Schrade Patterns

[Dan97526]

Gentlemen:

I have an old USA 770T Schrade Improved Muskrat I'd like to try my hand at restoring. I need a template from which to work, and I thought I might buy and sacrifice one of the Chinese impostors to get a clear picture of the inner workings and shapes of this knife. Does anyone know if the patterns are the same?

Thanks,

Dan

[orvet]

Dan,
I would imagine they are pretty close to the same, but I don't know that for sure.
Why do you need a template? What are you trying to replace that you need a template?

There may be one critical difference though; I do not know if Taylor Cutlery has the rights to use the Swinden Key that was used in the construction of the USA made Schrades. If they do have the rights, I don’t know that they would go to the expense of setting up the tooling for it.

If it isn’t made with the Swinden Key, then it will be simpler than the original Schrade. Of course you will not be able to replicate the Swinden Key as it is very complicated and requires very exacting tolerances in setting the rivets.

The easiest thing to do is to drill out the bolsters and make it a pin-through-bolster construction. That is about the only way to fix one, unless you just take off the handles and swap out the inner assembly with another knife that has new blades.

Let us know how it works out & be sure to show us a picture.
Dale

[Dan97526]

Thanks, Dale.

The knife has a very weak snap. My reasoning for wanting a template from which to work is twofold. First, I want to be able to compare the new knife to the old to see exactly where the wear is. Second, if I have to make/replace any parts, I want to be able to have new parts from which to design my replacements.

It's really something of a hobby project. I know I could probably just swap out the Chinese parts into the original and have a knife that is good as new but with the good old Schrade steel. However, I'd like the satisfaction of doing the restoration myself.

Thanks for the reply, and Merry Christmas.

Dan

[Dan97526]

Oh, I forgot something....

First Air Wing patch, right? El Toro MCAS?

0331, 1 bn 3rd Marines, Kaneohe Bay, 1990-93, and a couple other duty stations.

Semper Fi.

[orvet]

Thanks, Dale.

The knife has a very weak snap. My reasoning for wanting a template from which to work is twofold. First, I want to be able to compare the new knife to the old to see exactly where the wear is. Second, if I have to make/replace any parts, I want to be able to have new parts from which to design my replacements.

It's really something of a hobby project. I know I could probably just swap out the Chinese parts into the original and have a knife that is good as new but with the good old Schrade steel. However, I'd like the satisfaction of doing the restoration myself.

Thanks for the reply, and Merry Christmas.

Dan

Dan,
You might consider buying a new old stock USA made Old Timer if you want to swap out parts. They are still available on ebay. I would not be surprised to find a difference in the thickness of the steel in the blades & back springs. I expect if there were a difference the Chinese one would be thinner.

I would anticipate that there is enough difference between the American made 77OT and the Chinese one that copying parts probably won’t work, but I have never dissected one and compared them. There is enough variance within the American made knives (of the same pattern) that some parts may not interchange due to variation in batches of steel.

I was repairing a 61OT one time and found one that was made without a Swinden Key. The blade from it however, did fit the one with the Swinden Key. I just had to drill out the bolsters.

You may be able to tweak the spring and put more tension in it. It is worth a try.

Good luck on your repair. Let us see it after you finish. Be sure to take some before pictures as well as after pictures.

I was with the First MAW, MAG 15, H&MS 15 in Nam Phong. Before that I was stationed at El Toro was with Third MAW, MAG 11, H&MS 11 & also for a short while with MAG 13.
I got med-evaced to Clark AFB. P.I., then to Hawaii & then sent on to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA in 1972. I never had the luck of being stationed at Kaneohe Bay. That was kind of the Air Wing dream duty station when I was in the Corps.

Semper Fi,
Dale

[muskrat man]

Like Dale says you may be able to krink the spring to return the snap to the action or it may "snap" altogether. Wouldn't be the first schrade spring I have seen break. I recently compared a vintage USA 897UH and a new Taylor chineese model. The Chineese do not use the swinden key method but use the regular pinned action through solid bolsters. Curiosity urged me to try the chineese springs in the old knife and they were a perfect fit, so using them as a template to make new ones should be no problem. since they were mass produced knives the tolerances vary from knife to knife so you may need to "fit" the new spring slightly to get the proper angle on the blade and tune the kick and rest of the action so it operates properly.

you might also just go insiide clean the gunk out of it and reassemble it, I have done this before and with a drop of oil I have made old knives snap like new, the swinden key method of construction often puts the pivot rivit in a bind and causes the blade to rub the liners thus preventing it from having good snap, this can be corrected by taking a bar of brass the correct thickness and very lightly twisting inside the liners to loosen things up a bit. A screwdriver works too but tends to bugger up the insides if care is not taken. I hope this helps. Sorry for not posting sooner, things haven't been too well around here.

[Dan97526]

Thanks, MM. I'll try giving it a good cleaning before I try anything else. Hope things improve.

And Dale, I'll certainly post some pics when I get going. I think I may try to replace a broken blade on a Camco Barlow first, but I'll keep a record of that as well.

Dan