All About Pocket Knives

What's up with this picture in our Reseach section for Case knife tang stamps? A new member had a question, but I think this picture is confusing-

Other than looking like the long tailed "C" was hand drawn, what’s confusing about it?

Here’s a photo of a 1993 tang stamp for comparison:

The pic John posted does have a more arched look and the lighting “s” isn’t shown. For those who don’t read descriptions or know what stamps typically look like it would be extra confusing.

C-WADE7 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 28, 2026 2:36 pm The pic John posted does have a more arched look and the lighting “s” isn’t shown. For those who don’t read descriptions or know what stamps typically look like it would be extra confusing.

Yes, it doesn't look accurate to me. Wondering if someone could add a better one?

Lightning is mispelled.......amateur all around.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:08 pm Lightning is mispelled.......amateur all around.

Good catch, Ike. I was more focused on the picture.

These diagrams look a little better. Of course, some stamps will have the lightning S and some will have the standard S depending on the blade steel (Stainless vs Carbon).

Nearly all tang stamp charts are drawings - so-called “artist renderings”. Actual tang stamps often vary from those drawings, which is why it is dangerous to closely compare them, as many try to do. And then question the authenticity of a stamp because it doesn’t look exactly like the drawing in a chart.

All of the Case stamps since 1993 having the curved or long-tailed C confuse me. I find it easier to determine the stamp’s age from the position of the dots (or combination of dots and X’s). Some (1993-1999) have dots only, some have dots and X’s (2000-2009 the order of the dots and X’s are different from 2010-2019). To me at least it’s easier to differentiate the dots and X’s on an actual stamp on a knife, than trying to differentiate the curved C. JMO, YMMV.

The failure of most Case charts, including those on the Case web site, to explain the lightning S (stainless steel) vs standard S (carbon steel) confuses as many or more novice collectors than anything else. With about 50 years of date code schemes in place across various cutleries, it’s getting challenging to come up with new codes.

Ken

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 28, 2026 4:42 pm These diagrams look a little better. Of course, some stamps will have the lightning S and some will have the standard S depending on the blade steel (Stainless vs Carbon).


Screenshot 2026-01-28 113930.png

Those look very good. And maybe one of each "S" with and explanation as Ken suggested.