For Case knives ... what does "long pull" mean ??

[Lansky1]

I've seen a few pre-1950 Case 2 black jacks said to be "long pull" ?!?! Can someone pls explain ? Thx

[Mumbleypeg]

"Long pull" is a description of the groove on the blade used to pull the blade open. if the groove is short and crescent shaped it's usually referred to as a nail nick, or nail pull. If the groove is long it's called a "long pull".

Ken

[RalphAlsip]

Ken, Thanks for explaining. I would add that long pull (LP) is more desired / valued than regular pull so that is why people point out when a knife has long pull.

[LongBlade]

Just curious as I always heard long pulls are more desirable - is it because it took more skill by the cutler to make a long pull? It also seems to me based on reading that matchstriker long pulls are even more desirable than other long pulls.... and of course long pulls through the tang always seem to draw attention as well... Always heard what RalphAlsip noted (thanks Ralph ) just never thought about why... Thanks !!

[Rookie]

My understanding is that it is not necessarily "harder" to put in a long pull, it just takes a little more time. They are also not as common as regular nail pulls, therefore "more rare = more value". Definitely the matchstriker pulls are harder to do, and take the most time, therefore the most valuable.

[Mumbleypeg]

And then there's always the even less often seen "Double Pull"..........

Ken

[LongBlade]

Thanks Rookie ... much appreciated!!

Never thought about that double pull Ken - thanks ... as you said those are no doubt abit more rare - I have seen a few but not many... I imagine on those if the kick gets filed eventually only the long pull is accessible as the nail nick sinks lower....

[Mumbleypeg]

I think the double pull may have more to do with leverage than anything. On a knife having a strong backspring, being able to pull from the end of the blade makes a noticeable difference with ease of opening.

Ken

[rea1eye]

What is a matchstriker pull?


Bob

[RalphAlsip]

With regard to match striker pulls, I don't recall seeing them on old Case knives, but that could be a gap in my experience or memory. I attached a picture of an old Remington knife with a match striker pull. I have not tried to "strike" a kitchen match across the blade pull so I have no idea if it would actually strike a match. I don't know if they are called match strikers because this was an intended function or if they just look like something that would be used to strike a match. I would imagine the chemical residue (sulfer, etc.) left on the blade after striking a match would be detrimental to the blade metal and would eventually "clog" the pull making it difficult to open the blade.

With regard to the value question for Case XX knives specifically, long pulls were used more often on the very early Case XX patterns so they are an indicator of age for XX knives and there is a correlation between more age = more value, likely due to scarcity. Something else that Steve Pfeiffer highlights in his excellent reference book "Collecting Case Knives" is that premium knives manufactured in Case XX often had long pulls.

Here is a link to a picture from AAPK member jlw257 (Larry) showing some spectacular 5375's (a premium pattern). This provides a good side-by-side view of mostly long pull with a few regular pull examples. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye the blades with long pull are much more attractive.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... &mode=view

[Rookie]

Here is one of the few knives I have that have a striker-pull. This is a 2006 Eye Brand, baby toothpick.

[LongBlade]

Thanks again for sharing those Rookie and RalphAlsip No doubt in the link you shared RalphAlsip and looking across comparative pulls in multiple knives that the long pulls no doubt catch my eye as more appealing (in truth I always liked long pulls over nail nicks - though I have seen some unique looking deep and long nail nicks that are pretty cool)... That Eyebrand knife Rookie has a really cool matchstriker pull - long but to my eye also has that nail nick shape with huge teeth - cool!! Actually in thinking about it this is the beginning of a unique thread highlighting the variety of pulls produced overtime as I am not sure there has ever been one like this in the past Now let me see if I can get some pics to add and maybe some other folks have a few unique ones as well...

[Rookie]

Yeah, I like that idea. Here is one that is not quite a nail nick, and not quite a long pull. Very unique. 2014 Tuna Valley fish scaler.

[peanut740]

With regard to match striker pulls, I don't recall seeing them on old Case knives, but that could be a gap in my experience or memory. I attached a picture of an old Remington knife with a match striker pull. I have not tried to "strike" a kitchen match across the blade pull so I have no idea if it would actually strike a match. I don't know if they are called match strikers because this was an intended function or if they just look like something that would be used to strike a match. I would imagine the chemical residue (sulfer, etc.) left on the blade after striking a match would be detrimental to the blade metal and would eventually "clog" the pull making it difficult to open the blade.

With regard to the value question for Case XX knives specifically, long pulls were used more often on the very early Case XX patterns so they are an indicator of age for XX knives and there is a correlation between more age = more value, likely due to scarcity. Something else that Steve Pfeiffer highlights in his excellent reference book "Collecting Case Knives" is that premium knives manufactured in Case XX often had long pulls.

Here is a link to a picture from AAPK member jlw257 (Larry) showing some spectacular 5375's (a premium pattern). This provides a good side-by-side view of mostly long pull with a few regular pull examples. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye the blades with long pull are much more attractive.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... &mode=view

Jerry, I've seen match strike pulls on some very early W R Case toenails.Knives made by others(Phoenix and Utica)for Case before they made their own.

[RalphAlsip]

Ken, I forgot to mention how nice your cokebottle folding hunter is. I don't recall seeing that stamp before.

[Lansky1]

Thanks for the explanation guys !

[Mumbleypeg]

Ken, I forgot to mention how nice your cokebottle folding hunter is. I don't recall seeing that stamp before.

Thanks Jerry, it's a real beauty and wonderful old piece. I got it and a couple of other equally nice knives with the North American Cutlery Wichita Kansas stamp from Mark McClurg (knife-nut on AAPK) a while back. Goins says they were in business 1921-1927. Doesn't say anything else about them but I will say they are exceptional quality knives. I'll have to get around to posting more about them.

Ken

[FRJ]

Ken, I hope you will post more about those knives. Very interesting. The one you posted is a beauty.

[peanut740]

Ken, I forgot to mention how nice your cokebottle folding hunter is. I don't recall seeing that stamp before.

Thanks Jerry, it's a real beauty and wonderful old piece. I got it and a couple of other equally nice knives with the North American Cutlery Wichita Kansas stamp from Mark McClurg (knife-nut on AAPK) a while back. Goins says they were in business 1921-1927. Doesn't say anything else about them but I will say they are exceptional quality knives. I'll have to get around to posting more about them.

Ken

Ken,I believe your knife is older than Goins guess.He says c1921-27.Your knife appears to have steel and bolsters and the long matchstrike pull indicates Phoenix Knife Co is the manufacturer.Phoenix burnt down in 1916 and went out of business.Goins didn`t have much to go on and in most cases they did a heck of a job putting the info together.But in this case I believe he was off by a few years,Nice knife and a rare mark.

[LongBlade]

Rookie - thanks for posting that unique nail nick on the Tuna Valley - cool nick for sure I'm trying to get to a few photos of other pulls like a long pull through the tang that is shown on a few old knives of mine... ... sometimes not enough time in the day... afterwards I may start a new thread on "pulls" with a different thread title ("Show your Pulls" a title of some sort to catch some other eyes on the forum that may have some others to contribute) and link this one to the first post so it becomes part of it (Ken and Rookie - you showed some great examples here that really started this whole idea .... not sure how many different varieties there are but even among the same type of pulls there are sometimes differences among companies in style, where they are located etc...

[Rookie]

Good idea Longblade. As far as match striker pulls go, I really think the early Cripple Creek / Bob Cargill knives did a fantastic high quality job of doing them right. I don't own one to show it, maybe some other members here do. Bob was the one who brought that style pull back into the market after a long time of only nail nicks by all the makers.

[jerryd6818]

I don't think this is early (1987 maybe?) but it is a Cripple Creek with a match strike pull.

[Rookie]

Perfect Jerry, very nice pull on that one. Here are 2 Cripple Creek's made for the NKCA that I have photos of. I wish I had the knives

[Jacknifeben]

The only Cattaraugus knife I have with a "match striker" long pull is a 32175 stag handled cattle knife with a spey blade stamped FOR CUTTING FLESH ONLY.

[LongBlade]

Nice pulls shown Jerry and Rookie ... looks like Cripple Creek has some creativity in their knives for sure....

Just pulling (no pun intended ) some pics from knives previously posted from me with matchstriker long pulls except the Empire Peanut -

Miller Bros Jumbo Jack -

Empire Peanut Jack - (note pull ends part way into tang) -

Wostenholm (almost a short matchstriker long pull ) -

Maher & Grosh Carpenters Jack -

Camillus 72 - (matchstriker pull on a clip blade) -

I have a bunch of others and need to get photos of them done.. need to post a long pull through the tang which is seen on a few knives... Empire had an interesting long pull on many knives which was open to the swedge... etc etc

Once I get some new pics of other knives with different pulls I will start a new thread as noted above (and thanks for the agreement on that idea Rookie ) and link this one to it from the start...