All About Pocket Knives

I have an Imperial knife that has a tang stamp that isnt identified in this post. It says imperial over stainless over U.S.A.. I believe it is a brass gents knife with dog running through the woods. Any help would be great. lLike what it exactly is and what year it was made.Thanks.

Imperial
Stainless
USA

I believe was the last stamp Imperial used before going to "Imperial Schrade".

I could be wrong, and I'm sure I will stand corrected if so! (won't be the first time )

Dale could probably give us a date when this transition was made.

Great solid lookin knife by the way

......... Joe

Thanks for the info joe.

Joe Dirt wrote:Imperial
Stainless
USA

I believe was the last stamp Imperial used before going to "Imperial Schrade".

I could be wrong, and I'm sure I will stand corrected if so! (won't be the first time )

Dale could probably give us a date when this transition was made.

Great solid lookin knife by the way

......... Joe

Well Joe,
I have not researched Imperial tang stamps enough to really know.
The name change to Imperial Schrade was in 1984, (per LG4).

We do know that after Albert Baer bought out his partners in 1984 he changed the name to Imperial Schrade Corp and soon thereafter the following Imperial Frontier series were dropped: Double Eagle, Sundowner, Powderhorn Stag, Ol’ Ivory & Gunpowder Black. It was believed they competed too directly for the sales of the Old Timer brand.

There is a S-card from Camillus dated December 1984 for the Imperial Light Weight Camouflage knife.
I have a S-card record of an order for Imperial Frontier #4135 knives in 1985, the year after the change.

The Imperial Frontier All-Americans series was introduced in 1985.
The AA-31 was made until 1987.
The AA-41 was made until 1988.
The AA-51 was made until 1989.
So there we have an Imperial brand name being manufactured (by Camillus Cutlery Co., also owned by Albert Baer) in 1989, probably long after the Imperial with the crown that is shown in the previous knife.

The Imperial MS-7 survival knife was made in 1986 & 1987.

It would not surprise me to learn that Imperial Scout knives were made in the 1980s and 1990s. Do any of you Scout collectors know for sure?

The Imperial Tradesman line of tools was made in Ireland until 2004 as were some of the Imperial Jackmaster patterns.

So, it is hard to say exactly what was the last Imperial tang stamp.
This is definitely a subject that merits more study.

Cool Stuff! Here is a couple that I already had scanned up. The "ballpoint pen" knife is pretty neat.

1936 - 1952 Easy Open Jack

Scott, That's a fine looking Easy Open. To bad the bail is missing. If were me, I'd be searching the bone yds. for a bail to replace it. Regardless, again, a fine looking knife! Bull ( Is that your blog page? If so, congrats' on the writing. Enjoyed it! )

268bull wrote:Scott, That's a fine looking Easy Open. To bad the bail is missing. If were me, I'd be searching the bone yds. for a bail to replace it. Regardless, again, a fine looking knife! Bull ( Is that your blog page? If so, congrats' on the writing. Enjoyed it! )

Thanks Bull! I just listed this knife on eBay.

Yes sir....that's my blog steel brother!!

Hey, I have this old imperial fixed blade, I'm trying to figure out its value. But I can't find it and the gang stamp is odd. It looks like #11 but it doesn't have the little crown

Darrell doubtful that it has a lot of value, I don't know what happened to the little crown but it looks like a #12 to me, vertical usa, mine has the stamp on the opposite side to yours , but theres a lot of oddities on old knives.

Hey Guys, Here is my Early Imperial IKCo stamped Harness Jack. Goins dates the knife 1928-30 right?? Its got that Triangle IKCo stamping
Thx Mark

I didn't win this one but I sure wish that I had. First I've ever seen

O.K. I'm gonna bump this thread with a new question. Mainly because I've looked through several threads and can't find the answer. On the dating of Imperial tangs tamps.

The "IKCO" tang stamp, I have seen four different variations, possibly five. 1st. IKCO inside a diamond, 2nd. IKCO inside a rectangle, 3rd. IKCO slanted in a slanted rectangle, 4th. IKCO over USA, and possible 5th IKCO with no USA, but was worn. Is there any date information for the years this series of tang stamps were used?

Papa Bones wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:42 pm O.K. I'm gonna bump this thread with a new question. Mainly because I've looked through several threads and can't find the answer. On the dating of Imperial tangs tamps.

The "IKCO" tang stamp, I have seen four different variations, possibly five. 1st. IKCO inside a diamond, 2nd. IKCO inside a rectangle, 3rd. IKCO slanted in a slanted rectangle, 4th. IKCO over USA, and possible 5th IKCO with no USA, but was worn. Is there any date information for the years this series of tang stamps were used?

No one can help me with this info?

Here is what I believe is my oldest Imperial tang stamp with the knife.

I'm going through my scouting utensil kit knives and I came across this tang stamp oddity (pictured below). It's an IMPERIAL, "CROWNLESS" tang stamp. It is also says STAINLESS which is not on any of the other IMPERIAL tang stamps that are on the chart at the link posted below. I am not claiming that this tang stamp is old, just that it is an odd one.

STAINLESS
IMPERIAL
PROV. U.S.A.

viewtopic.php?t=12153#p100066

So where does this tang stamp "fit in" as far as the different time spans go?
There isn't another one like it at that link.

One of my favorite fixed blade knifes .Tang stamp dated 1936-1937 .