CASE XX or TESTED M100 Push Button knife

[zp4ja]

Hello All,

So I have what I thought was a CASE XX M100 Push Button knife. I answered another post today on a PB from a different maker so I pulled one of my PB knives out.
So I start looking at it with a 10X loupe and notice a CASE XX stamp with some interesting font. I start researching it and I find the same stamp on Gerald Witcher's Book, page 158. This is in the AUTHENTIC section where he shows alot of odd ball and seldom seen stamps, in addition to the more common ones we all know. Very interesting to me that he show this stamp and says "generally found on the M100 pattern which is a one blade pushout", as obviously, this is the knife pattern I am posting.
The knife also has a "PAT APLD. FOR" stamp on the rear tang. Did my best on the attached pics. looks to have been cleaned a bit, not polished to death, but full, nonetheless. I see not pitting around the tang indicative of heavy cleaning. Some scratching on one side of the tang from open and close.

Here are my questions...

1. Is this actually a stamp from the early 20s' like Witcher says? Not doubting his knowledge but the books I have are ambiguous. Interesting if it is since CASE XX is always associated with 1940' to 64'.
2. The handle end closest to the blade is rounded. I have seen that in Sarge's book, which I turn to often besides Steve's, shows what appears to be a squareish end in the same location. I like his book but sometimes the pics of knives are real hard to make out.
3. Could this be a contract knife?

Before any cold stamp comments or stamp input might be made, please look at the pic from Witcher's book. His stamp pic looks cold stamped to me. This knife would be hard to fake and has a pretty low book value to justify the time involved. Rest of the knife reads fine to me, stamps, swedge, push button, etc.

Unless I am wrong, looks to be a TESTED era stamp, seldom seen, that one might mistake for a regular CASE XX 40' to 64' stamp, if not examing or researching closely.

Look forward to opinions and other example if anyone has any. Also find it interesting in that in departure from the CASE norm as far as model numbers go, "M" obviously stands for metal but seems that it was same model number used for the greenbone and cracked ice for example, according to my books.

Regards, Jerry

[Miller Bro's]

Jerry,

I have one of these somewhere, not is as nice of condition as yours, but I picked it up due to the fact it was a patented knife, my current interest is in all different kinds of old knives that were patented.

Same stamp as on yours and I believe it had a pot metal handle, hard to tell if yours is nickle silver or pot metal like mine

Pretty sure the end is more square than your example.

[msteele6]

I believe that I've seen this stamp called the "Circus" stamp, authentic in my opinion and from the time frame Witcher gives.

[robinetn]

I believe that I've seen this stamp called the "Circus" stamp, authentic in my opinion and from the time frame Witcher gives.

[zp4ja]

I believe that I've seen this stamp called the "Circus" stamp, authentic in my opinion and from the time frame Witcher gives.

Thanks msteele and Bob!

I thought the "circus stamp" was the TESTED long tail with the real square C. Either way, very interesting on the stamp's timeframe. So this is likely a pre TESTED stamp. Real didn't pay much attention to it as I really did not examine the knife closely before with a loupe. Thanks so much for the input. I really appreciate it.

No concern on the rounding end of the knife. The knife reads fine to me. Great shape for it's age for sure.

Thanks again, Jerry

[1967redrider]

Sweet knife, Jerry.

-John

[zp4ja]

Sweet knife, Jerry.

-John

Thanks John my friend!