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Old 04-18-2016, 12:15 PM
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Jacknola Jacknola is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 651
I'm finally convinced that this is probably a counterfeit knife. But what a counterfeit!

Here is evidence from the etched logo. I had collected four examples of etched Orlando blades some years ago. They all pretty much exhibit the same fonts, spacing, and letter characteristics. (Note that they are all from mid-late 1960s however.) The subject Model-14 varies significantly from the standard mostly in the scimitar shape and location. So unless the early 1960s etched logo had a different pantographic image, the logo is counterfeit. The letters are remarkably good however, which means someone had a pantograph and acid bath and knew how to use them.



I've included some notes about the characteristics of legitimate mid-late 1960s etched logos for handy reference. I've also included some questions about etched logos on the slide.

The shop was having blades out-sourced etched beginning in 1943, but mostly (?) names and letters. When the shop relocated in 1960-61, they acquired their own pantograph and etching equipment and continued to deliver blades with etched letters.

When did the shop first etch a logo, or have a logo etched by outsource? Unfortunately, "conventional wisdom" about many things related to vintage RMKs has not proven to be very accurate. I'm looking for ... say ... an obviously 1940s, 50s or pre 1960s RMK with an etched logo on the blade. We know the Randall Made/Solingen etched logos first showed up about 1963 (?). Is this the earliest that an Orlando blade received an etched logo too?

Last edited by Jacknola; 04-20-2016 at 09:11 AM.
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