All About Pocket Knives

I am trying to get information on a knife that I bought a few weeks ago. There is very little to go on so I thought some of the forum participants might be able to steer me in the right direction. Here are some pictures. It clearly shows the "6151L" on the tang but no other information. It looks like a very old Case but you never know. Can anyone help identify this? Thanks for your help

This is not a Case pattern that I am familiar with at all., but I'll include some info from the AAPK ... drop down info on Case knives. The 6 should designate a bone handle on a Case knife and yours has wooden handles ? Maybe it was rehandled at some point ?

Anyway here is what I found out : " Pattern # 51

This number has been used on more than one pattern.

The oldest version of this pattern number is a 3 7/8" lock-back knife that has a single clip blade. This version dates back to sometime prior to1915.

Case also assigned this pattern number to their first version of what is known as a hobo. They are 5 1/4 " knives that have clip master blades along with fork secondary blades. The knives split apart to be used together as utensils. Case started making them sometime prior to 1915. "

Thanks for the information. This knife looks suspiciously like the other "banana" knives from Case that also have the 6151L designation but I've never seen one with the wooden handles. If the wood is a replacement, it was done with especially good workmanship. The dimensions of this knife are almost dead on to those Case knives with the exception of some very subtle differences in the blade.

Did Case ever produce knives without the Case name either on the tang or on a shield?

I wanted to mention that the lockblade release is located halfway up the back of the knife and sticks out a little as you can see in the pictures. This knife appears very old and I'm wondering if it could be a very early example.

Thanks again.

JS

JS,
Your knife was made prior to 1920, and if it shows any tang stamp at all it should be W. R. Case or Case Bradford, they generally had pattern numbers. This knife was made for a short period of time in the Tested era, but wouldn't have had a pattern number. Your knife should have bone handles and the wooden re-handle is obvious - the notch for the lockback is missing (if you look at the liners where the lock lever and the back spring meet you will note the relief in the metal liners I am talking about), no handle pins, etc. The lock release sits up too high, probably as a result of the re-pin job using a nail. To answer a couple of your questions, the knife should have a tang stamp or the remnants of one, and I have seen this knife without a shield when handled in the older worm grooved bone.