Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

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.
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Chiles
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Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Chiles »

Hey all, so I've done some light research on this but I'm really just getting into knife collecting so I feel like I don't know the correct terms to search for to identify this knife.

I got it at a yard sale for 10, bought it because it was a gerber that said made in Portland. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Case V42
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Re: Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Case V42 »

The Loveless folders were made 1983 through 1985.
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Re: Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Case V42 »

The Loveless folders were made 1983 through 1985.
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Re: Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Case V42 »

Oops. I screwed up, double posted and now I'm not smart enough to get the duplicate deleted.
Chiles
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Re: Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Chiles »

Case V42 wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:38 pm Oops. I screwed up, double posted and now I'm not smart enough to get the duplicate deleted.
No problem, thanks so much for the information. I saw something about this knife being from a run of only 2000 made. Do you know if there's any truth to that?
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Re: Help identifying Gerber Knife "Designed by RW Loveless"

Post by Case V42 »

Gerber made several versions of the Loveless folder. Yours is the most common with rubber handle inserts. They also made some (I have no idea how many) with a black bald eagle scrimshawed handle, and a run of 250 with a beaver on the handle for the Oregon Knife Collectors club. There are also examples with Bob Loveless' signature engraved on the front bolster. I don't know how many of the "signature" knives were produced, but they aren't common. The one I have looks like yours except for the signature, and came in a glass topped walnut display case. The knives having been produced for approximately five years, I'd expect many more than 2000 total were produced.

The knives are quite heavy, the rubber handle inserts didn't stand up too well, and the metal finish on the handles is sort of fragile, BUT the Bob Loveless connection adds a LOT of appeal. And they are pretty.
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