April 5, 20233 yr #1 Hi all, I’m not really a knife guy, so can someone tell me what I have here? Obviously a Gerber boot knife but is it military? Can anyone hazard a value to it? I got it from a friend recently and there was no backstory or history behind it, thanks guys! Rick
April 6, 20233 yr #2 Early 80's Gerber Mark 1. Not military issue. Gerber was transitioning to 440 Stainless Steel blades from L6 Tool Steel at this time. Aluminum handle with black Armorhide coating. The Mark 1 was introduced in 1976. It originally had a dark green colored handle and the first sheaths were dark green leather with white stitching. In 1977 tan sheath replaced the green, and in 1978 the sheaths became black and matched the new black handles. The Mark 1 is the smaller brother to the Mark II. These knives run between 100 - 200 depending on condition and year manufactured. There were presentation versions with ebony hardwood handles and brass guard. There was a black blade introduced in 1883. Model ended in 1997. Hope this helps.
April 6, 20233 yr Author #3 33 minutes ago, opseccc said: Early 80's Gerber Mark 1. Not military issue. Gerber was transitioning to 440 Stainless Steel blades from L6 Tool Steel at this time. Aluminum handle with black Armorhide coating. The Mark 1 was introduced in 1976. It originally had a dark green colored handle and the first sheaths were dark green leather with white stitching. In 1977 tan sheath replaced the green, and in 1978 the sheaths became black and matched the new black handles. The Mark 1 is the smaller brother to the Mark II. These knives run between 100 - 200 depending on condition and year manufactured. There were presentation versions with ebony hardwood handles and brass guard. There was a black blade introduced in 1883. Model ended in 1997. Hope this helps. Great info, much appreciated! Thanks very much! Rick
April 6, 20233 yr #4 I have one of the too, thanks for the information ! Mine has a serrated blade on top
April 6, 20233 yr #6 268thC.A., your knife is the Command I, very similar to the Mark 1, but with the serrated saber tip, as opposed to the dagger blade on the Mark I. There was a Command II bigger brother, similar to the Mark II in size. The Command series began in 1979 as the Force I & Force II. Gerber found out there was an issue with the name and created an add in Soldier of Fortune offering a set of the knives for someone to come up with the new name. Command 1 & Command II were selected. The only way this was known by the knives was on the box sticker. Very early production boxes have a Force 1 & II box sticker, and the rest have Command stickers. It is unknown how many Force I & II box stickers were sold with the first knives but very few are still around. The pics are the comparison between the knives, and the Force box stickers. The Force/Command 1 was sold from 1979 - 1994, and the Force/Command II sold from 1979 to 1985. There was a black blade version, that was available for all of these knives.
April 6, 20233 yr #8 Just to satisfy my curiosity. Does anyone have a production chart w/ serial numbers, features, and dates for the MK1. I have an excellent chart for the MK2, but find nothing for the MK1. I got my MK1, serial number 027927 around 1979-80 in a trade w/ my 5th SFGA room mate for an M5 combat knife (M5 bayonet parts made knife). He was on his way to Ranger school and needed a different knife. Please post if someone has one. THX! SKIP
April 6, 20233 yr #9 SKIPH, Up until now the answer regarding serial number lists for the MK1 have been a big NO. I bought one of the new MK1's in early 1977 at the BX in what was Bergstrom AFB in Austin. I have more or less given up looking, but hope lives on. opseccc has about as much info on these as I've seen. Here's mine. People have said that the serial numbers don't seem to be sequential with when the knives were produced.
April 6, 20233 yr #10 sactroop - thanks for the info. I thought I had missed out on that list somewhere. Sure could not find it anywhere. SKIP
April 7, 20233 yr #11 SKIPH & all, the Mark II is the only Gerber knife that has the serial numbers accurately collected. When Gerber was sold to Fiskars in 1986, record keeping for past information stopped. So many new collectors reach out to Gerber with questions on old knives and they just have no information about them. All number, serial numbers, started in 1976 with 001001 being the first serial number knife sold. My friend owns it. The serial numbers switched to the "letter", four number, "S" or "T" ("S" for 440 stainless steel blade & "T" for L6 tool steel blade) system in 1982 with A0001S as the first one sold. There are VERY few "T" serial numbered blades. The last all numbers MKI that I have on record is 137181. That makes about 22000 made each year (1976 - 1981). Again, this is a guess as there were no exact records kept. 1997 was the last year for the Mark I. The serial numbers were up in the "U" letter. The Mark I Tactical had serrations on both sides of the blade and their serial numbers were in the same system. So there could have been a T1234S numbered Mark I, with no serrations, and T1235S as a "Tactical" serrated knife. There is a big problem with people using the Mark II serial number chart for other Gerber models. Understandable but incorrect. I hope this helps.
April 7, 20233 yr #12 I couldn't remember when I got the knife, but looking at the serial numbers above That puts it in 1982. I got the knife in a trade at a local surplus store. We were doing some horse trading and it was a little heavy on his end, so I said throw in that Gerber Command 1. The deal was done. The knife is still in the original box and plastic sleeve, Just something I have had a long time. Thanks for all the information above. A6070S Regards David
April 8, 20233 yr #13 SKIPH, I have attached a condensed info page on the Mark I. I still need to add dates to it, but it is what I have at the moment. Hope it helps. 268th C.A., no problem with the info. The Command I & Command II knives were made in lesser numbers than the Mark I & Mark II. Having yours with the original box and plastic sleeve is a a big +. MK I Info.pages
April 8, 20233 yr #14 If you can not get the Info page, it is as follows: Mark I Knife In production from 1976 - 1997 & 2011 35th Anniversary Mark I model numbers: Plain Edge #5600 & 5601 (unknown why both Model # were used) Plain Edge Black Blade #5604 (introduced 1983) Tactical Serrated Edge #5610 Tactical Serrated Edge Black Blade #5604 Presentation Wood #5611 Presentation Stag #5620 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Wood Non-Engraved #9501 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Wood Engraved #9506 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Stag Non-Engraved #9511 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Stag Engraved #9516 35th Anniversary #30-000412 ====================================================== 1976-1981 Tool Steel (L6) 1976-1978 Blade length 5”, overall length is 9” 1981-1997 440 Stainless Steel 1979 -1997 Blade length 4 ¾”, overall length is 8 ¾” ============================================================= The only commemorative Mark I is the 35th Anniversary. The serial number is 0001 to 1500. No letters. There are no XX (Mark II Anniversary) or CS (Cutlery Shoppe) prefix serial numbered Mark I knives. Gerber announces in the 1992 Catalog, “Redesigned Forged Blades Now Come With Non-Reflective Bead-Blasted Finish or Black Oxide Finish and Include New Blade Geometry For Greater Strength and Easy Resharpening”
April 8, 20233 yr #15 10 hours ago, opseccc said: If you can not get the Info page, it is as follows: Mark I Knife In production from 1976 - 1997 & 2011 35th Anniversary Mark I model numbers: Plain Edge #5600 & 5601 (unknown why both Model # were used) Plain Edge Black Blade #5604 (introduced 1983) Tactical Serrated Edge #5610 Tactical Serrated Edge Black Blade #5604 Presentation Wood #5611 Presentation Stag #5620 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Wood Non-Engraved #9501 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Wood Engraved #9506 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Stag Non-Engraved #9511 Mark I & Mark ll Pres. Col. Stag Engraved #9516 35th Anniversary #30-000412 ====================================================== 1976-1981 Tool Steel (L6) 1976-1978 Blade length 5”, overall length is 9” 1981-1997 440 Stainless Steel 1979 -1997 Blade length 4 ¾”, overall length is 8 ¾” ============================================================= The only commemorative Mark I is the 35th Anniversary. The serial number is 0001 to 1500. No letters. There are no XX (Mark II Anniversary) or CS (Cutlery Shoppe) prefix serial numbered Mark I knives. Gerber announces in the 1992 Catalog, “Redesigned Forged Blades Now Come With Non-Reflective Bead-Blasted Finish or Black Oxide Finish and Include New Blade Geometry For Greater Strength and Easy Resharpening” I want to add my thanks to you for sharing this information you've gathered on the Gerber MK1. When work took me to Portland Or. I took the opportunity to see first hand companies like Gerber, Danner, Leatherman, and others. I 100% agree about the change in culture when Fiskars took over Gerber.
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