Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

The W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has a very rich history that began in 1889 when William Russell (“W.R.”), Jean, John, and Andrew Case began fashioning their knives and selling them along a wagon trail in upstate New York. The company has produced countless treasures and it continues to do so as one of the most collected brands in the world.
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Drbrichy
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:47 am

Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Drbrichy »

Can anyone settle an argument and state the proper length for a XX era 61093 blade, from bolster to tip? Your input is greatly appreciated.
Robo
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:37 am

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Robo »

Trust me when I tell you I've obsessed over this question far more than I'm willing to admit. I can't help feeling that the reason why manufacturers never give the blade length of pocket knives and only give the handle length is because the handle die is exact so even if a batch of bolsters, for instance, come up slightly short or long they can still be adjusted to the scales and in the case of the 093s always come out at 5" which is the length given by the manufacturer. But with a blade if it's over or under up to an eighth of an inch it's still going to sit in the handle comfortably. So I took two straight XX era 093s, both unused and unsharpened and measured them with a simple metal ruler and as you can see one is a full eigth inch shorter--3 7/8s than the other --4". I then took two more: one of them is claimed by the guy I bought it from to be full/unsharpened the other, an earlier version with a high pull IS sharpened and, as you can see, it is still longer than the other. My thinking is that the honing process, although pretty darn accurate is never quite accurate enough that the manufacturer can bluntly state the length of any given blade in any given pattern of knife. I restrict myself to speaking of the 093 because I'm a pattern head and the Toothpick/Tickler/ etc... is my pattern.

So the bad news is I can't help you settle your argument definitively. The good news is if your the kind of person who actually argues over the length of a blade on a specific Case pattern, you'll feel quite at home here and I encourage you to return.
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Drbrichy
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:47 am

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Drbrichy »

Are you measuring the entire blank or just where the bolster turns into blade?
Robo
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:37 am

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Robo »

Drbrichy wrote:Are you measuring the entire blank or just where the bolster turns into blade?

"Bolster to tip"
Drbrichy
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:47 am

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Drbrichy »

I’m still confused. Looking at the pics of the toothpicks you’ve posted. If the unopened knives are 5 inches, there is no way (in my mind) any of those blades are 4 inches from bolster to tip, unless you include the entire bolster. Obviously perspective can be deceptive. Can you appease my addled mind and post a picture of the entire measurement, including the 0 end of the ruler?
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FRJ
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Location: Ct.

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by FRJ »

Drbrichy wrote: Can you appease my addled mind and post a picture of the entire measurement, including the 0 end of the ruler?

Here you go Drbrichy.
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Joe
Robo
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:37 am

Re: Case 61093 Texas Toothpick blade length

Post by Robo »

Thanks, FRJ--you're the best! Sorry, Drbrichy. Didn't see your request.

I can snap some more photos tomorrow for you. I shot the the tips only because there's only a slight difference in length and I wanted that to be clearly seen. But I want to stress that even if someone can produce factory spec. sheets saying what the length of the 093 blade stamp die should be we still can't say definitively how long the finished blade is because shaping, honing etc will produce slight variances. This is the conclusion I have reached after comparing and measuring quite a few 093s, and 095s and several 098s (of all eras).

PS: Looking at my photos just now and yes, the perspective is a little skewed. There tends to be an optical illusion that occurs when you sit Toothpick pattern knives side by side. Even when lined up one will look bigger than the other. But all the blades I used are the same size within--as I stated--1/8". And all were measured in the standard top-edge of the bolster to tip of the blade using a metal rule not unlike FRJ's.
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