Old case knife ID

[Leo7504]

Can anyone identify this old Case pocketknife which appears to have a pre 1920 stamp? The main blade is only. 2 1/4 in long. You can barely read CASE on the shield. Not sure what the pattern is.

[Mumbleypeg]

Master blade looks short/re-profiled. Case made several two-blade jacks, need the closed length to determine which pattern. Measure carefully - some varied very little in length.

Ken

[treefarmer]

Leo7504,
Closed length would be good to know. If it's 3 1/2", the knife frame and handles would probably a 6207. Ain't sure about the blades due to the following observations:
What bothers me is there seems not to be a tang stamp on the mark side of the clip blade that appears to be reprofiled. The pen blade has tang stamp on the pile side, which to me is something I'm not familiar with. (take that with a grain of salt, there are a lot of things I haven't seen) That blade generally has the pattern number on it in place of the stamp that is showing.
There is also something rather strange about the letter "E" that is stamped on that blade, it is a bit different, larger than the other letters in the stamp.
These are just my observations and I may be all wet in expressing what I am seeing.
Hopefully some of the more learned folks will soon comment on your knife.
Treefarmer

Mumblypeg posted while I was huntin' and peckin', he's one of the knowledgeable folks.

[Leo7504]

I posted a few more pics, it looks like it’s right at 3.5 inches long and on the main blade I see what looks like a WRCA, but the rest has been worn off.

[Mumbleypeg]

I’m guessing 62016-1/2. It’s not unusual to see all blades stamped on W.R. Case & Sons. I’d be interested to see what Tom (olderdogs1) and Steve (knifeaholic) and others think about it.

Ken

[Leo7504]

When I stand it on end to measure it’s a little short of 3 1/2 maybe 3 3/8. Does this make any difference?

[Leo7504]

[Leo7504]

Is this a common knife or does the older stamp make this a rarity? The handles appear to be very old pocket worn bone. The knife came in a box of items from the estate of a Judge who passed away in 2022, he was from Latrobe PA, born in 1938.

[Mumbleypeg]

The 16 pattern is listed as 3-1/2 or 3-3/8 inches depending on the reference book used.

IMHO any honest knife of that age is somewhat rare, some more so than others. The two-blade swell end jack is not generally a rare pattern, but just having survived over 100 years makes it not often seen.

Ken

[olderdogs1]

The 16 pattern is listed as 3-1/2 or 3-3/8 inches depending on the reference book used.

IMHO any honest knife of that age is somewhat rare, some more so than others. The two-blade swell end jack is not generally a rare pattern, but just having survived over 100 years makes it not often seen.

Ken

I think Ken is correct it is probably a 16 pattern. The W R Case & Sons Stamp would date it 1905-14 and all knives with this stamp are rare. With old knives however condition plays a large factor and of course your knife is not in good condition so the value will not be very high.

Tom

[Leo7504]

Thanks all for sharing your expertise. To have a Case knife that is over 100 years old, still in working condition, that was likely carried by the judge, sharpened and reprofiled over time and perhaps many an hour on the whetstone, still very sharp and usable, is something to treasure. It will go into my collection.

[rugmar]

I would have guessed it was a 14 pattern instead of a 16. I thought the 16 almost always had only 1 bolster. The 14 is 3-3/8 also.

[Mumbleypeg]

The 16 pattern typically has only 1 bolster. However the 016 has a cap bolster, hence the “0” in the pattern number. But you may be right, it could be a 14. As I said previously Case made several two blade jacks, some differing only slightly in length. Many folks today don’t realize that at one time in early 20th century Case made well over 200 pocket knife patterns.

Ken