why settle for a miming

[Mossdancer]

Hey 9-ball;
An example of the three and their differences.
from top Pixie,Trout and Bird,Miming steak knife.
W.B.

[El Lobo]

OK there W.B.

Now tie this together with that Gerber you posted (and I lamely tried to help with) and tell us how they all fit, please.

Bill

EDIT:
Sorry for not explaining myself more lucidly W. B. Hope you find some information. You might try calling Bonds House of Cutlery in Las Vegas.....(702) 870-2347, as they specialize in Gerber, I believe.

[9ball]

I never knew they made sheaths for them. They ones I have paid attention too or looked over was the Miming steak knives with a custom made sheath.
It is easier to find the steak knife sets. Or at least around this part of the sticks.

Do you know anything about the Japanese sets?


I saw a wood box set IIRC The Pixie, The Miming & a Snikerdoo? that had a Gerber logo.

[jonet143]

we have cut a lot o meat with these. very happy to own.

johnnie

[Mossdancer]

Hey all;
Whilst I was editing Johnnie posted. Anyway it is a Snickersee as in his set. If you can get the miming set of eight for under $30. I will split'em with you. I can get sheaths made for less than ten. Good quality too.
Have not seen the japanese sets. Are they the new gerber or a KO. If you know anyone who wants one contact me cause shortly I am turning it into a hunting knife,

The bottom is a shot of where I live. About one inch from RH edge halfway up hill. Taken from Warrenton boat ramp overlook. Nice day today about 65 and o cast.

Thought it to be rather sneeky the way I worked in a shot of an Imperial
folding GS fork I found today.

[El Lobo]

W.B.

No need to get the Blade magazine. Johnnie has displayed the same set as in the ad on pg.92, although there are only 4 in the ad.

Bill

P.S.
Added a phone# for Bonds up above.

[Mossdancer]

Hi Bill;
Those are called miming steak knives. As well as I can tell production was started about 1945. The handles at that time were unplated aluminum. the fisherman a shortened handled miming came into being about june of 1950. It appears the shorty was designed in 1948 (excepting recent revelations which we will find out about soon) with production starting in July 1948. As I understand the first pixie was produced in late 1951 with a jet black bakelite handle. 1951 also saw the truncated handle change to the pointed one that is prevalent now.
There was many changes over the years and my tired eyes are calling it quits for now. PM or Email me if you would like more. I forgot the first I see of a trout and bird was 1969 with an armorhide handle it ceased production in 1990.
w.b.

[Mossdancer]

Hi Lobo and everybody else who has been wondering whats going on.
Well, Gerber A relatively newbie in the cutlery world, they started manufacturing for themselves sometime after VJ Day August 15, 1945 although President Truman finally declared September 2nd as VJ Day. So between the last half of Aug. and the first of 1946 they rented space purchased machinery hired employees, set everything up and started production. When? No one actually knows. I have spent the last year on a pretty steep learning curve regarding Gerber. The year 1945 must have been as others have said pretty screwed up. I have only been able to find one type of knife that I am pretty sure was made in that year, The truncated handled Miming. That will be the first and second photo top. The middle photo on both are marked 1946, while the bottom photo is marked 1947.
I am not posting the full profile cause I do not want them pics copied at this time. When I get full documentation and everything collated I will publish full photos for members. I will continue in a few days with next four years.

[Mossdancer]

Hello:
I started the above post so I could have an excuse to show you what I found today. It is an original Dealers Safe for their Gerbers. The Graphics are great condition as is the box. I am posting a corner shot of lock side right and same of graphic corner shot. The safe is 17" square and 6" high.
moss

[orvet]

A week ago last Saturday My wife & I took a drive to the Oregon coastal town of Astoria to buy some tuna to can. (My wife's home canned tuna is the BEST for those of you who are wondering. It makes store bought Albacore tuna taste like cat food!)

While we were there we had lunch with Mossdancer & Mrs Moss. Delightful folks. We then went to their house and WB and I talked knives and stuff. Our wives visited on the deck overlooking the estuary you see in Moss' picture above.

When we left WB gave me a Gerber Miming with a sheath he had made (along with several other knives & some antler.........I am not sure if it is Sandbar Stag or not). The cool thing about this knife is that it was made in 1951, the year I was born. WB can fill you in on the details of when it was made in 1951, as he knows the dating much better than I do. He figured it was made close to my birthday, within 2-3 months.

This knife is about the perfect bird & trout knife.

Thanks WB!

Dale

PS- That Gerber safe is a nice find WB!

[justold52]

"It appears the shorty was designed in 1948 (excepting recent revelations which we will find out about soon) with production starting in July 1948."

I just happen to be born in 1948 and I am looking for a knife that was newly releasted in 1948. I call this my Birth Knife...

If this is a fact and was relessed that year I am very intrested in getting one... OR any knife that was newly relesed in 1948.

[Mossdancer]

Hi Ken:
Yes. you win the brass ring. The "Shorty" was first on the market in 1948
(I would be interested in New Revelations you speak of.). There were less than 1000 made that first year. Some months back I (unknown to me at the time) found on E-Bay a 1948 "Shorty" for auction. I think there were only one or maybe two of the bidders new what they were bidding on because it went for just short of $600 plus shipping and insurance. Had all been knowledgeable it would in all likelyhood been closer to a $1000 probably much more.. I would venture a guess that of the originals half have been lost or misplaced with half of the remaining misused or broken and half of the remaining then just used up. That would leave maybe a Hundred or so available with what ?? maybe 10% of that in excellent or better condition. What do you think a Market with 10 knives in it would sell at. If you still want one contact me by PM and I will tell you how to identify it. However I will be bidding on it also as I would like one for my collection..
moss

[justold52]

"Yes. you win the brass ring"...

Ok I will pass on bidding on one, but Now I know of one to look for that was made in 1948.

This made me think...

Should I be expecting the snail-man to bring me the BRASS RING any time soon...

[9ball]

W.B.
a.k.a
moss

An inquring mind wants to know.

Were, who or why did Gerber come up with all those names on these knives & steel? I also read some place back in the 50's? they got an award for the design of those knives.
Do you know which one/set or the tale?

I got a Durendal here lately, feels like it would make a nice filet knife. Looks unused also, so I am not sure what to do with it as of yet.


9ball
a.k.a
2+7=

[Mossdancer]

Hi Niner:
Long time, Keep the Durendal it may at the most auction for $25. Sharpen it on the very edge only, This is mistake most make when sharpening gerber. Get out a ten power loop and see how the knife blade is made and you will see what I mean. As a filet they are great.

Regarding the award, I do vaguely remember. They were at the time the only cutlery displayed in the New York Met. Museum of Modern Art. When I find the article I will display it.

The Legendary blades and connection to Camelot began IIRC with Mr. Joseph Gerber. His eldest son Ham carried it on when he became president of Gerber in the mid 40's. Again I will locate and post the story.
moss
edit; I think I heard somewhere that in politically correct schools that 2+7 may possibly equal 3 and still be correct.

[useem]

HAHA 2+7 may equal 3 and still be correct. WOW, I was politically correct all through grammer school and didn't even know it.

[jonet143]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

shorty on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

nine miming steak lnives

[Mossdancer]

Hello;
Continuing with some documentation. This is the stuff thats hard to come up with.
Niner: I think within these docs are the answer to at least one of your questions. Down load if you want, I don't care I have the originals.
You can put them into your editor and do as you wish. There is a group of pre 1945 documents that I got from an EBJ boxed set. These are Murphy made knives. The 1947 docs also came from a boxed set. I don't recall right now which set it was. You will notice on the price lists the knives that were available at the time and their general profile. There is also directions for sharpening. A story of the names and the small card for the superstitious regarding gift knives with a bill for a penny. There was quite a thread some time ago about this superstition on AAPK.
moss
ps: I thought I had made another post last evening after Jonets shorty post but I guess not.
pps: Rick, The set of 1947 knives are the ones that won the accolades and were and I believe still in the Museum. I don't know if it tells about it in the 1947 docs. but it will in the 1948's when I post them.

[jonet143]

wow, thanks wb, great info for gerber collectors and students of cutlery.

[Mossdancer]

To All:
In my first VJ Day post I stated that Gerber started making knives for themselves in 1945. That is true, but as Paul says now for the rest of the story. Mr. Gerber and Mr. Murphy met in 1938. Mr. Gerber requested that
Mr. Murphy make him some knives, These were given as Gifts for Christmas 1938. The response to the knives was very good so Mr. Gerber made the decision to go into business in 1939 selling knives that Mr. Murphy made for him. This was the first year of the gerber business.
It(the joint business) continued til Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.
Mr. Murphy went to work making knives for the War effort and Mr. Gerber
Carried on with some other business, if I said it was his print shop I would only be speculating."IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I NOTE HERE THAT THE FOREGOING FEW SENTENCES ARE TAKEN FROM THE RESEARCH OF OTHERS AND NOT FROM MY OWN OTHER THAN THE READING OF THEIR WORK. The war continued, the bomb was dropped the Japanese surrendered Victory in Japan was announced(not necessarily in that order I am not a historian) and the story continues with my original post.
moss

[justold52]

I wanted this one but I stopped bidding....

Did I do WRONG ??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=015

[jonet143]

mine are the best steak knives i've seen or used. sharpen easily and look great. i don't know what they are worth.

[Mossdancer]

Hi:
Took awhile but I finally snagged a pretty good set. There seems to be a glaring anomaly to this grouping. I do not believe its mis marked I think it may have been a leftover box and the same for the documents. These appear to be pre 1945 docs and the same for the box notice the Handmade on the bottom. By this time 1946 the knives were no longer handmade by David Murphy. They were made in the Gerber shop that had been up and manufacturing since the very last part of the previous year. I don't think the Balmung and Joyeuse have ever been sharpened since leaving the factory. The Excalibur has been lightly honed. Enjoy them, its not too often you can see the year of manufacture on the handle.
moss

Edit Sorry did not realize the enlargements did not sow up well. Try this.

[orvet]

Congrats Moss!
It looks like you got some goodies.

Thanks for the pics & the pics of the papers. I will add those to my collection.

Have a happy Thanksgiving y'all!
Then after dinner.......... have a nice nap!
Dale

[justold52]

Still looking for a knife with 1948 on it.

Do you have one for sale ? or a set ?