2018 GEC Whalers "Indentations on rear tang?"

[TinyDog]

Hello All,

I have done all I can but have not found out the answer to my question. I have noticed that on the GEC Whaler patterns made in 2018, the Muscle Bone and the Dessert Ironwood knives they are intentionally marked on the rear tang of master blade, upper left corner with indentations. There are some with (1), others with (2) and some with (3) deliberate indentations that signify something? are these seconds and not marked as? Attached is a picture of the one I have.

 

[BitingSarcasm]

I didn't spring for a Whaler when I could have, sigh. But those little indents look like hardness testing hits more than anything else I can think of. Maybe it's a QC check? Or it could be a way to differentiate between batches. If I had seen a Whaler with factory second pricing I would have gotten one, I would hope a 2nds mark would be more prominent.

 

[TinyDog]

BS, I have understood that a S would be marked on the Labled tube and a S stamped on tang. Have a lot of GEC Knowledge and although I have seen this before it puzzles me as to why many not noticed it...., or commented on it. I would think this question would have surfaced long ago. I do tend to agree with you regarding batches though as there were nearly 500 Whalers made with muscle bone in 2018 and that in itself is unheard of for this big knife.

Thanks for you input, TD