Queation on can opener blade date

[afishhunter]

When did Schrade/Imperial start using the "modern" one piece "saftey" can opener blade?

Imperal unofficial Scout knife, c1936 to 1952 tang stamp.
4th blade is a pen blade, not the "normal" punch/awl.
If it matters, I'm pretty sure the covers are Delrin.
View attachment 1623989View attachment 1623990

 

[tongueriver]

I don't know the answer to your question, but the covers on your knife are not Delrin, as the first Delrin factory was built in the year 1960, and most knife covers were not on board with that material for another year or two. The covers on your knife are another material not completely known to me, but often referred to as 'shrinky dink,' for obvious reasons.

 

[afishhunter]

I don't know the answer to your question, but the covers on your knife are not Delrin, as the first Delrin factory was built in the year 1960, and most knife covers were not on board with that material for another year or two. The covers on your knife are another material not completely known to me, but often referred to as 'shrinky dink,' for obvious reasons.

Bakelite (spelling?)? Could it be jigged bone?

 

[eveled]

Bakelite doesn’t shrink. It’s not bone either. I don’t know what that handle material is.

pretty sure every US knife maker was using that style can opener by the end of ww2. Nobody used it before ww2. To the best of my knowledge.

 

[sac troop]

Patent number 2,391,732 can opener. Filed Nov.7th 1944, Granted Dec. 25th 1945 to Michael A. Mirando,(he and his brother founder the Imperial Knife Co.).
This can opener is known to exist at least to early in the year 1944. If it pre-dates that, I haven't seen any evidence.
"Imperal unofficial Scout knife, c1936 to 1952 tang stamp" is probably just a cut and paste used to describe the knife from a seller who doesn't specialize in these.
At the least it doesn't pre-date the latter War years.
With the Government suddenly cancelling all knife production contracts with Japan's surrender in August of 1945, the knife manufactures found themselves with a lot of parts and unfinished knives to put together and sell.
I say that because your knife looks correct for a late War utility pocket knife that was provided to the Navy. The substitution of a pen knife blade for the more common punch/awl blade became common for later Navy orders. It's just hard to rule out post-war production.
The scales of the knife are probably made of a nitrocellulose plastic which became very common in the early 20th century and continued years later. They have a reputation for shrinkage and warping when stored in high temperature environments, like car trunks.

 

[afishhunter]

Imperal unofficial Scout knife, c1936 to 1952 tang stamp is probably just a cut and paste used to describe the knife from a seller who doesn't specialize in these.

I got the tang stamp date from a Schrade/Imperial tang stamp chart online, from/with a BING search.
I know it is an "unofficial BSA knife" beause:
(1) No BSA shield.
(2) As far as I know, all 4 blade BSA knives had the punch, not a pen blade.
(No doubt more than one CS/BS somewhere carried one just like it.)
No dealer involved. I'm not sure when or where I got it, but I know I didn't buy it. I'm pretty sure it was given to me by a friend ... I just don't remember who/when/where/why ... that, or I might have found it on the street, or in the woods ...

I know when I was a CS/BS my first "scout knife" (note quotes) was a genuine late 1950's/early 1960's Army issue "Demo" knife that my uncle gave me while home on leave between Viet Nam, and his next posting in Germany, in 1962 when I was 6 or 7. I wasn't the only one in my CS den or BS troop that had a Demo knife, either.
(I don't recall if it was before, on, or after my birthday when he gave it to me. I know my "big" birthday present that year was a Ithica Model 49 "Saddle Gun" .22 Cap/Short/Long/Long Rifle lever action single shot rifle, from my pop.)
I got a genuine Ulster "Official" BSA in 1966 or 1967, from my pop.

Would be kinda neat if it is a 1945/46/47 Navy issue. No way to prove one way or the other, so I'll never claim it is/was.