All About Pocket Knives

I've kind of developed an infatuation with WR Case and Sons Chestnut Bone CV knives. It was an accident, since the Chestnut Bone is my favorite handle color from Case, and I'm also a big fan of the CV steel, even compared to 1095 which is much more common of course.

Anyway, while in the process of picking up several of these as users it became apparent that this handle/steel configuration is hard to find, much more so than CV knives with Amber Bone or Bone Stag which to my knowlege are the only other offerings in CV, not counting yellow composite. As far as I can tell they've been making CV knives with the Chestnut handles since at least 1997, and right up through 2005. However I've never understood why they seem so hard to find compared to the aforementioned amber bone and bone stag.

If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd be very interested. Of course I'm probably the only one, so it would be more in the nature of a personal favor instead of a contribution to the board as a whole.

And just to get the Case purists riled up, I'm contemplating something bordering on sacrilege, which is collecting (i.e. not using) Case chestnut bone knives with CV, the ultimate users steel. I've got three users already and the one that came in todays mail is going into the drawer with the other queens. I'm so hooked on this configuration that I intend to pick up several more and put them away.

If any of the Case knuts happen to know anything more about these off the top of your head, I'd sure appreciate the benefit of your knowlege.

Thanks!

Jim

I'm with ya here, I have 3 chestnut bone CV's from the 1990's.

6254 Trapper
6375 Jumbo Stockman
6292 Large Texas Jack

All are mint, ad I plan on keeping the 75 and 54 patterns, the 92 pattern I have tried to sell a few times since I am not real big on that pattern.

The Chestnut Bone is nice looking!

The bone color that Case refers to as "Chestnut Bone" was only produced for a four-year period....1996-1999. It was used on both SS and CV patterns. In the year 2000, Case replaced the use of Chesnut Bone with Amber Bone. Amber Bone knives are still in production.

Remember that Case changed the shield design in 2000 as well, so any Chestnut Bone knife that you find will have the older CASE XX oval shield. I myself like that older shield and the Chestnut bone better than the current shield and amber bone.

Knifeaholic,

It is good to see you weighing in here. Your opinion is valued.

Bill

I could not agree more on this one. I like the chestnut color better than almost all of Case's more recent dye colors. I do like autumn bone just a little better myself , and maybe bubba gum (kidding).

I don't have many of them, but my dad has quite a few. I'll have to see what he has in CV. Maybe I can talk him into letting me put them up for sale...

Bryan

knifeaholic wrote:The bone color that Case refers to as "Chestnut Bone" was only produced for a four-year period....1996-1999. It was used on both SS and CV patterns. In the year 2000, Case replaced the use of Chesnut Bone with Amber Bone. Amber Bone knives are still in production.

Remember that Case changed the shield design in 2000 as well, so any Chestnut Bone knife that you find will have the older CASE XX oval shield. I myself like that older shield and the Chestnut bone better than the current shield and amber bone.

Knifeaholic, thank you very much. However this illustrates why I'm so confused. I have three chestnut bone CV's that have the current, i.e. post 2000 age markings on the tang consisting of stars and dots. Two have five stars and five dots which make them from the year 2000 I believe. The other has five stars only which I believe makes it a 2005.
The fourth, has the shield from the nineties (CASE XX) and two dots which makes it a 1998.

And of course they all have CV not SS on the blade tang with the pattern number.

I fully realize that I'm going to have to post some pics. I'll try to do so tomorrow.

Thanks for the responses, guys!

Jim

Edited to pose a theory: Year 2000 and after are all SFO's? On vintageknives.com they have a 2005 chestnut CV copperhead which they indicate is an SFO. This would explain the relative scarceness of these, and reconcile what I've seen with knifeaholics explanation.

Here is a 2000 6207 SS mini trapper in Chestnut bone. I also have a 2000 Hobo, and a 2000 Copperlock. I've seen several other 2000s, but none after that that aren't SFO, or Case Brothers, or some other "special run" of some sort.

I have a Shepherd of the hills flier somewhere around here from 2000 that has Chestnut bone handled knives in there on closeout. If I can dig that up, it might say something about them being discontinued, and when exactly. I'll get to searching as soon as I get a few minutes... ...Actually, looking around at my clutter, it might be a few hours..

Bryan

Well these things can be puzzling....I thought that the change was made starting in 2000, but it could have been later.....I guess a review of Case catalogs would answer the question...and I am talking about standard product knives, the SFO's are impossible to keep track of.

But....they definitely do not offer standard product in Chestnut Bone now, and have not for at least the last 3-4 years. It has all been replaced by the Amber Bone.

Hey Jim,

I thought you might be interrested in seeing the lineup of Case Chestnut bone knives in 2000. This is a scan of the 2000 Catalog. They are absent in the 2001 catalogs on, so as usual... and as expected... knifeaholic is right on about them being out of regular production in exchange for amber bone for several years now (2000 was the last year to be exact)...

Bryan

Bryan;

Thanks for posting those pages.....I guess that I was close to being correct, just off by one year.....so the Chestnut Bone models were made for one year with the "new" shields.

Case changes things very frequently now, so the annual catalogs are the best way to determine what was made when.

Once again following you boys around reading up on your posts proves to be an interesting hobby itself. And, once again, I'm pickin up some cool info. Thanks Gentlemen!

Thanks Bryan!

That certainly explains my two ten dots with the new shield.

I do however have a five dot Copperhead from 2005. Would it therefore be the logical assumption that this and any other 2005's (and I've seen some advertised) are SFO's? That's my guess at this point.

I've ordered the 2006 Case catalog, and I'm going to make a habit of doing that in the future since you and knifeaholic have demonstrated that's the best way to keep track of these things.

Thanks again!

Jim

P.S. Evidently in 2006 they are doing several patterns in CV and red bone. I was hopeful that red bone was chestnut bone under a different name, but I've seen the pictures and it's not. It's also not has handsome in my opinion.

Longbeachbum;

I can answer your questions now....

Your 2005 6249 was definitely an SFO......the 6249 has not been a standard product Case offering since it was discontinued in 1991. Although like you noticed they are bringing it back this year. And I do remmeber seeing that 6249 SFO menationed on the "other" forums.

I do not know if the 6249 SFO that you have was supposed to be red bone or chestnut bone, but I can tell you that even though Chestnut bone is generally "brown"....I have seen a number of them form the 1996-2001 years where the "Chestnut" color looks a lot more red....a nice deep red bone color not like the pinkish color you see on the red bone pocket worn knives.

Thanks again Knifeaholic.

Yes I agree about the deep rich reddish quality of the Chestnut bone, which is what makes it so handsome. Red bone is definitely not the same thing.

My SFO 2005 Copperhead says Chestnut on the box but it is more "red" than the standard offering chestnut Cases I have from the 90's and 2000.

Well this has been quite an education on this esoteric subject.

Regards,

Jim