Schrade 897UH Signature Premium Stockman
In July 2004, the one hundred year history of Imperial Schrade Corporation came to an end with the forced bankruptcy and October liquidation of assets. During those one hundred years, the name changed several times, as well as company ownership. Several other companies were acquired, sometimes operated in tandem, sometimes absorbed. Begun by George Schrade and his brothers, it evolved over the years into the posession and guidence of Albert and Henry Baer. Albert, ever the business genious, steered the company to expanded markets with new marketing techniques, and new products designed under the watchful eye of Henry, whose signiture would appear on an entire line of upscale folding and fixed blade knives for the last forty years of Schrade's existance. Alongside the now famous Old Timer line of knives, the Uncle Henry Signature knives formed the backbone of Schrade's offerings of knives and tools.
Few knives were as popular as the medium Stockman pattern, the 897UH. The 897UH Uncle Henry Signature Premium Stockman was introduced in the 1967 catalog for a whopping $10. This at a time when a comparable Old Timer was selling for just a bit more than half that amount, and a knife from the rival company, Colonial Knife Company could be bought for even less. Putting this into perspective, a gallon of gas cost 32 cents, a coca-cola was a dime, the average new home was around $20,000, and new cars started at around $2,000. Given these illustrations, ten dollars was not a paltry sum.
The 897UH stockman began production in the early sixties, several years before the 1967 catalog introduction. While stainless steel blades were used from the beginning, several different styles of delrin were tried for the handle material before settling on the faux stag Delrin, later known as "Staglon". Peach seed jigged bone looking Delrin was handsome and used a short while, and several different base Delrin and accent colors were tried. In later years, special limited editions were produced with special handle material, including a 95th anniversary edition.
The knife used the Schrade+ stainless steel three blade pattern that became popular with the 825, 895, 896K, 898, and 899UH. This blade material became a mainstay of the UH line of knives, both folders and fixed. In 1981, 197UH "Cat Paw" was introduced for a a run of a few short years using the familiar serpentine body and the single modified Turkish clip blade. It was one of the very few liner lock knives in the Uncle Henry product line, and a very interesting variation on the 897UH. Evidently the buying public was not swayed to purchase it over the other single blade offerings in the lockback and trapper lines and it was discontinued after a nine year run in 1989.
The 897UH had a closed length of 3 9/16" with a Turkish clip blade of 2 15/16", a 2 1/16" sheepfoot blade, and a 2" spey blade. This combination of blades mounted in the deeply textured serpentine Staglon handles proved to be extremely popular with knife users for more than thirty five years. It is both pleasant to hold and to look at with the nickle silver bolsters and Henry Baer signature shield, stainless blades, brass liners and pins, all mounted in a bi-color stag appearing handle.
With the closing of Imperial Schrade, quite a few variations of handle colors and materials have been seen on the market. Many, such as the burgundy micarta, blue jigged bone, etc. were found among the stock carted off from the factory at the asset auction in October of 2004. My conjecture is that these knives were intended for 100th Anniversary editions, as several have been spotted with the anniversary etch and shield. A few of the earlier "Buckskin" knives, both completed and uncompleted have shown up. These sport a tan Delrin base material and light brown accent color as opposed to the more familiar cream Delrin base and coco brown accent color. Quite a few 897UH's have appeared with dark coco colored scales. The ones I have examined seem to be normal cream base knives that simply did not receive the final scale buffing that smoothed the high points and ends revealing the cream base and flushing the scales with the shield, bolsters and pins.
Limited editions and special private editions of the 897UH seem to be relatively rare. All of the scrimshaw special edition sets I have seen used the larger framed clip blade 885UH stockman as the base knife. The same goes for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation sets, and the Ducks Unlimited sets. One issue, the 95th Anniversary issue seems to be the diamond in the crown of special issues for the 897 pattern. Mounted on an engraved plexi pedestal on a round wooden base and enclosed with a clear glass dome, it is quite an impressive presentation. Bone handles, and a gold filled etched blade, sterling silver bolsters guild the lilly.
An 897 pattern was used on a Cigar Box Classics issue with red accented yellow bone handles and the classic arrowhead shield in place of the UH signature shield.
A "second cut" green bone stockman of this pattern with SCHRADE-WALDEN NY USA was produced.
This pattern was also used on a Orangewood handled Lewis and Clark anniversary edition. It had a bark canoe shaped shield, and came with a double picture of Lewis and Clark in miniature frame.
Recently, a few Ducks Unlimited editions have come on the market, but their embellishment seen so far is limited to a blade etch on production variety knives. Whether or not these were ever marketed, or were slated to be a 2004 release is a matter of conjecture at this point.
A set made for MATCO Tools in 1996 contained a 12UH Roadie, 285UH Pro Trapper, and 897UH Premium Signature Stockman in an attractive formed burgandy lined black leather grained gift box with Matco Tools, Schrade Cutlery logos and "1996 Uncle Henry Limited Edition Collector Series" in silver lettering on the cover. Matco Tools and the Matco eagle logo are etched on the clip blade of each knife.
It is no surprise, given the long association of Schrade with the retailing giant Sears, Roebuck & CO., that a contract stockman of the 897 pattern was produced for them. Only the shield and tangstamp changed from the regular production knives. These seem to be relatively uncommon on the market currently in any condition, and rare in mint state.
I have carried and used the 897UH knives for many years and I find no fault with them. I have never broken the delrin scales on one, though one or two had blade tips broken when a worker used them for screwdrivers or pryed with them. They are just the right size for pocket carry, an excellent compromise between the larger 885UH Senior, and the smaller 834 Rancher. The long nearly straight turkish clip blade is great for slicing, and the sheepfoot opens boxes and cuts tape well. The spey blade makes an excellent scraper to clean up cut pvc pipe or strip wire, and in a pinch makes a good skinner blade for small game.
I was dismayed when I found that Imperial Schrade had closed and would no longer be producing my favorite stockman, but thrilled to find the current glut on the market allowing me to buy all I could ever use and half or less of retail. The last listed MSRP of the 897UH was $39.45 in 2004, but I have found them new for ten dollars to twenty dollars, and the rarer new in the presentation box ones for under $40. Excellent used ones routinely fetch only ten or less, and while the supply will no doubt dry up before long, they are plentiful now.
