Gerber 2 blade

[stockman]

4” Portland Or. number 87223 USA. First Gerber I have owned. Funny looking knife blades are level with the tangs except on pile side of the master blade. Found at a garage sale. Any information? Harold

[Case V42]

Your knife is a PK-1. There were also three other PK models made with varying blade combinations. Years of production were 1973-81.

I don't understand your comment about the blades..."level?"

[stockman]

Blades are flat at the tang on mark side of master and both sides on secondary blade. I hadn’t seen that before. Thanks for your reply. Harold

[Suredan]

Also called a “Skookum”. They were designed to have a soft close instead of “snapping” closed per the flyer in the original box.

[stockman]

The master blade does snap closing to the half stop, but not on closing. You need to close it. I tried to oil it but didn’t help. Thanks for the info. Harold

[Modern Slip Joints]

[...] I don't understand your comment about the blades..."level?"

I think he's pointing out the blade bevel was only ground on one side. To be sure I'm understood, the blade bevel is above the edge bevel. Long ago some hatchets were made that way. They were for cutting the square cornered notches in logs for log cabins. Maybe I'll remember the name of that style of hatchet someday. I suspect this knife was only grond on one side to lower its cost.

[Case V42]

OK. I'm obviously not the brightest bulb in the box, but I think I have this puzzled out now. The portion of the blade that transitions from the tang to the grind is called the "shoulder". The shoulder is usually a straight line perpendicular to the edge. However, Gerber ground many models with a radiused shoulder. The tang/cutting edge transition was a graceful quarter-of-circle taper. That shoulder style is found on FH, FS, PK, and Classic models. I have no documented evidence, but I believe this style was used in earlier production with a later switch to the more common square shoulder.

Why just one side of one blade has a square grind I don't know, but I suspect that blade has been reground at some point after it left the factory.

I believe the hatchet grind on only one side of the blade is referred to as a "hewing" hatchet, which is used to create a flat side on a beam or plank.

[stockman]

OK. I'm obviously not the brightest bulb in the box, but I think I have this puzzled out now. The portion of the blade that transitions from the tang to the grind is called the "shoulder". The shoulder is usually a straight line perpendicular to the edge. However, Gerber ground many models with a radiused shoulder. The tang/cutting edge transition was a graceful quarter-of-circle taper. That shoulder style is found on FH, FS, PK, and Classic models. I have no documented evidence, but I believe this style was used in earlier production with a later switch to the more common square shoulder.

Why just one side of one blade has a square grind I don't know, but I suspect that blade has been reground at some point after it left the factory.

I believe the hatchet grind on only one side of the blade is referred to as a "hewing" hatchet, which is used to create a flat side on a beam or plank.

You are probably right on your idea about the hewing hatchet. This knife has not been altered.

[Case V42]

Well, I guess I've seen stranger things that have come out of the Gerber factory.

[knife7knut]

I believe the reason the blades were ground in this manner was to allow them to fit closely together without crinking them. It also allows the knife to be very thin. JMHO.

[Case V42]

I just went to the safe and dug out some PK knives. I think you're right that the blades are ground to fit closely together. I had never thought of that. Thanks for the idea.