"FOR FLESH ONLY" Etch on Case USA 1965-69 63047

[donjr]

Hello everyone,
Here is the best pic of the Case USA 63047 that I could get. If anyone can help, I still need to know if Case made these with and without the "FOR FLESH ONLY" Etch on the Spey Blade in 1965-69. As you can see this one does not have the Etch, but everything else looks correct on this one to me. Thanks!! Don

[RalphAlsip]

Don, welcome to AAPK.

I won't be able to tell you whether the "for flesh only" etch was supposed to always be put on one of the blades for a Case XX USA 63047. It seems like you are trying to make a purchase decision with regard to this 63047.

Can you share the reasons why the presence / absence of the etch is a concern for you? A couple of reasons I can guess are authenticity and value.

If you concerned about authenticity, the presence or absence of the etch is not really a good way to make that determination. My guess is that if it was there originally and not there now that it was "cleaned" off the knife. This looks like a legitimate knife to me and it would be unusual for someone try to counterfeit this particular knife anyway because it is a pretty commonly available knife.

The condition of the knife seems good based on the pictures. The blades look full and handles look good insofar as the pictures can be analyzed. It is difficult for me to determine from the pictures if the blades might have been polished.

If you were to buy the knife, what is your intended purpose for the knife after you own it?

1. Carry & use. The presence / absence of the etch isn't an important buying decision, in my opinion, if you are going to use the knife. Price and condition would be the key decision making factors for me. The pictures seem to indicate the knife is in good condition. It looks like this knife has a mint "book value" around $140. This knife, in my opinion, should be buyable at 2/3 or less of that price.

2. Resale Value. Making money on knives is an uncertain proposition for most folks I don't see the absence of the etch affecting price & profit on this knife in a significant way.

[donjr]

Thanks for your reply! You are correct in that I may purchase this knife. My concern is not that it is a fake, but that the Spey Blade may have been replaced with a newer blade. I do not want to purchase a knife that is incorrect, and I am no expert on these Case Knives as they made so many variations. The seller wants $80.00 for it and that seems like a very good deal to me as the knife is as mint as one could expect for a knife of it's age. Just want to make sure it is correct. Thanks Again for your help!! Don

[RalphAlsip]

You're welcome. The next time you look at the knife review the bolster where the Spey blade pivots. If the pin in the bolster is visible or you can feel it (I.e., the bolster is not smooth, then the knife may have been taken apart. It seems really unlikely that someone would be "working" on this knife.

If you are specifically looking for a Case XX USA no dot 63047 then you can ignore what I'm about to say . If you are looking for a Case 47 pattern here is a link to a 2013 Case Select 6347. The Select knives are supposedly made with better materials and with better craftsmanship. It is in the same price range as you mentioned, but it is a new knife and not vintage like the XX USA you are looking at. On the other hand there won't be any questions about "changes".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400808219429?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

[Bamarick]

The knife looks to be all original. I can't see any evidence of the knife being taken apart and there aren't any visible signs of heavy buffing that I can see. I'm not saying there aren't any, but I don't remember seeing the "for flesh only" etch on the 047. But I have seen the 47 pattern both with and without the etch. As for the price, $80 isn't bad for that knife from the USA era. The difference in the 047 and the 47 is the clip blade. The clip in the 047 is what is called a California Clip.

Rick

[donjr]

Thanks Rick!
I went ahead and purchased it for $80.00. I believe it is in untouched, original condition and worth every bit of the $80.00.
If not, it won't be the first, or last time that someone got the best of this Ole Country Boy. Thanks to everyone who replied to my question for the help!! Don