Case knives with RED-ICULOUS Bone handels.

[btrwtr]

It seems to me that many people vending Case knives have gone color blind. In days past the discussion about Case knives with red bone handles (here I am talking about older Case XX and USA era knives) centered around whether or not the bone was red enough to be considered genuine Case Red Bone. Now it would default to whether the handles are in fact even bone let alone being the color red. Pakkawood, brown bone, black bone, delrin, green bone and standard USA color bone as well as many Case bone handled knives without the slightest trace of red in them are now to be considered Case Red Bone. I have yet to see a rough black handle called red bone, but it may just be a matter of time.

Doing a search on eBay for Case Red Bone to include each of the words will bring up a disparaging array of Case knives but very few examples of what I would consider true XX or USA era red bone. Is this evidence of AI takeover or the dumbing down of knife collecting?

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... green+bone

[Mumbleypeg]

IMHO it’s a dumbing down. The effects of AI may make it worse but many collectors nowadays already don’t know what the terms red bone or green bone mean to older collectors, as demonstrated by the frequency of questions here asking about it. The confusion has been complicated by greedy and/or ignorant online sellers who couldn’t accurately identify red or green bone, but they know if they say it, it will possibly make the knife they’re selling more valuable. That’s been going on long before AI.

Another confusing factor is the multiple different colors offered by Case over the past 40 years or so, longer than so many of today’s collectors have been alive. There have been umpteen different variations of intentionally dyed “red” bone, which are actually a shade of red on the color wheel - intentionally created and marketed as such by Case. As opposed to the olden days when the so-called red or green bone was just whatever happened to come out of that particular dye batch. Those red or green bone knives were named as such by collectors, not by Case. Now Case intentionally creates and actively markets various shades of red, green, blue, and other colors. It’s no wonder younger/newer collectors are confused.

Ken

[stockman]

USA’s and XX’s

[edgy46]

Nice group.

[btrwtr]

USA’s and XX’s

You are obviously not color-blind Harold.

[btrwtr]

IMHO it’s a dumbing down. The effects of AI may make it worse but many collectors nowadays already don’t know what the terms red bone or green bone mean to older collectors, as demonstrated by the frequency of questions here asking about it. The confusion has been complicated by greedy and/or ignorant online sellers who couldn’t accurately identify red or green bone, but they know if they say it, it will possibly make the knife they’re selling more valuable. That’s been going on long before AI.

Another confusing factor is the multiple different colors offered by Case over the past 40 years or so, longer than so many of today’s collectors have been alive. There have been umpteen different variations of intentionally dyed “red” bone, which are actually a shade of red on the color wheel - intentionally created and marketed as such by Case. As opposed to the olden days when the so-called red or green bone was just whatever happened to come out of that particular dye batch. Those red or green bone knives were named as such by collectors, not by Case. Now Case intentionally creates and actively markets various shades of red, green, blue, and other colors. It’s no wonder younger/newer collectors are confused.

Ken

I couldn't agree more Ken. Thanks for your input.