JEAN CASE Knife authentic

[TripleF]

I jumped ALL OVER this knife at the flea market Monday because even though I know very little about CASE knives I knew JEAN was only around in
the early days.....I think.

I listed it on ebay expecting it to be live for about 2 minutes and it would be sold, but there's like 23 views???? Like 23, not 230, 23.

Any help with info is appreciated.

[djknife13]

If I'm not mistaken, these were made in the Kinfolks factory in the 50's and 60's along with Westerns and Kinfolks stamped hunting knives. ____Dave

[olderdogs1]

If I'm not mistaken, these were made in the Kinfolks factory in the 50's and 60's along with Westerns and Kinfolks stamped hunting knives. ____Dave

That’s correct, Dean Case, Jean’s Son was in charge and wanted a stamp with his father’s name. Some stories say that the 2nds were stamped with this stamp but I have handled several and have yet to see flaws in one. Nice knife.

Tom

[TripleF]

If I'm not mistaken, these were made in the Kinfolks factory in the 50's and 60's along with Westerns and Kinfolks stamped hunting knives. ____Dave

So this is potentially the same steel as used in Western knives? Oooooooooooooooooooooh lordy. You know how much
I love Western carbon steel!!!

[djknife13]

My first adult hunting knife (I was about 15 years old) was a Kinfolks, and for the first 5 or 10 years collecting knives, I concentrated on Westerns and Kinfolks and have used both over the years. I love the Westerns but the Kinfolks held their edge a fair amount better. I have a Kinfolks that is an identical match to your Jean Case except for the stamp. My experience with the knives coming out of that factory is that they are as good of a blade as you will find anywhere.____Dave

[Mumbleypeg]

If I'm not mistaken, these were made in the Kinfolks factory in the 50's and 60's along with Westerns and Kinfolks stamped hunting knives. ____Dave

So this is potentially the same steel as used in Western knives? Oooooooooooooooooooooh lordy. You know how much
I love Western carbon steel!!!

Kinfolks made fixed blade knives for both their own brands (Jean Case was one or them, as was the Kinfolks brand) and on contract to a lot of different companies at various times from 1926 through at least 1957. The company was sold to Robeson in 1957 - not sure what other brands they made after that. Knives made by Kinfolks including any made by them for Western, would have Kinfolks steel.

Ken

[Gunsil]

If I'm not mistaken, these were made in the Kinfolks factory in the 50's and 60's along with Westerns and Kinfolks stamped hunting knives. ____Dave

FYI you are mistaken, no Western knives were ever made in the Kinfolks factory in Little Valley, NY. Kinfolks was sold to Robeson in 1957 and equipment moved to Rochester but no Western marked knives were made there either. Jean Case marked knives are NOT seconds, Jean Case marked knives were just a sub-brand of Kinfolks like those marked Kin-Foe. Knife shown is likely pre-war (WW2) but they are not technically Case knives and therefore do not command the prices of true Case made knives, even those made at the Kinfolks factory. Kinfoks did make all the hunting knives for WR Case of Bradford from 1926-1932 when Case resumed making theirs in Bradford. Cattaraugus too had most all of their hunting knives made at the Kinfolks plant only a quarter mile from the Catt factory and this was from 1926 to WW2 ans maybe a few years more. Kinfolks was a massive producer of hunting knives for other firms like LL Bean and Shapleigh's, I have a list of 14 retailers whose knives were made by Kinfolks. There are likely more firms who had knives made for them by Kinfolks.

Scott check out "sold listings" under "Jean Case knife" and you will see few if any that make your price. I have sold several for over three hundred but they were stag handle/stag pommel versions mint in original sheath and I sold them to very knowledgeable collectors at knife shows rather than the internet. Hey, I really like your "fish for free" handle, but when I went to FL to visit my sister they wanted close to fifty bucks for a senior saltwater license! I was incensed, up here in yankeeland it is only a dollar for a senior saltwater permit no matter where you are from. And my NY saltwater permit is honored in NJ and CT, and my MA one honored in RI, NH, and Me so for two bucks I can fish saltwater legally all the way from NJ to Canada. By the way, your knife with the bakelite pommel and aluminum guard is probably circa 1940-1942 since the aluminum for the guard would not have been available after 1942. A lot of the WW2 years made Kinfolks hunters will have both bakelite pommel and guard and not many models were produced those years due to Kinfolks' huge war effort.

[Gunsil]

Just thought some might like to see my list of companies or marks I have observed on Kinfolks manufactured hunters. Case Tested XX, Cattaraugus, Clauss, Shapleigh's, Wards, LL Bean, Eric Wedemeyer (Viking), Boker, E K Tryon, Marshall Wells, Manoco, Marion Line, Belknap Hardware, Baker, Hamilton, & Pacific, Harris Bros, Navy Boy, and of course Kinfolks, Jean Case, and Kin-Foe. Quite possibly there are more, Kinfolks made a LOT of hunting knives for themselves and others.

[TripleF]

Just thought some might like to see my list of companies or marks I have observed on Kinfolks manufactured hunters. Case Tested XX, Cattaraugus, Clauss, Shapleigh's, Wards, LL Bean, Eric Wedemeyer (Viking), Boker, E K Tryon, Marshall Wells, Manoco, Marion Line, Belknap Hardware, Baker, Hamilton, & Pacific, Harris Bros, Navy Boy, and of course Kinfolks, Jean Case, and Kin-Foe. Quite possibly there are more, Kinfolks made a LOT of hunting knives for themselves and others.

WOW
Amazxing info! Thanks!

[TripleF]

Just thought some might like to see my list of companies or marks I have observed on Kinfolks manufactured hunters. Case Tested XX, Cattaraugus, Clauss, Shapleigh's, Wards, LL Bean, Eric Wedemeyer (Viking), Boker, E K Tryon, Marshall Wells, Manoco, Marion Line, Belknap Hardware, Baker, Hamilton, & Pacific, Harris Bros, Navy Boy, and of course Kinfolks, Jean Case, and Kin-Foe. Quite possibly there are more, Kinfolks made a LOT of hunting knives for themselves and others.

WOW
Amazxing info! Thanks!

[olderdogs1]

I jumped ALL OVER this knife at the flea market Monday because even though I know very little about CASE knives I knew JEAN was only around in
the early days.....I think.

I listed it on ebay expecting it to be live for about 2 minutes and it would be sold, but there's like 23 views???? Like 23, not 230, 23.

Any help with info is appreciated.

I am posting a copy of a chapter on JEAN CASE CUTLERY in the book "KINFOLKS KNIVES" written by Dean Case who was a Grandson of the Dean Case that ran KINFOLKS cutlery. That would have made him a great grandson of JEAN CASE, one of the original CASE BROS. This is a very interesting book.

Tom

[TripleF]

I jumped ALL OVER this knife at the flea market Monday because even though I know very little about CASE knives I knew JEAN was only around in
the early days.....I think.

I listed it on ebay expecting it to be live for about 2 minutes and it would be sold, but there's like 23 views???? Like 23, not 230, 23.

Any help with info is appreciated.

I am posting a copy of a chapter on JEAN CASE CUTLERY in the book "KINFOLKS KNIVES" written by Dean Case who was a Grandson of the Dean Case that ran KINFOLKS cutlery. That would have made him a great grandson of JEAN CASE, one of the original CASE BROS. This is a very interesting book.

Tom

Thanks Tom!! Truth as it were!!
OMG, I toosold seeds as a young boy. Been selling all my life (I probably shoulda picked a different occupation, I'm sure no good at selling because if I were I'd be able to at least own a home, but tis not all that matters.)

[Gunsil]

Dean Case is a true gentleman and a friend of mine. Brad Lockwood who wrote the preface is also a friend. I have visited Little Valley and the old Kinfolks factory with both of them. However Dean did not get into knife or Kinfolks history until his later years in life and he is mistaken regarding the Jean Case knives being seconds. The fact he says so defies logic since one cannot stamp the name on the knife after imperfections have been found. He is also incorrect in his book on his identity of the KIN-FOE marked knives. He is also incorrect in that book on the founding date of the Kinfolks company which actually began in 1925. I like Dean and his wife Miss Betty, they are great people, but there is some incorrect info in the book (I have a signed copy). The truth about the KIN-FOE knives and the true beginnings of Kinfolks came with Kinfolks factory papers discovered by Brad Wood after Dean's book was printed but that does not excuse the Jean Case seconds theory. Levine lists Kinfolks as beginning in 1926 and Goins says 1927, but the paper Brad Wood found on Kinfolks stationary definitely shows the company began in 1925. Just because something is in a book does not make it true and just because the author is a Case descendant doesn't make it any truer.