Get to Know Schrade in Three Knives

Quite a lot can happen in 20 years. To take the knife industry as a case in point, I would argue that the shifts that have occurred over the last two decades have been nothing short of seismic. Perhaps no company illustrates that turbulence quite like Schrade, a knife manufacturer whose history dates back to 1904.

Highlighted by models like the (from left to right) Divergent, Needle Serrated and Slyte, Schrade offers versatile and innovative products that demonstrate impressive quality and value across various price points.

I think what the company is putting out today is extremely interesting and highly competitive in a market where consumers are more sophisticated than ever. If it’s been some time since you’ve paid the company attention, I think three models do a good job of crystallizing what they’re up to and why a savvy consumer might want to take notice.

A Little History

To appreciate where they are now, I think some words are warranted to understand where they’ve been. I mentioned 1904: that was year zero when the Schrade Cutlery Company first put out their shingle in Walden, New York and announced they were open for business. The company’s product line from that point up through the 1980s could charitably — perhaps affectionately — be described as the kinds of knives your grandfather probably used and carried. Think fixed-blade hunting knives and “traditional” pocketknives with bone handles, and you’ll have a good picture of the majority of the company’s output.

older Schrade knife — Schrade was once known predominately for small slipjoints, including its Old Timer series of knives.

Indeed, Schrade’s tagline throughout the 1990s for its “Old Timer” series was “Knives like Granddad’s.” But by the dawn of the 21^st century, its line-up could fairly be called a little stodgy for a class of consumers that perhaps didn’t want to be carrying grandpa knives. Sensing the writing on the wall, Schrade was sold to a company that promptly moved all production overseas and began to crank out very low-priced knives.

By the 2010s, that business model was under attack thanks to companies like CRKT, Cold Steel, Kershaw, and Spyderco. Each of these manufacturers competed with one another to offer great workmanship, durability, and progressively better materials to the American consumer. By the mid-2010s, there was really no excuse to be carrying a poorly made knife when we were spoiled for choice with so many great budget options.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Schrade was sold in 2016 to American Outdoor Brands, who was promptly tasked with taking this historic company and delivering the quality discerning customers expected. Based on a quick inventory of what we can buy from Schrade in 2024, I’d say that mission was successful.

Schrade Divergent

Available for less than $30, Schrade’s Divergent is as solid of a budget knife as they come in my opinion. Featuring G10 handles over stainless steel liners, a harpoon-style blade, and a blade made from the workmanlike AUS-8 steel, the Divergent is just about the archetype of a “jack of all trades” EDC piece.

It’s not too small, nor too big. The blade stock is thick enough for rough use and difficult jobs, but thin enough behind the edge to slice and bite easily into a variety of materials. AUS-8 is a steel that isn’t lauded for its edge retention, but it’s tough, extremely stain-resistant, and can be easily sharpened by an amateur user back to the point where it will split hairs.

The Divergent also allows you to experience the novelty of a very cool lock type at a cost just about everyone can afford. On this model, Schrade employs what is being called a “crossbar lock” in common parlance, but the details have been thoughtfully attended to. It is a completely ambidextrous design that allows the blade to be opened or closed without the user ever having to get his or her fingers in the path of the cutting edge. For a $30 knife, the lock engages with confidence and authority on the Divergent, and the stop pin wedges itself behind the blade to ensure a rock-solid deployment. When disengaged, the blade retreats back into the handle with a satisfying “snick.”

Schrade Divergent folding knife crossbar lock — Schrade’s Divergent model gives consumers an affordable way of testing out a “crossbar” lock. Scales are G10.

Simply put, the Divergent is useful, fun, and delivers quality and performance far in excess to the cost Schrade is asking of it. No wonder it’s been turning heads since its introduction, even among YouTubers who have built their subscriber numbers by featuring far more expensive fodder.

The Schrade Slyte

Although the Slyte is just as EDC friendly as the Divergent, Schrade set out to court two very particular and different demographics with this model: customers who want envelope-pushing designs, and customers who want to buy American wherever possible. This knife gets both of those guys under the same tent.

Schrade Slyte folding knife — The Slyte is a fetching piece of pocket art as much as it is a functional EDC knife.

First, the Slyte has some very origami-like lines to it. The wharncliffe blade is chunky and angular, but it excels at daily tasks like breaking down boxes and making precise draw cuts. The most impressive aspect of this knife, however, is that it’s only a quarter of an inch thick across the frame and weighs only 3.5 ounces, despite giving the user 3” of cutting edge.

Schrade Slyte Wharncliffe blade — Schrade’s Slyte is feature rich. The Wharncliffe blade is great for draw and push cuts, the knife sits deep in the pocket, and a frame lock adds additional strength. It’s affordable and made by U.S. workers.

Combine this with a blade made from extremely durable D2 tool steel, a frame lock mechanism, and a deep carry clip, and you’ve got a product tailor made for those looking to “min-max” their EDC choices. For such a thin knife, no edges are untowardly sharp, and the stonewashed finish applied to the stainless steel frame is rather fetching.

Schrade Slyte is thin and made in the USA — The Slyte is well-named as the knife is only a quarter inch wide across the frame. An easy carry, to say the least.

To some, what will be just as important as the manufacturing and design specs is what’s written on the blade: “Made in USA.” That Schrade is able to deliver a product that supports American families for under $60 — with good materials, a well-tuned detent, an excellent factory edge, and highly competitive design — is quite the accomplishment.

The Needle Serrated

If one sat a bunch of knife junkies down in a room and asked them to name the most iconic fixed blades of all time, it’d be a wonder if either the Gerber Mark II or the Sykes-Fairbairn Dagger didn’t end up on that list. Shrade’s Needle Serrated is a spiritual successor to these designs, though far more attainable and affordable to the average Joe.

Schrade Needle Magnum double edged dagger — Schrade’s Needle Serrated is an affordable, double-edged dagger that follows in the footsteps of famous designs like the Gerber Mark II.

It bears mentioning that not all knives are equally suited to any particular task. To wit: I would not want to use a machete to carve a Jack ‘O Lantern, and I would not want to use any of Schrade’s “Needle” series to break down a cord of wood. However, take one look at this thing and tell me this isn’t an impressive chunk of metal.

Like the Divergent, Schrade utilizes AUS-8 steel in its construction of the Needle. Again, AUS-8 isn’t known for being a wondersteel for edge retention, but it is tough and reasonably durable. I would further argue that edge retention is probably the least of a consumer’s concerns on a knife so obviously positioned for the task of self-defense. What’s the sense in dulling that edge through non-serious tasks? Almost always, a better tool is at hand for household work.

Such begs the question: what’s the Needle actually good for? Let me first offer a caveat — I never want to be too nonchalant about the scary realities (legal and otherwise) of using a knife in defense of life and limb. However, I have seen a number of closed-circuit TV videos where would-be robbers and assailants faced a citizen with a knife. In a majority of those videos, when criminals realized it was a distinct possibility they would be stabbed or slashed as a result of their malfeasance — such as when a sizable blade blocked their approach to their victim — they had enough smarts to beat feet.

In such a case, the Needle provides a law-abiding citizen with the kind of reach that serves as a serious deterrent. It is remarkably lithe in the hand. The Needle is a knife that says, in no uncertain terms, “Back off.”

Schrade Needle knife — Lithe in the hand, this version of the Needle provides a full 6” of reach. Serrations offer additional cutting utility.

Note that Schrade wants less than thirty bucks for this thing. Again, I’m not going to try to stab this through a car hood, and I also don’t relish the idea of ever getting into a knife fight, but it has absolutely become part of a bugout bag or two.

The Rest

Of course, these three knives don’t represent the entirety of Schrade’s product category. Their alpha class, for example, is also made in the USA with premium materials, and the company has a number of interesting “out the front” knives. On top of that, Schrade still manufactures a number of traditional designs under the “Uncle Henry” sub-brand.

However, I do think my three picks are neat, and I felt represented a good cross-section of what the company has to offer. If you’re a knife junkie who may have once written this company off, or if you’re a newcomer who hadn’t previously heard of the brand, now’s a great time to see what they have to offer. I’m going to bet at least something in their line-up will pull at least a few dollars from your wallet.

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!