All About Pocket Knives

Most everybody likes yellow trappers, and when I bought two of them lately I had a lot of fun looking at them and studying them. I was struck by how similar these two yellow trappers are, but there are some subtle differences. Both knives are recent vintage - the one on the left is from 2008, the other from 2009. Take a look and see if you can identify these knives from the pictures - I'll post more in a little while that will will make things perfectly clear.

Sure can the one on the left in the top and on the bottom in the other two is a CASE but don't know about the other?

Bighead, you're absolutely right about that. Case 3254 CV, vintage 2008.

The other is a BEAR MGC

Useem, you're a good reader of knives. Bear & Son 4th Generation, 2009.

The old hands on the counterfeit board always say "read the knife, not the stamp." Having these two almost identical knives was an opportunity for me to start learning how to read the knife, not the stamp. I noticed that the Case had a bevel on the upper bolster, whereas the other knife was square. The lower bolster shapes were different as well. The blades were slightly different, and the nail nick on the Case was farther out toward the end of the blade. I'm sure to Bighead and other long-time collectors all these things were easily apparent and said "Case Trapper" in no uncertain terms, but I never would have noticed them without the other knife to compare.

Even with the minor differences, I find the two knives remarkably similar. I think that is because the other knife is made by a company that respects the Case heritage and knows a good model when it sees it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.