Letters in pattern # question
Letters in pattern # question
I have a 65-69 9201 R. What does the R mean? Thanks
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
For that particular pattern it means the knife has a bail at the butt end. The "R" also can designate a Razor blade but I doubt if your knife has one of those.
Rick T.
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
You would think that Case would have used a "B" instead. They did some weird stuff once in a while.Railsplitter wrote:For that particular pattern it means the knife has a bail at the butt end.

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- tongueriver
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
Actually, it should have been S for shackle. Most of the old-timers (probably not all) called them shackles. Bails are on pails. And folk in boats sometimes have to bail out some unwanted water. Not to mention the necessity to bail out from time to time. And bales speak loudly of hay and cotton.XX Case XX wrote:You would think that Case would have used a "B" instead. They did some weird stuff once in a while.Railsplitter wrote:For that particular pattern it means the knife has a bail at the butt end.![]()
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
It's always fun to second guess our predecessors.
In his book Steve Pfeiffer speculates the "R" originated as an abbreviation for "ring". They apparently couldn't use "S" (for shackle) because it was already being used as the designator for sterling silver, which was a commonly used material "back when" gentlemen carried fancy knives for watch fobs. And then there's always SP for Spey, SH for Sheepfoot, and so on. There are older posts here asking "why didn't they just use S instead of SP?" And so on.
By the way you can find a list of abbreviations used by Case in the Research section here at AAPK. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/co ... d-by-case/
The evolution of the English language has always interested me. The metal handle on a bucket is a "bail", as Cal points out. So maybe that also made sense at the time.
Ken


By the way you can find a list of abbreviations used by Case in the Research section here at AAPK. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/co ... d-by-case/
The evolution of the English language has always interested me. The metal handle on a bucket is a "bail", as Cal points out. So maybe that also made sense at the time.

Ken
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
I must be weird because when I see the word "Shackle" I think "Handcuffs"...tongueriver wrote:Actually, it should have been S for shackle.
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
Well Mike, I guess we're all a product of our life experiences.XX Case XX wrote:I must be weird because when I see the word "Shackle" I think "Handcuffs"...tongueriver wrote:Actually, it should have been S for shackle.
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Ken
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If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
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If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
Yes, that's what I called them when I placed them around other people's wrists. And then I made certain they were double locked...Mumbleypeg wrote:Well Mike, I guess we're all a product of our life experiences.XX Case XX wrote:I must be weird because when I see the word "Shackle" I think "Handcuffs"...tongueriver wrote:Actually, it should have been S for shackle.
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Mike![]()
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Ken
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
Touché!
Ken

Ken
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
I shackled one end of the chain to the eye I spliced in nylon line and shacked the other end to my anchor. I thought a person constrained with handcuffs was not said to be shackled unless there was also a chain between their ankles or at least around their waist. Maybe that's because my only experience is TV and movies.
Case's wire thingy is for attachment of a lanyard. Hence R for lanyard ring makes sense. Other than it being the common modern name calling Case's wire thingy a bail makes less sense.
Case's wire thingy is for attachment of a lanyard. Hence R for lanyard ring makes sense. Other than it being the common modern name calling Case's wire thingy a bail makes less sense.
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
Can you post photos of the knife? I have never seen a 9201 from 65-69 with a bail.fitzroe wrote:I have a 65-69 9201 R. What does the R mean? Thanks
Steve Pfeiffer, author of Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide published by Krause Publications.
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Re: Letters in pattern # question
There ya go! It's a wire thingy!!
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Steve
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1980-2000
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Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
Re: Letters in pattern # question
Mine doesn't have the bail. Just 2 tiny holes. I would like to see one too. I doubt many survived they couldn't have been very strong