Information needed about Case 3254 with a bone handle.

[bbenz]

I have a Case trapper's knife which is numbered 3254 on the blade. Every 3254 that I have seen has a has a yellow handle. This knife has a bone handle. It is marked casexx ....usa. USA. the S is what is called a lightening S. So as far as I can tell it was made in 19484. Also the top edges of the blades have a pattern like ribs. Anyone know about this knife?

[big monk]

Main blade (clip) is marked 1986 (4 dots,lightning s )__ don't know ,about the file work ???__ also the knife looks to have stag handles, thus would have been 5254 ??____maybe Steve will check in,with better info ??

[btrwtr]

Looks like a knife that has been customized.

Often people that do this type of work will buy the least expensive knife of the type they want and then customize it. The 3254 yellow handled trapper costs less than most any other Case 54 pattern so that would be the best candidate for customizing. It wouldn't make sense to pay more for a knife with bone handles only to remove them and rehandle with stag. The stag handles and file work have been added to a stock knife after removing the yellow delrin handles.

I can't see the stamp but a lightning S would indicate an eighties vintage knife. How many dots are in the stamp? Lighting S with ten dots would be 1980, 9 dots 1981 and so on, adding a year for each removed dot.

Nice looking stag.

[MrBlister]

I agree with the "customized" statement..
Also having trouble with that sheild, or it
may be confirmation of the knife being worked on.



HET .................Puma Pants

[treefarmer]

The biggest thing about this one, as Mr. Blister pointed out, the shield is not proper for the scales. The shield is for a composition handle, (pg. 26, Collecting Case Knives) not a shield for a stag/bone handle and it just don't fit very well, looks a little sloppy for a factory job. Appears to be as was stated a 3254, 1986 Trapper, rehandled with file work on the blades' spines.

Should all this be moved to the regular Case thread, rather than here in Case Classics?
Treefarmer

[Classic Case]

Should all this be moved to the regular Case thread, rather than here in Case Classics?
Treefarmer

yes.