An Insomniac’s Rambling on a Schrade 834

[orvet]

Not every intriguing knife is in pristine or even in good condition. Sometimes the knives I find most interesting are in poor condition, having lived a full life as a working knife. They have fulfilled their purpose, worked hard and instead of being tossed in a trashcan; they have been put in a drawer or old cigar box until their owner has “shuffled off this mortal coil.” Perhaps a son has remembered Dad’s favorite pocketknife and he in turn puts it in another cigar box where it sets & rusts until he to passes from this world. Sometime in the 3rd or 4th generation someone is cleaning house and decides to donate this old cigar box full of “junk” to a local charity. At some subsequent point a knife collector happens along and “Viola!” a treasure!

I imagine something like this happened with this knife.
I purchased it from a fellow club member at the OKCA, (Oregon Knife Collectors Assoc.), mini show, Saturday December 13th.

The knife is a Schrade model 834, one of the Open Stock models. The tang stamp dates this at c. 1946-1950s, (see Schrade - 100 Years of Markings, by B.K. Brooks; Knife World, June 2004).

The rear scale is missing from this knife, but the remaining front scale is nice pocket-worn jigged bone. On one of the bolsters shows evidence of a pivot pin, placing this as most likely before the Swinden Key system, which was patented in 1961. I say it is likely before the Swinden Key, as some later knives were made without the Swinden Key, by Camillus. However, there is no evidence that this knife was made by Camillus.

The Open Stock model 834 is the forerunner of the 34OT pattern of the Old Timer series of knives. The sheepfoot blade is broken & the spey blade is worn down to a sliver. The clip blade is worn down, but is in surprisingly good condition compared to the other two blades. The blades are carbon steel. The bolsters and shield are nickel silver and the liners are brass. By 1950 this knife sold wholesale for $18 per dozen!

My hypothesis is that this knife was made on the late 1940s, shortly after Albert Baer purchased Schrade. I think the bone was likely left over from Schrade Cut Co. If this knife is typical of the early Schrade-Walden Open Stock knives, then I would like a time machine to travel back to the late 1940s so I can buy a whole collection of these knives!

OK, there you have it; an insomniac’s early morning ramblings on a knife (or what was left of a knife).

It is a cool knife though.
I think I will polish up the front side & see how it looks.

Maybe this post did serve a purpose.
Perhaps it helped a fellow insomniac fall asleep!

Dale

[Chase]

Great find, even if it's not in minty condition. If only knives could talk, I'd love to hear the story on this one.

I have an 834, Schrade NY, mint, still in the shipping tube in one of my many boxes, however, I can't get to it right now. If I could ever figure out how to post a reply with a photo I'd be more than happy to show it.

Thanks for sharing your story! Oh by the way, I've found that a couple of hot totties work well when I can't sleep (Hot Tea, 1 or more shots Jim Beam (to taste), touch of honey). They also work great for cold and flu!

Tom

[upnorth]

Hope you are sleeping now, Dale. That's a heck of a time to be awake!!
I guess cool old knives are worth it though. Anyone else go to the mini Show in Oregon? It's just a little too far away for me!

[brady806]

hey that was great dale, the story you told of that knife is proboly true for many a generation past, present, and future---------------------i wonder where my favorites will be in 50 years? i can only hope in the exited eyes of a new collector.

merry xmas to all and a happy new knife collecting year
---brady

[philco]

You know Dale, by the time a guy carries and uses a knife as long as the previous owner obviously did, it almost becomes a part of him. I'm sure whomever he was, he would be glad to know that it is now in the care of someone who can appreciate it the way you do.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

Phil

[W5RWU]

Dale , you write pretty good for a sleepy guy
Thank you for the Rambling, I enjoy it!
Randy

[relodr36]

Nice find,Dale !!
I see you folks are getting some sno lately.
Ron

[orvet]

I see you folks are getting some snow lately.
Ron

Yeah, more snow in a week than we usually get in a decade in the Willamette Valley.
It is not unusual for us to go 4 or 5 years between light dustings of snow.

If we get much more of this "GLOBAL WARMING" I will have a glacier in my back yard!

Dale