Schrade Walden 169
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 4:11 pm
For years I have been searching for a Schrade Walden 170, listed as a "stationary blade pruning knife."
As you can see it has a very distinctive turned wooden handle. I have kind of etched the shape of the handle in my mind, so when I saw the handle at a friend's table at the flea market last weekend my eye gravitated to it.
But the blade was different from the Hawkbill pruner blade I was expecting. Since I don't carry a list of Schrades with me, I was unsure what I had, but I bought the knife anyway.
This is the knife:
Definitely the same handle as the 170, but it is stamped 169, however I can't find a listing for a #169 in any of the Schrade catalogs from 1946 on.
The 170 appears in the 1953 catalog and last appears in the Schrade Walden catalog in 1958.
I would assume since they both use the same handle that the #169 was probably made in the same time frame as the 170, but that is an assumption and while logical, we all know logic doesn't always apply to Schrade.
Now, obviously the #169 has been used, probably abused and appears to have been heavily modified.
The $10,000 questions:
What was the blade shape originally?
Why is it not listed in the catalogs?
Was it an SFO for a hardware supplier or a horticultural company?
Does anyone have any knowledge of this pattern number?
Any educated guesses?
The only plausible theory I have is that is was a smaller hawkbill version of the 170, or a different horticultural pattern made for a company that sold horticultural knives, like a hardware supply or a an orchard supply company. Perhaps a larger version of the 173?
This is a 173 as seen in the 1953 catalog-
Whatever the 169 was originally it sure has me wondering now.
I would love to see a 169 with an unmodified blade.
If you have one, please post it!
But the blade was different from the Hawkbill pruner blade I was expecting. Since I don't carry a list of Schrades with me, I was unsure what I had, but I bought the knife anyway.
This is the knife:
I would assume since they both use the same handle that the #169 was probably made in the same time frame as the 170, but that is an assumption and while logical, we all know logic doesn't always apply to Schrade.
Now, obviously the #169 has been used, probably abused and appears to have been heavily modified.
The $10,000 questions:
What was the blade shape originally?
Why is it not listed in the catalogs?
Was it an SFO for a hardware supplier or a horticultural company?
Does anyone have any knowledge of this pattern number?
Any educated guesses?
The only plausible theory I have is that is was a smaller hawkbill version of the 170, or a different horticultural pattern made for a company that sold horticultural knives, like a hardware supply or a an orchard supply company. Perhaps a larger version of the 173?
This is a 173 as seen in the 1953 catalog-
Whatever the 169 was originally it sure has me wondering now.
I would love to see a 169 with an unmodified blade.
If you have one, please post it!