UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons HJ Edged Weapons Forum Symetrical HJ Insignia?

Hey guys,
Here is a basic question;
I have heard before that the grip insignia on HJ knives should be a-symetrical with the diamonds appearing on the grips themselves. Meaning the the edges of the insignia should not follow the lines of the checkered grip. However I have seen HJ insignia which did follow the checkered pattern perfectly which were being sold as original. What does a symetric or a-symetric insignia really mean, (if anything) ???
Thanks in advance,
Johnny

Johnny
It is my understanding that on original knives regardless of vintage the diamond inset should cut across the lines of the grip like this:

and not sit between lines.

Paul

Paul.Is this written in stone as Degens has posted 2 C.J.Krebs Knives identical to one I own and none of these seem to conform to this theory.I always thought,like the wiggly diamond,that this was not 100% but a guide.

Yes, I had a look at Degens 2 HJ knives and they both appear perfectly symetrical... This is what has been confusing me. There appears to be opinions on both sides.

I do not write a knife off based on this characterisitic alone but it is worth considering when assessing an item on its merits. How does the rest of the knife look, grip insignia stippling, wiggle, TM and motto, cast line on quillion etc. Personally I have not found this to be a hard and fast rule as I have seen too many examples that contradict this assessment. I would be interested to know if this alignment is the same for all Krebs HJ's and what Russ has experienced regarding this rule. Does it vary depending on manufacturer?, or was it pure luck during the moulding process that the hole inserted into the grip plate aligned or did not?. Good questions and good observations .
Heres a few links from past threads about the insignia and cut etc >>>
1)
2)
3)

Ian
Nothing in stone in this hobby, but I wouldnt want one in my collection which didnt conform-I'm neither experienced or confident enough to take the chance.
Paul

Paul.Good advice,especially as I'm still in the novice stage, but this hobby has so much conflicting material and advice that it's like skipping in a minefield .Still it's great

When the grips were molded grip # 1 should look like grip # 10,000 with no discernible variations in the diamonds at the edges of the mounting inset/location for the emblem. Generally speaking the diamonds should line up parallel to the edges of the emblem for a professional finished appearance.

I can see where it might be possible for some variations if manufacturers were changed. With different grip plate molds or different sized emblems that might have been used to implement production if there was a shortage for some reason. Although I tend to think that it would be more of a problem/issue with an RZM piece if the clearances were excessive.

And again speaking generally, diamonds that are cut into at angles in the grip plate would also make me nervous personally (and I also have less faith in the �wiggle test� having seen too many replaced grips - faked HJ bayonets - etc.)

Background: From a manufacturing standpoint time and extra effort is money. A well molded grip plate with a consistent sized emblem will go together in seconds fitting perfectly. And once a proper mold is made there are no other out of pocket expenses. Conversely: Having to mill an opening to fit is a real Pain In The Rear costing more time and money. And if the operation is screwed up the part goes on the scrap pile. And knife makers did not manufacture the grips. They purchased them. So why buy grips that have to be fooled around with and cost more to make a knife with a low profit margin?? FP

My personally expierence is , that the most insignias are assymetric and this is a good signum .But there are symetrics well known too .Both are possible , but i think the assymetrics are the dominatest .