All About Pocket Knives

I recently found a USA made Schrade Open Stock 825 RB in some old things from my grandfather.It appears unused but has some small tarnish spots. It has a picture of a razor on the long blade and says razor blade stainless made in USA. Stamped on the blade close to the pivot pin is Shrade USA ss825 or 55825.I'm just curious if anyone knows possible year of manufacter and possible worth.

Thanks Tony

Hello and welcome to the forum. That knife was manufactured between 1964 and 1988. The last list price was $21.95.

Thanks for the reply John, Is this the current value ?

I'm not John, but that price is probably MSRP from 1988.

Check out item 290651967254 in eBay. "RARE SCHRADE“Razor Blade Stainless” 825 RB Pocket Knife MIB".

Thank for the reply Curt

The tang stamp on that ebay listed knife was used only after 1973. It is not common to see them listed for that high a price, but then, most are not in that good of condition, so who knows? The non-stainless version of that knife was an 895 pattern, and Schrade came out with the Uncle Henry version, called an 897. They are all the same pattern, with different steel and handles.

The 825 pattern built on a 3-9/16 inch frame was a very popular and enduring slim profile pattern.

The 825RB may only have been made from 1964 to 1988, but that is only one variation of the pattern. I have listed below to promotional flyers from Schrade for the 825RB in that number and blade etch was introduced in 1964. It's my personal belief that the addition of the RB to the 825 number was pretty much done for purposes of marketing. The RB suffix of course refers to the "Razor Blade Stainless" etch on the master blade.

The 825RB was also used in 1964 as a promotion for the "Craftsman" brand of Sears & Roebuck's company. Here is a 1964 Craftsman promotional flyer featuring two Craftsman branded knives with the Razor Blade Stainless etch on them.

As Cal pointed out, the 897UH was arguably one of Schrade's most successful patterns and is built on the same frame. This is the same frame used for the 896K, also known as K-Horn celluloid. The 896K was a pattern made prior to 1946 and Albert Baer's purchase of Schrade Cutlery Company. The Schrade Cut Co number for the 896K was 8964K, I have seen it listed as early as 1928. I have no idea why the slim 3-9/16 inch frame with so much more popular than the 3-1/2 inch frame stockman pattern (#890 & #891). Perhaps it was the fact that it was 1/16 inch longer and slimmer that made it more popular, or maybe it was the stainless steel blades. Nonetheless, the 3-9/16 inch slim frame and stainless steel blades were an incredibly successful combination for Schrade.


I would place the current market value for the knife listed on eBay at about $50, about half what it is listed for.

Well, there ya go, I, in my wisdom thought the RB stood for Red Bone.
Thanks orvet, learn something new everyday on here.

The frame for this pattern goes back into the 1920's, but the 825 "Westerner" came out in 1953.




The early examples were peachseed bone stag.


Milled liners


There was a brief offering of jigged red bone before the razor blade series came out