All About Pocket Knives

Hi just come across a 171Uh Pro Hunter SCHRADE WALDEN and the top fore end appears to be factory sharpened?? Did they come like this or has this been done latter on?I own several 171UH and they have no edge on the top of the blade ?Knife appears Mint and came in box with papers? Thanks Guys.any info would be great..

This is the first I have heard of one with a sharp edge on top.
I don't personally have the 171, so I can't compare it to one I have, but as far as I know it was a false edge, not really sharp.

The 171 was first made in 1973, the last year of the Schrade Walden stamp. In fact the Schrade Walden stamp was discontinued about mid 1973 & the tang stamps were changed then. It is rare when one can date a Schrade within a few months of when it was made. Your knife was made in the first half of 1973. It may have been made in late 1972 when they are starting the 1973 production runs. If we said that knife was made in January of 1973, I am pretty sure we would be within 6 months or less of the actual time that knife was made. That is pretty rare for a Schrade knife as they do not date stamp their knives.

Nice knife, among the first 171s made in the very first production of that pattern.
The 171s were made from 1973-1983 and then again 1990-1991.

Congrats on a nice early one.

A buddy of mine has a 171 he sharpend his himself wasn't sharp from the factory::shrug:: I'll tell ya he eats up sheaths ::nod::He sharpened the top of the swedge I remember because he bought it when he got back from vietnam at LL Beans.

I did some research and found a 1975 flyer that lists the 171 on it.
It says the top edge was “sharpened for hacking.”
This would indicate to me an edge more like an ax, a chopping edge, as opposed to a cutting edge.

Would you say the edge on your knife is more for “hacking” or chopping than for cutting or slicing?

orvet wrote:I did some research and found a 1975 flyer that lists the 171 on it.
It says the top edge was “sharpened for hacking.”
This would indicate to me an edge more like an ax, a chopping edge, as opposed to a cutting edge.

Would you say the edge on your knife is more for “hacking” or chopping than for cutting or slicing?

Hi Dale thanks for reseaching for me..I would have to say the same as the flyer (hacking ) the knife is MINT IN BOX and did not appear to be sharpened after leaving the factory..I am happy now looks like I have a good find..thanks warren

Warren & Dale

I just checked my Schrade Walden & Schrade 171UH's and both are sharpend on the top edge

The Schrade has a serial number like the Walden. I wonder if that has something to do with it

Keith

Maybe Keith ? mine has a serial # aswell..nice knives Keith

It looks like Schrade's hacking edge was pretty sharp.

orvet wrote:It looks like Schrade's hacking edge was pretty sharp.

Razor sharp!! I don't know why they call it hacking? warren

Pura 55's 171UH is one of the second out of three runs of that pattern. The first run is exemplified by Keith's knife, shown in this thread with a bird head pommel. I have one as well, serial #03148. I don't know whether they made that version for a few days, a few weeks or a few months. The second version is the Pura 55 model. Neither of these folks give serial numbers. Anyway, these were made for awhile; I don't know how long. They were discontinued, then production started up again many years later, perhaps in the 1990s. They did a few sfos as well. DU was one. Very strange knives, impressive to see in person. Maybe good for digging weeds or clubbing rabbits.

I received in the mail today Schrade Walden NY USA 171U.It has serial no 03907.I can see they were in the January 1st 1970 price list.I would say they were first made in 1969 to be listed in the catalogue.
If you have and different information could you let me know.
Grant

Shearer wrote:I received in the mail today Schrade Walden NY USA 171U.It has serial no 03907.I can see they were in the January 1st 1970 price list.I would say they were first made in 1969 to be listed in the catalogue.
If you have and different information could you let me know.
Grant

Imperial Schrade had an annual sales meeting about October or November of every year to introduce the new products for the upcoming sales year.

Prototypes were made and photographed, catalogs were printed and maybe even a few sample knives were on hand for the salesmen, but often the knives were not scheduled to be produced until later in the following year. With an operation as huge as Schrade became about that time, production time was probably scheduled months or even years in advance.

I do not see the 171UH listed in the 1969 or 1970 catalogs I have. It does not appear in my shortline catalog until 1971. I also checked my 1969 & 1970 Distributors’ price lists and the 171UH is not listed there either.


As to the birds head pommel and the flat pommel; the 1971 & 1972 shortline catalogs show pictures of the 171UH with the birds head pommel. Beginning in 1973 the 171UH is shown with the flat pommel cap.

The production dates I have listed in the Research Section of AAPK for the 171UH in the research section are in error. It shows the 171UH being made 1973 to 1991. (I badly need to update those lists but do not have the time now).
There were 2 production runs I can see in the catalogs:
1971-1983 (the first two years having the birds head pommel)
1990-1991 All of these are shown in the catalogs with the flat pommel cap.

This is about all the info I have been able to glean from the catalogs, price lists and other Schrade sources.
This is the earliest reference to the 171UH I have found. Printed in 1970, probably for the 1970 October/November Annual sales meeting when the knife was introduced to the sales force.
This is the earliest Schrade flier I have that mentions the 171UH and shows the pommel cap. This flier is from 1975. Note the size difference in the blade and handle given in these fliers.
If someone who has both knives can measure the handle length, blade length & overall length I think it would be interesting to compare them.

Dale ,thanks for the information.I list my knives on a computer program for insurance and future reference.The only trouble it tells you how much you have spent over the years.
Who cares, you only live once.
Grant

Shearer wrote:Dale ,thanks for the information.I list my knives on a computer program for insurance and future reference.The only trouble it tells you how much you have spent over the years.
Grant

That is why I stopped listing mine!

Shearer wrote:Who cares, you only live once.
Grant

True, and the last time I checked, you can't take the money or knives with you!
But that is OK; I plan on being in a much better place where I can get the original craftsmen to make me a new one!

Dale .
How about travellers cheque(check )