SEARS KNIFE WORLD

Campbellclanman

Campbellclanman

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Hi Everyone

I have been thinking for a while that perhaps we should start something off like this, no better timing than now with the Catch-Bit Podcast having a chat about these knives and the wonderous and mysterious World of the Sears Knife.

So from the late 1890's started the beginnings of some outstanding pocket Knives, and with the marketing brilliance of Sears the bait was taken by many, and well....... here we are.

So as a beginner student of the Sears Knives, for me this is a World that I look to spend quite some time, I will no doubt find myself only to turn around and see mistakes I made, that in itself is a good thing as it tells us we are learning as we go. Sears Catalogs seem to be the real deal and a true source of information and as we dive into this deep deep World.
So along with my love of the Harness Jack and the Sears - I think this may be the road for me from now on - well at least I hope.


Neal Punchard has stated those amazing Catalogs of Sears in the early days were second to none - simply a feast for the eyes that is for sure, Neal is a source of information on these Knives - but I am betting there's many more of you out there

The Knife magazine Folks, if you don't read it- I recommend it highly, for us who have this passion man this magazine and the information it has available through its Archives is extremely special.
September 2022 The article on Sears was just a drop in the ocean, so please accept this invitation to share with us all so we can all soak up as much as we can in what is a World of wonderful variation of so many different Knives, their qualities and the Catalogs both Great and then the not so Great.

What knives I value to be Gold just may be Silver or Bronze for you and that's a good healthy thing for us to have differences of personal value that we hold towards these knives, what better way to express this than to share with us your Sears Knives here.

For the next few posts I am going to share what Sears marketed their Middle tier and Lower tiered Knives from 1939 onwards, the handle material choices and there is a LOT of those Knives that were made, but by who?

Please - share with us your Sears, I know there is a lot out there - don't worry about the knife looking used, because that's what they are made for :)
 
Dunlap:
The Middle tier Line featured strongly in 1940, The Handle Material is described as Buckhorn. How great is it that a complete line of tools and Knives were named after one person, Tom Dunlap, Head of the Purchasing department for Sears -his name lives on.
This Dunlap Jack's Main is an attractive Sabre Ground Blade -long pull with a nice Swedge,

Q1HVUeV.jpg


Z20YhPz.jpg


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Certainly an attractive Knife to lure the person who may not be able to afford 95 cents, but has the 49 cents to walk away with a Brand New cool looking knife.

In the 30's 40's Sears offered Celluloids and synthetics etc and as you see above the Buckhorns, and also Plastics on the Kwik Kuts / Fultons.

Late in1941 Winter catalog came out with the new lead Brand name Craftsman - pretty much just on the cusp of 1942, once Craftsman arrived Sta Sharp was dethroned in a way where it was no longer the Leading brand name - but now a sub brand - along with the new threatening arrival the Chrome Vanadium Brand which was the competitor to Stay Sharp as a Sub brand under Craftsman.

So early after it's arrival Craftsman Chrome Vanadium had the Top line smack in the middle in the 1942 Catalog - pushing to the side slightly Craftsman Sta-Sharp.
This was the beginning of the near end of Sta- Sharp, as the Chrome Vanadium was Albert Baers unique Brand name ( owned by Sears ) to use on the Ulster made Knives, as Sta-Sharp was to Camillus. This drove me crazy trying to decipher why there were differences until I started picking up different shapes in the Sheeps-foot and Spey blades, also what helped were the Punches as well for identification.

While the brand battle was roaring - the Middle tier and lower tier continued with Sta- Sharps Blades and Punches with the Plastic or Composite Handles.

Craftsman went on to be a Sole etch in a bigger way and always continued as the best in the higher places of the Catalogs, but the even on the Craftsman Knives in 1947 you see starting to slip in not the "Bone Stag " (which was a description for Jigged Bone), but a difference of descriptions such as ..... " Handsome Durable Stag type", followed in 1948 Catalog showing side by side the Genuine Stag Bone Craftsman, the Craftsman main etch with handle materials described as "Stag Type Plastic Handle" or "Simulated Bone Stag Handle"

Now the Craftsman that was certainly marketed as quality plus that in most cases on the Top Pickings were Genuine Bone Stag, now starting to see the changes really creep in with the use of Man-made composites mixed in with their Top line of choice and not only their lower lines that we know featured different and interesting choices.
 
Dunlap:
Here is another Dunlap, a Stockman that is a very nicely built Knife, its Slim, features Nickel Silver Bolsters and Shield, Today this Knife has superb Walk and Talk.

Wears the working mans Blue Collar Clothing - Black Plastic Handles in a simulated Jigged Bone pattern.

vqyTIic.jpg


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feel free to share your pics of Sears Knives :) :thumbsup:
 
If you have a membership, Ancestry.com has a complete (or nearly so, Im not sure) set of sears catalogs for viewing. It's been a wealth of information for watches and it didn't occur to me untill now to look at knives.

I only have a small Craftsman 95041. Schrade I believe.

Recycled pic from the watches thread.
20230214_210951~3.jpg
 
Thank you RickHuf RickHuf for sharing that wee Sears, your Knife appears in the 1979 Christmas Book ( page 318) it states that this Knife is priced $3 less than in 1977-78 tool Book p102. This 95041 Jack is now $4.97 :thumbsup: ( This isn't me with a dictionary mind of knowledge- this is simply referencing these Catalogs - pretty cool isn't it to find this Knife :thumbsup:).

Steve - Thank you my friend, I will have the greatest pleasure in posting The Cattle Knife that you sold me in a later post my friend. :):thumbsup:

As untidy as this example is, this *Fulton's life span of manufacture was very very short- ok - it has Plastic Handles, but it has Camillus Sta-Sharp hardware - man...isnt that Spiral Punch just a wee beauty!
*Correction : Dunlap - not Fulton - the Fulton in at the bottom 🤔

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I will need to take photo's of a later batch of Knives received with some nicer examples of these earlier Composite handled Knives, Paul Hilborn continues to help me with acting as North Dakota Post Master for my Knives :):thumbsup: Thank you my friend.

As we continue to go down the Composite handle road, this really messy little Harness Jack is a Fulton, I was pleased to find this silly little thing as there must be not many around.
Both of these knives were in manufacture for such short stints so I like seeing them around, the smaller Knife is a Kwik Kut, both of these guys are sporting Black Plastic imitation Jig Bone Handles.

If you have any of these guys please bring them out of hiding 😊


Jytjd7f.jpg


Edited: wrong name corrected.
 
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Campbellclanman said:
If you have any of these guys please bring them out of hiding
Click to expand...
Hello Campbellclanman Campbellclanman

Thank you for the info on the craftsman.

I have a little one here that I haven't been able to jdentify. It is suspiciously similar to your Fulton H.J., minus the awl. The only thing stamped on it is U.S.A. I just compared it to your photo and it has got to be the same manufacturer. 3.125" closed. Super thin. What do you think?
20230412_220228-COLLAGE.jpg
 
I didn't think I had many Sear-related cutlery, but I did some quick digging and here's what I found (so far)

craftsman1.jpg
craftsman3.jpg


This pearl is used and worn, but there is still some of the Craftsman Sta-sharp etch visible
craftsman2.jpg


Sears was one of the companies that was ahead of it's time with branding. They used the "JC Higgins" etch on many outdoors products including cutlery. My understanding was that JC Higgins wasn't anyone famous, he was just an employee with a cool name. Here is a Schrade Walden hatchet with a JC Higgins etch.
craftsman4.jpg
I also have a fly fishing reel with the JC Higgins etch on it.


In the 60's, Sears switched from JC Higgins to a real celebrity and outdoorsman for it's branding, Ted Williams. Here are 2 SW rigging knives with the Ted Williams etch.

craftsman5.jpg


Duncan, one of those rigging knives holds a special meaning to me, as I acquired it from Roland prior to his passing.
 
Sears was one of the companies that was ahead of it's time with branding. They used the "JC Higgins" etch on many outdoors products including cutlery. My understanding was that JC Higgins wasn't anyone famous, he was just an employee with a cool name. Here is a Schrade Walden hatchet with a JC Higgins etch.
Click to expand...

Wikipedia has some info on him.

J. C. Higgins - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Thanks Matt & Jer :thumbsup:

By the way RickHuf- thank you for the tip on those Catalogs, Man that USA is a wee Slim thing - amazing these old Knives held together with these tiny wee tip bolsters- but.... here they are!

Adam5, It was great seeing the Tl-29''s ( are we allowed to call them that generic name- or Electricians Knives?), It was nice seeing Steve's Acquisition for you with that Wilbert. That Wilbert would be a welcome beast in this Thread as well my friend, Wilbert being another Sears owned Brand name - again Neal know a lot about the early Sears as many others do here as well, so that Stunning Pic Bone Wilbert is a nice early Sears - its great to see you focus on that one pattern, me? I am all over the show and need to focus on my two main goals from now :):thumbsup:

Echoscout - wow- coming out pulling no punches, two Stunners! Thank you That 5 Blader is simply beautiful.

Headwinds- Those are handsome little knives arent they! I bet you that thing will last for many generations with the help of a drop of Oil now and then and lovingly careful Sharpening!

Wow - Glen! You have a bucket load of Sears my friend - Man that Higgins Hatchet is gorgeous let alone the rest of your group!
Thank you for sharing Glenn, you know...I have a lot of Sears Knives - and a lot of others but not one Ted Williams etch anywhere, I am sure that will change one day, I am not rushing.
Oh man.... yep.... Roland sure had some beauties - I understand that being a close knife to you! Thank you for the information on Ted.

Here's a J.C. Higgins Sheath Knife made by Schrade, I was Rapt to have all the smaller extra paper work, box etc,

et2vrvE.jpg


Thank you PointyThings for sharing info - great thing about these Threads.

Edited for grammar.
 
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Campbellclanman said:
Thank you RickHuf RickHuf for sharing that wee Sears, your Knife appears in the 1979 Christmas Book ( page 318) it states that this Knife is priced $3 less than in 1977-78 tool Book p102. This 95041 Jack is now $4.97 :thumbsup: ( This isn't me with a dictionary mind of knowledge- this is simply referencing these Catalogs - pretty cool isn't it to find this Knife :thumbsup:).

Steve - Thank you my friend, I will have the greatest pleasure in posting The Cattle Knife that you sold me in a later post my friend. :):thumbsup:

As untidy as this example is, this Fulton's life span of manufacture was very very short- ok - it has Plastic Handles, but it has Camillus Sta-Sharp hardware - man...isnt that Spiral Punch just a wee beauty!

4W1EujA.jpg


I will need to take photo's of a later batch of Knives received with some nicer examples of these earlier Composite handled Knives, Paul Hilborn continues to help me with acting as North Dakota Post Master for my Knives :):thumbsup: Thank you my friend.

As we continue to go down the Composite handle road, this really messy little Harness Jack is a Fulton, I was pleased to find this silly little thing as there must be not many around.
Both of these knives were in manufacture for such short stints so I like seeing them around, the smaller Knife is a Kwik Kut, both of these guys are sporting Black Plastic imitation Jig Bone Handles.

If you have any of these guys please bring them out of hiding 😊


Jytjd7f.jpg
Click to expand...
Nice to see that Sears had a Harness Jack made; even if it's a low-tier knife!!!
 
Here is an amazingly unused Sta-Sharp smokers knife, Duncan!!! Great article, and podcast that you and Neal have cooked up!! You have brought some well-deserved interest to a somewhat under-represented series of brands!!!STAY-SHARP.jpg
 
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