All About Pocket Knives

First post, sorry if it is in the wrong forum. Just picked this up, PowrKraft (Montgomery Wards) 84-28. I bought it because it looks very late 60's to mid 70's Schrade-like to me. I know Camillus made a bunch of the MW stuff but there are no pins through the bolster on this one and it just smelled Schrade to me. Any feedback would be appreciated and apologies again if this is not the place this should be posted.

That doesn't look like a Schrade to me, covers, shield and blade tangs are all different.

Eric

If no pins through bolster Ulster after 1960
Could be wrong not the first time
Grant

Hardly definitive, but, I've got a Camco (Camillus) Stockman that has nearly identical jigging and shield

Definitely no pins through the bolster, Ulster makes sense. I didn't realize Ulster did the Swindon Key thing too---thought that was only Schrade. I thought it was Camillus at first too but those bolsters are all pinned, right?

"Ulster, after 1960"
1960 was the first use of Delrin by Schrade but i have not heard this date used for any other knife 'features'.
The implication is that Ulsters after 1960 had Swinden keys. If so this would mean they were made in the Schrade factory.
Did the Ulster factory close in 1960 and all work went over to Schrade ?
Would someone please explain this better than my guessing.
thanks, kj

Eric knows but I am only reasonably sure that Schrade had moved into the Ulster buildings, so they were one and the same? Meanwhile, the blades and covers on the op knife look Ulster, but the shield looks more Camillus. I am guessing also.

The shield definitely looks Camillus to me. The shape of the clip blade also appears to be Camillus as do the covers, as Eric pointed out.
I have seen through pins that were impossible to see on the bolsters unless you scuffed the bolsters up a little bit with some fine steel wool or ScotchBrite.

Eric would know the exact date, but about 1958, IIRC, Schrade moved into the Ulster factory. Ulsters and Schrades were made on the same machines after that point. Circa 1961 the Swinden patent was granted and patents are not usually granted until the machinery is up and running so it may be possible one could find knives made with the Swinden system as early as 1960.

I think the OP knife is a Camillus product, Camillus or Camco, judging from the shield alone. There were tabs that were pressed into the handle material at the top and bottom center points, that is why the bottom point of that shield look so squared off. That was typical of Camillus' tab type federal shield.

The very slight bend to the clip blade and the foreword placement of the nail that looks Camillus to me.
I have been wrong before and probably will be again unless I die in the next couple minutes, but I am 80% sure that the knife is made by Camillus.
I don't recall seeing any blades exactly like that which came from the Camillus factory, but Tom Williams did send me a few Powrkraft blades from the factory auction, however I think they were mostly for the electricians knives and perhaps for the Powrkraft version of the Camillus 72.

I see your point with the shield, Dale. For the most part, Schrade/Ulster used the football shield and Camillus used the Federal shield. It's the jigging that's throwing me off. I've seen that jigging but don't recall it being on a Camillus (or Schrade/Ulster/Imperial). Maybe on a utility/Scout type knife?????? That's turning into quite the head scratcher.

Thanks for all of your input, very educational not to mention a very enjoyable read. I know Camillus made most of the Power Kraft stuff but for the life of me I don't see any pins in the bolster. I'll scuff it up with a Scotch Brite and see if that makes things more obvious.

As an aside, is there any reference available that sheds further light on what Schrade manufactured for 3rd parties? I know they did Craftsman stuff and some of the early Buck 300 series...it would be interesting to dig into that bit of their history a bit deeper.

Dale, thank you for the Ulster/Schrade-Walden/Swinden history lesson. It is exactly what i needed to know.
kj