Old Timer Knife
Knives are important tools for people who work outdoors and other jobs. Some people also collect knives as a hobby and some knives are worth the trouble as their workmanship is impeccable.
The Imperial Schrade Corp. was the original manufacturer of Old Timer Knife until it went out of business in mid 2004. Its intellectual property rights have been purchased by one Taylor Brands. Original designs such as pocket knives, blade hunters and lock blades are now made available in superior quality stainless steel at unbelievably low prices. These blades have been crafted in a variety of handles ranging from Delrin handles to Iron wood handles. However, the old timer knives manufactured by Schrade are still in demand. They are collector’s items and can cost a fortune for acquiring some. Here are a few ways to identify an original classic schrade knife.
The first signs to look for are the initials S.C. Co and S.C.C which are inscribed at the base of the blade. This is standard for both of the Old Timer Knife models: draw knives and pocket knives; and is known as the tang stamp. Another identifying mark would be the pattern number etched on the blade. The ideal places to look for would be the side opposite to the tang stamp. The sequence could include numbers or a combination of numbers and letters. One can decipher the sequence as follows:
The first number would indicate the count of the Old Timer Knife blades and their arrangement. 1, 2 & 3 indicate the number of blades in a jack knife; Number 9 would indicate a 4- blade knife; 7 a 2-blade pen knife with one blade on each end and number 8 is a 3-blade knife with 2 on one side and one on the other. The next two numbers would represent the pattern number. The fourth number represents the material used to craft the handle. For instance, No. 2 would be ebony while No. 4 would be celluloid. Further, any letter would indicate the other features of the knife such as ‘ch’ for chain and ‘emb’ for emblem. A fractional value represents the type of the blade.
Some of the other features to look for in a classic old timer knife from Schrade are:
- The trademark Schrade handles such as yellow Delrin and deep ridged wood.
- Emblems such as “Uncle Henry” or “Old Timer” on the handle.
- To know if you own an original old timer knife is to match an online image of the original with your piece. www.allaboutpocketknives.com is one such online resource that you can bank on for authentic information on this subject.