A second?

[tallguy606]

Traded for some knives this weekend and ended up with a Schrade USA 77OT muskrat. It looks new, blades never sharpened, good snap, everything OK. BUT above the usual tang stamp on one blade are two Xs, very lightly (not stamped deeply) etched. I have seen second quality knives pictured with an X through the tang stamp, but what could these 2 Xs above the stamp mean? They look mechanically done, not freehand. I can find no fault at all with the knife. Thanks.

[XX Case XX]

At least one clear, well lit, close-up photo of the tang stamp/blade area would be helpful.

__________
Mike

[Eye Brand Man]

That's Schrades mark for a 2nd. I have a few with the same xx. It's a light stamp, because it was stamped after the blade had been heat treated.

[OLDE CUTLER]

If it is like mine pictured, it is a second because there is a very sharp corner exposed where the blade and spring meet when the blade is open.

[tallguy606]

Olde Cutler - you nailed it. On the blade with the XXs, the blade tang/spring junction when the blade is open -- the end of the spring sticks up slightly more above the tang than on the other blade, and creates a corner. I think a user would have to work at it to have this corner be a problem, though. Anyway, I guess for the $5 I have invested it's still a nice carrying knife. Thanks, everyone.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Olde Cutler - you nailed it. On the blade with the XXs, the blade tang/spring junction when the blade is open -- the end of the spring sticks up slightly more above the tang than on the other blade, and creates a corner. I think a user would have to work at it to have this corner be a problem, though. Anyway, I guess for the $5 I have invested it's still a nice carrying knife. Thanks, everyone.

That is about what I paid for mine too. I also got a 94 OT trapper at the same time that has the XX over the tang stamp. They are both perfectly good EDC knives. The 94 OT is on the far right in the photo below.