Well I dont have the definitive answer but I have a few more tidbits of info that might help us to sneak up on what happened.
1990 is the first
catalog to show the 110E5.
The first
computer report showing the existance of the part number is from 10/89. But this needs explanation. I have one of these reports from almost every year. They represent a SNAP SHOT of time only. The 88 report I have is dated 8/31/88 and the 110e5 is not in there.
Sometime between that date and 10/89 the part number was added to the computer which is one of the first steps in creating a new model.
The sales data I have does show 2 knives sold in late 1989 but the bulk of the almost 1000 pieces was sold in 1990.
Knowing how we did things back then I would guess that they grabbed enough polished blades off the shelf to etch all 1000 pieces. Some of the polished blades were a couple years old, ie from 1988 and 1989. They used to do batches of polished blades every now and then and stock them for special projects as they came up. It was not an efficient process and the possibility of a few diferent year marks showing up on one project seems totally possible.
Another totally possible scenario is that the DID do these in batches. This is only likely because it was a catalog knife, not something ordered by a certain dealer. So the scenario goes like this: They start a batch of 200 blades, which they grab from stock. Stock that happens to contain polished blades from 1988. They finish the knives and after a couple months in 90, they need more so they head back to the polished blades stock and grab another 200, which are now from a diferent batch made in 89.
Time goes on and they need more. The next batch contain polished blades from 90.
Either one of these scenarios will work as I see it. I will now take a few steps back so you can shoot any holes in my theory as you see fit.
