All About Pocket Knives

Recently acquired Muskrat man's splitback whittler https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... 22515.html Could any tell me about what time period this whittler was produced? One dealer told me that any Shrade with numbers were made during WWII.

cusprider,

Here's a photo of a 8423B out of the Schrade Catalog E 1926-1938.



Keith

cusprider wrote:Recently acquired Muskrat man's splitback whittler https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... 22515.html Could any tell me about what time period this whittler was produced? One dealer told me that any Shrade with numbers were made during WWII.

I am not sure that the dealer gave you correct information.

Depending on which source you use, Ulster Knife Co, owned by Albert Baer, purchased Schrade Cut Co in 1946 or 1947, (1947 seems to be the most commonly accepted date). It became part of the Imperial Knife Associated Companies (IKAC), which included Imperial, Ulster, Kingston and Schrade. At that point Schrade Cut Co was renamed Schrade Walden.

Schrade Cut Cos were made for a short while right after WWII. I question the idea that Schrade Cut Co would start using numbers on the tang at the onset of WWII and drop them after the war. That doesn’t make sense to me. Most knife companies made very few knives for the civilian market during the war. Most companies were pretty much devoted to War Time production, i.e.; knives for the US and Allied Militaries. I can’t imagine that they made a major change in manufacturing for what was comparatively few knives for the civilian war time market.

I haven’t studied Schrade Cut Co as much as I have the later Schrade Walden and Imperial Schrade, but I do believe that at least some of the pre-WWII Schrade Cut Co knives were tang stamped with the model number. Perhaps Charlie (upnorth) or LT (lt632ret) will be along and weigh in on this subject. They are much more familiar with the Cut Cos than I am.

Dale

I went through my picture album, and couldn't find any Schrade Cut Cos with pattern numbers on back tangs. Lots of them on Schrade Waldens though!
The only back-of-tang markings on Cut Cos is a consistent SS on the old stainless knives, usually all blades!
I've asked Kaleb about that pattern number "20150"; he's the seller of that little whittler. I'll report back when he answers.

Thanks Charlie!

Dale

I'll preface my remarks by saying I am just starting to study these numbers on the tangs.
The number on this knife does not seem to be a Schrade Cut number. I suspect it is a subcontract number, destined for D-E, John Primble or Craftsman or some other of the many places that Schrade sent knives.
I have an example of that SCC knife, and there is no number on the back. Does anyone recognize the number on this subject knife?

I want to thank everyone for the replies. The picture from catalog and the the idea about subcontractor number was very helpful. Also thanks to Kaleb for providing me with this small problem. This site helps makes our hobby more then a money pit!