Hollow handle from 80's, no knurled grip...

The Mastiff

The Mastiff

Joined
Apr 21, 2006
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but other than that it looks like a Mk 4, hex, saw back. But it has a grip that is throwing me off. The best way I can describe it is it almost looks like a leather grip, but in shape only. It's regular finish, all steel.

My brother is giving it to me. He got it when he made a video for Brigade Q years back and it was one of the spoils. My brother claims he was told it was a prototype or something unusual, but he is in no way knowledgeable about CR.

In fact, when it comes to the one piece knives I'm not either.

Sorry, no pictures until it gets here from the storage shed it's in.

Thanks for your time. Regards, Joe
 
The Mastiff said:
but other than that it looks like a Mk 4, hex, saw back. But it has a grip that is throwing me off. The best way I can describe it is it almost looks like a leather grip, but in shape only. It's regular finish, all steel.
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Like a stacked leather handle?
 
To my knowledge, the first production hollow handle Chris Reeve versions always had knurling handles. First, Chris made some hollow handle mock ups to test his ideas:
First_OPR.jpg


The first "production" hollow handle knives were an 80 piece batch of Mark IVs with knurled handles (you can identify the first run by the straight machining where the hilt meets the blade):
Mark_IV_1st_80_made.jpg


It will be interesting to see what you have! You'll have to post pictures when you receive it!
 
It will be interesting to see what you have! You'll have to post pictures when you receive it!
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I'm intrigued now myself. I showed my brother pictures of these knives and he swears it's got a blade sililar to the Mk IV, but with a different handle. He drew a picture of a grip with no knurling, but with millied out rings almost giving the appearance of stacked leather.

I don't remember it as being that way but I haven't seen it since the early 90's.

Time will tell. He won't get it out of storage for a couple more months anyway.

BTW, Fooj, is that early Mk IV a D2, South Africa model? Thanks. Joe/Raleigh
 
The Mastiff said:
I'm intrigued now myself. I showed my brother pictures of these knives and he swears it's got a blade sililar to the Mk IV, but with a different handle. He drew a picture of a grip with no knurling, but with millied out rings almost giving the appearance of stacked leather.

I don't remember it as being that way but I haven't seen it since the early 90's.

Time will tell. He won't get it out of storage for a couple more months anyway.

BTW, Fooj, is that early Mk IV a D2, South Africa model? Thanks. Joe/Raleigh
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Hmmm . . . I wonder if what you have on your hands is a prototype for the batch of the 1st 80 Mark IVs :eek:. Wouldn't that be way cool!!!

Yes, the early Mk IV is a D2 SA model.
 
Yes, the early Mk IV is a D2 SA model.
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Thought so. Nice knife!

Hmmm . . . I wonder if what you have on your hands is a prototype for the batch of the 1st 80 Mark IVs . Wouldn't that be way cool!!!
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It sounds too cool to be true. To be honest though I'd think it was later in the middle 80's that he got it. It came from BQ shelf stock, so I doubt it was really any valuable prototype despite what my brother was told.

Still, I know it's SA vintage and unusual so I can't wait.

A couple more months??? NOOOOOOOOO!!!
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That's exactly the way I feel. It's in Atlanta, and he's here so it'll be a while. Whatever the heck it is thank you guys very much for everything.

We'll get it settled eventually. If it is valuable I'm going to rethink just using it though. I have plenty of regular knives. I'm of the opinion that proto's should be saved for research when possible, unless like some companies, there's hundreds of them.
 
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