a sojourn to the bar. Here is a pic of one of the lights in my bar again notice the use of knife decor in planning ones home.

We were listing a long on eebay.
It is just like moonlighting
Or any second job for pay/

Selling stuff from the attic the ebay way
Lots of hits and there watching
Items getting lots of play/

When they win grand pa’s teeth
Our invoice will say,
Use a check or paypal
And we ship right a way/

Learn the rules for posting
Not all stuff is Ok
There are a lot of stupid rules on ebay /

You have stolen my heart
So don’t keep raising the price we must pay
Your commissions must be a billion
A week anyway. /

All the reasons I have given
Are the reasons I say
That your name should be changed
To the moonlight bay. The moon light bay/

Everyone has a job on moon light bay./. LT

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:33 pm

lt, nice song, i'll be humming it the rest of the day. great light. i believe you're right.... the bar is open. let us know when you put your "junk" on the bay.

W5RWU · Post by **W5RWU** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:29 am

LT
Don't let me mess your time line up. Thank you
for the bite of the sandwich it was tasty.
Beautiful displays, thank you for sharing them.

Just remember one mans junk is another mans
treasure.

Didn't know you were a poet/song writer.
You are a man of many talents.

Keep the pictures and the history coming.

See ya,
Randy

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:02 am

I do not really think of it as junk it is only my obviously sick sense of humor the only sense I still have and most of that is gone. If I told you what I had paid for some of the ie junk I have shown you would realize how i really feel about it I treasure this stuff and this history and you are one of the people who can appreciate those feelings. Unfortunately over the years as you know I have had the thrill of a bit more exciting life than many ( lucky me ) sometimes a sick sense of humor, a hard boiled exterior and a good full bottle ( well any full bottle is actually a good one ) of whiskey is about the only defense one has. I remember an exercise in which we had blackened gas masks in a night exercise in a building filled with DM gas ( now outlawed ). Nice stuff slightly hallucagenic and it had kind of a memory that is like a week after getting a jolt of it you you might involentarily defecate which is no big deal unless you are at your kids school talking to her guidence teacher or something similar. Any way our training mission was to rescue a doll which had been hidden while we were blind in the gas. The building was also special since it had been booby trapped nothing serious steps that slipped out or handrails that broke just pain in the ass stuff still one kid broke his ankle that night in this stupid exercise . Any way one officer finally found the doll which we were to rescue. I was standing next to the LT in charge when it flew out a window and landed at his feet. When the officer came down he was called to see the LT who asked him what was the meaning of his throwing the doll out the window. The officer looked at him and said It was already dead . That is the type of humor I am talking about. I could mention a lot more and much grosser examples but it is just to make a point. AH to the pure life LT

W5RWU · Post by **W5RWU** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:04 am

LT , I uderstand completely about the ie junk!
I hate to hear that the doll did not make it !
Here's to ya Randy

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:28 am

I had a witty reply all typed in and my trackball decided to quit. I had to reboot with alt F4 and lost everything I had written. Am now using an old trackball that is a pain in the hand to use. I will have to get to town and get a new one.

I may not be on much for a day or so until I get it replaced.

LT, keep the history and & the stories coming.

I will catch up when I get a new trackball.

Dale

nifnutt · Post by **nifnutt** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:58 pm

LT,

I too collect Schrade knives. I spent many hours in Walden and Ellenville New York in the 1970's looking for knives.

The display below took me over 25 years to buy. The original owner told me about it and each time I would go back to New York I would call him. Finally he called me one day and it was mine.

Regards,

Rhett

Rusty1 · Post by **Rusty1** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:17 pm

Rhett, that is a sweet piece of Schrade history, how many Schrade collectors wish they had one of those, really nice to see that sort of collectible, well caught.

Rusty1

upnorth · Post by **upnorth** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:28 pm

Great push button display, Rhett!
What year is that from??

nifnutt · Post by **nifnutt** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:26 pm

In the 1950's, when the Federal laws banned switch blades, the Schrade Company had to dismantle these displays. I was told there were six of these that Schrade would loan out to their dealers. The one that I have was last sent to Exclusive Cutlery in San Francisco and returned by them. I have the original wooden shipping box that Scrade shipped these in and the original mailing papers to and from San Francisco are on the box.

The person I purchased my display from was in charge of dismantling these displays. He asked permission from the head of Schrade Cutlery if he could keep one. He was granted that permission.

All of the knives are marked Schrade Cutlety, Walden, New York.

Imperial Schrade had one of these in their museum knives but it was not all original and the knives had been added by them when they started gathering knives to form a Schrade museum. I don't think they ever completed that project. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Regards,

nifnutt

Rusty1 · Post by **Rusty1** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:27 pm

That's even nicer, being that it must be the only one complete in existance. well done,

Rusty1

lt632ret · Post by **lt632ret** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:40 pm

Yes Rhett as you may or may not know I am somewhat familiar with your machine Sam told me how he met you at the Holiday Inn in Newburgh to consumate the deal he even told me the price ( you did well) I missed that one in fact I am sure you are aware of this entire story but perhapes some of the others are not . In 1956 Dave Swinden ( then a general worker ) who went on to become a legend and a vice president at Schrade was told to gather these machines which were no longer used (obsolete since they were not making automatics anymore since the were moving to Ellenville and the word was they were going to be outlawed) and take them to consolidated iron in Newburgh to Junk there was an odd number in the middle twentys ( I forget the exact amount ) like 23 or 26 in any event he decided to keep 3 three of these. The rest became Japanese cigarette lighters (ie scrap ). The story of the three that were left is interesting one was in a room for years high above that rock I fished off so it was always sitting there right above me. Interestingly as an aside next to that machine in that room was a box full of new automatics which when the Walden plant closed ( the remaining stock) were brought to the Ulster plant and sat next to the machine in that office for several years then one day someone said put that box in the closet. Where it sat for several more years finally one rainey day a truck driver dripping wet came in and asked where he could put his coat when he was in the closet he saw the old box and asked what was in it someone there said just some old knives if you want one take it. The next day the box was gone so was the driver but the machine was still there which takes us back to there history. As I said there were 3 Sam got one the chief engineer got one and Dave Swinden got one. I have chased these for 50 years which is perhapes why I know the story. Although I did not know it all until a few years ago. We know the story on Sams now your machine. Dave did not want to sell his machine and lordy I tried to buy it. It was used the last couple of years by Schrade as part of there display at the shot show. Unfortunately while it was not supposed to be part of the deal it was left in the room where part of the Schrade factory collection was kept I know since I had sold or traded many of the pieces of that collection to Schrade and worked on it in that room. Schrade did not keep a lot of there old stuff and when they decided to have a factory collection they often bought from collectors to fill in the holes Herman Williams sold his collection to them for that reason. for a couple of years ( after retiring from the DOCS ) I did some of Schrades customer shows on the east coast and answered questions they received on antiquitys. So once again there it sat just feet away and yet untouchable just like it did when I was a kid and it sat above me as I fished. When smokey and blue Ridge came in to get the collection ( which they had bought after stating that they were going to keep it intact for showing.) This promise was the only reason I did not buy it since I would have had to sell some of it due to cost ( I am just one guy not a company still I have been known to play a little poker and sometimes have a dollar or two in my jeans )well we all know how that turned out Smokey started selling almost immediately they claim now that they never said it but I was there in fact I have pictures of the collection ( as usual not great pics since I was in a hurry) in the board room that I was taking as the Smokey trucks were pulling in. That being said that machine which was not supposed to be part of that stuff and was privately owned went with it in fact someone there told me that when they saw it they asked and one of the Smokey or Blue Ridge guys said take it. I ( I was not there I was told that ) in any event they took it and as I am sure you know Jerry Skelton ( one of the most knowledgable and honest men in the field ) bought it from them and it is often seen at shows.
The third machine as i said went to the engineer ( I believe that was his title ) He had long since retired I was in the process of tracking him down when he decided to put it on ebay. It was on about 7 seconds when a very well known collector from Penn saw it I and you know him however with out his permission I do not feel it is correct to name him, he like I would have done started to hemmorage and immediately contacted the the individual made a deal and left immediately ( driving hours in a blinding snow storm risking life and limb ) he is a dedicated well known respected collector with some magnificent items. So that is the story of all three of these that it seems fate has decided I should not be the caretaker of.
Oh yes there is a bit more to the story If you have seen Jerrys display he had a plexi case made for it. Which if you think about it a case would have originally been used I mean chances are you would not have just set this on the counter and walked away with the knives sitting on top loose. While you may surmise this I have always known it you see I knew and still know people who worked in the office above the rock and one of them told me a story of a conversation which took place when he worked there and the machine sat there, a then old executive had come into the office seen the machine and remarked to bad you do not have one of the original display cases. Now you may find that hard to believe but remember I am mental on this subject and have spent many hours over the years sucking down beer and eating my homemade venison sausage with these these people who worked for Schrade and listening to every bit of this history I could even nudging out memories. I remember most of it ( even though some times I cannot remember to pull up my fly ( got to remember the important stuff. ). I am familar with a lot of the display cases from the beginning to the end In fact I am sure I could show a chronalogical time line of exampes of every time frame. They are also filled but a few years ago Another well known collector who had years ago bought a collection from a retired high ranking Schrade executive contacted me and said he had a display for sale. I met him at Foxwoods ( I brought my small RV so had some extra room for transport ) as I said once in a while I do play poker. We made the deal on the original case and he said he had another one in the trunk I looked at it and did not recognize it I checked it over and it was correct for there style and the way they were built. It was weird rectangular no shelves correct period etching ect but since I was about to piss away alot more at the poker table. I bought it then when I got home and started to think about it I realized just about the only thing it could be was the case for that machine . Perhapes I am wrong however I do not think so . I will take a pic I put a glass shelf in it on wood pillars so that I could use it ( not permanent it comes right out. ) I have to utilize as much space as I can. I have it filled with some Schrade Walden and tube stuff and some odd ball stuff it gives some storage rather than leaving it empty. I am not going to empty it since it is glass and heavy. So use your imagination. It would seem the fates do not want me to have one of these machines so be it I certainly own enough of this stuff for one man. In the mean time by your displaying yours and Jerry displaying his you are keeping the history alive that is what it is all about the time will come when both of us will pass these items on to another caretaker. Frankly in my case unless the world comes to an end ( in which case it will not matter ) I will always be able to put beans on the table and buy whatever brand of whiskey I prefer. So while I do sell some stuff it is just to do something and get rid of a lot of stuff I pick up in collections that I do not need sometimes you have to buy a hundred pieces to get one or two you want. As you well know being in the business. All that being said you can make your own decision on the case if it is correct It is the only one I have ever seen in fact most people never even knew one went with the machine or for that matter knew about the machine. I do not know how this ever survived it is as unwieldy as possible and glass if it is right it is three times as rare as your machine. perhapes you can shed some light . But remember if it is right You got the horse but I got the saddle. If nothing else I hope you enjoy the story which is offered with only the kindest intention. Thankyou for posting the pics and good luck with the machine. PS Also remember the beginning of the story when I said it was an odd number of machines well odd numbers were not the way a company would have these built there might have been 25 or 30 or 50 but not 23 or 26 so who knows perhapes there is still one out there for me. Maybe that is why I have the case. LT PPS RED had a story on one of these in the AKA newsletter with a cursory bit of info I did not want to rain on his parade (ie story ) so I just never related the story however Jerry did call me a while back and I told him. Since you posted this I figured I would give what info I had.

nifnutt · Post by **nifnutt** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:17 pm

LT,

I have this same display case but unfortunately when I moved to Virginia I was unpacking it and broke it. It is in the process of being repaired.

I have collected display cases for years but did not think about if the switch blade display would fit in the case.

Is the back of your display case closed or have a lid? It appears that it does in the photo.

One question would be, if it does, would be the heat release be a problem from the motor running the Schrade display and light bulb inside lighting up the cam shaft operating the switching of the knife? My machine has a fan inside that area to cool it down and help dissipate the heat generated when the display is running.

Regards,

nifnutt

All About Pocket Knives

SCHRADES MY TRUE LOVE

Nice score!

Schrade

Schrade