Old Case Tested Knife

[just bob]

How about this one? I don't like the stag and so far as I can tell the tang is stamped Case Tested on both sides, but don't worry the seller says you can trust them. Maybe they are right?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-CASE-4 ... SwMtVfZhV6

[msteele6]

It would be nice to have a view from the top or bottom.

[rea1eye]

Trust is developed after dealing with a person several times or you know someone who has.

Not saying he is untrustworthy.....but,why was the previous account closed or why open up
a new account anyway if you are going to sell an expensive knife??

Bob

[btrwtr]

I trust this knife more than some shinier examples I have seen. Looks good to me but the prices scare me. I had a pretty nice 88 and 52 collection many years ago. Wish I could have gotten the prices when I sold them that they bring now. I suspect this will go pretty high.

[Mumbleypeg]

The knife looks okay to me. The knife’s generic features appear legitimate, although I’d like to see a picture looking down from above the knife. I don’t collect Congress patterns so others more familiar with them may have opinions to share.

Ken

[jwwood]

The stag looks like bone stag or jigged bone. The blades look milky and would appear rather easy to clean up. Looks like stainless to me. I would have to pass on it.

[just bob]

For comparison here is another stag tested congress. I'm not saying either is right or wrong. They just look very different to me. Maybe one is just well worn? I also see now the tang on the knife in the op isn't stamped on both sides. I was looking at the pictures wrong.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Case-T ... 7675.l2557

[herbva]

The stag looks like bone stag or jigged bone. The blades look milky and would appear rather easy to clean up. Looks like stainless to me. I would have to pass on it.

I also initially thought the stag looked a bit suspicious, and it reminded me of "Stagalon". But, in looking at pictures of various knives with stag scales in my copy of Steve's book, 2nd edition, I see several similar examples of stag. There is one at the bottom of page 53, that Steve refers to as "snakeskin" stag, "often observed on Case Tested and early Case XX knives.", and a 5254 trapper on page 54 that looks quite similar on the mark side. Looking at the second auction picture, in expanded view, the rocker pin head does look to me to be a bit buggered up, so I do have to wonder if the scales were replaced by someone in the past. But surely someone working on this knife would have fixed that dinged up tip on the sheepfoot blade in the 3rd picture. I know that I would have.

[jwwood]

By the way, Where is Steve? I've missed him lately on Case knives in the "Counterfeit Watch".

[btrwtr]

Sold for $2377 plus shipping and tax. Nice old and rare knife I believe was 100% corrrect. Had a very early block style closed C shield. The main issue I saw with the knife was the stamp on the big spear blade. If the owner chooses to have the knife cleaned it will likely lose the better part of the stamp.

[RalphAlsip]

My opinion is that the Case Tested XX 5488 in question is good. For stag reference, a collage of some Tested (and earlier) stag is attached. The 5488 stag in question is in the center. The image quality and the lighting of the Tested 5488 handles is poor and that is what makes it look "flat & dull" relative to the comparison images.

[just bob]

Thank you for taking your time to post that picture. I appreciate the excellent information. I had never heard of snakeskin stag.

[doglegg]

Jerry what a great reference pic. And entertaining looking at the different stag. Thanks.