Gerber mk1 serial number history serial numbers#

Special order requests for knives with L6 tool steel blades were honored for a short period after the start of the new serial numbering scheme. The new serial numbering system started with serial A1001S and continued to at least N4121S, the highest serial number that I have encountered. In 1982 an alphanumeric numbering system was used.

Gerber mk1 serial number history serial numbers#

There is speculation that the early inverted serial numbers appear only on the first day of the Mark II's production. Sometime after S/N 001049 and before S/N 001116 the serial number stamping was rotated 180 degrees (digits read with blade pointing up) and remained this way until the end of production. I have records of three blades 001001, 001049 stamped in this manner. stamped where the digits are read with the blade pointing down. The very early serial numbers were inverted, i.e. 1980 knife and is somewhat puzzling as supposedly Gerber switched to Stainless steel around December 1979 which would be around serial 085000.

I've only noted one knife in this range stamped with an 'S', S/N 096939S, which indicates that the blade is made of stainless steel. Most of these knives have blades which are made of L6 tool steel. Serial numbering of production knives started with a six digit serial number, 001001 in early 1967 and continued to serial 112000 at the end of 1981. Mark II prototypes and salesman's samples were all stamped with a 000000 (six zeros) serial number (See the XKCT knife under Prototypes). Worn inside or outside the boot, on the 'inside' side so as to afford access with either hand. Its designed to provide a last chance weapon in the event the wearer is disarmed of his primary weapon (s) or overpowered and grounded. However knives can be found that have no serial number and some are totally unmarked, missing both a serial number and the Gerber logo. The Gerber Mark I is the iconic boot knife. To my knowledge, no knives were intentionally produced without serial numbers. It is fortunate for collectors that Gerber decided to stamp Mark II blades with a serial number as this added an extra step in knife production and thus extra cost. SERIAL NUMBERS - Serial numbers make dating the Mark II knives a simple process.