The Extream is large (12.5 inches overall length) and heavy (13.6 ounces) with a full seven inches of dagger-shaped cutting edge. That's large enough to handle most camp chores. To Taylor Cutlery's credit, the company didn't equip the Extream with the currently-popular serrated cutting edge that most users will never be able to sharpen. The plain cutting edge maintains easily with only a whetstone and boot leather. On the other hand, the sawtooth blade back -- in combination with the handy wire cutting notch -- makes a leverage break possible at the bolster. Knowing that it isn't a reliable lever ought to help avoid that. The sawtooth edge does work well as a crude saw on both wood and bone, and in a pinch would even hack a short distance through sheet metal.

The Extream's textured synthetic handle's molded bolster offers a solid and reliable grip, but beware of the hammer and claw pommel riveted to the base of the tang. Though this may seem like a great extra feature, getting enough leverage to pull a nail with it does require holding onto the cutting edge instead of the handle. Don't do that. As a hammer for driving nails, it's an equally bad idea.

One of the smartest things designers of the Schrade Extream Survival Knife did was not to put anything at all in the handy little pockets on the black nylon fabric sheath. You'll be free to add something of real importance, like a magnesium firestarter bar and a honing slip.

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Schrade USA PH2 Pro Hunter Hunting Knife Fishing Camping Survival USA Made US $18.27   10 Bids Auction Ends: 5h 42m

NEW Schrade Knives Extreme Survival Knife SCHF3 US $38.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 9h 25m

There's no gut hook on this 5 1/2" stainless steel blade, but experience eliminates the need for one, and without that feature the trailing point design has more strength.

Without being fancy, this knife has a lot of style. Everything unnecessary has been designed away, but what's left looks more like a dirk than a butcher's knife. Most people who like knives appreciate that added style--art with function. The durable synthetic handle slabs offer an easy to clean and gap free design that cuts down on contamination in the field, where you don't have as many options as you would in the kitchen. If you have nothing more advanced than a snowbank or a stream, you need to keep things simple.

The folded leather sheath is both riveted and stitched and has a snap loop as well, always a good idea if you might be wandering through heavy brush.

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NEW SCHRADE KNIVES 15OT DEERSLAYER FIXED HUNTER KNIFE WITH SHEATH SALE PRICE US $21.95   Auction Ends: 26d 20h 54m

NEW Schrade Knives Old Timer Deerslayer Knife 15OT US $24.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 8h 55m

Well designed for skinning and butchering game, this knife won't quite fit as a utility or survival "do everything" knife. It's not quite big enough for that (an overall length of only 7.25" makes it handy but not heavy) and it isn't tough enough to withstand the hammering and levering that a heavy duty blade has to endure.

A skinning knife isn't necessarily supposed to do that, though. A good skinner is smaller and needs the same sort of clean, simple, gap-free build that a good piece of cutlery shows. Schrade knives have always shown that in their skinner designs, which commonly eliminate anything you don't actually need for the task.

The old style stitched leather sheath doesn't have much for looks, but it does include a snap loop to keep this versatile classic hunting knife on your belt where it belongs.

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SCHRADE KNIVES CH629CP NEW HATCHET AND GUT HOOK SKINNER KNIFE COMBO WITH SHEATH US $33.99   Auction Ends: 26d 22h

SCHRADE KNIVES OLD TIMER 158OT GUT HOOK SKINNER KNIFE US $14.99   Auction Ends: 7d 4h 29m

The Barlow knife is one of them. This classic design consists of one or two blades, usually a larger for cutting and a smaller for poking or gouging, and a large metal bolster with a comfortable teardrop shaped handle. In America, the Barlow is dated as far back as the late 18th century -- George Washington is known to have carried a Barlow knife -- and is still widely available today.

This Schrade Jackmaster Barlow has two plain-edge stainless steel blades - one large clip point and one smaller pen. The handle is made of a material called staglon, a plastic replicate of stag horn used frequently in Schrade knives. This knife has a closed length of 3.75-inches.

Let me say that this is a very cheap knife which was made in China, most likely by the thousands. In your hands, it just feels flimsy. I do not recommend this knife for any serious use. But Barlow knives are truly great, and I would recommend looking elsewhere for one. W.R. Case is still making good Barlow knives with both utilitarian and decorative function. They have several styles and handle designs available in a moderate price range. Check out this W.R. Case Barlow knife we reviewed earlier.

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Schrade Imperial Jackmaster Barlow Folding Pocket Knife SC278 US $11.95   Auction Ends: 14d 16h 8m

Schrade Knives Jackmaster Barlow 3 1 4 Knife SCH278CP US $7.12   Auction Ends: 4d 1h 11m

First the good feelings: I think the orange nylon handle is attractive, decently sized (4.1-inches), and easy to grip. It is also available in black, which looks good with any diver's gear. The orange, though, makes for easy spotting in the murky depths. Also, I think the 3.2-inch blade is a modest-quality stainless steel in a design that works great for casual submerged use: blunt tip and partially serrated. Blunt tip is a responsible choice of knife to carry while diving - in underwater conditions, it's hard to look out for your surroundings, and often certain gear, like gloves, can hinder your normal mobility and carefulness. That's a bad combo when carrying a knife with a clip, drop, or spear point. Sure, a sharp point means you can show that shark who's boss if need be, but that's an unlikely scenario. More likely than not, a dive knife would be like a safety pin against serious sharks. And the function of a dive knife is not to protect against underwater life - it's to use in an emergency to cut yourself free from lines or other dangerous situations. That's where the partially serrated edge is very handy to have. I always buy a dive knife with a serrated option.

Here the bad feelings: This knife doesn't have a tank signal option, a specific line cutter option, and the sheath isn't my favorite thing ever. Tank signal is important for underwater communication. Banging the butt off your knife against the tank is the best method I've found. A line cutter specifically for cutting lines isn't that big of a deal, but I like it. And a sheath is important because fumbling to get a knife out at a hundred feet underwater could be the last thing you ever do. And other than those three things, I still have some other beef.

This knife reminds me of the blunt tip Gerber River Shorty, in that they are nearly identical designs, but the folks at Gerber usually market the River Shorty as intended for rafting and paddling sports. If you wanted, it could be a dive knife, but calling it a dive knife outright is a bit far-fetched. Any serious diver knows that top-notch equipment is going to be the difference between life and death. That's why I always have a hard time making dive knife recommendations - what I consider important might not matter so much to another diver. They might seriously need that sharp point to kill sharks. They might like the Schrade Water Rat's simplicity. Before you decide, at least check out the U.S. Divers Titanium 5-inch Dive Knife, which I've recommended as a great alternative choice in most of the dive knife reviews I've done. The titanium blade won't be a sharp, but it will last longer in wet conditions. Or, the Gerber River Shorty is a good alternative stainless steel blade at, last I looked, at a cheaper price.

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SCHRADE SHRADE BLACK WATER RAT RIVER RESCUE KAYAK DIVE KNIFE SCHWR1 US $26.00   Auction Ends: 27d 5h 1m

SCHRADE KNIVES WRO ORANGE WATER RAT TOOL 7 3 8 FIXED BLADE KNIFE NEW SALE PRICE US $18.49   Auction Ends: 26d 21h 51m

For one, it's never a good thing when a company goes under. It seems to reflect something in the quality of their product. But there was ever anything faulty with the Schrade knives; they simply seemed to be overshadowed by other brands. The Tough Tool line, for example, was created in the late 1990's - Leatherman had been making their very similar multi-tools for almost two decades by then.

I hear the old Schrade multi-tools (pre-2004) were tough as hell. They could take a beating and then some. A few of these are still available, through various sources, and it might be worth the effort to track one down. While Taylor is still making the Schrade multi-tools by the original design - which is great, as I will discuss shortly - there have been complaints that there must have been a change in materials, which are inferior in quality to the originals. I must point out that the old Schrade Tough Tools were manufactured in Ellenville, New York. The new Schrade Tough Tools are made in China.

However, the design of this 21 function multi-tool, in some ways, is better than a Leatherman. I like that you don't have to unfold it to change tools, but there are still pliers, a wire cutter/stripper -- sort of a hybrid Swiss Army knife and Leatherman. The other tools include a spear-tip blade, saw, metal/wood file, can opener, screwdrivers, awl, and scribe. A nylon sheath is included.

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NTSA SCHRADE USA TOUGH TOOL MULTI TOOL 4 3 4 CLOSED 21 TOOLS IN ONE US $9.38   3 Bids Auction Ends: 3d 20h 55m

Schrade Tough Tool 21 Function Multi Tool ST1N US $20.99   Auction Ends: 5d 3h 7m

Schrade makes gentlemen's knives, and the Minuteman 2 is dead center in that class. The blades are generally a little too thin for me, but that hasn't prevented me from buying Schrade knives many times over the years. They make a refined knife. It might not be the knife you'd choose as an emergency screwdriver, but if you do that with a good knife, you're a lout anyway and you deserve the bent or broken blade.

Modern tempering methods are large scale, not individual as in olden times, so the quality of the knife may vary within acceptable limits. You can buy a knife from Schrade that takes an edge and keeps it, or you can buy the exact same model of that knife and get one that needs more frequent sharpening.

You'll still get a good pocketknife, suitable for most people's needs. If you want something more, you may end up with something too expensive to use.

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The blade is made from high carbon stainless steel, and features a single-blade lockback design into the handle. Its plain edge is actually quite sharp! You can verify its authenticity with the small Schrade engraving on the blade near the handle.

The Cave Bear's handle measures 5 inches long and comes in the classic Old Timer brass-and-wooden motif, like many other Schrade knives we've seen. Three metal studs fasten the blade to the handle, and on top, a brass plate is embossed with the words "Old Timer." Seems like a great gift to give at a 40-year old birthday party, that is, if the recipient has a good sense of humor!

The pocketknife comes backed with Schrade's limited lifetime warranty, and includes a full-grain leather sheath to keep it safely stored.

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Schrade Old Timer Cave Bear Lockback Knife 7OT US $156.69   Auction Ends: 4d 12h 15m

Schrade Knives Old Timer Cave Bear Delrin Knife SCH7OT US $25.18   Auction Ends: 20d 18h 33m

Schrade has found a way to offer its customers durability in the classic Western style when they decided to manufacture this old time Deerslayer Sharpfinger knife.

The knife's blade is made of 1095 Carbon steel, is fixed, and securely attached to its handle. The total length of this product is 7.25 inches, and a full-grain leather sheath is enclosed for portability and protection.

The sheath is designed to easily attach to one's belt strap for carrying along.

This affordable little knife would be a perfect gift for the outdoors person who enjoys hunting or spending time in the wilderness.

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Schrade Knives Old Timer Sharpfinger 152OT Knife US $18.99   Auction Ends: 19d 9h 48m

70s Era Schrade USA Sharpfinger Old Timer 152 With Original Leather Sheath US $20.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 4h 54m