All About Pocket Knives

I picked this switch up and was wondering if the ones with the clip blade were rarer? Knife is 3 3/4" closed and both blades open as they should but the smaller pen blade opens to 3/4 about half the time. Great handles that are chip and crack free.

Mike, very nice example! Can't say if they are rarer with the spey balde or not, although you do not see that many around compared to the double pen blade styles, below is the model number of your knife if not already known.

Russell

Interesting finds, both the knife and what looks to be the catalog copy. I like that description, "safety push-button knife"! Very different gestalt than what I found growing up in the 50s and 60s watching the B+W juvenile delinquent movies!

GregNYC wrote:Interesting finds, both the knife and what looks to be the catalog copy. I like that description, "safety push-button knife"! Very different gestalt than what I found growing up in the 50s and 60s watching the B+W juvenile delinquent movies!

Amazing isn't it, what an ignorant and poorly informed mass media, and a few crusade seeking politicians can do to the perceptions of the public.

That little switch is a killer's weapon for sure.

Mike, This is a whole new direction for you. No pearl, no salesman's numbers ? Maybe you should send all your cell handled knives to me ?

Fran

IIRC, LT said that these little knives were often carried by little old ladies in their knitting bag to cut yarn.
They were considered safety knives because they could be locked so that they wouldn't open and because the lady wouldn't break her finger nails opening a slip joint with a stiff spring.

Dale

galvanic1882,
I'm not sure the clip blades are more rare than the ones with spear blades. This is one that I have, but I've seen just as many with clip blades as with spear blades over the last couple of years.

Sorry I just found this thread. As you know Schrade made 3 sizes of the double bladed small automatics. 2,7/8" , 3,3/8" and 3, 3/4" closed. They also made a single blade version in 3,3/8" and 3,3/4" . All of the 2, 7/8" were spear bladed. the 3,3/8" were overwhelmingly spear bladed but there was at least one variation that had a clip blade. The 3,3/4" were pretty evenly split between clip blades and spear blade. The single blade versions of the 3,3/8" were clip and the 3,3/4" were clip.

Now that we are beginning to really get confused lets continue. The 2,7/8" were without bolsters with cell or full metal scales. the 3,3/8" doubles were in ( jigged bone very rare ) cell, again full metal scales, and tippers ( or small end bolsters ). the 3,3/4" doubles were in cell, jigged bone, and really really rare full metal. They were either full scale, tipper, or large bolster. The singles both 3,3/8" and 3,3/4" were full scale cell . Now I am going to post pics of all these variations take a look and see if you can figure out what I am saying when you do please explain it to me. No just kidding. Hope you enjoy the pics OH yes and all models had a few that were handled in pearl. PS Notice the 3,3/8" on the panel with the number one the only 3,3/8" in the bunch with a clip blade is the last one in the line. There were not many of these. PPS the pic marked one also has some other knives but they are not relative to this posting they were just in the pic. Also one more small historical note. In the pic marked 7 you will notice 2 schrade letter openers. Now sometimes over the years some people would cut and smooth the 3,3/8" single blade part of the opener from the letteropener part and smooth off the end making it a 3,3/8" single blade these brought big money since the 3,3/8 singles blade are among the rarest of models. Now when a collector spotted this he would go OH boy wowee because the knife on the openers was a spear blade not a clip but unfortunately that is the giveaway to its true identity you see the 3,3/8" singles were never made with spears only clips the letter openers being the exception. LT

Wow!
Awesome collection - thanks for all the information and for posting the pics!

I never cease to be amazed at the depth of your collection LT, as well as the knowledge you have of the history of these knives!

Thanks for sharing,
Dale

LT are those Schrade or Presto Letteropeners? I have not seen but one Schrade cut co letteropener and it is in my collection. I also own a catalog with it referenced. Both have/indicate french ivory handles.

To my knowledge Presto made 2 styles (and or sizes) of automatic openers flylock made one I have attached pics of all three. Schrade Cut made ( to my knowledge only a manual ) I also have attached a pic of that ( which I really had to search for that knife I forgot where it was. which is not hard to do here. ) I do not know of a Schrade cut automatic letter opener. However anything is possible. French ivory, Marine pearl , Faux pearl, Pyralene and a myriad of other names ( as you probably are aware ) are simply the particular names which the companies gave to the material known as Celluloid.

Darn it LT! I just had to dig the knife out of the safe to make sure I wasn't mistaken. And then of course I had to dig up the catalog as well! Not an easy task I might add. Here it is in all its splendor... model L1404W. I don't believe it was made for very long or in significant numbers as the add cut was glued into the existing catalog as the last page plus I've never seen or heard of another. Due to the advertising on the handle I think we can pretty much narrow this one down to 1940. lol Comments please?

Well done Im getting beat up today . Actually I thought one of mine was a schrade until I looked. Then I could not find the reference ( the same phamplet was sitting in front of me ) . It has been so long since I had mine out I forgot what they were in any event there it is and again well done. LT.

lt632ret wrote:Well done Im getting beat up today . Actually I thought one of mine was a schrade until I looked. Then I could not find the reference ( the same phamplet was sitting in front of me ) . It has been so long since I had mine out I forgot what they were in any event there it is and again well done. LT.

I'm not meaning to beat you up LT, just enlightening everyone merely one millionth of a percent that you do on a regular basis here and elsewhere. Not to mention through your book, CD and print articles, etc. You are a wealth of information and a credit to our community. Just my two cents!

I did not mean anything derogatory. I have had some interesting tests in the last couple of days ( which turned out very good ) .however it has been a bit taxing and I was thinking more of that than the couple of points of which I consider my responses below what i like to think is my standard. However I think I redeemed myself with my Red Ryder post it was perhapes one of my most beneficial contributions. Thankyou for your nice sentiments. LT

lt632ret wrote: the 3,3/8" were overwhelmingly spear bladed but there was at least one variation that had a clip blade...... the 3,3/8" doubles were in ( jigged bone very rare )...

I happen to have a 3 3/8" in jigged bone with a clip blade......just how rare are you talking? Unfortunately, the secondary blade has been tipped, but other than that, it rides in my pocket regularily.

Cheers,
J

I thought that I would revive this thread by posting a picture of a Sterling Handled Schrade Cut double switch. It is really nice and tight.

I like nice and tight Mike, and that's a great little switch too.

Nice addition !

Fran

I see that you still have some issues Fran!!!