All About Pocket Knives

I have a 62032 with a 1992 tang stamp. But the S in case and USA is not a lightning s.
Is it a transition or a fake?

Oldechief wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:27 pm I have a 62032 with a 1992 tang stamp. But the S in case and USA is not a lightning s.
Is it a transition or a fake?

The “lightning S” denotes stainless steel blades. The normal, rounded S is CV (chrome vanadium) steel. It’s not a transition - Case began using that system in 1990 if I remember correctly. They started using the lightning S in the stamp in 1980 but at that time it was on all knives as part of the date code stamp. Then in 1990 or thereabouts they started using it to differentiate between steels.

Welcome to AAPK.

Ken

I think in terms of dating the lightning s only appears in knives made in the 80's. When the tang stamps changed in the 90's they started using the lightning s to denote stainless steel as opposed to carbon steel. If your knife is a 1992 it should be marked with that year. I believe it was 1994 when they returned to the dot system of dating.

BTW the system using a lightning S for stainless steel and standard S for CV steel is still used by Case today.

Ken

gsmith7158 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:09 am If your knife is a 1992 it should be marked with that year. I believe it was 1994 when they returned to the dot system of dating.

Actually, it was in 1993.

In 1993 Case started out stamping the numeric year on the tang, but before the year was out, they had gone back to the "dot" dating system.

Here are two Mini Trappers from 1993: the dark red one (DR6207) has the numeric date (so small it's hard to read, but it shows 1993), the gray appaloosa (A6207) has 7 dots:

Thanks to all! I am still learning every day!!
You folks are awesome. I am glad I joined.

Oldechief wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:59 am Thanks to all! I am still learning every day!!
You folks are awesome. I am glad I joined.

We're glad you joined too. A lot of very knowledgeable members on this site, but we're all learning new stuff all the time just like you, so you're in good company. Now, in order for you to "earn your keep" we hope you will favor us with some photos of your knives.
(You may have noticed that we really like pictures!)