Case Bradford PA

[Leo7504]

I posted awhile back about a Case Bradford PA knife that some members thought might not be authentic. Some members questioned the long pull and stamp where the right leg of the “A” was right on the edge of the knife as reasons to question the authenticity of the knife along with the stag handle as not looking like stag from 1914. So I am in the process of putting that knife in the hands of someone who has vast experience in pre 1920 Case knives along with an extensive collection of older knives to compare it to. So members offer your opinion. Here is a very similar knife to the one I posted before, from the same source, and it is said to be 5.25 in long (their measurement). It has the very same stamp, although centered, the letters and font look similar, the blades contain no model number and it has a long pull. I believe a knife with this stamp in similar shape would be rare. So does this one look authentic? Are there reasons that this knife might not be authentic? I have not seen enough Case knives that are pre 1920 to offer an opinion.

[American Blade 92]

This knife looks strange to me. The sabre grind on the blade has a radius. I've looked at old Case coke bottles, they have very straight, definitive grind lines. Also the shield looks like a different knife manufacturer. And the bone looks like it's been exposed to moisture, yet there isn't a speck of rust on the blade. In my humble opinion, it looks like a knife that was put together from different parts.

[1967redrider]

The blade shape and long pull length . . . Can you tell if the shield is pinned?

[Leo7504]

The knife is not in my possession, it is listed for sale and I will be examining it in the next week. I will look to see if the shield is pinned.

[Reverand]

I always suspect an old knife that has been buffed to a mirror finish. If they will alter it that far, what else has been done to it?
I am not saying that buffing makes it a fake, but I start examining any knife more closely if it has been polished.
I also agree that the grind line is way off. It looks like the original stamp may have been ground off to allow for a new stamp.

[Leo7504]

Thanks to all who posted a reply, and who may yet post a reply. Suffice it to say that there are questions as to the authenticity of this knife, enough so to make one wary. Knives of this age are scarce so there are not many to compare it to. I appreciate you all sharing your concerns and I will proceed with caution.

[stockman]

I don't think the knife is right, I would just let it lay.

Harold

[Mumbleypeg]

This pattern in stag is rare, so I would be very wary and cautious. Someone has buffed the devil out of the blade. As pointed out previously the shoulder grind line intersection should be more squared, not rounded. However from what I see in the pictures I believe the stamp is authentic - note the squared corners of both the inside corners and the ends of the letters. Those are as they should be on an authentic stamp. JMO. The knife bolsters are a true coke bottle shape, unlike the previous knife you posted which has extended “copperhead-like” bolsters (which I’m not sure were used before the Case Tested era).

I am going to point out things to look at when you get the knife in-hand, that are not clear in the pictures provided. The stag on this knife appears thinner, with less surface hafted away than the stag on the prior knife you posted. This knife’s covers are more like I’d expect to see on a Bradford era knife. However that leads to a concern, which is that in the pictures I see no evidence of bolsters “sucking out” corresponding to the thinner areas, aka “hollows” of the stag “bark”. “Sucking out” occurs because nickel silver (the bolster metal) is softer than stag, therefore during the hafting operation some bolster metal adjacent to the hollows in stag is often removed. (Also can happen with jigged bone). When you see that, it’s evidence the covers are original to the knife. Its absence can mean the covers have been replaced. See below article from the “Case Collector” newsletter for a better explanation. Click on pictures to enlarge for easier reading.

The pictures provided are a little out of focus when enlarged. Best to examine the stamp using a loupe when you get the knife in hand.

As stated previously I’ve been burnt by counterfeit old knives, so when it comes to evaluating their authenticity I’m a cautious skeptic. Here I’d be concerned the knife has been re-handled. JMO. Without question it has been heavily buffed. Caveat emptor.

Ken

[Modern Slip Joints]

[...] See below article from the “Case Collector” newsletter [...]

I enjoyed the article. Thank-you for posting it.

[RalphAlsip]

I posted awhile back about a Case Bradford PA knife that some members thought might not be authentic.

I have collected the Case 050 coke bottle pattern for several years and made this blade collage of the different stamps and different blade appearances that I have encountered and acquired. Just showing you this for reference. The knife you are asking about is very questionable to me based on the long pull, the blank shield paired with Bradford stamp, tang grind line, and the combination of Bradford stamp and saber ground blade. It could have very well left the factory just as it is, but it is way out of character for what these knives typically look like.