In 1939 Joseph Gerber (advertising agency owner) had custom knife maker David Murphy make 24 sets of carving knife for some of his select customers. Catalog retailer Abercrombie & Fitch saw them and was so impressed with the quality of the knives they wanted to sell them. Thus was born Gerber Legendary Blades.
Chris i woke last night to the sound of thunder
how far off i sat and wondered
started humming a song from nineteen sixty two
aint it funny how the night moves
Case V42 wrote:I hope this works. If I prove to be just smart enough to get a photo attached I'll try to add several of the most interesting Gerbers I have in my collection.Lioness.JPG
According to Phil Rodenberg's book, in 1953 Gerber made 20 knife sets with "Lioness" handles for the Kansas City Life Insurance Co. Gerber also made an extra 30 sets as replacements etc. The pictured knife is marked, "GERBER Durendal Made In U.S.A." on the bottom of the handle. The blade is chrome plated, but the handle isn't. She's evidently one of the "extras", but how come isn't she plated, and how did she come to be all alone?
Just wanted to show you what I ran across the first of December. And possibly up for sale. Now just gotta get a crew together and Rob a few banks. Who's in?
My name is Mud,
But call me Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie
That's long for Mud, so I've been told
Gerber Legendary Blades from the 70s-80s made some of the best knives on the market, with the likes of Pete Kershaw, Al Mar and Blackie Collins cutting their teeth so to speak on Gerbers dime, you had some of the great designers of our age who came outta the factory. That was my favorite time period for them, the Silver Knights, the Paul knives, the LST and Bolt lock were revolutionary and set the upcoming trends for the next 20 years.
One of the last blades they made under the Gerber Legendary Blades monijer was the SL3.25 series of knives, G10, Carbon Fiber and other premium scale materials with ATS34 blade steel, Titanium Liner/Walker Lock, it was a greatly underrated knife that was discontinued before it got recognized.
My Old Man told me when I was a kid, "You can spend your entire life convincing someone how smart you are but it only takes a second to prove you're an idiot."....................You can call me Ted.
Here are 2 of my latest. I've been trying to get em for quite some time, especially the LST. This one was the first one I've seen for sale. Both are NIB and finally mine.
Now onto the next hard to find... A 48-50 Shorty. If you know of one for sale, gimme a holler.
My name is Mud,
But call me Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie
That's long for Mud, so I've been told
These are a few Gerbers I have owned and I believe I have sold all the above.
I need to take some pics of some the more interesting ones I have in my collection.
Mud. I will see what shorty's I might be willing to part with.
I didn't find this post until shortly before good night. I will look up the info of age as time avails. These are a couple of older Gerbers, A late 50's Hunter and a couple of 40's Joyeuse knives. The Joyeuse was supposedly Gerber's first attempt at a slicer to double as a hunting knife.
moss
Mossdancer wrote:Mud. I will see what shorty's I might be willing to part with.
I didn't find this post until shortly before good night. I will look up the info of age as time avails. These are a couple of older Gerbers, A late 50's Hunter and a couple of 40's Joyeuse knives. The Joyeuse was supposedly Gerber's first attempt at a slicer to double as a hunting knife.
moss
PICT0001.JPG
Those are some good looking knives. Exactly what I'm looking for.
I have a Joyeuse-10. Surprisingly, the care pamphlet is still there and in very good shape. Nowhere near mint, used to slice bbq, it's a good old knife. I enjoy it.
Your time and consideration is greatly appreciated and I'd like to talk with you more about anything that you would consider parting with.
Thank you sir.
My name is Mud,
But call me Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie
That's long for Mud, so I've been told
Here are my four Gerber Knives Three are lock open hunters, and one a Paul knife. They were all bought in the 1970s, all were caried on motorcycle, or motorcycle/sidecar trips to rallies. Had not thought about them for years, and when I got them out to look at them, the brass was all turned green, from being stored in their leather sheaths. Had to clean the green off of them, and decided to take pictures, and here they are. Hope my fading memory serves me right on the dates. Thanks for sharing them with me.
Sut Tatersaul- The feathehttps://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_foru ... id=295786r merchant
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It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter
Mud and others:
Here is another that I have decided to separate with. I just checked on ebay and a set commensurate with condition of mine sold recently for $230.00 plus shipping. It is a shorty with steel in piggyback sheath issued between mid 1966 to 1969. That is with a chrome handle. I believe this may be the steel grip handle and if so you could with some surety a period of less than one year of birth by saying it was Manf. in late Dec. 1967 because they were in issue between 1967-1968. When you see a sheath with the 5 digit number that simply means it was produced sometime after zip codes were mandated in 1965.
I will be listing this knife in my store shortly after I finish here. The price will be attractive when compared to my above info.
In going through the pictures of Gerber Knives,I notice that many collectors don't clean up their knives, before showing them. I cleaned and polished the green stains from the brass parts of my Gerber Knives that were stored in their leather sheaths. Before I discovered the use of Simichrome, Wenol, or Flitz polish, and Renaissance wax. I also found that wrapping the cleaned, and waxed knives in Glad Cling Wrap, an ultra thin plastic wrap, the knives can be stored in their leather sheathes, and they won't turn green. Is my practice of cleaning my knives considered bad protocol? I am just jumping into Knife collecting, after all these years, of getting, and using them, and don't know proper Collecting etiquette. Thanks.
Sut Tatersual
It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter
Sut Tatersaul:
Hi, I do not think there is a protocol for showing your knives. It is my thought on the matter that every person owns their own knives and can do as they wish with them. I will not clean a knife or wash off any of its character because it all tells me a story. You accumulated by one method or another and all of them tells you a differing tale. By the way the green stuff that appeared on your Gerber while stored in the leather sheaths was called Verdigris pronounced ver di gree, the I is said as in it. It is created by some sort of reaction between the metal and the leather. If you already knew this please accept it as me trying to be helpful and not a know it all. I happen to like all knives, the old Gerbers are among my favorites because they are sort of home grown, available at a reasonably cost(there are some exceptions to the cost angle) and seem to endure for a long period of time.
Accumulate what you like and do with as you wish. My opinion, the story is a part of ownership. I will post later with a couple of examples.
moss
CheckSix wrote:my only Gerber... a Blackie Collins designed Gerber Clip Lock Boot Knife. This one made in Portland, OR.
Hi, Check Six:
The Gerber boot knife you show, really flops my mop. Is that an old knife, or are they still made, or available? Thanks for sharing that neat knife with us.
Sut Tatersaul
It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter
CheckSix wrote:my only Gerber... a Blackie Collins designed Gerber Clip Lock Boot Knife. This one made in Portland, OR.
Hi, Check Six:
The Gerber boot knife you show, really flops my mop. Is that an old knife, or are they still made, or available? Thanks for sharing that neat knife with us.
Sut Tatersaul
I think they were made back in the 80's or 90's. The initial ones were made in Portland, then from Italy afterwards. I'm sure you can find a used one.
They are known as the Gerber Blackie Collins River Runner Dive Boot Knife.
Hi,All:
Well, I sort of messed up, I saw the pictures of what I think is a great boot knife, the Gerber Clip lock, designed by an old favorite designer, and maker of mine, Blackie Collins. I didn't read the description close enough, of one of those knifes offered on E-Bay. it was offered without a sheath. I just went ahead and bought it. Then I found out it didn't have the sheath, which is an intricate part of the locking system. I got it all cleaned up, and looking like new. Now, I'll have to find a sheath, or make one, to carry it. I might even get one made, if, my old arthritic crippled fingers will cooperate. I just got too enthused with that, great designed, little knife, and got carried away, but, it will "All come out in the wash" as they say.
Sut Tatersaul
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It's Mind Over Matter, If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter