Schrade One-Piece Line: Any Good?

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VorpelSword

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I am looking at picking up one of the discontinued Schrasde one-piece hollow handle knives. It will be occasionally used by a teenager while family camping.

I know that they ae now egregiously overpriced because they are discontinued. Buying one at all is my own folly. My question is: Are they good enough at all as a knife for occasional use by a teenager? He already has a plethora of user quality (and better) heirloom knives in the inheritance pipeline.

I am thinking that, along with the coolness of a uniquely designed man sized knife, all the useless tools in the handle will be the cool thing for his upcoming 13th birthday.
 
I have one, bought it years ago when they first came out for $40. It's the Schrade SCHF1, the one with the spear point.
It has a set of drivers in the handle, not sure why you'd need that in a survival knife.

As far as hollow handled knives go, It's a solid chunk of tool steel.
I don't think you'd find many stronger. But at the current prices I'm not sure I'd buy one.

However the Cold Steel Drop Forge would be a good alternative at about $75.
 
Yes, it is much like one of the Chris Reeve one-piece knives of the 1990s and early K years.

The one I am looking at and for is the model SCHF-2 with the utility style blade reprofile. I'd prefer the shorter 5" SCHF-2SM version.

I will consider a used one too for a less than collector's premium price.

And the question is: is/was tis a usable knife?
 
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Followed the link and returned to the Schrade website, but both only offer a spear point of stabbing looking profile in the hollow handle line.

My heart's desire is one of the "Survival" blades with the utility knife profile . . .preferably the shorter one. Looking for SCHF2 or the shorter SCHF2SM. E-Bay has them at stupid price points. Maybe I'll get stupid (er).
 
VorpelSword said:
...My question is: Are they good enough at all as a knife for occasional use by a teenager?...
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VorpelSword said:
...And the question is: is/was tis a usable knife?
Click to expand...


The answer is "Yes" to both. They will cut (*and even baton) with ease. They are .25" thick, so you'll have to realize that they are not a fishing/filet knife. From my limited time with one, it was very well-made and did quite well as kind of an oversized "field" knife. Would I dress a whitetail with it? No.

As far as serving a 13yo boy well, I think "cool factor" and "durability" are key...and that knife has 'em both, in my humble opinion.


Signed,

A child of the 70's and teen of the 80's
 
Yes, it's a very usable knife. Not the same level of quality as a Reeve, but that's to be expected at the price-point. Put a good edge on it and use it.
And don't underestimate the cool factor...
 
My daughter picked one out for me for Christmas 5 or 6 years ago. Quite cool, but it is a chunk of steel. Most likely unbreakable, even to a 13 year old boy.
 
Knifecenter sold the last of their SCHF2SM's for $69 a piece. Speaking for myself, there's no way I'd pay $300-$350 for that same knife for a 13 year old. There's no way I'd pay that much for that knife, period.

It's crazy what people are asking for those knives. But hey, more power to them, I'm all about capitalism and free enterprise. But I still wouldn't pay that much.

I'm sure there are plenty of great knives for a 13 year old to use on the occasional camping trip that cost a lot less money, and that they would cherish just the same.
 
killgar said:
Knifecenter sold the last of their SCHF2SM's for $69 a piece. Speaking for myself, there's no way I'd pay $300-$350 for that same knife for a 13 year old. There's no way I'd pay that much for that knife, period.

It's crazy what people are asking for those knives. But hey, more power to them, I'm all about capitalism and free enterprise. But I still wouldn't pay that much.

I'm sure there are plenty of great knives for a 13 year old to use on the occasional camping trip that cost a lot less money, and that they would cherish just the same.
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All too true . . .Yeah, $300+ is way over the top.. If I can get in for at or under $200 all-in, I may go for it.

He has a bunch or cousins on his mother's side, but I have only the one grandson, so overindulgence is possible.
 
I was brief in my last post, but I wanted to give a few more thoughts on the knife.

At $70, it's a solid nearly indestructible knife for a teenage boy. The tip is stout, the steel is thick, the way the blade and handle are formed together feels about as strong as you could make it and still have a hollow handle. The threading on the aluminum cap seems to be about as robust and coarse as one could make it, so it seems that it should hold up to screwing it tight even with grit in the threads.

However, it is freaking heavy. Like really heavy. A young person with near infinite energy will probably be fine to pack it, but hand fatigue is a real concern if he is going to try to do anything of any finesse. The round handle doesn't really help this either. The edge is also...OK. I have been meaning to put a decent edge on mine since I got it, but it's so chunky that I have never really felt the urge to actually carry it on a trip. Unlike something like a Tops knife which can come with a 1/4 stock yet sport a high sabre grind and still cut pretty dang well, the Schrade is very thick at the edge and will need either a reprofiling or at the very least a lot of stropping to get an edge that is thick and will pop hair. A 13 year old probably will find the combo edge pretty cool, so I won't go into my frustration with that 😅.

In short, if you could find one for around $100, sure. It think the extra "want" premium of $30 is fair. However, that would be my cap. Maybe $125 if you just love the knife, but I think $70 was a fair price for what you got. Bump it to $89 at current inflation.

If you're wanting to get him a knife that can be smacked into stumps, thrown at trees, and stuffed full of all the "survival" stuff we all thought we needed at that age, it's a great knife that will certainly be more likely to be lost before it breaks. However, if $200 is your cap, there are other knives out there with a lot of "cool" factor that are just as bombproof if you can give up the threaded handle.

Best of luck to you 😀
 
Thanks for those thoughts. All good stuff.

It is a good knife st $40-$80. It is way overpriced at anything over $100.

Part of the gift experience for him will be eventually coming to the realization that bigger, stronger (and heavier) is not necessarily better. Same goes for the cool tools in the handle; not really practical for woodcraft, right?

The cost to me should not be part of that experiential growth for him. I do know better and know that I know . . .but I may be an overindulgent fool anyway . . .haven't committed to buy yet. I may be able to talk myself out of it.
 
If you just want to spend that kind of money on your grandson, spend it, sir! Put a GOOD edge on it, and give it to him. Might help to keep the hobby alive. Might help to keep the boy alive.(it IS a 'survival' knife, after all!;))
But, mostly, it'll help keep you alive.....
 
VorpelSword said:
.but I may be an overindulgent fool anyway .
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In that case, why consider overpriced mediocrity? You won't be happy, and he might not be. Get him a real CRK user OPK instead. At least that won't lose its value, unless destroyed. Chances are he'll treat it with the respect it deserves if he does a little reading up on CRK and the OPKs. A knife to be proud of (unlike the Shrade) and a lesson in knife history. Win-win.
 
^^++

Well of course you are right on several counts.

The limiting parameter on this is money. . . .as in, how much money can I spend without disturbing domestic tranquility?

I am retired and living on what amounts to half pay along with my wife of many years who also an approximate half has a half pay retirement. My discretionary budget amounts to what I can squirrel away (rat-hole?) from my lunch money.

I may be able to paper over or fuzz-mumble past $200, but not the Grand+ of a CRK. Anyway, seeing that the young man in question is turning 13, the likelihood that he will lose it somewhere must be recognized. And that is part of the maturing process. This past summer, I gave him a vintage Olsen knife. I had one just like it in the 1960s as a Boy Scout . . .and lost it on a hike. His father keeps it put away with other heirlooms in the gun safe (well OK, that is a father thing). So this knife will be presented as a non-heirloom non-investment grade article (keeping my own dollar-folly to myself) that is never-the-less too cool to him to lose. If he does, that is on him alone without the drama of losing a family heirloom sort of thing.

Still haven't dropped the hammer on tis though.
 
At 13, a child doesn't a knife like that for occasional camping. A Western BSA knife, similar to a Case Finn was what i got at that age. Used it every month on scout campouts. Still serves me well. Plus boys lose things. Losing a $40 knife is a lot less painful than a $200 one. Also boys do inappropriate things, it's a lot easier to get in trouble with a killing blade than a B&T.
 
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