Identifying the Year of Finke Horns

Johannes Finke makes horns that are considered to be quite fine instruments. I've had the privilege of owning three up to this point and selling them here at Boyd's Brass, and I always enjoy getting these horns and playing them. Finke is famous for being a pioneer in the valve making world. He uses synthetic rotors in his horns which are very light, creating a much lighter horn overall and very fast valves. They also do not require oil (though I do sometimes find myself lightly oiling them when I clean them for best performance).

Finke serial number on a Brendan. The number is stamped on the finger paddle bracket. 11202 indicates that this is the 2nd horn produced in January of 2012.

I interact with people pretty regularly on Facebook, and have been told that the way to identify a Finke horn's manufacture month and year is through the serial number. To quote a Facebook user:

The first digit is the month of the year. The second and third digits are the year. The fourth and fifth digits place the horn in the sequence of manufacture in the month and date.

So take the image of my Finke Brendan, which I obtained in November of 2025. The serial number is 11202, indicating that the horn is the 2nd produced in January, 2012.

Very helpful information that is out there! If you know of any other horn makes that use a certain serial number system, feel free to reach out. I'm always looking to learn!