Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material
Cons: Handle Feel
Schrade should have stayed American made.
This knife may be a good example of why American companies should keep their factories in America. This is my second Trapper. The first is stamped "Schrade USA" at one base of the spey blade, the second "960T China." The opportunity to compare the two side by side is revealing. The fit and detail work on the USA made knife are noticibly better. Rivet heads are lower profile, more uniformly stamped and without any burrs or edges. The pick and tweezers fit into their slots flush with the handle tops, not projecting above as with the Chinese version. The handle edges are free of burrs and barely bull-nosed for a smooth and comfortable feel. The bolster work is virtually identical but there are noticable tool marks and rough edges at the pivot ends of the blades exposed in the closed position. The knife overall is somewhat bulkier and heavier. The blade backs appear to be slightly thicker. Whether this was a design decision or a way of compensating for inferior steel won't be apparent for a some months. The price was certainly right for a knife of this origin and quality. I am fairly certain I paid more years ago for my first one than I paid for this new one just a month ago. I carry my knives for years and use them unmercifully every day. I will be interested to see how this Chinese knife breaks in and holds up. I won't say now that I am dissatisfied with this knife. The jury is out for a while. I will say that I would have paid three or four times as much for a knife of more obviously equal quality to my old one.
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