VNAMVET70 Posted July 17, 2022 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2022 Bidding is over $1,000 plus. Notice anything odd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted July 17, 2022 Share #2 Posted July 17, 2022 Normal MK 2's have six digits. There are special edition knives that could have no serial numbers or 5 digit serial numbers like this one. I'd like to have more information. Like can we see the auction and anymore detail regarding the story with this knife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedon Posted July 17, 2022 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2022 Serial number should have 6 digits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNAMVET70 Posted July 17, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted July 17, 2022 001258. I like the spacins, ricasso, on this Gerber Mark 2. Nothing odd about it. The ricasso marked 10308 looks odd. Maybe because the #1 looks like it's on steroids. The #8 looks like it's doing a vanishing act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKIPH Posted July 17, 2022 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2022 As previously stated that serial number should have a "0" in front of it. Checked out my Gerber Serial number production chart, nothing like that one. Here is a pic of my Gerber Mark II that wife #1 bought me in Feb 1971 for an upcoming tour in Vietnam that got canceled. It's from the 1970 production period. I blued this one. SKIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted July 18, 2022 Share #6 Posted July 18, 2022 The Gerber Mk2's are known for different strike depths in the serial numbers. I understand the concern about a heavy strike on the far left with a disappearing strike on the far right. That being said, with the normal "0" that should be preceding the "1" missing and the five numbers that are showing being more or less centered on the ricasso, this seems to be explained by the special edition knives I mentioned earlier. I understand that you may be trying to decide if this is a rare piece that you may want to pursue and don't want to say too much. Still I think we need more information on this piece to possibly get beyond speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted July 18, 2022 Share #7 Posted July 18, 2022 5 hours ago, sactroop said: The Gerber Mk2's are known for different strike depths in the serial numbers. I understand the concern about a heavy strike on the far left with a disappearing strike on the far right. That being said, with the normal "0" that should be preceding the "1" missing and the five numbers that are showing being more or less centered on the ricasso, this seems to be explained by the special edition knives I mentioned earlier. I understand that you may be trying to decide if this is a rare piece that you may want to pursue and don't want to say too much. Still I think we need more information on this piece to possibly get beyond speculation. Agreed. Same situation with the SOG knife posted previously. If you really want help, it would be in your best interest to provide enough information for others to provide that help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted July 18, 2022 Share #8 Posted July 18, 2022 With Gerbers you will see anomalies with the serial numbers being offset of faint etc. Most of the comitatives serial number will star with C as I understand it. Here is a model I just pickup up. The numbers are off set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted July 18, 2022 Share #9 Posted July 18, 2022 -* The knife initially posted is a named item currently at auction. Im guessing thats its price is being driven by the fact its named. https://www.ebay.com/itm/314066500128?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11010.m1951.l7534&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=c45fa83bfac04c7ca9d18c834ed981a9&bu=43210668654&ut=RU&exe=101967&ext=239905&osub=-1~1&crd=20220718142100&segname=11010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted July 18, 2022 Share #10 Posted July 18, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted July 18, 2022 Share #11 Posted July 18, 2022 I know that John Sabol concentrates on EK knives these days, but he still keeps some of his collected information on the Gerber MK II's on his site. In this case I'd look over his section on Fake MKII's and then ask myself how confident I was with the provenance of this item. https://militarycarryknives.com/MKMAIN/MkMain.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNAMVET70 Posted July 19, 2022 Author Share #12 Posted July 19, 2022 sactroop, et al, In regard to previous posts, procured several knives this month including a SOG S1 Bowie and a Gerber MK2. John Sabol's website "militarycarryknives" a great help in verifying the Gerber's blade/sheath are indeed authentic. His homepage really addresses the prevalence of fakes on the market, even how he was scammed. He says to "buy the knife not the story". John mentions scammers reworking 20th Anniversary Gerber MK2's to seem like earlier knives. I already thought that was going on because it seems easy to do. My Dad used to say," For every sucker there are two con artists". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted July 19, 2022 Share #13 Posted July 19, 2022 Living here in the Pacific North West, I've seen more than a couple of what some call the " Gerber lunch box specials". Mark II knives with no serial number and in some case not even a logo on the blade. There were a lot of counterfeit Stone knives floating around at one time that seemed to originate in eastern Washington. I've learned a little about Western Bowie knives with the special forces engraving on the blade. I admit that over time I've gotten more cautious about things and agree very much with your Dad. I didn't mean to come across like I'm the only one aware of John Sabol's site. On posts like this one I often find myself responding to the thread with the thought of what someone searching the thread sometime later might take from the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byf41 Posted September 17, 2022 Share #14 Posted September 17, 2022 Bringing this back up ,heres another nice looking Gerber MKII with a 5 digit number . Less than 300 numbers apart from the knife that started this thread ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNAMVET70 Posted September 20, 2022 Author Share #15 Posted September 20, 2022 It is worth noting the above Gerber Mk2 sn 10034 is on eBay for 2days 5 hourss by seller : epicartifacts1. In the past, this seller posted other Gerber Mk2 knives sn 10308 and sn 14679, and now sn 10034. Wonder how the eBay seller came across these five (5) digit Gerber Mk 2's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted September 20, 2022 Share #16 Posted September 20, 2022 is it an optical illusion, the metal looks concave where the Sn is stamped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byf41 Posted September 28, 2022 Share #17 Posted September 28, 2022 Another odd ball offered for sale from the same guy ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNAMVET70 Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share #18 Posted September 28, 2022 The Gerber Mark ll serial # 9746 above reminds me kinda of having a 440A stainless steel blade rather than the original L6 tool steel. Explains why no rust, sheath wear or much wear. Hmm. This blade reminds me of Gerber Mark 2 knives with narrow wasp blades that were sold by the "CUTLERY SHOPPE". They only had four digit numbers beginning with letters CS which stood for "Cutlery Shoppe". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byf41 Posted October 4, 2022 Share #19 Posted October 4, 2022 I dont want to beat a dead horse , but heres another real nice looking MKII from a very reputable web site with 5 digit number . I would be very surprised If It was not legit . Im hoping someone like John Sabol or maybe Frank T would spot this thread and chime In on these fewer than 6 digit Gerbers so we can clear the air on this . I hope the seller does not mind me posting It here and as I said It looks legit to me , just posting It here for discussion on this topic . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opseccc Posted November 20, 2022 Share #20 Posted November 20, 2022 The knives in question here are correct production MKII knives. Most standard production MKII knives from 1967 to 1982 have 6 numbers. There were times the serial number stamping dies broke the first and second zeros. This makes sense, as the first two zeros were used over and over for many blade stampings. Knives with serial numbers between 05266 and 05724 are missing the first zero. The knives with serial numbers between 9525 and 9989 are missing the first two zeros. The first zero is again missing on most of the MKII knives between 10034 and 12889. This only applies to the standard production MKII knives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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