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Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:51 pm
by jth250
I was looking at a schrade 881. Does anyone know if they have carbon or stainless steele blades, and if they came in both how do you tell the difference?
Thanks
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:49 pm
by ozzie marie
jth,
To my knowledge only carbon steel.
Keith
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:38 pm
by orvet
I think the 881 was last made around 1986.
They are probably all carbon steel unless that was one of the patterns they switched to stainless without notating it.
I would think that most all were carbon steel, but with Schrade ya’ never know.

Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:24 pm
by coffeecup
I've seen one with stainless blades. There wasn't enough left to tell if it was part of a special run or what.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:25 pm
by tongueriver
I believe they did make a special edition, maybe 100th anniversary or some such, just before they closed, that had stainless blades.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:09 am
by orvet
tongueriver wrote:I believe they did make a special edition, maybe 100th anniversary or some such, just before they closed, that had stainless blades.
I thought that might have been the case.
Thanks Cal.
One way you can tell if a blade is stainless or carbon is to dip it in some cold bluing solution for a moment or two.
If it starts to darken rinse it off in water and buff off the dark spots if you don't want it dark. That is the easiest way to tell if it is stainless without doing any damage to the blade.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:29 pm
by woseyjales
Darn, all I got here is hot blue solution, will that work?
As for the 881,
I would have also guessed all carbon except for a possible
special edition ss.
Wed. I pulled up my 881 picture and was a bit surprised to
see what appeared to be a stamping blem or a +
after the Schrade logo on the tang.
I decided to not post until further investigation.
This morning I tracked down the knife and it does appear
to be a + after Schrade.
I compared it to an 897UH tang and the UH has same
style/size + after Schrade as the 881.
Now I'm cornfused agin.

Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:55 pm
by trail
I think the + sign means stainless steel.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:06 pm
by woseyjales
So true Trail, original question was whether any 881s were ss
or carbon only and if both how to tell the diff.
Guess I assumulated E1 knew + meant SS, my goof.
Am I fired? Can I go home early??
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:51 pm
by trail
Sorry, I figured you knew but wasn't sure if everyone reading the thread would know. Was hoping that one of you Schrade pros would give us a little background on the Schrade+ stamp. Anyway, it's pretty well established now that the 881 was made in both steels and one way to tell for sure that it is stainless is if it says Schrade+ - that's good information for us novice collectors. By the way, great picture, like the knife and the background.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:55 pm
by thawk
That Wosey, is an SFO called the Founders Edition.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... t=founders
Some cross forum posting here, for those interested.

Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:51 am
by woseyjales
ahhhh soooooo!
Thanks a ton for the info Thawk
I hadn't run into the Founder's clambake before.
Sounds like the '86 and back 881 still carbon
and the Founder's Edition is exception to the rule?
My Schrade Whittlin' Kit booklet is copyrighted as 2002.
Ad in the box indicates clip blades were stamped in 1970s
and that's why they have old stamp Schrade N.Y. U.S.A
and 881Y.
So that's at least two 881 specials in the waning years
with one ss and one carbon.
Seems to also reconfirm what I been claiming for years.
"The more I learn the less I know"
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:58 am
by jth250
Thanks for the info that helps me alot. I just started collecting schrade and didn't know alot about them.
Thanks again
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:50 pm
by Old Hunter
I realize this thread is a few months old, but it sheds a little light on a SC881Y I purchased at a gun & pawn this past Tuesday (9/27). The knife is stamped 881Y on the rear of the main blade and Schrade Walden NY on the front (see picture) and has an anniversary etching on the main blade too. Tell me what you think.

Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:42 am
by orvet
Hunter, did this knife come in a plastic tube?
If it did, look carefully on both sides of the cardboard insert in the tube and see if you see the name Taylor Brands LLC.
Is there number on the end of the tube?
If it did not come in the tube, are there any other stampings on the knife (either side) than the tang stamp shown?
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:14 am
by Old Hunter
The knife does come packaged in a clear plastic tube (flat type tube).
The insert has a logo with the words:
SCHRADE
-----------
TOUGH in a rectangular box with "KNIVES AND TOOLS" written under the logo box.
There are a couple of paragraphs that give a brief history of Schrade that begins in 1904 and further down refers to "nearly 100 years later..." It also states that this is a specially branded "Schrade Walden" custom knife. The history refers a couple of times to American manufacturing and American made quality. Taylor Brands are not listed anywhere that I can find. The rear of the insert gives Knife Maintenance and sharpening instructions.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 6:53 am
by orvet
Now I am not sure.
Taylor has some made for them by Camillus after Taylor bought the rights to the name.
That may have come from the Schrade factory.
Perhaps Eric or Hal know for sure.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:08 pm
by RPStockman
I realise I am posting to an old thread here... This knife has SS 881 blades, but is otherwise an 8OT. My wife bought it for me when I lost my original CV 8OT at about the time Schrade stopped producing knives in the US. It's not seen much wear as I got a Case CV stockman at about that time.
So would this have been a standard knife, or just using up US blades before production stopped/moved?
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:09 pm
by tongueriver
RPStockman wrote:I realise I am posting to an old thread here... This knife has SS 881 blades, but is otherwise an 8OT. My wife bought it for me when I lost my original CV 8OT at about the time Schrade stopped producing knives in the US. It's not seen much wear as I got a Case CV stockman at about that time.
So would this have been a standard knife, or just using up US blades before production stopped/moved?
The blade appears to be from the "Founder's Edition" stainless 881, of very late manufacture, possibly 2004? I think this is one "put together" to use up blades at the very end. Just a guess.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 8:41 pm
by Shearer
O
RPStockman wrote:I realise I am posting to an old thread here... This knife has SS 881 blades, but is otherwise an 8OT. My wife bought it for me when I lost my original CV 8OT at about the time Schrade stopped producing knives in the US. It's not seen much wear as I got a Case CV stockman at about that time.
So would this have been a standard knife, or just using up US blades before production stopped/moved?
There was one sold on Ebay a few weeks back and purchased by a member of AAPK.
I have a few Schrade knives that had the wrong blades fitted in the factory . I have a 89OT without the serrated blade or you could call it a 8OT with a 89OT blade.
Grant
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:55 am
by RPStockman
Shearer wrote:O
RPStockman wrote:I realise I am posting to an old thread here... This knife has SS 881 blades, but is otherwise an 8OT. My wife bought it for me when I lost my original CV 8OT at about the time Schrade stopped producing knives in the US. It's not seen much wear as I got a Case CV stockman at about that time.
So would this have been a standard knife, or just using up US blades before production stopped/moved?
There was one sold on Ebay a few weeks back and purchased by a member of AAPK.
I have a few Schrade knives that had the wrong blades fitted in the factory . I have a 89OT without the serrated blade or you could call it a 8OT with a 89OT blade.
Grant
Thanks for the replies; I find it all pretty interesting - not that I am a collector of knives, but I can see how it happens!
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:07 pm
by Dragunski
RPStockman wrote:Shearer wrote:O
RPStockman wrote:I realise I am posting to an old thread here... This knife has SS 881 blades, but is otherwise an 8OT. My wife bought it for me when I lost my original CV 8OT at about the time Schrade stopped producing knives in the US. It's not seen much wear as I got a Case CV stockman at about that time.
So would this have been a standard knife, or just using up US blades before production stopped/moved?
There was one sold on Ebay a few weeks back and purchased by a member of AAPK.
I have a few Schrade knives that had the wrong blades fitted in the factory . I have a 89OT without the serrated blade or you could call it a 8OT with a 89OT blade.
Grant
Thanks for the replies; I find it all pretty interesting - not that I am a collector of knives, but I can see how it happens!
Once you start seeing the difference between the old style, bone 881 Waldens and the Delrin Waldens, the bug will bite you. At that point the newer Schrade+, Schrade USAs, Uncle Henrys, and Old Timers just won't have the same appeal. they're still nice knives, but compared to the old ones?
And if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a Schrade Cut Co stockman in good shape? Or an NYK? At that point you'll become a full-fledged addict.
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:09 pm
by orvet
Welcome to AAPK RPStockman!

Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:15 pm
by treefarmer
When an 881Y has a match-strike pull, does that give any indication as to when it was made? This one has SCHRADE/N.Y.U.S.A. on the mark side, 881Y on the pile side and it has yellow handles

.
Treefarmer
Re: Schrade 881
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:37 pm
by Shearer
The match stick pull was on the Schrade Walden knives and the first of the SCHRADE/N.Y.U.S.A. (I would say they used up all of the old stock ) They changed from Schrade Walden in 1973 and they only used the SCHRADE/N.Y.U.S.A. for a few years.
Hope this helps.
Grant