Greg, it is difficult for me to give authoritative information about a knife I do not own. As you know, I do not yet have a 165DU. But here is the information from the 1988 Schrade Ducks Unlimited Hallmark sheet.
SCHRADE HALLMARK
Since ancient times, Hallmarks have been used to denote pride and craftsmanship in manufacture of precious items such as tableware, dishes, kitchen utensils and fine pocket cutlery.
Hallmarks usually took the form of seperate, distinct stampings on the handcrafted item and denoted the following:
1) Who actually made the item.
2) Where the item was made.
3) The year the item was made.
The first stamping is for Schrade Cutlery.
The second stamping represents our corporate logo, thereby signifying that the item was made at Schrade in Ellenville, New York.
The third stamping, the letter D, denotes the year 1988. Subsequent years will show succeeding letters in the alphabet in the same style as the letter D. On the 27th year, the Hallmark will again show the letter A, but in a different typestyle. It is common practice to use alphabetical letters to denote year of manufacture and simply to change the typestyle when all the letters of one style are used up.
Schrade Cutlery, the world's foremost maker of fine pocket cutlery, is proud to introduce these fine knives with our Hallmark stamped on the bolster. Since they are produced in limited quantity, they will become more valuable with the passing of time, while retaining their utility.
We are grateful for your confidence in our products and look forward to serving you in the future for all of your cutlery needs.
Therefore:
1985 = A
1986 = B (498DU, 3,500 ordered)
1987 = C (498DU, 3,500 ordered)
1988 = D (162DU, 2,500 ordered, reordered 1,060 U.S., 500 CA.))
1989 = E (165DU, 5,000 ordered) Carbon blade, Black Delrin handle
1990 = F (498DU, 1989 hallmark 600 ordered,
1991 = G (172DU, 750 ordered, 13DU, 3,000 ordered, )
1992 = H (PH2DU, 3,000 ordered, 14DU CA., 650 ordered)
1993 = I
1994 = J
1995 = K
1996 = L
1997 = M (171DU, 3,000 ordered) DU 60th anniv. etch, LTD tang, 60th logo stamp on plain sheath
1998 = N (SDU165, ??? ) UH handles
1999 = O (SDUPH2, ??? ) fibron handles, "birds in flight" etch,
2000 = P (DU153, 3,000 ordered) blued carbon blade, gold etch, black Delrin handle
(DU160, 3,500 ordered) UH Handles, UH shape shield, DU etch (may not be Hallmarked)
(SDU1LTD, 500) Serialized 000-500, PH2 burnt stag handles, Baron gold etch, canvas back decoy display
2001 = Q (SUD2LTD, 500) Serialized 000-500, 50 pattern knife burnt stag handles, Baron gold etch, Mallard duck decoy display
2002 = R (DU15OT, 3,500 ordered) Pierced blade - duck head, UH handles, lanyard hole, oval coined shield
2003 = S
2004 = T
As far as I can tell at the moment, Ducks Unlimited was the only SFO customer to request an annual Halmark knife, and often a fixed blade not in current production. A different hallmark type was used on the 'Benchmade '49er Series' of the 1970's.
never mind
