craftsman knives

[grey menace]

Hey guys, i know this has probably been done ,but i cant find it. Need help figuring out time periods with markings on craftsman knives,all help appreciated.

 

[Codger_64]

I am working on it. Very little information exists on the subject. There were quite a few different marks used by Sears on their hunting and pocket knives over the 100+ years. So far, I first find the Craftsman mark used on Sears pocketknives circa 1941, the same year in which Dunlap split his buying between Camillus and Baer's Ulster Knife Works. For several years, the "Mark" was actually a blade etch, not a tang stamp. Eventually it was included off and on on shielding. This would be this mark:

Though usually with a solid underline. The next mark (shield and etch) design was the "Crown" logo:

It appeared circa 1959-60.

As I said, I am still working on the patterns and marks, beginning in 1939 and working forward. It is both expensive and time consuming. Sears catalog donations are very welcome.

Interesting information is constantly coming to light, much in direct conflict with that already published. Such as that Adolph Kastor & Bros. (Camillus) produced Wilbert branded knives for Sears up into the late 1920's.

Michael

 

[thawk]

I have a small collection of Craftsman knives that fit in that second category. All have the "Crown" shield. Some on the shield, and some are the shield. All are Schrade Walden era, which fits the 1959-60 date. I suspect most of these knives are a little newer than that.

[/URL]Some are stamped CRAFTSMAN, others SCHRADE WALDEN. The bottom knife goes with the plastic container, as does the paperwork. The Sears, Roebuck, and Simpsons-Sears might help with dating. For reference, a Craftsman 9552 = Schrade 897UH, Craftsman 9553 = Schrade 855 (no UH equivalent), Craftsman 9541 (two blade jack) = Schrade 855 as well. Both the two and three blade Schrade Waldens are both marked 855 on pile side.

I agree with Codger, information for dating of the Craftsman is as difficult if not more so than the Schrades to find, and I'm sure he has spent countless hours compared to me. In this photo, all master and secondary blades are stamped STAINLESS with the exception of the pen on the 9541 (second from bottom). All handles are Delrin.

Sometimes showing examples of the knives are the only clues we get.

 

[Codger_64]

Sears #9552 - SW 825RB (1966)
Sears #9553 - SW 855RB 3 bl. (1966)
Sears #9541 - Ulster 50 (1964)

These were the first years these pattern numbers were used for these particular knives. We know that IKAC trademarked "Razor Blade Stainless" in 1966 (USPTO #72184925)

Always confusing, the Sears #9541 was first used on a Schrade Walden H-15 Utility Hunter Fixed Blade (1959).

Michael

EDIT: OOPS! I just went back to the TESS search to refresh my memory. The trademark issued March 1, 1966 but was filed on January 20th, 1964. In the declaration it states first use in commerce as December 1963.

 

[rprocter]

Hal, what a fine Schrade collection you have ! inquiries by others so frequently results in you posting great pics not only of knife in question, but it's variants as well. so this is a Thank You for all these posts. v.helpful and enjoyable ! roland

 

[grey menace]

Nice collection, thanks for the help.I am sure after comparing my knives that the #9540 a 2 blade Barlow was also made by Ulster they are identical,thanks again.

 

[Codger_64]

#9540r - Ulster 10OT (1964)

 

[Steven McGhee]

Hey guys, i know this has probably been done ,but i cant find it. Need help figuring out time periods with markings on craftsman knives,all help appreciated.

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but here goes. My father's Dad ran a sporting goods store and in 1939 my father purchased a craftsman fixed blade knife. These many yrs later I wanted it restored for him and was lucky enough to find a knifesmith who went to GREAT lengths to research this for accuracy. In 1939 Craftsman was NOT part of the Sears & Roebuck line, it was an independent manufacturer, they were purchased by Swiss Army. My father's knife had a bear head pommel that I had only ever seen as pewter, turns out it was origionally gold leaf with ruby eyes. Hope this helps.

 

[tongueriver]

Sears has owned the CRAFTSMAN mark since 1927.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftsman_(tools)
Schrade made fixed blades in the 1950s with a bear's head pommel, both with their own mark and for others, including Craftsman. I have never seen another similar knife on ebay made by anyone else in several years of looking at probably close to a million knives, although something similar from another source could exist. We would like to see a picture of your knife, Steven.

 

[mqqn]

I like this thread!

I have this Craftsman that we found in my Grandfather's belongings, and I have it to this day -

best

mqqn

 

[dma1965]

I remember seeing Craftsman Knives in Sears when I was growing up, but they were rather plain in appearance, and never caught my interest until I came upon this one in an eBay auction, and had to have it immediately. This knife has some of the most gorgeous (and perhaps the most gorgeous) fat stag handles I have ever seen on any knife anywhere. They did not include a shield on this knife, and I am sure a shield would have served no purpose other than to cover up some amazing stag. It also takes an incredibly wicked edge, leading me to believe it is made by Schrade (all my old Schrade knives take this same wicked edge). It is marked Craftsman USA 9554.

I have no idea how old it is, but it is in amazing condition (although I did clean it up a bit), with both the main clip blade and coping blade still exhibiting solid walk and talk. The small clip is a bit of a soft walker, but still snaps shut. I have been using this as a whittler, which is what is was meant to do.

 

[mqqn]

Great knife DMA - congrats on the score and thanks for the pictures.

That stag really looks great.

best

mqqn

 

[Codger_64]

Whoever rehandled the knife did a good job. I can certainly see why they didn't attempt to remount the shield.

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

Nice fat-and-gnarley stag on that one, dma1965. I'm a sucker for knives like yours and I love the whittler pattern. Great score! Extra nice user! Thanks for posting it.

 

[edbeau]

Craftsman model number with 4 numbers = Schrade, with 5 numbers = Camillus. True or False

 

[Codger_64]

False. Sort of. A four number may be an Ulster, Schrade, Imperial or Camillus. Or even a Western or Colonial. Five numbers just denotes a later time period which was most often, not exclusively, Camillus. The proof is in the construction, as compared and contrasted to maker marked examples. As Baer's Imperial Schrade took on more lucretive markets such as Wal-Mart, he was still loathe to let go of his longstanding status as main supplier to Sears. So when those contracts came through rather than overschedule his inhouse production lines, he assigned them increasingly to his "other factory", Camillus. Sears inventory numbers do not directly reveal a manufacturer, but more generally a time period.

 

[edbeau]

Thanks, Codger. I really hoped all my 5 number Craftsman knives were made by Camillus. Thanks for setting me straight. I even found a Craftsman on the bay with no inventory number and it looks like a LB7.

 

[Codger_64]

There were some Schrade Craftsman elbeesebens, but a lot of Camillus and other brands of lockbacks. Compare it with a known example of LB-7 in hand. Bolster angles, pin locations, nail nick length and location, etc.

ETA: From what I have been able to tell, the prefix "9" in Sears product codes used on knives (in catalogs and some packaging, not always on the knives themselves) is a department code. And yes, it was used in conjunction with listings as early as 1939 when Camillus was still the chief supplier of Dunlap, Sta-Sharp and Kwik-Kut knives, before Baer convinced them to start using the Craftsman mark on knives after he moved from Camillus to Ulster, taking the Sears account with him.

 

[Codger_64]

Sears knives, 1913 catalog.

 

[edbeau]

Here is a picture of the Craftsman with no number that looks like a LB7.