Looking back through the communications with the family member the original posting does need some clarification. I see the point you are making.
A better summary of the discussion:
Both Model 11's belong to one of the brothers who also made the knife on the right while visiting the shop when he was a young kid. They were not intending to claim that the knife on the left was an early pre-production.
Here is the exact wording from the family member's response:
"A Model 11 and one of the original preproduction prototypes of the Alaskan Skinner. 1952"
My mistake - Sorry for the confusion.
I am still confused. I only see one model 11 in the photo. The knife to the right you said was made by Thompson's son, and does not resemble a model 11 at all. Like I said previously, it looks like a Marble's.
The knife the son made also looks nothing like the drawings Thompson submitted to Bo. I don' think you are making a mistake, it sounds like the family is uncertain of what they have. The knife on the right certainly does not appear to be a prototype or pre-production model 1, particularly if the son made it.
Here are the two drawings from Thompson to Bo (taken from gaddis) in chronological order, for the knife design from Thompson.
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