Case XX Patterns 46-60

[00-15] [16-30] [31-45] [46-60] [61-75] [76-90] [91-105] [105-953] [Knives with no pattern number]

Pattern # 46

This pattern number has been used on at least two different knife patterns.

The most recent version is a 4 3/8" knife usually known as either a rigging knife or marlin spike.  They have a master sheepfoot blade along with a marlin spike that locks opens on the back side of the knife.  These blades are known for being useful when working with rope.  The large sheepfoot blade is ideal in making very clean cuts.  Rope is easily cut by placing the edge of the blade over the rope and striking the back with a hammer or other object.  These knives most always have a bail on the ledft side as well for easy carry.  Case started making them sometime prior to 1940 and they later discontinued them around 1976.  Some were produced again in the early 80's.
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Case's oldest 46 pattern knife is a 3 5/8" split backs-pring hump bottom style whittler. W.R. Case & Sons started manufacturing them sometime prior to 1915. They were made with either a spear or clip master blade on the right side, and a spey and punch or spey and pen blade on the left.

Pattern # 046

W.R. Case and Sons produced a 3 5/8 " hump bottom stockman knife prior to 1915 that was built on the same frame as the 46 pattern split back-spring whittler. These knives usually have a spear master, and pen blade on front, and a spey blade on the rear.

Pattern # 47

The 47 pattern has been manufactured as a two,  three, and four-bladed knife.

The two-bladed 47 pattern is usually placed in the double end jack knife category and measures 3 7/8" closed. As far as I know, they all have a 0 preceeding the pattern number which denotes that the blades will be on oposite sides. The knives normally have a clip master blade and either a pen or spear secondary blade.   The spear bladed versions will have a J following the pattern number.  WR Case began producing them sometime before 1940.
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The three blade 47 pattern is a 3 7/8" multi-bladed knife that is part of the stockman family.   This particular member is larger than most stockmans, so it is often called a large stockman.  As fasr as I know, all 47 pattern knives have a clip master blade, and most often have a sheepfoot and spey blade.  Some have been produced with various combinations of second and third blades which includes sheepfoot, spey, pen, and punch blades.  Case introduced this pattern sometime prior to 1915.
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Between 1940 and 1978, Case manufactured some four-blade version of the 47 pattern as well.  They usually have a clip, spey, sheepfoot, and punch blade.

I have seen Case use 47 frames to manufacture split-back whittlers as well. All of them that I have seen have a WH in the pattern number.

Pattern # 047

The 047 pattern is the same as the 47 except that it has a muskrat or California master clip blade in place of Case's normal clip blade. W. R. Case & Sons started manufacturing these sometime prior to 1915.

Pattern # 0047

The 0047 pattern knives are the same as the 47 except that they do not have shields, and they have iron liners and iron bolsters unlike the 47's nickle silver pins and bolsters.

Pattern # 048

This pattern is a 4 1/8" serpentine style jack knife that is usually called a bare-head trapper, slim-line trapper, or farmer's knife.  There is a one bladed version, and a two bladed version.  The one blade version usually has a long clip  blade, and the two blade version normally has a clip master blade and almost always a spey secondary blade.  Some were produced with a pen secondary.  Neither version usually has a left side bolster.  Case has been manufacturing them since sometime prior to 1940.
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Pattern # 49

This pattern is a 4" jackknife that is referred to as a large or big copperhead.  Some collectors call them Vietnam knives.  Most have two blades, but some older versions were mde with a single blade. The master blade is most often a clip blade, but I have seen some with a wharncliff master blades as well.  The other blade is most always a pen.  Case started making these sometime before 1915.
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Pattern # 050

This is a jackknife that most collectors refer to as a swell center hunter, large coke bottle, or fiddle-back.  Most recent versions measure 5 1/8", butsome older versions measure 5 3/8" and I have seen in a few books that there are a few 5 1/4" versions listed. The pattern has a single clip blade that is sometimes flat ground and sometimes saber ground.  Those with a saber grind will usually have the letters SAB after the pattern number.  Some of these knives have been produced with other features including a locking mechanism, and / or swing guard.  Case's 050 pattern dates back to the early Case Brothers era (1896 - 1915), and W.R. Case discontinued them after the 1976 production year.  A few were manufactured in the early 80's.  Most have a C preceding the pattern number.
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Pattern # 50

This pattern is a double end jack knife that measures 4 3/8 " (some Case Brothers measure 4").  They go by the names sunfish, elephant toenail, or English rope knife.  The master blade is a spear, and the other is a pen blade.  Case started manufacturing them sometime before 1915.  Many believe that it was first designed to work with rope.  The broad blade was ideal for driving through hemp rope with the use of a mallet. If you want to know more about this pattern, I suggest paying a visit to the Elephant Toenails web site.
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Pattern # 51

This number has been used on more than one pattern.

The oldest version of this pattern number is a 3 7/8" lock-back knife that has a single clip blade. This version dates back to sometime prior to1915.

Case also assigned this pattern number to their first version of what is known as a hobo. They are 5 1/4 " knives that have clip master blades along with fork secondary blades. The knives split apart to be used together as utensils. Case started making them sometime prior to 1915.

Pattern # 051

This pattern is 3 3/4" single bladed jack knife that is often called a fishtail. They will have a clip blade and what is called a fishtail left side bolster. Some versions have a guard on. Case started making the pattern sometime prior to 1915.

Pattern # 052

This pattern has been manufactured as a two, three and a four-bladed knife.  All versions are most often referred to as medium congress knives.  They measure 3 1/2" when closed, which is larger than the 68 pattern congress but smaller than the 88 pattern. On the two bladed version you will find that the master blade is most often sheepfoot, and the second a pen.  The three blade usually has a sheepfoot master blade along with a spear and coping blade. The four bladed version normally has a Sheepfoot master blade along with a pen, coping, and spear blade.  The two and four blade versions were introduced sometime before 1940. I'm not sure about the three blade version.
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Pattern # 53

Prior to 1915, W.R. Case and Sons was manufacturing a 3 1/4" equal end style cattleman's knife.  They generally have a spear master blade along with a pen, and spey blade.

Pattern # 053

This is a 2 3/4 " equal end style pen knife.  They generally have a spear master blade and a pen secondary that open on opposite sides.  Some have been manufactured with a bail and without bolsters.  Case introduced them sometime prior to 1940.
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Pattern # 54

This pattern is a 4 1/8" jack knife that is most well known as a trapper.  Case started manufacturing them in the Tested era (1920 - 1940). The pattern will almost always have two blades; a clip and a spey of the same length. You may find two variations of clip blades on some older knives. In the mid 60's, the company produced some knives with a narrower clip blade known as a muskrat, or California clip.  Knives made with the narrow blade often trade at a higher value.  The frame was changed in the early XX era to one that had longer bolsters (less handle material). Some trappers that were manufactured in the early XX era (1940 - 1964) were made on the tested frame which has shorter bolsters.  These are much more valuable.
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Pattern # 54HB

Another version of the 54 pattern is the hobo.  It is the same as a trapper except that it splits apart and has a fork as a second blade. Starting in 2002, Case has manufactured the pattern with a a third blade that is a spoon.  Hobo's have the 54 pattern number, followed by the letters H and B that set it apart.

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Pattern # 55

This pattern is called seahorse or wharncliff whittler.  The pattern was introduced,  and had already been discontinued before 1940. Case reintroduced it in 2002.  These knives have a wharncliff master blade along with a pen and coping blade that opens on the opposite side of the master.  These knives measure 4" when closed. Rod Neep has a highly recommended website dedicated to seahorse whittlers. See it here.
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Pattern # 055

The 055 pattern number has been used on at least three different knife patterns. There are two versions with three blades, and one with two.

The oldest 055 pattern was a 3 5/8" serpentine style whittler that was being manufactured in the early Case Brothers days. These knives have a spear master blade that extends from the right side along with a coping and pen on the left side.

Another 055 pattern that has three blades is a small cigar or senator style knife that Case was manufacturing sometime prior to 1940.

Case's two-blade 055 pattern is a 3 1/2" equal end jack knife that is most often called a small cigar or senator that Case started making sometime prior to 1940 and  stopped making around 1976.  They usually have a clip master blade and a pen secondary blade.  The handle on the knife is a cylinder shape.
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Pattern # 056

Case has manufactured a two and three blade 056 pattern.

The two bladed version is a 2 7/8" swell center pen knife. It was being produced by Case sometime prior to 1915. They have a spear and pen blade, and are very similar to Case's more recent 156 pattern tuxedo. Case discontinued this version sometime prior to 1940.

The three bladed version is a 3 1/2" swell center style whittler. They generally have a spear master blade, and a pen and file blade that extends from the rear. W.R. Case & Sons began manufacturing this version sometime prior to 1915.

Pattern # 58

Cases most recent version of this pattern is a 4 1/4" lock-back folding hunter knife known as a mako.  They have a single clip blade that locks opened.  Because of this, it usually has an L after the pattern number.  On many of these knives, there are no numbers preceding the 58.  It often lacks the number used to identify the handle material, and the one used to identify the number of blades.  Mako's were introduced by Case around 1978.
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Pattern # 59

Case's most recent 59 pattern is a 5" lock-back folding hunter knife known as a hammerhead. These knives have a single clip blade that locks open.  Case introduced them around 1978.
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