Arrival

Schrade Sharpfinger knife:



This one is a bit of a hybrid, being neither a genuine Schrade from before that US company went bankrupt, nor is it fully a Chinese-made knife made under the Schrade name, as current Schrade production is; it's a combo of a blade made by the US factory in Ellenville, NY, before the bankruptcy, and finished "offshore" (presumably by the Chinese) under contract from Smoky Mountain Knife Works, who bought up a lot of Schrade's old blade stock.

This Sharpfinger isn't really an Old Timer, because Schrade knives made under that name usually (but not always) had knives made of 1095 carbon steel, and this one is made of Schrade+ steel, which is stainless and from the 440 family of steels. The contractors who did the handle (and, presumably, the sheath) did a pretty good, but not a perfect job. The black-colored handle scales are made of Dymondwood, which is a material made up of thin layers of wood pressed together with resin; waterproof, stable, and long-lasting. These were fastened to the blade with brass pins, and the person who fastened them on didn't do a good enough job, as they rattled loosely on the blade until I took a hammer to them myself. The sheath is well constructed of quality leather, and can't be distinguished from old Schrade product. The blade itself, the only part made in the US factory, was reasonably sharp, and would shave a few hairs from my arm. After I honed it lightly on a crock stick, it became fearfully sharp, and the hairs jumped off my arm in fright rather than wait to be cut. ;-)

As I said above, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is selling them, at a fair price of $19.95. They had them in brown handles as well, but those already seem to be sold out, all that is left is the black. They also have (or had) some of the Schrade Loveless-pattern hunting knives.