All About Pocket Knives

What year did case make its first stainless blade knives?

johnnierotten wrote:What year did case make its first stainless blade knives?

Case offered stainless steel pocketknives in the 1920's or possibly a few years earlier - post WWI era. Some of these early ones may have been made on contract by other firms. There were very few patterns offered and they are pretty rare. Most of these seem to have disappeared by the time the Case Tested era catalog was issued circa 1938, other than the fishermans knife patterns.

In the post-WWII era, CASE XX stamping, a few SS patterns were added to the standard product line, including a number of smaller gents type knives, the fisherman and fly fisherman, and the 6347SS and 5347SS stockman patterns.

Hi;
SS invented in 1914.

What type of case are you wondering about. As a guess I think kitchen types probably in the 30's. Military in the 40's. Who knows about folders maybe some experiments as early as 1920 but most likely in the 30's.
These are all wags as I have nothing that says. I betting knifeaholic can give a better answer.
wb

PS whoops we were typing at same time

I didn't realize Case made SS knives before WWII. I guess I was a few decades off!!
Thanks for all the info!!!

I am surprised that CASE did not use more stainless steel blades during the period between the wars and even shortly after WWII. Does anyone (PA et al. ) have an early one to show us? I am intrigued. s-k