I got mine last month- 0180. Are the numbers significant? It is a beautiful piece. I submitted my paper work in December 09. By the time I recieved my letter and sent it to the museum, a class was getting ready to graduate plus there were a couiple of other extenuating circumstances resulting in the delay. Roxanne at SWC and Betty in the museum were very helpful and friendly...

I may buy the 5.5 inch version to carry when I hunt.

As far as I know, the Q course grads numbering on the knives is still going from the original inception date. The ones you and I have differ in that they say Yarborough -SF and then the serial number, the grads knives just say Yarborough and a serial number.

The numbering is to keep track of the knives same as the Graduate's knives.

Thanks, PZT.

They also keep a master log book of the Yarborough-SF knives sold at the gift shop with the owners name/serial number info so they can be tracked just like the ones the new grads get.

The original ones sold through the Gift Shop (and given to the graduates) just had Yarborough and the serial number. No "SF" prefix. Someone else may know for sure, but I seem to recall there being 1200 or so sold on the first run, before the sales program was cancelled by a certain GO. The issued knife serial numbers started at the end of the sale knife serial numbers and continue on that number sequence.

If you look around here, you will see several photos of both the original and the issue versions.

TR

I believe that is correct in so much that you could get them at the gift shop while they were initially being issued in the beginning of the program and they had that run/batch in stock. Once they stopped selling them at the gift shop and only issuing them, the serial numbers continued on with each graduating class.

When the gift shop sales opened back up it created an issue as they have a batch of knives already set aside for the graduating classes and had to create the "-SF" version. The way it was explained to me by the woman at the gift shop was that it was easier for everyone involved to simply start the sales run/batch off with the "-SF" starting with 001 and keep the two programs separate than try to sell and issue from the same pool of knives they already had. Plus it's a money thing as I understand it, as the issued knives are budgeted and paid for by SWC and there was no way for the Gift shop to sell the knives to the rest of the SF community from that program and also keep the serial numbering in order. The easiest solution was introduce the "-SF" version for the rest of SF and let the gift shop sell them while maintaining the same kind of accountability as the issued ones.

If anyone knows anything different or I got something backwards please chime in as this is the kind of verbal history/story telling that seems to last or get lost over the years, kind of like the "Nous Defions" phrase thread.

You are close. The reason that they went to the Yarborough SF numbering system was that 1-1200 (or so) already went to the individual sales program, and 1201-whatever were being issued to the graduates. Unless they wanted to start the numbers for a block of individual sales knives at 8000 or so, they had to start with a new prefix, essentially creating a new number run starting at 1. This will create a system though, where there will be a Yarborough #180, and a Yarborough #SF 180.

When I was involved, the money for the graduate knives came from USASOC.

HTH.

TR

Yeah, so don't leave it sticking in anyone outside the sandbox.:munchin

Yarborough
 

I went and checked mine. It is "YARBOROUGH 0453". From the comment on this thread I'm guessing this was part of the original run of 1200 for FOGs :).

Got mine after 40+ years
 

Well I got my FedEx box to day from Mary at the SF Museum. Arrived at 4:30 this afternoon. Have not opened it yet. Going to wait for the right time, possibly this weekend. Thanks to all on this site. It's very informative and I will con't to lurk!

Thursday May 13th 1:14AM YARBOROUGH SF 0227

I got mine today..Its the best I have seen. It means a lot to me. Glad my wife told me to get it..

Serial number SF-0272. This Blade is " In Case of Killing, pull here"

I think I might just need the small one for " Boy Scouting" events.

The feel in my hand, the love that went into this blade, is out standing!!!!



AL

doctom,
If there is no other lettering on your no. side besides the Yarborough and 0453
yes it must be one of the original group fors existing and former Quiet Professionals.

Albeham,
Thanks for the kind words.

Yes the no.s are important... best to ask the museum what group they are from. Chris Reeve only engraves what he is told to. We have no say in that.

Bill, your the man.
I never know what goes into a blade, until I got mine.

I am going to need the GB one for like I said camping. 5" would be cool.


Cost?
AL
:lifter

Mine has carvd up roasted pigs at SFA picnics :D

Bill thought that all new Yarboroughs might need to slice a side of pork on the way out of the "factory" to get them properly lubricated for storage and future use overseas.... Hmmmm....