Silver Knight/Silver Eagle

[kootenay joe]

Most collectors know the Gerber "Silver Knight" a 3 1/4" lock back with a long bolster and made in Japan.
I have 4 of these but there are significant differences in how they are marked.
I also have a Frost Cutlery "Silver Knight", a 2 3/4" metal handle lock back also made in Japan. It is a well made knife and from the box i think older than the Gerber "Silver Knight".
Two of my Gerber Silver Knight knives are the same: wood handles and marked: "Gerber/Portland,OR." on the front tang and "Silver Knight/by Sakai, Japan" on the back tang.
One has a checkered green Micarta ? handle and it has "Gerber/International" on the front tang and "Silver Knight/Japan" on the back tang.
The pearl handled one has "Gerber/Portland Oregon/97223 U.S.A." on the front tang and "Silver Eagle/by Sakai Japan" on the back tang.

Am i correct that the Frost "Silver Knight" is older than the Gerber's ? If so did Gerber buy the rights to use "Silver Knight" ? Or did they not know of Frost's use of the name "Silver Knight" ?
And why is the Micarta one marked "Gerber/International" rather than "Gerber/Portland, OR." as all were made in Japan ?
And finally the pearl handle Gerber "Silver Eagle" is identical to the "Silver Knight". So why is it marked "Silver Eagle" ?
I also find it odd that the "Silver Eagle" has the Gerber ZIP code on the tang.

Does anyone know the sequence of these knives in time ? and why one is a "Silver Eagle" ?
kj

[knife7knut]

Roland I am far from being an expert on Gerber knives(or anything else for that matter)but I believe the Silver Eagle marking pre-dates the Silver Knight mark.The one marked Sakai is probably the oldest. I was of the understanding that the early models were made in the USA and that anything marked,"Gerber/International" was strictly of Japanese origin.

[kootenay joe]

Thanks Ray. All of these are marked "Japan", not just the "Gerber/International".
Why is one of them marked "Silver Eagle" ?
I have seen quite a few of these Gerber "Silver Knight" on ebay but only this one marked "Silver Eagle".
Is the Frost "Silver Knight" older than the Gerbers ?
kj

[kennedy knives]

The First one's were (1977 & 1978) the Silver Eagle from Japan but Trailways Bus saw them a law suit over the Silver Eagle name was forth-coming and forced Gerber to re-name the knife the Silver Knight.

[knife7knut]

Here are two Silver Eagles and a Silver Knight.

[kootenay joe]

The First one's were (1977 & 1978) the Silver Eagle from Japan but Trailways Bus saw them a law suit over the Silver Eagle name was forth-coming and forced Gerber to re-name the knife the Silver Knight.

Thank you. Now i know why the name change. I guess Frost did not mind that Gerber was using the "Silver Knight" name.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Here are two Silver Eagles and a Silver Knight.

Thanks Ray. I was fairly sure that you would have an example or two.
kj