Gerlach Poland Stainless Two Blade Pen Knife

Handle: Stainless Steel

Master Blade: 1-11/16” Pen Stainless

Second Blade: 1-3/16” Pen Stainless

Handle Stamped: Gerlach Poland Stainless

The Gerlach Companyis still in business and has been operating since the 1850\'s. Theyappear to be the premier knife company in Poland. Have not builtpocket knives in 20+ years.

Condition: Very Good

Has seen years ofhard use but still has good snap and tight blades.

Purchased on from a seller in Bulgaria

This is not an expensive knife so please excuse the single picture. It ain\'t out of focus like some.

TheInternational Blade Collectors Association Price Guide to AntiqueKnivesbyVoylesexplains a system for describing a knife’s condition. My grading isbased on that.

Anysystem and terms require both buyer and seller agree on what theyactually describe.

Describing knivesis, at best, an inexact process. I will try to be objective but leavethe final judgment to the buyer. This system is as follows:

Mintis 100%. New Mint assumes the knife offeredincludes the box and all paperwork. My grades are based on webselling prices (notbuy it now) for a knife in similar condition, not Manufacturer\'sSuggested Retail Price (MSRP).

1. New Mint is 100% plus of current prices for “Mint, no box.”

2. Mint 100%

3. Near Mint 80-90%

4. Excellent 50-70%

5. Good 40-50%

6. Fair 25%

7. Poor 5-10%

Soooo, a nearmint knife is worth 10% to 20% less than a mint knife. Aexcellent knife 30% to 50% less than a mint knife. A knife ingood condition is worth 50% to 60% less than mint. A fairknife is worth 75% less than mint. A poor knife is worth 90%to 95% less than mint. My descriptions follow:

New:Never sold and never used. New as shipped by the manufacturer ordistributor with all original packing (box, sheath, etc.) andinstructions. New is what most knife retailers sell and they aregenerally current production knives.

The standard forknife collectors has been the National Knife Collectors Associationgrading, established in 1973. Basically sound, but many dealers haveadapted additional descriptions and many dealers feel there should bea more detailed grading.

Cracks.Important exception: Cracks will occur in mint knives. If it ismint for everything except a crack, the knife is still mint-–it isonly mint with a crack. This should downgrade the value approximately10% on most knives.

Mint:The standard mint, UN-sharpened, never used, and never carriedextensively. Almost any knife made prior to World War II isgoing to have some rust specks here and there. If you only wait formint Schrade knives with no rust specks, for instance, you are goingto get very few. Some knives mint in 1970 have been in storage forover 45 years–and are starting to show some neglect spots here andthere. Important exception: Case knives still must have norust to be mint. An old Case knife with a rust speck is not a mintknife. Case collectors are stricter in their grading than other knifecollectors.

Near Mint:Nothing wrong with the knife, sharpened but no blade wear, someoriginal polish still visible, carry scratches on the outside, walksand talks, no deep rust pits, full blades. (A mint knife that rustedand been cleaned back to near perfect shape is near mint.)

Excellent:5-10% blade wear, blades snap, some tarnish, and light pittingpossible. A good solid lightly used knife. On a multi-blade knife,some of the smaller blades may still be near mint. Tang mark clear.Master blade not over 10% short.

Good:More blade wear than excellent, 15-25% wear, some blades may be slow,stamping readable but faint, some distinct cracks but no chips out ofhandle that have not been repaired. Blades still sound but may beslow. Some rust pitting and tarnish. Master blade may be short.

Fair:Simply, Fair is worse than Good. 25%-50% blade wear, maybe a chipmissing, replaced handles or blade is evident, but still able toidentify maker, still useable as a working knife. Blades may be veryslow. Deep pits and rust. Still has all the blades, even though wornand short.

Poor:Blades over 50% gone, usually short, handle may bechipped, one blade broken, blades lazy, tang mark just barelyreadable. Still useable for parts.