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Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:13 pm
by 1967redrider
I picked this knife up at auction and took it with me to the SMKW Knife Swap back in September. I was told by a seller there that the knife does not have the original stag handles and that it must have been rehandled at some point.

Reading more about Case knives, one book (not sure which one now) said that when knives were sent back to Case to be rehandled, they would not use the same handle material so as not to cause confusion or mislead collectors.

Since this was an auction purchase, I did not pay anywhere close to collector's book value for this knife so either way it doesn't matter to me. I'm still glad I was able to find a Case Tested knife with such nice blades, don't plan on selling it and realize the worth of anything depends on the price someone else is willing to pay regardless of what a book says.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I apologize for the quality of the pictures. All I have right now is my cell phone camera. Your thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:32 am
by knifeaholic
To me the handles do not look original from those photos but I would have to see the knife in person to give a 100% opinion. The back handle in particular looks suspicious. Whatever someone told you about factory repairs is not correct, Case would use stag on a stag handled knife, bone on a bone handled knife, etc.

The main blade and the spay blade look to be correct but that third blade is not. That blade would have originally been either a pen blade or a punch blade but that blade is neither - looks like a larger spay blade that came from a different pattern or perhaps a different brand knife.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:43 pm
by 1967redrider
I meant to mention that about the 3rd blade, looks like an odd shape for a Case blade. The stag handle on the back reminds me of the stag used on the Razor Edge and Blue Scroll 47s I have, from the late '70s. If someone did "make" this Frankenknife they did a good job of putting it back together correctly.

This knife came out of an estate auction in Winchester, KY which featured just under 100 vintage knives. I picked up 7 other knives but none of the rest appear odd or to have been reworked.

Thanks for the info! ::tu::

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:52 pm
by robinetn
That 3rd blade may possibly be a very badly worn sheep foot blade ??

Bob

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:56 pm
by knifeaholic
robinetn wrote:That 3rd blade may possibly be a very badly worn sheep foot blade ??

Bob
Possibly but its in the wrong position so still a replacement.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:10 pm
by robinetn
knifeaholic wrote:
robinetn wrote:That 3rd blade may possibly be a very badly worn sheep foot blade ??

Bob
Possibly but its in the wrong position so still a replacement.
You're right , I guess that I was thinking about the "J" pattern . :oops:

Bob

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:10 pm
by stockman
On Case tested era knives when they needed handles replaced, they most always used pearl and stag as they usually had no pattern number. It is real hard to get green bone or make
the yellow look close.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 6:44 pm
by knifeaholic
stockman wrote:On Case tested era knives when they needed handles replaced, they most always used pearl and stag as they usually had no pattern number. It is real hard to get green bone or make
the yellow look close.
I agree with you if what you mean is that counterfeiters would do that.

Counterfeiters in the 1970s often took current Case pocketknives and changed the handles to stag or pearl and put on an older stamping...XX, Tested, or WR Case.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:15 pm
by 1967redrider
1967redrider wrote:If someone did "make" this Frankenknife they did a good job of putting it back together correctly.

Guess I should have said "soundly" instead of "correctly." It has great snap and no blade wobble whatsoever.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:49 am
by stockman
knifeaholic wrote:
stockman wrote:On Case tested era knives when they needed handles replaced, they most always used pearl and stag as they usually had no pattern number. It is real hard to get green bone or make
the yellow look close.
I agree with you if what you mean is that counterfeiters would do that.

Counterfeiters in the 1970s often took current Case pocketknives and changed the handles to stag or pearl and put on an older stamping...XX, Tested, or WR Case.
That is part of what I was saying. Also when a old tested started to gas, they would pop the handles off and, presto change-o it would have new stag or pearl. No pattern # to worry
about. Happened on ones that had badly damaged scales. Seen counterfeits and know
who some of the counterfeiters are.This is a very common practice. Nice old Case Green bone
is harder to find.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:06 am
by 1967redrider
Here are a few better pictures of the stag Case Tested -47 pattern knife, hopefully the only questionable knife I own. Also took some pictures of it next to a Razor Edge 1976, a Blue Scroll 1977, a rough black Case XX (with probably a tipped and re-shaped punch) and a cattleman -45 1/2 for comparison.

What do you think? ::shrug::

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:54 am
by MrBlister
Here one with a PU...

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:13 am
by 1967redrider
Thanks MrBlister! My punch is rolled on the back side so it has a little lip to it.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:02 pm
by paulsvintage
MR. blister i am looking at one now. does the punch have any marking ? thanks

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:07 pm
by MrBlister
The punch on MY 47 has nothing written on it.
It DOOO have swedged/tapered edges as seen in pic #1

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:15 pm
by MrBlister
The punch on my MINT 6318 TESTED - PU has the rolled single edge..
And nothing written on it

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:03 pm
by 1967redrider
Sweet knife MrBilster! ::tu::

From your pictures I'd say that about half of the punch on my rough black is missing. The rest of it is far from mint, I picked it up because of the handle material. Didn't have any rough black at the time and it was cheap.

Re: Case Tested 5347 Rehandled???

Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:17 am
by paulsvintage
MrBlister wrote:The punch on my MINT 6318 TESTED - PU has the rolled single edge..
And nothing written on it
:) thanks Mr. Blister