Is this real or fake????

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Whistlepost
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Is this real or fake????

Post by Whistlepost »

IMG_20210102_163108959~2.jpg
This knife has been in my uncle's possession for more than 50 years. The only stamp is Case....no double XX stamp. Can anyone tell me if this is a counterfeit or real?IMG_20210102_163108959.jpg
Gunsil
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Gunsil »

It's real. Circa 1950s by the mark. Case used the XX off and on on fixed blade knives.
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KLJ77
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by KLJ77 »

You have a very nice keepsake knife, Whistlepost. And the best part is; it's part of your family bloodline that will always carry a personal sentimentality. ::tu::

BTW: ::welcome:: aboard...hope you stick around to increase your knowledge base & expertise. Lots of GREAT knifers here to assist.
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Whistlepost
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Whistlepost »

Thank you KLJ77 and Gunsil, for your input on this knife. There is so much information on the interweb that it's hard to decipher. None of the stamps that I saw looked like the stamp on this knife.
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KLJ77
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by KLJ77 »

Whistlepost wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 12:41 am There is so much information on the interweb that it's hard to decipher. None of the stamps that I saw looked like the stamp on this knife.
Well, Whistlepost...rest assured, when Gunsil stated that it was the real deal, then it's real. Tang/ricasso stamps can be quite confusing. However, you have to remember that; your knife is somewhere around 65-70 years old, and a lot has changed in that timeframe.
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Gunsil »

Most of the Case tang stamp charts are for Case pocket knives not fixed blades, and that mark was not a pocket knife stamp. There are presently no reliable Case fixed blade stamp charts but Brad Wood, the leading Case hunting knife expert has told me he is working on one and hopes to have it published in an article for Knife Magazine. The charts available for Case pocket knives also have mistakes in them, perhaps somebody will come up with better charts in the future. Your uncle's knife would have had a chrome plated blade and it looks like somebody sanded it off, but that certainly doesn't hurt it's usefulness.
kootenay joe
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by kootenay joe »

Why were some blades chrome plated ? To make them look shiny ? or to help stop oxidation on non-stainless blades ?
And was it only done for a short time circa 1950's ?
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Chrome plated to discourage rust. Per Brad Wood article on Case fixed blades published in Sargent’s 7th Edition, chrome plating first appeared in 1934, was apparently discontinued in 1982 -1983.

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kootenay joe
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by kootenay joe »

Thank you Ken. My only book on Case knives is Steve Pfeiffer's and it does not cover fixed blades.
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edge213
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by edge213 »

Gunsil wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:18 pm It's real. Circa 1950s by the mark. Case used the XX off and on on fixed blade knives.
Gunsil, was this knife made by Case or a subcontractor?
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Gunsil »

Made by Case in Bradford, PA. Case had their hunting knives made for them by Kinfolks 1926-1932 and then went back to making them theirselves. They still make their own, at least they still were when I visited the factory for a tour three years ago.
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by KLJ77 »

Looks like a model #323 Hunter.
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Gunsil »

KLJ77 wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:34 pm Looks like a model #323 Hunter.
You are 100% correct sir!!
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by knife7knut »

I have never understood why knife manufacturers chose to chrome plate their blades.I'm talking about chrome plating as a decorative use rather than industrial hard chroming as used on automotive crankshaft bearing journals to discourage wear.
While chrome plating looks pretty(when done properly)the problems seem to arise when that coating is broken open which allows moisture to get between the layers and start the corrosion process.This would happen when an edge is put on the knife blade.Once this begins there is no way to stop it and the coating eventually fails.
Some might say that the blade could be sharpened before the plating is applied but this will not work. To get chrome plating (which is an extremely thin layer)to properly adhere to steel,the base must be buffed to a high luster,cleaned,and then copper plated.The copper plate builds quickly and would eliminate any sharpened edge.
After the copper is once again buffed,it is cleaned and a coating of nickel applied.This layer allows the chrome to bond to the copper. One final buffing and cleaning and then the chrome plating is applied.Although this layer is very thin it would still eliminate any edge that still remained. This is what is known as,"triple chrome plating".
Back during the Korean War(or Conflict if you prefer)there was a shortage of both nickel and copper as the majority of it was going to the war effort.Some cars made during that time period(notably 1951-52 Chevrolets)the grilles were plated eliminating the nickel step and as a result they quickly deteriorated.
Sorry for the long rant.
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KLJ77
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by KLJ77 »

GREAT insight regarding the silver plating process, K7K. ::tu:: I was not aware it was that much of a process, or that it actually eliminates a reliable edge on a knife.
LJ

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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by kootenay joe »

Quote: "Sorry for the long rant."
Nothing to be sorry about Ray. It is a most interesting read and i have also wondered why blades were chrome plated as the ones i have seen most of the plating is gone. A chrome plated blade looks good until it gets used. With use the chrome plating comes off. So why do this expensive 3 step procedure ?
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Paladin »

knife7knut wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:13 am I have never understood why knife manufacturers chose to chrome plate their blades.I'm talking about chrome plating as a decorative use rather than industrial hard chroming as used on automotive crankshaft bearing journals to discourage wear.
While chrome plating looks pretty(when done properly)the problems seem to arise when that coating is broken open which allows moisture to get between the layers and start the corrosion process.This would happen when an edge is put on the knife blade.Once this begins there is no way to stop it and the coating eventually fails.
Some might say that the blade could be sharpened before the plating is applied but this will not work. To get chrome plating (which is an extremely thin layer)to properly adhere to steel,the base must be buffed to a high luster,cleaned,and then copper plated.The copper plate builds quickly and would eliminate any sharpened edge.
After the copper is once again buffed,it is cleaned and a coating of nickel applied.This layer allows the chrome to bond to the copper. One final buffing and cleaning and then the chrome plating is applied.Although this layer is very thin it would still eliminate any edge that still remained. This is what is known as,"triple chrome plating".
Back during the Korean War(or Conflict if you prefer)there was a shortage of both nickel and copper as the majority of it was going to the war effort.Some cars made during that time period(notably 1951-52 Chevrolets)the grilles were plated eliminating the nickel step and as a result they quickly deteriorated.
Sorry for the long rant.
Good information, Ray and thanks!

Ray
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Gunsil
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by Gunsil »

Yeah Ray, when I was young and into riding customized motorcycles I spent a lot of money on triple chrome plating. The chrome on Case hunting knives seems to adhere pretty well, I have not noticed any copper where the chrome is worn but perhaps they used a nickel under plating. The Case hunters were chromed for rust resistance and when unused or properly sharpened they look great for years but when the chrome gets scratched up with poor sharpening they quickly look awful and hard to make look nice again.
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Re: Is this real or fake????

Post by btrwtr »

Case fixed blade knives are not faked very often and when they are the attempts are very poor at best. A well done Case fixed blade fake would normally be done on a knife of much more valure than the OP knife.
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