All About Pocket Knives

Earlier today I traded some old coins for this Case XX USA 6265SAB Sailor knife with case and marlin spike. One thing concerns me a bit. The blades do not open as smoothly as I would expect. The knife has never been sharpened or used but there are some small marks on the bolster that I suspect happened over the years as the knife was perhaps carried in the sheath. My question, of course, is: does it appear to be authentic? I'm not too concerned as the coins were worth no more than about $100 and I'm not into coins.

Far from being a Case expert but it looks really good to me. I had a chance to buy one of those about 40 years ago but the guy wanted $100 for it then!

Nice looking set and not an easy one to find. Have you tried a little oil in the joints? Those knives have heavy springs and if the joints get dry they can start to drag.

Wayne

Looks good to me. I can't tell if it is bone or wood but if it s bone that makes it pretty rare USA knife. Wayne is right on the oil. I would bet it snaps smooth after that!

Tom

It is bone. And I did oil it and you are right, that did improve the action of the blades. I'm thinking in the last 40+ years this knife has spent a lot of time just sitting in the sheath unused and the springs got very dry and the friction between them and the scales got so the action was less than smooth. I got it from a flea market guy who bought it and some others at an auction with me in mind. I'm a knife guy and he specializes in old coins, so a trade was in the wind. Also got a nice trapper from the 1980's and a mint peanut still in the package. But the two of them together aren't worth a fraction of this Sailor model. I really like it.

I'm looking at that set in a old Advertisements that Case had out in that year and they call that set a "Mariner's Knife set" and yours looks to be a perfect mach. It was a very good find I would say, and a good deal.
Note for ya. The ones made in 1964 and 1965 are done in Lam wood handles, so if yours is bone it was made before then from what I have just looked up.

That's interesting, Knifetime. Houston Price's "Collector Knives" Lists this knife in bone, saber ground, and drilled as being made in 1965 and 1966. I don't think it would have been made before 1965 because it has the U.S.A. stamped under CASE XX. What was your reference?
Dave

First number being 6 is bone unless delrin, which should be easy to tell. Tang stamp 1965 to 1969.

The "6" was also used on Pakkawood Folding Hunters.

pocketkeeper wrote:That's interesting, Knifetime. Houston Price's "Collector Knives" Lists this knife in bone, saber ground, and drilled as being made in 1965 and 1966. I don't think it would have been made before 1965 because it has the U.S.A. stamped under CASE XX. What was your reference?
Dave

I have found other bone knives in the same year's also after looking in another book. I hope I did not confuse things.
The first reference came from "Big Book Of Pocket Knives" I believe I just read it wrong, it ment they also made them in wood in the 64 and 65.
And they did use 6 for the lam wood also,I have one marked like that,I hope I did not confuse things to much.

The handles on the original posted knife are pakkawood.

The 6265 SAB in the CASE XX USA stamp is extremely rare in bone handles.

Bone handle versions with the USA stamp will only be found in the older "XX frame" with no lanyard hole and a larger upper bolster. The posted knife is the newer "USA" frame.

It looked like wood to me too.

Dickens wrote:The "6" was also used on Pakkawood Folding Hunters.

Sorry I had forgotten that.

Wasn't that jigged pakawood used on both the folding hunters and the e-toe knives at one time ?

philco wrote:Wasn't that jigged pakawood used on both the folding hunters and the e-toe knives at one time ?

Yes, 6165, 6265, C61050, 6250, 6217. Also later the 61051 L SSP lockback.

Case still uses pakkawood on the standard catalog version of the 6265 folding hunter.

I,m confused . This knife looks like a hunter knife with a marlin spike. I can't see the relationship. I can see the need for the spike with a mariners knife or a riggers knife. Why is this knife, called a sailors knife?

Huck Finn wrote:I,m confused . This knife looks like a hunter knife with a marlin spike. I can't see the relationship. I can see the need for the spike with a mariners knife or a riggers knife. Why is this knife, called a sailors knife?

There was a version of this knife that featured a serrated secondary blade called the Bill Boatman Special.I'm not sure but that may have been the knife originally intended for this set.

The add I have shows a knife just like that one"no serrated blade" and it is listed as a sailor knife,why I have no idea but that is what they called it. I'm sure you are right,they made both but that set is just as it shows in the old advertising.