Dating a Champion and Info on a Weekender

[lowtech]

Hello folks!

In a Lot i bought (for too much money me thinks upon inspecting the knifes) there were 2 knifes i would like to know some more about.

First is what i believe to be a Weekender.
It is a 2 layer Spartan with a fully serrated mainblade and Nylon scales.

Am i naming this correctly? When was it produced? Can i gut it for it´s Main blade to put this into my CT Mod? Or will collectors skin me if i do so?

The second is , according to SAKwiki, a Champion.
It has red cellidor scales with T&T, teh Tweezer being made out of metal, the Corkscrew is fluted and the shield is inlaid.
tools:
Blade layer
Metal saw/file (non SS)
Saw
Scaler/ruler
Scissors
opener layer

Backside:

Corkscrew (fluted)
small screwdriver
Awl (no hole)

Any ideas about the age? Is this worth anything or do i put it in my flea market box along with all the spartans and climbers?

The knife seems to be unused, just the usual drawer marks on the scales.

I will update this with pics as soon as i get my camera ready.

[dks]

The corkscrew makes the champion to be pre-1990s...., I think.

I am sure some of the local experts will be able to date them precisely soon.

[enki_ck]

Dating a Champion?  Hm, maybe bring a nice bottle of wine ...      wait not that kind of dating, right





dks is right, the fluted corkscrew was replaced in 1991. The hook on the back of the scissors layer was added in 1991 so it's made somewhere before that. A picture with fanned tools and pictures with knife tang stamps would help dating it.

[jazzbass]

The nylon scaled Weekender is most likely the mid-1990s version. Sort of unusual, but easy enough to find on eBay NIB if you wait a couple weeks. The official name is "Weekender", at least when this one was made. As another member pointed out a couple days ago, this knife is currently back in production and is now called a "Serrated Spartan".

The second knife you mention sounds like a 1970s vintage Handyman, not a Champion. You don't mention the mag/Phillip layer which would make it a post 1973 Champion, not the long nail file that would make it a pre-74 Champion. So I'm guessing that what it actually is is a mid to late 1970s Handyman - this is the first version before they added pliers in 1987.

If you post a pic with the tools fanned I can date it to within a couple years. Worth? Without a box, about as much as a Ranger or similar knife. If it's from a year range in the early 1970s I might be interested in it, esp if you're up for a trade.

[lowtech]

I am working on pics tonight.
thanks for yll the helpful input so far.
Jazzbazz, if you should be interested after seeing pics, I am interested in a trade. This knife is too big to make it into rotation and to nice and old to tear it apart for a layer or two.

[lowtech]

It took me a while and the pics are realy bad, but at last here is a tool spread of the Champion(?) or Handyman. Excuse the bad pics I´ll try to do decent ones with daylight.

Last pic is of teh Nylon scaled weekender, but that one was identified quite fast, so the other ones are more interesting, i guess.
Jazzbass, you´ve got first dibs if you still wanna trade.

[dagelias]

the tweezers looks like aluminium, they stopped making that in 1978.

[lowtech]

Yes, the Tweezers back end is Aluminium. So It´s a pre 1978 Handyman? Or is it a champ? I´ve read the early champs did not have the mag/phillips layer.

[GigaHz]

It should be a Handyman without the long nail file.

[dagelias]

Yes, the Tweezers back end is Aluminium. So It´s a pre 1978 Handyman? Or is it a champ? I´ve read the early champs did not have the mag/phillips layer.

1. oh, I think the alu tip tweezers may have been replaced... If you look at the corkscrew... is the corkscrew fluted?

2. that is right, I have a Champion without mag/phillips !

3. I don't think it is a handyman... I had a handyman and it had pilers.

[dagelias]

I answer myself.. i could see that the corkscrew was fluted....
But, is the tip of the fish scale magnetic?

[lowtech]

You guys never cease to amaze me.

The Corkscrew, as you did guess, is fluted.

The tip of the scaler is indeed magnetic. It´s enough to lift a paperclip.

The piece for teh Kayring is a washer in teh blade layer,not part of a liner.

The blade tang reads Victorinox - Switzerland - stainless - rostfrei back shows teh Crossbow and Officer suisse.

[dagelias]

You guys never cease to amaze me.

The Corkscrew, as you did guess, is fluted.

The tip of the scaler is indeed magnetic. It´s enough to lift a paperclip.

The piece for teh Kayring is a washer in teh blade layer,not part of a liner.

The blade tang reads Victorinox - Switzerland - stainless - rostfrei back shows teh Crossbow and Officer suisse.

  I think the knife is 70`s - 80`s..
And, I take back that the tweezers might have been replaced...

[GigaHz]

It is a pre pliers Handyman.

[jazzbass]

Yes, the Tweezers back end is Aluminium. So It´s a pre 1978 Handyman? Or is it a champ? I´ve read the early champs did not have the mag/phillips layer.

Pre-1978 Handyman without question.

3. I don't think it is a handyman... I had a handyman and it had pilers.

Not always, because...

It is a pre pliers Handyman.

Yes. Pliers started in 1986. This is a pre-pliers Handyman. 1973-1986 Handman/Craftsman models ofter get confused with pre-73 Champions because all of the top side tools are the same. The different is the back tools - Champions have the long file, Handyman/Craftsmans do not.

If you want to know if a model is a Champion, ask yourself this question: Does this knife have wither a long nail file or a magnifying glass? If the answer is "no", it's not a Champion.

To eliminate further confusion:

[dagelias]

Great we have someone that know things !!
I suppose my "Champion" also is a pre 1978 handyman ? (it don't have the alu tip tweezers..)

[jazzbass]

Great we have someone that know things !!
I suppose my "Champion" also is a pre 1978 handyman ? (it don't have the alu tip tweezers..)

The "official" run of Craftsman/Handyman models were made from 1973 - 1986. This is when they would have been a regular catalog model. There were some made before this time (I have one from the early 1950s - looks almost exactly like a Champion, but no LNF), and some made after as special runs for promotions (also have a Handyman from the late 1990s). But 95% of the Craftsman and Handyman models you find are from 1973-1986.

Models made after 1978 would have the plastic tweezers. Craftsman models after 1982 or so will have the round phillips driver. Those made around 1986 will have the new style fine screwdriver on the back instead of the old.

There are lots of ways to date a knife to a time period, and unfortunately tweezer tips are one of the least reliable (for obvious reasons). Post a picture of yours and I'll tell you when it was made. Most likely its from 1980 +/- a couple years. This seems to be the most popular variant of this knife.

[lowtech]

Thanks again! So this is a 1973-78 (given the tweezers are the original) Handyman. I suppose teh scale tools are teh original beacuse apart from some drawer wear and old, sticky oil, this knife seems to be unused and unmolested.

[jazzbass]

Thanks again! So this is a 1973-78 (given the tweezers are the original) Handyman. I suppose teh scale tools are teh original beacuse apart from some drawer wear and old, sticky oil, this knife seems to be unused and unmolested.

No, more like 1977-1978 (plus or minus a year or so). A 73 version would still have the clip point pen blade and 5 turn corkscrew. 74-76 would have older style scissors. Could even be a bit newer (into the early 80s) depending on if someone at the factory found an old pair of AL tweezers and used them.

[dagelias]

Hope lowtech don't think I am stealing his tread... 

But here is the pic of my knife:

[jazzbass]

Hope lowtech don't think I am stealing his tread... 

But here is the pic of my knife:

Its a Handyman, not a Champion. In fact, it looks like the exact same knife as lowtech, down to each individual tool variation. This setup would have been made from (approximately) 1977 - 1982. Early in that range it would have a nickel-silver inlay and aluminum tweezers. A little later NS inlay + aluminum tweezers. 1980 - 1982 it would have stainless steel inlay and plastic tweezers.

[lowtech]

Nickel silver inlay would explain the slight discoloration on mine, too. It´s got a yellowish / brown tarnish.

[dagelias]

Hope lowtech don't think I am stealing his tread... 

But here is the pic of my knife:

Its a Handyman, not a Champion. In fact, it looks like the exact same knife as lowtech, down to each individual tool variation. This setup would have been made from (approximately) 1977 - 1982. Early in that range it would have a nickel-silver inlay and aluminum tweezers. A little later NS inlay + aluminum tweezers. 1980 - 1982 it would have stainless steel inlay and plastic tweezers.

Thanks!