New "Schrade" Tough Tool

supratentorial · **on:** August 09, 2007, 07:49:03 AM

At my local Kmart, one lonely Schrade Tough Tool has been hanging out in the knife cabinet for many years. Its clam pack is brittle and falling appart. There's about a 1/2 inch of dust on it and a price tag of more than $50. Every once in a while, I check on it to make sure that it is doing ok. Today, I saw that it had been replaced with an entire row of newly packaged Schrade Tough Tools. Astounded, I looked closely at the packaging...In addition to the Schrade logo, the packaging was marked Taylor Brands. Schrade closed its doors several years ago and Taylor Brands bought their intellectual property. I know many aren't real fond of Taylor Brands but I can't comment on the quality of the multi-tool. I wasn't willing to take one for the team and drop $30 on a new "Schrade" Tough Tool when I have a perfectly good original Schrade Tough Tool at home, collecting dust. In the current multi-tool market, I think it will be difficult for Taylor Brands to compete.

http://www.taylorbrandsllc.com/Catalog/Product.php?ProductLine=TOU&ItemNumber=ST1N

The original Schrade Tough Tool was nowhere to be found. I hope he found a good home.

J-sews · **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2007, 12:25:18 PM

What a sad story. You didn't say, but no doubt the "Taylor Brands" Schrades were produced in China?

Anson Argyris · **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2007, 01:32:44 PM

IIRC, the Spyderco Spyderench and ByrdRench are made in China, too, and are pretty good.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2007, 02:16:00 PM

The SpyderWrench is likely made in Seki City Japan, not China. Many of Spyderco's better quality knives are made there, while the cheaper Byrd line is made in China.

Taylor Cutlery is not a manufacturer, they are a marketing agency that imports low cost and quality knives and tools from China with famous brand names, like Schrade or Smith & Wesson. While I haven't handled any of the "new" Schrade tools, I have handled many of Taylor Cutlery's other brands and to be honest, I wouldn't waste $30 on one either.

Def