85th Anniversary Whittler

[bladecollectorr]

Burnt stag and sterling check all the right boxes. The shield fell out of this one while it was in the mail. After much effort it looks awesome again. I basically got it for $30.00 as part of a 3-knife lot for $90.00. The sweet deal makes it even better.

[bladecollectorr]

More pics.

[kootenay joe]

Wow, what a deal. The stag whittler alone is worth about $90 when new in original box. I am surprised that the design did not include a pinned shield, but still a very attractive knife.
kj

[doglegg]

That is a really great looking knife. Boxes always make it a little more special. And with the other two what a pick up! Excellent!

[1967redrider]

Great trio for an excellent price!

[bladecollectorr]

Thanks for the comments gents.

Wow, what a deal. The stag whittler alone is worth about $90 when new in original box. I am surprised that the design did not include a pinned shield, but still a very attractive knife.
kj

I prepped the shield repair by sanding off the old (clear epoxy?) glue which had detached from the stag and was just a lump attached to the shield itself. 60 grit sandpaper quickly removed this old glue and completely scratched up the back of the shield. I also scratched up the recess in the handle a bit with 60 grit. Both surfaces were smooth from the factory. The scratches add a 3D mechanical nature to the bond so it's that much stronger. I made sure the entire back of the shield was well coated in epoxy before clamping.

I used JB-Weld original because it is basically the strongest glue in existence and because it takes a long time to set-up and cure which makes it easier to work with. The stuff is black so it can't be used where it will be seen but that was a non-issue here.

I cut a little plastic spacer just smaller than the shield and used it and an elastic band to clamp shield firmly in place for the 24 hour cure.

PIns or no pins, the shield on this knife is never coming off again!

[New_Windsor_NY]

Very nice set!

[kootenay joe]

In addition to the sanding, how much glue you use is important. I have glued back only 2 shields and both times i used too much glue and it squishes out, hardens and looks amateurish, which it is.
How much glue is needed ? and apply on both surfaces ?
thanks, kj

[bladecollectorr]

In addition to the sanding, how much glue you use is important. I have glued back only 2 shields and both times i used too much glue and it squishes out, hardens and looks amateurish, which it is.
How much glue is needed ? and apply on both surfaces ?
thanks, kj

I used a liberal amount on the back of the shield only. There was a thick coating on the entire back of the shield so applying to both surfaces seemed like overkill. I wasn't shy with the glue. When I placed it in the recess excess glue did indeed squish out pretty well all around it so I know that there's full coverage of glue back there. I should add that after roughing the two surfaces up with the sandpaper I cleaned them both with rubbing alcohol and let them dry for a bit before applying the glue. This was just to ensure that both surfaces were ultra clean and dust free.

The choice of the JB-Weld Original was what made it easy to avoid any excess glue problems. Many epoxies are "5 minute" types. As advertised, these set up really fast so your time-window to mix it, deploy it and clean off any excess is very short. Often these are clear looking formulas as well which can make thin coatings hard to see. Once dry, they darken and a really thin smear can become visible.

5 minute epoxies certainly have their uses but here are the differences that matter when talking knife shields:

JB-Weld Original is a very slow curing epoxy. As a rule of thumb the longer the cure time the stronger the epoxy. The set time is not 5 minutes. It's a way longer 4-6 hours. It fully cures in 15-24 hours. This makes it a completely different animal to work with and you have all the time in the world to use the glue. The consistency is like a thick black latex paint so it will easily flow onto surfaces to coat them. This glue is "wet". It is not thick and "sticky" like we usually expect with glues. This higher viscosity makes it flow much more like paint onto surfaces as opposed to a rapidly drying glue. The viscosity does not change at all during the time you are working with it. The deep scratches from the 60 grit on the shield and stag will create tiny voids between the shield and stag which are now filled with epoxy mechanically locking them together like jigsaw-puzzle pieces.

This steel-reinforced epoxy glue is black. The black paint-like excess is super easy to see when it squishes out and you just make doubly sure that you remove it all with a cloth etc. I used Q-tip swabs to get right in the crevice around the shield and on the face of the shield itself before clamping. Soaking up the thin jet-black liquid with ultra-white highly-absorbent cotton is easy. You can very easily tell when your swabs are coming up dry and all the excess has been removed. There will be no surprise blobs or discolorations when it dries.

Hope this helps! ~BC

[kootenay joe]

Yes, Big help. Thank you. Now i am actually looking forward to having a shield fall off.
kj

[Dinadan]

Beautiful knife, Bladecollectorr! One of my favorite patterns, and the stag on that one is very nice. I would say that $90 just for that 804 would have been a bargain.

Good info about the glue, too.

[bladecollectorr]

As to price, it was one of those rare scores for sure. This isn't the first 85th knife I've owned in over a decade of buying Schrade knives as collectibles. I paid about $90 or $100 sometime around 2010 for a fully complete example and was happy to do so. I sold that one for a bit more than I bought it for with no problem at all in 2013. These knives hold their value and are always in demand.

I watched this auction finish just yesterday for $105 with shipping and wasn't the least bit surprised. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schrade-Knife- ... true&rt=nc

[tongueriver]

Now i am actually looking forward to having a shield fall off. kj

Just buy some Bokers, Roland, and your wish can come true.

[edge213]

Burnt stag and sterling check all the right boxes. The shield fell out of this one while it was in the mail. After much effort it looks awesome again. I basically got it for $30.00 as part of a 3-knife lot for $90.00. The sweet deal makes it even better.

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How about some pictures of the barlow.

[bladecollectorr]

How about some pictures of the barlow.

I can do that. Pics already taken. I think I will start a new thread though. These big daddy barlows deserve it. Here it is with some friends: