The blade itself is etched on one side with Design By R. Loveless, a feature found only on first year production Guardians.
The handle of this Guardian is black "Armorhide" coated metal, and features the model name "Guardian" stamped into the left side edge. The coating is in pristine condition, with all the little texture pieces still intact that often wear off quickly when carried or used.
The original scabbard that comes with this vintage Gerber is the correct early black leather model with the metal belt/boot clip. Only the early production Guardians came with the black leather scabbard before Gerber switched to Cordura. Like the knife, the scabbard is in perfect, like-new condition with all of the black finish intact, flexible leather, perfect tight stitching, and both polymer knife retention clips intact. The black finished metal belt clip is stamped on the rear with Gerber Portland, OR. This has to be one of the nicest examples in existence, and should continue to be an excellent long-term investment.The item "Vintage Gerber R. Loveless Guardian Knife with Box, Etc. & Flat Mint" is in sale since Friday, December 18, 2020. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Knives, Swords & Blades\Collectible Fixed Blade Knives\Vintage Fixed Blade Knives\Factory Manufactured".
The seller is "antique_modern" and is located in Nicholasville, Kentucky. This item can be shipped to United States.