_332 v. _3032 ?

[Modern Slip Joints]

I'm looking at modern, post 1990, square bolster 3 5/8" serpentine Stockmans. What does the added zero mean? I do not see any difference. The blades look the same.

[Steve Warden]

From Steve Pfeiffer's book "Collecting Case Knives, 2nd Edition", page 139

Beginning in 1978, the 32 pattern tooling was changed to a slightly different pattern given the designation 032.
...slightly smaller [than the 32 pattern] with a closed length of 3-1/2". ... blades somewhat smaller...rounded tangs as compared to the 32 pattern which had definite "half stops."

If you collect Case, you must get Steve's book.

[Mumbleypeg]

With Case, a “zero” in the pattern number (other than at the end) means something was modified from the original pattern having no zeros. Sometimes the zero is placed at the beginning and sometimes it’s in the middle of the pattern number. I don’t know of any rationale behind where the zero is inserted. Usually the change is obvious, but occasionally it’s more subtle.

Steve Pfeiffer wrote a good bit of information about those “zeros” in his book.

Ken

[Modern Slip Joints]

Thank-you gentlemen!

Steve Pfeiffer's book would be nice to have. Can you suggest a source?

Since you've got the book, one more question: what does the tang prefix BW mean on a 1990s knife? The full tang stamp is BWC61050 SS. I know the C is for the left end bolster. It has dark brown jigged bone. In this time period the prefix ROG was for a recreation of Roger's bone. I think a few prefixes were for color, W for white and BG for bright green. At least that appears to be the case with my green and white bone 61050s. My white WC61050 is not natural bone color. The B in BW could be brown but I can't connect the W to anything.

[Steve Warden]

Sorry, can't offer any help on the prefix. Steve only mentions it briefly, such as DR for Dark Red, stating he will not go any further in discussion as it is discussed in depth in the Case catalogs. Those I do not have.

As for his book, a quick look on Amazon and AbeBooks shows the same dealer offering it up - at $178!! Yup, I had to look twice.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about tang stamp prefixes will be along to educate the both of us

edit to add: B may be for Brown. Is the blade a wharncliffe blade? If so, there's your answer.

[Modern Slip Joints]

Over $100 is too much for a book that does not cover the time period that I am accumulating. Notice that I'm not admitting to collecting. I buy all these Case knives only because I might need them to gather marshmallow roasting sticks for the kids to use around the campfire. That's not a critisim of Pieffer's book. The book of everything would be a lousy book on every topic. The best collector books specialize on the segment the author really knows.

Poking around eBay I found another knife with a BW prefix, a BW254. It has smooth bone that could be described as burnt natural or burnt white. The jigged dark brown bone on the BWC61050 contradicts BW meaning burnt white.

Neither knives have a Wharncliff blade. Besides all the knives I've seen with Wharncliff blades that had a W in the tang stamp had the W as a suffix, not a prefix. Also, in the BW254's tang stamp there's nothing else to stand for the handle material.

[Steve Warden]

Anybody out there who knows what the W is?

As for the book, I got mine for Christmas a few years back. It was more appropriately priced at $40, give or take, if memory serves. Certainly a great book, but I have no clue why the price is so high.

[Mumbleypeg]

Anybody out there who knows what the W is?

As for the book, I got mine for Christmas a few years back. It was more appropriately priced at $40, give or take, if memory serves. Certainly a great book, but I have no clue why the price is so high.

Supply and demand. The book is no longer in print, due to bankruptcy of the publisher as I understand it. Lack of supply, so the price is up.

Ken

Ken

[Steve Warden]

Glad I got mine when I did.

I'll make anyone a deal. I'll sell you mine (2nd edition, excellent condition) for only $142 - that's a 20% discount!
Give me $145 to cover shipping and we'll call it a deal.




(no, I'm not serious)

[Mumbleypeg]

Glad I got mine when I did.

I'll make anyone a deal. I'll sell you mine (2nd edition, excellent condition) for only $142 - that's a 20% discount!
Give me $145 to cover shipping and we'll call it a deal.




(no, I'm not serious)

Dirty Capitalist!

Ken

[Modern Slip Joints]

Snooping around eBay again I found another large Coke Bottle exactly like the BWC61050 in every way except its tang stamp starts with DB instead of BW. DB makes sense for dark brown. Maybe an employee at case set the letters wrong before stamping a batch of blades that included the BWC61050 or the blade in it was repurposed after it was stamped?

[Papa Bones]

I was checking on Amazon on Steve Pfeifer's book, "Collecting Case Knives and Price Guide. They have a digital version but I think it is the 1st edition. $8.99. If one does not have a Kindle you can download a Kindle Reader for PC for free. I just purchased it and will check it out. But I am also gong to scour some of the interwebs for a used version of the 2nd edition. Sometimes you can find some good deals at 2nd hand online bookstores.