Schrade

[JohnnyBlades]

What is the general consensus on schrade knives? I currently own a few bigger blades from them, one of which I have beat the hell out of several times and it always bounces back after a quick field sharpening. I am considering picking up the Jessica X in the near future...I never really expected or invested much out of the blades that I own, and for that reason I probably have treated them much harsher than knives I value more. In spite of this treatment, I have to say the steel holds its own. The edge does dull after heavy use but its easy to get back with 10 minutes on the small diamond stone that comes with the knife.

This being said, I have recieved one 22 inch schrade machete that basically came defective; the blade is clearly bent out of line, and the "sheath sharpener"(which I don't use anyway) is also bent out of line. Despite the defects, the knife still functions fine as a brush clearing tool, and at a price under 25$ I just bought another one rather than deal with returning the knife. The second blade arrived in perfect condition.

Does anyone else have experience with this brand? What is the general opinion on 3cr13 steel?

 

[Corwyn_bv]

I have a Tough Tool 3 and a Sodbuster Junior. Both came very sharp but poorly finished, gritty, pointy all over, spotted, the TT was misaligned and unusable.
3cr13 is the Chinese version of AUS4 I think. Quite soft, but serviceable for low-value knives and all mine took nice edges (I have a Tekut in 3cr13 which I really like).
Still it's probably one of the worst steels you could get on a knife on the current market.

 

[oxman198]

I have been looking hard at them lately. Some of the 1095 models seem like budget beckers. I am surprised I haven't seen much on the forums about the schf55, that one looks like a winner. I would like to hear people's opinions who have experience with their 1095. Seems too good to be true offering camp knives with that steel at $35.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[SALTY]

I've got a few and they serve as loaners or give-aways. As a Becker fan, I am a 1095 guy and appreciate its qualities. The Schrade line, at least the ones I have, use too much, too aggressive, too sharp and too much jimping. I am totally spoiled by the Becker handles when it comes to comfort over longer use sessions; that I readily admit but the Schrade handles are torture devices.

I do agree with the above comment on them being sort of like a "budget Becker" but I have learned over time and use that value cannot always be measured immediately. That said, I still do not see much more value in a field knife than a Becker as one climbs the price point ladder.

 

[Mistwalker]

I have been looking hard at them lately. Some of the 1095 models seem like budget beckers. I am surprised I haven't seen much on the forums about the schf55, that one looks like a winner. I would like to hear people's opinions who have experience with their 1095. Seems too good to be true offering camp knives with that steel at $35.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

The SCHF55 was one I designed for my nephew years ago based on his input from Iraq. I wanted to squeeze as much stout pry bar, and as much chisel as I could into a knife that actually functions well as a knife with good ergonomics, into a platform that was very versatile in carry options, and took up as little space as possible, for people for whom everything they carry is critical to their work and survival. It took a while for me to be okay with all of the various trade-offs that would be necessary to even come close to succeeding in the goal. Then I had to study Schrade's Taiwan heat treat so I could feel good enough about it that I would be okay with guys in the service trying to raise a family on a tight budget fielding them. So I and some friends kept torture-testing the SCHF9s we bought and then the SCHF42s, which were also designed for military and primitive living applications actually, but in more subtropic and temperate zones. The 55 was more designed for intense urbanized operations, but also meant to be ergonomic enough to handle woodland carving chores as well in a pinch. I think most people might be surprised at just how much thought went into that little hunk of Steel and plastic.

The sheath had a lot of thought put into also. It is designed to be wear-able on a belt vertical and horizontal, and designed to be molle-compatible with just a short section of paracord. And quickly adaptable if using a cord lock with it.

.

 

[Mistwalker]

.... but the Schrade handles are torture devices.

If you feel that way about the SCHF42 and SCHF55 then you're in the minority. So far their ergos have gotten the most praise from the most people. Even the reviewers who love the shape of the handle but still don't know yet why most of the knive's geometries are the way they are, have praised the ergonomics lol.

 

[Mo2]

Avoid shrade like the plauge. They did have some models that weren't clones and built right but since ruined them. Check out the guy who designed the Jess x... He destroyed like 20 of them on his yt channel cause they didn't hold up to his original.

Chris tanner of prepared minds iirc.

 

[oxman198]

Thank you for the detailed reply. Knowing the history and motivation behind the design makes me appreciate it more. Obviously you put great thought into it.

 

[buckfynn]

Avoid shrade like the plauge. They did have some models that weren't clones and built right but since ruined them. Check out the guy who designed the Jess x... He destroyed like 20 of them on his yt channel cause they didn't hold up to his original.

Chris tanner of prepared minds iirc.

Have you actually tried any of the SCHF42, SCHF42D, or SCHF55 knives? If you have any problems with them then bring issues here.

 

[Mo2]

Have you actually tried any of the SCHF42, SCHF42D, or SCHF55 knives? If you have any problems with them then bring issues here.

 

[buckfynn]

I don't really give a crap about the Jessica or Jess-X or what Chris Tanner has to say in his video. The problem with those knives in his video were produced in China. But did you personally have a problem with them or second hand information to you?

The knives that MistWalker is talking about were made in Taiwan. You are making a generalization of apples and oranges IMO.

So can you just answer my question, "Have you actually tried any of the SCHF42, SCHF42D, or SCHF55 knives? If you have any problems with them then bring issues here?"

 

[Mo2]

So can you just answer my question, "Have you actually tried any of the SCHF42, SCHF42D, or SCHF55 knives? If you have any problems with them then bring issues here?"

Yea they aren't bad... For now. Until they make them in China like they did the Jess x.

 

[Mistwalker]

Yea they aren't bad... For now. Until they make them in China like they did the Jess x.

From what Morgan told me, the Jess X was made in China to start with It was the only way Morgan was willing to put a knife that big and that odd into production. Morgan didn't like the design anymore than most of the people who looked at it, he didn't see it as a viable knife design, but he put it into production "as a thank you to Chris for his reviews, and to stroke his rather size-able ego anyway". Then when things didn't go they way Chris wanted them too, he went all terrible-twos on YouTube about it, even taking down the 25 minute review of my 42 he had done where he went on and on about how awesome the knife was. Chis Tanner has some immaturity issues and some lack of professionalism to say the least.

The SCHFs 9, 42, 42D, and 55 have been made in Taiwan since the beginning, it was part of our agreement in order for me to design them, as I won't put my design logo on a Chinese made knife. The reason they have grivory handles instead of micarta from the factory is that micarta was not an option in Taiwan at the time, and may not be now. They are mostly more into higher tech solutions in Taiwan like overmolding and molds than micarta, and having my designs made in China was not an option for me.

.

 

[Mo2]

From what Morgan told me, the Jess X was made in China to start with It was the only way Morgan was willing to put a knife that big and that odd into production. Morgan didn't like the design anymore than most of the people who looked at it, he didn't see it as a viable knife design, but he put it into production "as a thank you to Chris for his reviews, and to stroke his rather size-able ego anyway". Then when things didn't go they way Chris wanted them too, he went all terrible-twos on YouTube about it, even taking down the 25 minute review of my 42 he had done where he went on and on about how awesome the knife was. Chis Tanner has some immaturity issues and some lack of professionalism to say the least.

The SCHFs 9, 42, 42D, and 55 have been made in Taiwan since the beginning, it was part of our agreement in order for me to design them, as I won't put my design logo on a Chinese made knife. The reason they have grivory handles instead of micarta from the factory is that micarta was not an option in Taiwan at the time, and may not be now. They are mostly more into higher tech solutions in Taiwan like overmolding and molds than micarta, and having my designs made in China was not an option for me.

.

Good to know. And yea Chris has his issues but it's clear as day they cheaped out on his design without changing the model name. I'd be upset too. Glad he made a video to show the distinction.

 

[Mistwalker]

Good to know. And yea Chris has his issues but it's clear as day they cheaped out on his design without changing the model name. I'd be upset too. Glad he made a video to show the distinction.

I don't know the whole story behind it all, and to be truthful I don't care to know the whole story even if it were possible. But the part I was told was that they accidentally ran a small batch of them as hollow grinds due to a misread of model numbers, and rather than eat them they decided to sell them anyway since Morgan saw that model as sort of a caricature and a novelty anyway, and didn't even realize that some of Chris' followers actually actually took it much more seriously. It would have been a short lived thing had Chris's ego not demanded more of it than what it was, and then Morgan stopped production all together and cut ties with Chris due to all the public insults and name calling. For whatever it's worth, I've known Morgan much longer and caught him in much fewer questionable statements over the years. But honestly, as much as I like Morgan as a person, I am glad that neither he nor Chris no longer have a dog in the hunt of knife designs for Schrade, and that the company has finally been bought by a company that takes sporting goods and outdoor gear and activities much more seriously.

 

[bobobama]

Sidetracking the thread a little (as opposed to hijacking it), but what's up with Schrade? They seem to be gaining a degree of respectability, whereas the recent iteration(s) of the Company generated nothing but hate. Last I heard, they were owned by Taylor- has that changed? Actually thinking about that SCHF55 and/or it's brethren; from what I've seen on the 'net, whatever issues they come with can be fixed and for the price you really can't go wrong.

And to add my $.02, from what little I've seen of this You Tube guy Chris, I'm not at all impressed.

 

[Mistwalker]

Sidetracking the thread a little (as opposed to hijacking it), but what's up with Schrade? They seem to be gaining a degree of respectability, whereas the recent iteration(s) of the Company generated nothing but hate. Last I heard, they were owned by Taylor- has that changed? Actually thinking about that SCHF55 and/or it's brethren; from what I've seen on the 'net, whatever issues they come with can be fixed and for the price you really can't go wrong.

And to add my $.02, from what little I've seen of this You Tube guy Chris, I'm not at all impressed.

Morgan Taylor is a great guy, he really is, but he's also really not a knife guy like his dad was, and he has sold the company, all of Taylor Brands, to Battenfield Technologies, a much more serious minded hunting and outdoor sports gear company who already own S&W guns and wanted all of the S&W licensing under one roof. So they bought all of Taylor Brands to get it. They also seem to be taking the knife industry a lot more seriously than Morgan did as well, and I find that encouraging.

As for the 55 that is one of my designs. It had a couple of issues at first...sheath a little lose and the handle screws needed lock tite and they've tightened the sheath and they have have made the handle screws more secure. I just ordered a few of each of 42, 42d, and 55 to check and the F&F looks great, the edges are very good, and the handles are nice and tight on all of them. I spent a lot of the last 9 years since i designed the first model for them trying to convince Morgan to do more domestic production, so I am also going to work on that with BTI as time goes by as well.

 

[bobobama]

Thanks for the reply Mistwalker. Good to hear from someone on the inside of the knife industry. It looks like the recent Schrades you designed are being manufactured in Taiwan, and if so I would think that's a step in the right direction. Let's hope they can bring this iconic brand back to prominence.

 

[maximus83]

Mistwalker , any idea who designs and makes the SCHF52/52M models? I own these in 1095 and while they come about as dull as a butter knife and need a good sharpening, they seem tough and well made for the $30-something that I paid for each.

 

[SALTY]

Mistwalker,
My comments about the handles being like torture devices mainly pertains to the SCHF 37 which I had to put a bicycle inner tube section over to make usable.