Got a couple of eyes from a friend

[Meridian_Mike]

A friend of mine had a couple of German Eyes he wanted to get rid of. I told him I would take 'em. These are my first 2. I am sure y'all can tell me all about 'em.

This is the first.... a "sodbuster" maybe? It has the EYE on one side and 99JrY on the other side of the tang.

The other has eyes galore....LOL. I don't know what ya'll are calling "2 eyes" or "3 eyes" but if you count all on the tangs, the blade etch and the shield this one has 5....LOL..
Anyway.... here it is. It's a 350Y.

Thanks for looking.... Educate me on these guys.

Mike

[Paladin]

The first knife is a sodbuster. Keep in mind that pattern numbers 1st appeared in 1979. That tang stamp was used from the mid-to late 1970s to 1981. As to dates, I'd call that one 1979 to 1981.
The second also has a pattern number so 1979 for a starter and that stamp showed up for the 2nd time in 1981. The next shield (round) came along in late 1983. So I am thinking this one should be about 1981 to late 1983. You can call it a 5 eye knife if you want to. The Eye Brand police will likely not arrest you but the old timers will be slowly shaking their collective heads.
A 3 Eye knife has the 2 Eye etch on the blade and 1 Eye on the tang stamp. There are some reproductions or I guess we can call them 'newer' Eyes that meet the criteria with one feature that the 'real' 3 Eye knives do not have and that is that they have STAINLESS etched just beneath the regular etch.

Ray

[Meridian_Mike]

OK.... let's see.....
Now, I sure don't want to upset the German Eye police and I definitely want to please the old timers.
SO... to count eyes you only see what you have on the main blade? So maybe this is a 2 eye knife?


Here is the blade etch....

Mike

[Colonel26]

Mike, if it were a 3 eye it would have a eye on each side of the etch and then count the one on the tang.

I am not sure what term the Eye Brand police have for that blade etch.