All original material copyright 1997-2011 Michael J. Edelman unless otherwise noted. No material may be reproduced in any form without express written permission of the owner(s).
Site last updated January 20, 2011
From email correspondence with Klepper, the company started using a five digit serial number for both the hull and frame in 2000. Records that match serial numbers to production dates for kayaks made from 2005 to the present are currently stored in an internal, company database. For 2000 to 2005 boats, a book with written entries secured in an office safe must be consulted. Information on the serial numbers of earlier kayaks isn't generally available as a result of records being lost during a 1995 fire.
Kayaks sold in the United States may also have a Hull Identification Number (HIN) affixed to the kayak by the importer. This is typically a 12 character series of letters and numbers that have been required on all boats manufactured or imported into the U.S. since 1972. Klepper HIN records on 70s to 90s vintage boats were likely lost when Dieter Stiller (New York Kayak Center/Hans Klepper Corporation) closed his Union Square shop and later retired in the 1990s.
Thanks to the following members for providing info to the chronology: saleroso
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