All About Pocket Knives

One unfortunate limitation of using only photos and written words to discuss knives is the inability to convey certain aspects necessary for full appreciation; aspects that would be experienced using all the senses if the knife were examined first-hand in person. But trust me, the snap of the blades closing on my 56-80 yr old XX era Case 6207 truly is the sound of "sweet bliss"! A more satisfying and joyous knife-related sound is hard to imagine.

Couple late 60s red bone specimens. Keeping the documentation going. Great thread.

Ivoryman wrote: ↑Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:07 pm Couple late 60s red bone specimens. Keeping the documentation going. Great thread.

Two beautiful pieces I-man

Yes indeed...a double shot of sweet red bone beauty, Ivoryman, very nice! Your taste is impeccable and your timing is spot on as we continue our journey along the...

Mini Trapper Timeline:

USA Era (1965-1969)


Hard on the heels of the relative peace and prosperity of the 1950s, the first half of the 1960s decade started out promisingly enough with the election of the handsome and charismatic Robert F Kennedy as President. But, his assassination in 1963 plummeted the US into a period characterized by radicalism and reform.

Martin Luther King's crusade for equality and an end to Jim Crow and the US involvement in the Viet Nam War (particularly the implementation of the draft) were responsible for increasing civil unrest and causing loud, visible protests among blacks, college students and peace activists across the nation. Civil rights and anti-war demonstrations were often met with violent countermeasures by police and National Guard troops. The brutality at the 1968 DNC in Chicago, the Tet Offensive, Woodstock, the Summer of Love and the hippie counterculture were all products of this turbulent era.

A lot of good stuff happened during the Case USA era as well: The Voting Rights Act signed into law (1965), Medicare (1966), Star Trek debut (1966), the first Super Bowl (1967), Apollo 11 puts the first man on the moon (1969), first e-mail message sent (Oct. 29, 1969), to name but a few.

Here's a USA era 6207 that came into existence around the same time that the so-called "Grand Poobah" of Mini Trappers made his entrance into the world in 1965.

Another beauty, and great commentary on the timeline. Keep 'em coming.

The oldest one I have is a 1972 that 313 Mike gave me, so I still can't participate. I'm okay with that because I'm not drawn to the older knives. The ones I can afford are not in good condition and the ones that are in good condition, I can't afford so I just stick to the newer ones.

Plus I don't take the chance of getting taken by a shyster.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:54 pm The oldest one I have is a 1972 that 313 Mike gave me, so I still can't participate.

Better give that 1972 6207 a good spit-polish shine and keep it on stand-by, jerryd, because very soon the Mini Trapper Timeline will enter the Dot era starting with the 1970s decade. And, while you're at it, you might also start polishing up all (or a few favorite examples) of your 07s from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020 as well, because once the MTTP delves into those decades I know you have a veritable tsunami of Case Mini-Ts to show from your vast collection/accumulation. (Even if they've already been shown previously, I, for one, am looking forward to seeing them again. )

Meanwhile...I'm hopeful that some other members will post their USA era 07s on the Mini Trapper Timeline for all to see and enjoy (including posterity in perpetuity).

My other USA era 6207

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 9:26 pm Better give that 1972 6207 a good spit-polish shine and keep it on stand-by, jerryd,

That means I'll have to pick up a fresh can of Mother's. And then I'll have to find it. But to keep the monkey off your back ~Q~, I'll do it for you.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:24 pm But to keep the monkey off your back ~Q~, I'll do it for you.

What would I do without you, jerryd? I get by with a little help from my friends.

Aye Laddie. If it wasn't for friends, I might as well move on over to the other side.

MTTP: USA Era (1965-1969)

OK, folks...please bear with me here...

Since this is my birth year knife, OCD Mini-T Monkey feels especially compelled to obsess over it a bit; so, he's forcing me to post a few more photos of my two USA era Mini-Ts. (Say what you will about the little cuss, he is a very loyal and patriotic monkey )


Thanks to The Monkey's OCD, I discovered a very interesting and most curious difference between my two USA era 6207s that I hadn't noticed before: the profile of the master clip blade. I can only speculate, but I hope that the difference is due to an alteration in the blade geometry made at the factory sometime during the five year span of the USA era and not because one of my 07s is a fake--which is a concern jerryd mentioned for his avoidance of the older model 07s.

What do you guys think?


FWIW, there doesn't appear to be any difference between the secondary pen blades.

Q,
Looking at these two, I'll say if I had to choose one, it would be the one with the more pronounced and larger nail nick. The tang stamp also seems to be more "authentic", but hey, what do I know, I love Case knives but mostly carry Queens.
Treefarmer

Your guess is as good as mine, Philip. But, here's my dilemma: While the one with the longer, sweeping curve on the top edge of the blade and more pronounced and larger nail nick has the exact same profile as the master clip blades on all my other 07s from the early years (Tested, XX, USA, 1970s), the other one with a steeper top edge angle, smaller nail nick and lighter tang stamp was purchased from knifeaholic...and it's seems highly unlikely he would even own a fake Case knife, much less sell one as legit. So, I really don't know how to explain the anomaly. I suppose the inexplicable difference between these two knives could be seen as emblematic of the time period (1960s) with all its seeming contradictions, nonconformity and inconsistencies (the Monkey is a regular little Pollyanna when it comes to finding the silver lining in any situation )

Fortunately, they're both excellent knives in every respect, so even if one of them actually was a "fake", it really wouldn't make any difference to me; I would still love it just as much.

~Q~ do you have calipers? Really handy for checking knife dimensions of all sorts.

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 3:04 pm ~Q~ do you have calipers? Really handy for checking knife dimensions of all sorts.

I do not. I suppose it would be handy to have in certain circumstances; but, contrary to what you would expect given the Monkey's OCD in other areas, exact, precise measurements have never really mattered to me all that much. It is what it is.

All these 07's w/ pen instead of spey lately has me itch'n to find one myself. Wow!!!

Grump01 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:02 pm All these 07's w/ pen instead of spey lately has me itch'n to find one myself. Wow!!!

Well, what's stopping you from scratch'n that itch, Grump?

Personally, I don't know how any knife lover could resist something as beautiful as this:

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:34 pm

Grump01 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:02 pm All these 07's w/ pen instead of spey lately has me itch'n to find one myself. Wow!!!

Well, what's stopping you from scratch'n that itch, Grump?

Personally, I don't know how any knife lover could resist something as beautiful as this:
1965-69 Case 6207.jpg

Fabulous specimen there, grrrrreeeeeaaaaaaaat bones. And condition. Wow what a looker. Amazing string of mini Ts period. And you make a great case. When I see one like that I want to go surf the feeeebay and find an old gem like it. Hook, line, sinker. What I don't understand is how any knife lover could resist carrying something like that once in a while and cutting a few things with and enjoying that experience physically for all it's worth. I can't look at it and not want to carry it around a bit and play with. Couldn't keep my fingers off it. Bet that feels like an orgasm for the palm. Mmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:34 pm

Grump01 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:02 pm All these 07's w/ pen instead of spey lately has me itch'n to find one myself. Wow!!!

Well, what's stopping you from scratch'n that itch, Grump?

Personally, I don't know how any knife lover could resist something as beautiful as this:
1965-69 Case 6207.jpg

If the one's I've seen for sale so far looked like that I would have jumped........

MINI TRAPPER TIMELINE:

Dot Era - 1970s


Now that the timeline has reached the years when I was alive, I have some actual memories of the time period. When I think back to the 1970s the things I remember most are pocket calculators, LED digital watches, 8-track cassette tapes, Evel Knievel, horrible haircuts, ugly clothing and...(gasp!)...disco fever. But, I was still just a youngling back then so, naturally, my memories are limited to the personal experiences of my immediate little world such as Woodsy Owl interrupting Saturday morning cartoons to admonish me to "Give a hoot, don't pollute." But in reality, there was a lot more going on than I was aware of at the time; pebbles in the pond of eternity causing small splashes and ripple-rings expanding outward in waves that touch our lives today.

Consider, for example, the bar code. Nowadays bar codes are so ubiquitous we barely notice them, but bar code technology was invented only 50 years ago. The average income in 1970 was $9,400 and the average cost of a new house $23,450. A new car would set you back $3,542 on average and a gallon of gas .36 cents. A postage stamp cost only .06 cents and if you stopped by a newsstand you could pick up the latest issue of Sports Illustrated for just .15 cents.

Significant cultural and political events of the 1970s include the breakup of The Beatles, deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, end of the war in Viet Nam, voting age in US lowered from 21 to 18, Watergate, Nixon's impeachment...the list goes on and on. But for purposes of the Mini Trapper Timeline, the most significant development was Case's introduction of the "Dot" tang stamp dating system.

In 1970 the tang stamp had 10 dots.

And a 1972 had eight dots. Finally I can participate. Once.

A 1972 07........ Thank you 313 Mike

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:27 pm MTTP: USA Era (1965-1969)

OK, folks...please bear with me here...

Since this is my birth year knife, OCD Mini-T Monkey feels especially compelled to obsess over it a bit; so, he's forcing me to post a few more photos of my two USA era Mini-Ts. (Say what you will about the little cuss, he is a very loyal and patriotic monkey )

Thanks to The Monkey's OCD, I discovered a very interesting and most curious difference between my two USA era 6207s that I hadn't noticed before: the profile of the master clip blade. I can only speculate, but I hope that the difference is due to an alteration in the blade geometry made at the factory sometime during the five year span of the USA era and not because one of my 07s is a fake--which is a concern jerryd mentioned for his avoidance of the older model 07s.

What do you guys think?

FWIW, there doesn't appear to be any difference between the secondary pen blades.

Hi Q. I don't know if it was these two knives or two other knives that you posted somewhere else but I noticed a difference in the profile of the master clip blades just like you have here by these. I was going to mention it to you at the time when I saw it but I just figured you knew it & I didn't want to be asking stupid questions. If I remember correctly it was in the thread about knife pairs a few (3-5) weeks ago.
Just thought I'd mention it that you have posted a pair with different master blades before but I didn't mention it when I saw it. Next time I will.

TPK wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:49 pm Hi Q. I don't know if it was these two knives or two other knives that you posted somewhere else but I noticed a difference in the profile of the master clip blades just like you have here by these. I was going to mention it to you at the time when I saw it but I just figured you knew it & I didn't want to be asking stupid questions. If I remember correctly it was in the thread about knife pairs a few (3-5) weeks ago.
Just thought I'd mention it that you have posted a pair with different master blades before but I didn't mention it when I saw it. Next time I will.

Tom, you may be thinking of these two 6207s from 1980 that I posted a few pages back in this same thread.

At the time I noticed the difference, I wasn't sure if one of the blades had been modified or if Case actually used two different clip blade sizes/profiles on 07s made in the same year. I had pretty much come to agree with Modern Slip Joints' conclusion that one of the blades had been modified because that was the only example of different master clip blades I had ever seen on a 07...until recently, that is, with the discovery of the different clip blades on my two USA era 6207s. So, now I'm just as befuddled as I was before. Guess the only way to know for certain would be to get the answer straight from the horse's mouth, i.e., contact the all-knowing Case Historian.