Improved/Not Improved Muskrats

[Producer]

Just showing ya's some Muskrats. Top one in the first 3 pics is the regular one.
Bottom knife the "Improved" version.
Last pic has the Improved one top left. Etching just visable.
I don't know what the difference are between the two besides the etch. Anybody know what's improved?
Thanks, Producer.

[Shearer]

Just showing ya's some Muskrats. Top one in the first 3 pics is the regular one.
Bottom knife the "Improved" version.
Last pic has the Improved one top left. Etching just visable.
I don't know what the difference are between the two besides the etch. Anybody know what's improved?
Thanks, Producer.

I don't know in Old Timer .But in the Schrade the first muskrats had two blades on a single spring.The single spring would break if you opened the two blades.
Grant

[tongueriver]

[/quote]
I don't know in Old Timer .But in the Schrade the first muskrats had two blades on a single spring.The single spring would brake if you opened the two blades.
Grant[/quote]

I don't know what the "improved" business is all about, but that etch was already on the muskrats in the 1936 supplement catalog. And they were still selling the single spring model 20 years later. I doubt that they were "braking," (breaking?) if they were still selling them that way. In fact, you can buy single spring two-blade knives to this day from modern companies, and they are still popular, probably because they are so slender in the pocket. If one opens the two blades one at a time, and ends up with both blades open, one will notice that neither end of the spring is cocked. It is just as "at rest" as if the knife was closed. The only time the spring would receive undue stress would be if one somehow awkwardly opened both blades at the exact same time and they were both at the "half-cock" position. Why would anyone do this?

[Producer]

Thanks for the responses guys. Here's another view with the Improved and regular Muskrats sandwiched between two Trappers. [Improved 2nd from top]

[Shearer]

I wonder why they went from a single spring to a double spring?
If you break a spring on a double spring knife you can still use one blade.

[treefarmer]

Help me out here, fellers. I've been lookin' at these two knives and I see one with the etch on the blade and I noticed the nail nicks are different and both have two back springs. What am I not seeing? What makes it an Improved Muskrat? I use one of these when fine tuning venison before packaging.
Treefarmer

[Shearer]

Help me out here, fellers. I've been lookin' at these two knives and I see one with the etch on the blade and I noticed the nail nicks are different and both have two back springs. What am I not seeing? What makes it an Improved Muskrat? I use one of these when fine tuning venison before packaging.
Treefarmer

As far as I know they are the same knife made at different times.
Grant

[orvet]

Help me out here, fellers. I've been lookin' at these two knives and I see one with the etch on the blade and I noticed the nail nicks are different and both have two back springs. What am I not seeing? What makes it an Improved Muskrat?

Well Phil, the only real difference I have noticed is that the Improved Muskrats have "Improved Muskrat" etched on one of the blades.

[royal0014]

Sales gimmick (duh)

Ever noticed how much crap is thrown at you
from tv advertising as "New and Improved"??

So what was it before, old and half-ass......????

[jerryd6818]

Sales gimmick (duh)

Ever noticed how much crap is thrown at you
from tv advertising as "New and Improved"??

So what was it before, old and half-ass......????

The "new" part implies it never existed before. The "improved" part implies that it did exist and was inferior to the current product. I've always viewed that advertising gimmick as an oxymoron.

[royal0014]

The "new" part implies it never existed before. The "improved" part implies that it did exist and was inferior to the current product. I've always viewed that advertising gimmick as an oxymoron.

Dadburn Mr. Marine! Big words and all that. .. ...

... .. .see there, I knew there was a reason we keep you around

[tongueriver]

Here are some Schrade muskrats. The top three are pre-1947. Notice the secondary blade on the second one down. It is not re-profiled; it is a catalog item. The top two are in bone; the third one down is gum fuddy, or rough black, or fibestos, or black celluloid; take your choice. The second to the bottom is a bone Schrade Walden with STAINLESS blades. And last is a Herman Williams job. I asked him to leave off the shield.

[orvet]

That is a very nice collection of of muskrats Cal!

[Producer]

Here are some Schrade muskrats. The top three are pre-1947. Notice the secondary blade on the second one down. It is not re-profiled; it is a catalog item. The top two are in bone; the third one down is gum fuddy, or rough black, or fibestos, or black celluloid; take your choice. The second to the bottom is a bone Schrade Walden with STAINLESS blades. And last is a Herman Williams job. I asked him to leave off the shield.

muskrats001.jpg

Excellent!
Super Muskrats sir. Most interesting.

[tongueriver]

Thanks for the kind words. I feel fortunate to have "borrowed" some nice knives to study and appreciate. In a few more decades someone else will have "borrowed" these. We are only caretakers, and believe me, life is short.

[ea42]

Beautiful muskrats Cal!! You don't see that sportsman's knife very often at all!

I believe (but not positive on this) that the "Improved Muskrat" etch referred to the Hawbaker Muskrats that appeared around 1936. They called the hawbaker blade an improved skinning blade at the time. After that I think the etch was used on pretty much any muskrat regardless.

Eric

[tongueriver]

I believe (but not positive on this) that the "Improved Muskrat" etch referred to the Hawbaker Muskrats that appeared around 1936. They called the hawbaker blade an improved skinning blade at the time. After that I think the etch was used on pretty much any muskrat regardless.

Eric

I agree.

[Producer]

Wealth of information here. Thank you.