All About Pocket Knives

Can you please look at the attached photo. I found this listed on EBAY and at first I thought, "what a great knife". Then I looked closely at this picture and to me it looks like the handle and finger guard has been coated with either polyurethane or shellac. Possibly to try and preserve and protect the knife. I asked the seller and they said there was nothing on it. What are your thoughts?

Sometimes things look a little different in a photograph and the sellers eyesight may affect their ability to tell also.
That being said, I believe I have seen the brass on Schrade knives coated with a shellac or some sort of coating.

So, I found the 498 on ebay you're talking about and looked at all photos the seller had. I concluded that; either the previous owner (or possibly the seller) put a couple of coats of polyurethane on the handles / guard, as you suspected, or these Staglon (plastic) handles have been highly polished. Even if it has been coated, the coating isn't going to take away from its proper use.

Nevertheless, the knife does appear to be in excellent condition, albeit, no sheath / box comes with it. If you're interested in it as a user, I would say...go for it!

Thanks guys. I just like getting second opinions sometimes.

The picture you have posted above looks fine to me. Absence of sheath decreases value considerably. With time and some luck you would be able to find the correct sheath.
kj