The Schrade Loveless knife's Birth Certificate.

koldgold

koldgold

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Back on the 21st of September 1971, "Bob" Robert Waldorf Loveless met with some Schrade representatives at the "New Wolfie's Coffee House", 330 West 58th Street New York City.

"Giant Size Hamburgers" ........................................$0:85 cents.
"De Lux Burger"......................................................$1:30
"Omelettes" Bacon, Ham or Sausage and 2 eggs...........$1:35
"Rice Pudding with Whipped Cream"............................$0:35

On the back of the Coffee House's menu, Bob Loveless sketched the knife Schrade later made and named the "Schrade / Loveless CH1 Custom Hunter".
The Schrade / Loveless CH1, sold for US$100 + Tax, in the early 1970's.
Looking at the Menu, $100 would buy a large number of Hamburgers!



Schade went on to produce the CH2, and the Pro-Hunter range of Loveless knives... Ken
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I just had to look it up, $100.00 in 1972 when adjusted for inflation is $626.35 today:eek:
A first run burgundy one would be a grail to me:cool::thumbsup:
 
Hey Ken, thanks for this nugget of information. :)
Back when I was working in Las Vegas, I had a chance meeting with a gentleman by the name of Brent Harp. After talking knives with him a bit I discovered he was Bob Loveless's apprentice carrying on the trade of custom knife making. I showed him my Schrade, and that's when he told me it was indeed a Loveless design licensed to Schrade. I've had a few and managed to give them all away with the exception of this one.
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Hi Ballenxj, hope all is OK .
Your knife looks like a Duck Knife.
The Blue Bone knife in this set, is one of the Schrade knives that did not make it to full production, before they closed down... Ken
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koldgold said:
Hi Ballenxj, hope all is OK .
Your knife looks like a Duck Knife.
The Blue Bone knife in this set, is one of the Schrade knives that did not make it to full production, before they closed down... Ken
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Hi Ken, I'm doing OK Thanks. I hope you are as well. Nice knives you have, as usual. I think I had a Ducks Unlimited knife similar to yours, and one other. Memory isn't what it used to be. I have this habit of giving away some of my good stuff to friends. My small to begin with collection has been downsized yet again. :rolleyes:
 
koldgold said:
Back on the 21st of September 1971, "Bob" Robert Waldorf Loveless met with some Schrade representatives at the "New Wolfie's Coffee House", 330 West 58th Street New York City.

"Giant Size Hamburgers" ........................................$0:85 cents.
"De Lux Burger"......................................................$1:30
"Omelettes" Bacon, Ham or Sausage and 2 eggs...........$1:35
"Rice Pudding with Whipped Cream"............................$0:35

On the back of the Coffee House's menu, Bob Loveless sketched the knife Schrade later made and named the "Schrade / Loveless CH1 Custom Hunter".
The Schrade / Loveless CH1, sold for US$100 + Tax, in the early 1970's.
Looking at the Menu, $100 would buy a large number of Hamburgers!



Schade went on to produce the CH2, and the Pro-Hunter range of Loveless knives... Ken
source

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source

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Good info Ken, but I've got a curveball for you:
I've got what I believe is a RL2. Roughly 8 1/8" long, burgundy handle with birdseye rivets, laser engraved "Schrade USA Loveless" on the blade in an oval design. Here is the kicker. No serial number. My father worked for Schrade from '58 to '71, and was close friends with Dave Swinden. Dave would give him knives all the time, and I'm wondering if this could be an un numbered sample or prototype.
Your thoughts?
Mike316
 
Mike316 said:
Good info Ken, but I've got a curveball for you:
I've got what I believe is a RL2. Roughly 8 1/8" long, burgundy handle with birdseye rivets, laser engraved "Schrade USA Loveless" on the blade in an oval design. Here is the kicker. No serial number. My father worked for Schrade from '58 to '71, and was close friends with Dave Swinden. Dave would give him knives all the time, and I'm wondering if this could be an un numbered sample or prototype.
Your thoughts?
Mike316
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I for one would certainly like to see that when you can post an image of it. :)
 
Need some help guys...it appears the serial number on my RL2 has been removed. Whether intentionally, or accidentally, and I'll admit I rubbed it quit a bit to clean it up, but it was not visible before I put my elbow grease to it.
So if it is held at just the right angle, you can make out some of the original engraving. My eyes are not what they used to be, so can anyone make out any of the engravings?
 

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Misplaced Hillbilly said:
I just had to look it up, $100.00 in 1972 when adjusted for inflation is $626.35 today:eek:
A first run burgundy one would be a grail to me:cool::thumbsup:
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I'm still new here, but I have a burgundy one. I thought there was no serial number on it, but now I realize its been filed or buffed off. You can barely make out a few engravings on it, but my eyes are to far gone to see what it says.
 

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Mike316 said:
I'm still new here, but I have a burgundy one. I thought there was no serial number on it, but now I realize its been filed or buffed off. You can barely make out a few engravings on it, but my eyes are to far gone to see what it says.
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I cannot see them if they were there. Sorry.
 
G'day Mike from Downunder. I saw your message request to me. Mike, my eyes have now been looking at knives for most of my 72 years so probably not as good as yours mate....I have had RL2's with serials plus after the factory sale/clearance I obtained a few with no serials which may have been held originally for warranty claims..I have had seconds where Schrade stamped xxxxxxxx across the blade/crossguards.....your Schrade USA stamping looks to me to be not aligned correctly, so your marking on cross guard may be no more than XXXXX to indicate a 'seconds' knife - not for sale.. which have now been ground/buffed off leaving a residue mark....I doubt anyone would grind off a serial number...I also doubt it was a prototype as it might possibly have carried a 0000 stamping on crossguard, so why would anyone grind that off?... all merely possibilities/ assumptions on my part.. Either way with or without serials or even a mis-aligned Schrade USA stamping it remains a great Contemporary Schrade knife with its distinctive Loveless features of Birds Eye rivets etc....all the best mate....Hoo Roo
 
Larry303 said:
G'day Mike from Downunder. I saw your message request to me. Mike, my eyes have now been looking at knives for most of my 72 years so probably not as good as yours mate....I have had RL2's with serials plus after the factory sale/clearance I obtained a few with no serials which may have been held originally for warranty claims..I have had seconds where Schrade stamped xxxxxxxx across the blade/crossguards.....your Schrade USA stamping looks to me to be not aligned correctly, so your marking on cross guard may be no more than XXXXX to indicate a 'seconds' knife - not for sale.. which have now been ground/buffed off leaving a residue mark....I doubt anyone would grind off a serial number...I also doubt it was a prototype as it might possibly have carried a 0000 stamping on crossguard, so why would anyone grind that off?... all merely possibilities/ assumptions on my part.. Either way with or without serials or even a mis-aligned Schrade USA stamping it remains a great Contemporary Schrade knife with its distinctive Loveless features of Birds Eye rivets etc....all the best mate....Hoo Roo
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Larry,
Thanks an awful lot for your response. You definitely sound like you know what you are talking about. Your opinion on the reasons there is no serial number gives me more of an idea how, or why, my father may have gotten it. Like I mentioned. He worked at Schrade from '58 to '71, and was very good friends with the president, Dave Swinden. Dave would always give him handfuls of knives when he visited. As good of friends they were, to give him a perfect RL2, an expensive knife even at the time, I'm leaning more towards him having a second. That would have cost the company less, and still give my dad a nice momento. Im glad you could view the shadows of markings where the serial number would be. With my eyes and even with a magnifying glass, I couldn't see a thing. But with a camera, it somehow brings out latent images. If it were steel and not brass, I would try the electro trick that is used to rais serial numbers filed off of guns, but I dont believe it works on nonferrous material. Guess I will have to be happy with your assumption and years of examining knives.
Thanks again, I'm sure I will be in touch to pick your brain when sorting my next box of 100 knives. Its exciting looking up which one is which. For example, today I discovered a MC1 in Coast Guard orange!
 
This is a high-resolution photo of one of my knives.
Your knife clearly shows the area were the numbers should be, has be buffed or polished.
The serial numbers, were finely stamped. [not very deep]
Larry has covered, all the possibilities/ assumptions.
For some reason I feel the serial numbers have been removed... Ken
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