Rostfrei or something else

[Rugerp95]

I have a boot knife i've had since i was in the military 78-85. I don't know if it was made by Rostfrei. It is almost identical to a Gerber boot knife with some differences. The handle is semi gloss grey and not black like the Gerber. The blade is a little narrower and shorter too. The sheath is wider and not as well made as the Gerber sheath. The clip on back is not blued like the Gerber sheath. Is this a Rostfrei or some imitation knife some one made to sell in Europe

 

[knarfeng]

"rostfrei" is the German term for "stainless". It's addressing the blade steel, not the maker.

 

[TC]

"rostfrei" is the German term for "stainless". It's addressing the blade steel, not the maker.

The fabled Kannitverstan connundrum.

Kannitverstan - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[shane45-1911]

The fabled Kannitverstan connundrum.

Kannitverstan - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I'm trying desperately hard to make a correlation to this, and "Rostfrei"???

 

[3fifty7]

BladeForums apparently wants this post to die but I say “Not on my watch!”.
Please take this shot and use as needed until the end of time.

 

[Lee D]

View attachment 1848218
BladeForums apparently wants this post to die but I say “Not on my watch!”.
Please take this shot and use as needed until the end of time.

Still the funniest thread ever

 

[scdub]

Edit - disregard

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

I have a boot knife i've had since i was in the military 78-85. I don't know if it was made by Rostfrei. It is almost identical to a Gerber boot knife with some differences. The handle is semi gloss grey and not black like the Gerber. The blade is a little narrower and shorter too. The sheath is wider and not as well made as the Gerber sheath. The clip on back is not blued like the Gerber sheath. Is this a Rostfrei or some imitation knife some one made to sell in Europe

It's almost certainly a copy based on the Gerber dagger. It may even be that the business copying it, simply took an original Gerber handle and made their own casting molds from it.

And if there is nothing besides "Rostfrei", (German word representing Rust Free/Stainless Steel), stamped into it, it is usually a sign that it is a chinese made knife trying to piggyback on the popularity/sales of a well established knife model.

 

[KenHash]

It's almost certainly a copy based on the Gerber dagger. It may even be that the business copying it, simply took an original Gerber handle and made their own casting molds from it.

And if there is nothing besides "Rostfrei", (German word representing Rust Free/Stainless Steel), stamped into it, it is usually a sign that it is a chinese made knife trying to piggyback on the popularity/sales of a well established knife model.

I don't think that it could be Chinese. The OP states that he had this knife during 1978-1985, which is well before Mainland China started flooding the knife world with clones. In that time period there were Gerber MKI clones made in Seki ordered by US Importers like Guttman (Explorer), Valor and others. There were also West German* clones of the MKI sold by Hubertus. My guess would be that it is a German clone.

*West and East Germany did not unite until 1990.

 

[TC]

I'm trying desperately hard to make a correlation to this, and "Rostfrei"???

Misunderstanding, in a somewhat humorous way, a foreign language term. Calling it a "fabled connundrum" was just an attempt of humor on my part. It's ok if you don't see it that way. Carry on.

 

[shane45-1911]

Misunderstanding, in a somewhat humorous way, a foreign language term. Calling it a "fabled connundrum" was just an attempt of humor on my part. It's ok if you don't see it that way. Carry on.

Gotcha.