Help with 2 trappers, Please.

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Hello just trying to find out all that I can about these 2 trappers. The pearl or fake pearl one is marked 3254 like a yellow delrin trapper. I think I have seen this before but do not remember if they did it with the fake pearl or if this is the wrong stamp, etc.. Also trying to nail down the exact year it was made.

On the green one I just cannot figure out the exact name of the bone. it is the same handles and color as the 2002 greenbone John Deere trapper but is has the casexx shield. Also want to figure out the exact year this was made. The handles are the same exact as these https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... pper-knife


Thanks.

[Mumbleypeg]

The number “3” is the Case designation for yellow synthetic handle covers, typically the least expensive that Case makes. Your knife did not leave the Case factory with the handle covers it now wears. Someone put those on “aftermarket”.

Sorry I can’t tell you what Case called the green color of that bone. I never tried to keep up with all their different colors.

You can find the year of Case’s date codes by using the Research link in the header at the top of this page. Just click on it and scroll down until you find the link for for Case pocket knife age identification.

Ken

[QTCut5]

The fake pearl one... Also trying to nail down the exact year it was made.

On the green one I want to figure out the exact year this was made.

Two very nice 54 Trappers.
Green Corncob Jigged Bone 6254 shows a date of 2000.

Custom White Pearl Corelon (Case's name for it, not mine) shows a date of 2001, and apparently Case did in fact use 3254 as the pattern number for trappers with this handle material.

CASE XX Trapper
Custom White Pearl Corelon Handle
Made in the U.S.A.
6073HP CA6073HP
3254 SS
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143964806968?e ... SwEiNgPRWr

[Mumbleypeg]

I have never been able to associate Case directly with the name “Corelon”. To my knowledge those were made aftermarket by Frost Cutlery, who contracted Michael Prater for the re-handling work. Frost Cutlery sold them directly and through SMKW among others. My research indicates Frost originally bought finished knives having yellow synthetic handles and had them removed and re-handled with Corelon. Corelon is a trademark owned by Frost. https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfiel ... eton4n.2.1 Frost eventually reached an agreement with Case to purchase knives in bulk without handle covers, which they then had handled with a Corelon, by Prater. The boxes were labeled accordingly. All aftermarket, not by Case. There’s quite a bit of information concerning this scenario on the Case Collector’s Club forum.

After several years of that arrangement, a few years ago Case introduced a line having similar handles, which Case calls “Kirinite”. BTW a keyword search of the Case web site www.caseknives.com for “Corelon” will find nothing. Nor will you find any reference to Corelon on the Shepherd Hills Cutlery site, but you will find Kirinite. Just a little “knife collector trivia”.

Ken

[QTCut5]

I don't doubt your information, Ken...and appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge and research about Case knives. I could see that Corelon is a registered trademark by the ® symbol, but I figured it must be owned by Case because Corelon shows up on a lot of different modern Case patterns (including the actual word "Corelon" on blade etches), not just 54 Trappers. Clearly, Case has designated the number "9" for some Corelon handled knives...so, I assume they didn't outsource ALL knives with Corelon handles.

Here are two examples of Case 07 Mini Trappers, one with Corelon (9207) and one with Kirinite (10207) covers.

Aquarius Corelon® blade etch.

[Mumbleypeg]

I don't doubt your information, Ken...and appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge and research about Case knives. I could see that Corelon is a registered trademark by the ® symbol, but I figured it must be owned by Case because Corelon shows up on a lot of different modern Case patterns (including the actual word "Corelon" on blade etches), not just 54 Trappers. Clearly, Case has designated the number "9" for some Corelon handled knives...so, I assume they didn't outsource ALL knives with Corelon handles.

Here are two examples of Case 07 Mini Trappers, one with Corelon (9207) and one with Kirinite (10207) covers.
07 Corelon Kirinite.JPG


Aquarius Corelon® blade etch.
6207 Aquarius Corelon.JPG

Q, to the best I’ve been able to determine, if it says Corelon anywhere the handles weren’t done by Case. If it has Corelon on the blade etch, box label etc, that too was done aftermarket by Frost, not by Case. Several members of the Case Collector’s Club have posted on that forum about their respective visits to Michael Prater’s facility where they observed bulk Case knives, sans handle covers, being unloaded from bulk packed boxes and subsequently embellished by Prater to Frost specifications, individually boxed, labeled, etc.

The Case product done in-house by Case is Kirinite which has only been on the market a few years now. Frost’s Corelon first appeared in 2000.

Ken

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Thank you for all of the replies. I do appreciate it. very helpful for sure.