Case XX Help

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Paladin
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Case XX Help

Post by Paladin »

In a recent rooskie :D I got a Case XX Red Bone 6318 stockman and the tang is stamped 3318HE. I am attaching some photos in hopes that one of the Case collectors will tell me not to think it is a re-bladed knife, just a 'factory error'.
Do you see anything that might be a clue as to what the actual era of this handsome knife might have been?

As always, any info is appreciated,
Ray
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by gsmith7158 »

Looks good to me Ray .H means sheepsfoot E means pen.


Edit: whoops just saw the 3318. That should be a yaller handle or either rebladed.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by Paladin »

Greg,
Look again as one of my photos didn't post. I edited the post to add the photo of the tang stamp.
It is a beautiful knife and the bone and everything about it looks right except the number is not correct. And yes, I'd love to sell it to you but we need to iron out the error.

Ray
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by gsmith7158 »

Boy Ray if that blade was a replacement, they sure did a good job.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by knifeaholic »

Ray;

Remote possibility that it came from the Case factory that way...but I would be more inclined to say "rework with original parts". It is just that I have never seen a Case factory error knife with the incorrect pattern number that was a factory mint, never used or monkeyed-with knife. Problem is it would be hard to prove one way or another, more so on a used knife.
Steve Pfeiffer, author of Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide published by Krause Publications.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by Paladin »

Thanks for weighing in on this Steve. Appreciate your input.
Greg, check your PM's.

Ray
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by Elvis »

The only thing I would question is whether or not nickel-silver pins were standard on knives produced during that period. I thought brass was the standard pin material during the XX Era.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by gsmith7158 »

The more I look at the knife, I just keep thinking 65-69 red bone.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by knifeaholic »

Elvis wrote:The only thing I would question is whether or not nickel-silver pins were standard on knives produced during that period. I thought brass was the standard pin material during the XX Era.
The 18 would have NS liners and NS pins up til the late 70's.

The frame/handles and the blades are all authentic XX era Case parts. Like I said, its a remote remote possibility that its a factory error, 3318 blade installed in a 6318 frame. I am more inclined to believe that it is a cobbled knife.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by KnifeSlinger#81 »

gsmith7158 wrote:The more I look at the knife, I just keep thinking 65-69 red bone.
If one had the "eye" for cases (i.e. knows them very well) can they tell a difference in the era of the bone itself? For example 40-64 redbone vs 65-69 redbone, is there any "era" difference besides the individuality of the bone and dye itself? I hope my question makes some sense.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by Elvis »

knifeaholic wrote: The 18 would have NS liners and NS pins up til the late 70's.
The good old days.
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Re: Case XX Help

Post by Mumbleypeg »

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:
gsmith7158 wrote:The more I look at the knife, I just keep thinking 65-69 red bone.
If one had the "eye" for cases (i.e. knows them very well) can they tell a difference in the era of the bone itself? For example 40-64 redbone vs 65-69 redbone, is there any "era" difference besides the individuality of the bone and dye itself? I hope my question makes some sense.
Your question makes sense to me. There are some differences from era to era, but there's no clear cut "line of demarcation" that I'm aware of. I doubt someone at Case said, "We're changing the tang stamps so let's change the jigging tool and the dye too." Tooling wears with use, so there would be gradual changes in the appearance of jigging patterns over time. Knife-to-knife differences in the hafting process during manufacturing also can affect the appearance of jigging.

Some folks seem able to assign certain jigging appearances to specific eras but I'm not one of them (with exceptions like Rogers bone for example). Dye colors like green bone are easier for me to spot. Any ability to tell the differences requires a LOT of hands-on looking at knives IMHO. And the ability to describe the differences requires far better wordsmith ability than I have. The best descriptions and pics I know of are found in Steve Pfeiffer's book.

The best I can do for you is a picture of three near mint 06267 pattern examples. Picture should enlarge by clicking on it. The knives pictured top to bottom are Tested, XX, and USA eras. You can see some subtle differences in jigging on the the first two and more marked differences in the USA knife. Hard to tell from the picture but the Tested knife is green bone. Any conclusions are up to you. ::shrug:: :lol:

Maybe someone else can do a better job of explaining. ::facepalm::

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Re: Case XX Help

Post by gsmith7158 »

If I understand it correctly it was the formulation of the dyes that changed over the years which Case nor any other knife maker had control over. Each new chemical formulation of the dyes was accepted by the bone differently and had slight coloration differences.As you begin to study the different eras and knives you do start to notice slight and sometimes not so slight variations. It' just comes from looking at a lot of knives.
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