One for the pro`s + ?

[North Man]

In 1991 the keyring attachment got on the spring,
I have taken two pictures on what i believe is what Ibach mean, they sent me pictures but they are protected and not for distrubute. I have taken pictures of both sides, so please forgive if i got it wrong. Bear in mind all is Officiers standard range and not advertising except the middle one has the Camping logo, not sure if this is considered comercial line? do not think so., I`ll get back to this....
The center spring with 3month is special, it seems it can be used as a dating tool, so here is the ? I have seen advertising knives with comercial for companies on scale that is after 2004 with the 3month keyring. I have information that comercial knives has dates that can vary, so have that in mind people. Can be that the springs was produced and used later, so it is now open to discussion people.......

[North Man]

I can add that Ibach calls the spring regardless of dates(all 3) A.3653

[Nikos]

The keyring attachment used to be on a spacer (see http://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Keyring) as opposed to on a backspring. Is that what you're asking for?

[Reinier]

I never noticed there were actually 3 versions of the spring-attached key ring!

[North Man]

The keyring attachment used to be on a spacer (see http://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Keyring) as opposed to on a backspring. Is that what you're asking for?

Hi, no this topic is only on the key ring attachment on the spring

[North Man]

I never noticed there were actually 3 versions of the spring-attached key ring!

Yes it is so

[Neil]

I'd never noticed three versions either.  You learn something new everyday

[jazzbass]

Nice find, Northman. I knew there were different springs from 1991-1999 and 1999+. I'd never seen the "1999" only version before. BTW, there is a "1991 only" version that you don't have here as well - bringing the count up to 4 different variations. I can post a pic later tonight.

For those curious - for knives with an opener layer, the key ring attachment moves from the pen blade spacer to the backspring of the opener layer in 1991. In 1999 the backspring was redesigned when the cap lifter got a "hump" on it to act as a pseudo locking mechanism. So the main variations are the 91-99 spring and the 99+ spring, with minor variations in the 91 only and 99 only spring.

[North Man]

Hi, thank you, that picture would be surely welcome so we have all four, it was new to me a 1991 only version.

[North Man]

Here is two more pictures of the 1999 3month, not the best pictures in this format, should be enough

[jazzbass]

This is the 1991 style:



The main different is there is not a little bump on the backspring between the end of the awl and the key ring attachment. The 85-91 springs have this bump (but no key ring) and the 91-99 springs have both. This knife is a SuperTimer from approx 1991, and is the only knife I've ever seen with this type of backspring. I have about 30 knives from this time period (transitional period 1990-1992), and this is the only one of the lot with the backspring style, indicating that they didn't make it very long.

Here is a shot of all 6 major versions together. In these pics I have the first version as 1952 - 1985. Knives made from 1952 until about 1962 had large awls that closed into the front scales. Looking closely at the backstrings, however, I believe the 1952-1962 and 1962-1985 versions are identical.



Now, I dug through my parts knives and was able to find 5 of the 6 styles shown above in disassembled parts (no 1991 version). Here's a show of all of the different backsprings with their associated cap lifters. You can see the changes both in the cap lifter itself and the spring that goes with it.

[ICanFixThat]

Great info and pics in this thread.         

[North Man]

Just fantastic work there JazzBass, i will take a picture of a knife that is after 2004 with the 3month 1999 spring.

 

[Neil]

Great info and pics in this thread.         

Agreed 

[North Man]

Here is a Spartan souvenir knife a friend gave me, my camera is old now also, well it is a souvenir for what i believe is ski mountaineering in Switzerland, the tang stamp will also be posted, it is after 2004 or 2004.

I have been told that comercial knives can vary in dates, it was not direct to a category but maybe a general case, so maybe the spring was produced and used later or the tang stamp was used earlier, the tang is also the slim new type that itself would maybe be 2004? It is interesting that a few details can be so

[North Man]

stamp

[North Man]

Here is the two knives i have showed you again, and now back to another point, i very much trust Ibach when they say, the 1999 3month production spring was so, on the picture you can see that the Camper with Camping logo has a slim tang but not new stamp, so maybe the slim really was in 2003? and not later, better have full focus it can be difficult. So this is my question, how are we looking on this? can we date with this(keyrings)? or is it so that they produced many, use them on certain knives later?

[Nikos]

(Image removed from quote.)

Got it now. That's a very informative shot mate.

[North Man]

Yes , it is pro!

Jazzbass, pt coming...