Looking for info on Henckels SAK

[Henry Beige]

This is the most interesting of a handful of small knives I picked up at a garage sale recently. I apologize for the crappy cell phone pics; at the oment, it's the best I can do. So far, I have been unable to find a picture, description, date of manufacture or any other reference to this knife on the net. Anyone?

The knife is made by Henckels, and has the same tools you would find on a standard 91mm 2-row Swiss Army Officer's knife. However, because the knife lacks plastic scales, it is about 1/8" thinner than an SAK.

The frame is steel, probably not stainless as it draws a magnet quite strongly. It is milled in a very fine pattern.

The ricasso of the main blade has the Henckels twins logo and the legend "J A Henckels Solingen". On the flip side, it says "Friodur", which I gather refers to Henckels' cold hardening process.

The pen blade says "Friodur" and "Germany" on the other.

The can opener has the twins logo, followed by "Nicht Rostend" (not rusting) and "D.B.C.M.", which always comes up on Google as De Beers Consolidated Mines. What's the deal there? Anyone?

 

[kootenay joe]

Henckels made a wide range of multiblade knives up to 1960. After that all folders bearing the Henckels name were contract knives, i.e. made by some other knife manufacturer for Henckels. Many of the early contract knives were copies of the older Henckels patterns so it is difficult to say whether Henckels or some other manufacturer made these and i think this applies to your knife.
kj

 

[Mike Robuck]

Post six in this thread should be helpful. Info on the use of "Friodur" is here and I think there are also threads on "Nicht Rostend" in Bernard Levine's forum.

I did look in a couple of Henckels catalogs (1926, 1937, 1951) but did not find your exact pattern.

 

[smiling-knife]

Nice knife Henry. I think the abbreviation could be DBGM (Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster). A German Registration mark used from 1952.

 

[Henry Beige]

Nice knife Henry. I think the abbreviation could be DBGM (Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster). A German Registration mark used from 1952.

Ah, so. A closer look, with help from a relative with younger eyes, tells me you are correct. Oh well, there go all my conspiracy theories. I learned a bit about De Beers, though. There are some unsavory chapters in its history. Thanks, everyone, for your responses.