Original Worker - Question for Sal or others

[scolby]

I just received an old-style Worker (circa 1982) that I won on Ebay. There is no steel id stamped on the knife. Do you know what steel was being used at that time? Also, the clip side scale is much thicker than the other scale. I notice on the new style Worker that the scales are balanced. I like the old-style because it is lighter. Will the Commemorative Worker be like the old or the new in this regard? I also happen to be carrying the Walker Almite and I notice that it has unbalanced scales. I like it, I just wonder why you would use one approach or the other.



Finally, I have an old Standard (1989) that has the integral stainless clip. Any reason that this was abandoned(Breakage?). Also, the rivets are unfinished on the clip side, I have never seen another Spydie like this, any reason?

[sal]

Hi Scolby. I don't remember welcoming you, so welcome. If I have already, chalk it up to a "senior moment".

The early Workers were GIN-1. the thicker scale on one side of the early Workers was to give greater strength to the clip screws. The non clip side was thinner because it didn't need the thickness. The left hand version was reversed. The market didn't like the two thicknesses, so we yielded.

The thicker scale on the Walker was to house the Walker linerlock, which is only on one side.

That old Standard was the first Standard (began circa 1984). We abandoned the clip for several reasons, 1) it was very difficult to make the clip edges smooth and the roughness was not good enough for us. 2) It was being copied by everyone because it was cost effective.
3) We decided to upgrade the model.

The rivets could not be finished because the clip was in the way and they couldn't be sanded.

sal