All About Pocket Knives

This is a Case large congress with one tang stamped "CASE XX USA" and another stamped "CASE XX USA" with 10 dots. I'm wondering about the handles. Are these second cut stag or jigged bone. Some of the books suggest there was a CASE XX USA stag or second cut stag stamped 6488 rather than 5488. If you guys would take a look at it and provide some feedback I will really appreciate it.

I am not a Case expert, but it looks like bone to me.

Bone mate.

I believe it’s bone. Looks like it has Haversian canals - bone has them, stag doesn’t. Look up Haversian canals if you’re not familiar with them.

Ken

Handles appear to be jigged red bone. Looks like the back handle didn't take up enough dye.

Thanks for the responses and information. I’m posting a few knives on eBay this week - some I’ve enjoyed, polished, displayed, etc for more than 30 years. I had an old collectibles software with info on each knife but it crashed several years ago and I lost all my files. So I’m going on books and online descriptions - and your feedback - to make sure I post accurate info. I don’t want to overstate and have a buyer unhappy. Nor do I want to understate and lose the potential upside. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and I’ll likely have a few more on here asking you to take a look. Thanks again!

Thanks for the responses and information. I’m posting a few knives on eBay this week - some I’ve enjoyed, polished, displayed, etc for more than 30 years. I had an old collectibles software with info on each knife but it crashed several years ago and I lost all my files. So I’m going on books and online descriptions - and your feedback - to make sure I post accurate info. I don’t want to overstate and have a buyer unhappy. Nor do I want to understate and lose the potential upside. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and I’ll likely have a few more on here asking you to take a look. Thanks again!

Here's another indicator- 5 = stag, 6 = bone/Delrin.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Buzz Parker’s 2010 price guide gives a price for a 5488 2nd cut stag but stamped 6488. That’s what prompted me to question whether this one might possibly land there. But it seems clear from all who have responded that this one is. In fact, bone.

mdr2020 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 2:09 pm Thanks for taking the time to respond. Buzz Parker’s 2010 price guide gives a price for a 5488 2nd cut stag but stamped 6488. That’s what prompted me to question whether this one might possibly land there. But it seems clear from all who have responded that this one is. In fact, bone.

Very odd about the price guide.

mdr2020 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 2:09 pm Thanks for taking the time to respond. Buzz Parker’s 2010 price guide gives a price for a 5488 2nd cut stag but stamped 6488. That’s what prompted me to question whether this one might possibly land there. But it seems clear from all who have responded that this one is. In fact, bone.

The posted knife has bone handles. Second cut stag has different jigging than bone as well as different coloring.

There are indeed some second cut stag knives that will have the "6" handle number as well as second cut stag knives that have the "5" handle number.

Case used second cut stag as a handle material on both bone and stag handled knives.

The "bone" second cut stag slabs were dyed differently.

Whereas the "stag" second cut stag slabs were dyed with a yellow/golden color dye, the "bone" second cut stag slabs were dyed with a wine-colored dye.

So both versions are correct; however the OP knife is neither version.

Thanks for the info, Steve.