Case Folding Hunter I.D.

t1mpani · Mar 15, 2015

A friend of mine found this recently in a yard sale---obviously, it's a Case and a Folding Hunter, but he was wondering if there was any way to tell approximately when it was made. I figured yáll would know better than me, so here it is:

In case you're having trouble making out the stamping, it says CASE XX with USA underneath it on one side of the clip blade, and then 6265-SAB on the other side. As far as I can tell from various resources, with the carbon steel blades and wooden handle, that would put this knife in the early to mid 1970s, and in this condition, probably not worth enough to not just sharpen it and enjoy using it. Am I correct?
My thanks in advance for your time!
Warren

screened porch · Mar 15, 2015

I'd say it's a user. Nice. Any dots under the USA? If not I think it's latter 60s, but you can google Case tang stamps and check.

t1mpani · Mar 15, 2015

No dots--and, according to a new list I found it looks like with wood and this stamp that this would be 1970, so it split the difference between our estimates.

Yeah, I'll just put some nice new edges on it for him and put it back to work. Once I got the rust scrubbed out of the inside, the action went from very gritty to smooth as butter, and though it doesn't really have a whole lot of "walk and talk" it engages all of its notches positively. I don't do yard sales much, and when I do, I never find cool knives like this.

Primble · Mar 15, 2015

t1mpani said:
No dots--and, according to a new list I found it looks like with wood and this stamp that this would be 1970, so it split the difference between our estimates.
Yeah, I'll just put some nice new edges on it for him and put it back to work. Once I got the rust scrubbed out of the inside, the action went from very gritty to smooth as butter, and though it doesn't really have a whole lot of "walk and talk" it engages all of its notches positively. I don't do yard sales much, and when I do, I never find cool knives like this.

If it were a 1970, it should have ten dots. Please reveal this "new list" you found that makes it a 1970.

rma100 · Mar 15, 2015

Case XX USA No Dots circa 1965 to 1969

cilohaefink · Mar 15, 2015

The shield has no oval around CASE. This is the so-called "composition" shield used on all knives other than bone and stag handled knives starting in 1974. So the knife dates from 1974 to 1979. There are dots below the USA but they may be hard to see, especially given the condition of the blade.

Obsessed with Edges · Mar 15, 2015

cilohaefink said:
The shield has no oval around CASE. This is the so-called "composition" shield used on all knives other than bone and stag handled knives starting in 1974. So the knife dates from 1974 to 1979. There are dots below the USA but they may be hard to see, especially given the condition of the blade.

^Could be. Some of Case's knives will have dots obscured by the bolster, so they might be there. Easier to miss on knives with fewer dots left, as would be the case with a latter-'70s mark. Even harder to see, if there's any pitting on the ~~bolster~~ tang as well (edited).

I'm comparing OP's pictured knife to a '65-'69 6265 SAB I've got; the point mentioned about the oval around the CASE mark on the shield might be relevant too. My shield has the oval around the CASE mark, and the more deeply cut frame is a carry-over from the 'XX' era (1940-'64) version of the 6265 SAB, which likely dates mine to very nearly 1965, if what I've read is accurate...

David

cilohaefink · Mar 15, 2015

Obsessed with Edges said:
^Could be. Some of Case's knives will have dots obscured by the bolster, so they might be there. Easier to miss on knives with fewer dots left, as would be the case with a latter-'70s mark. Even harder to see, if there's any pitting on the bolster as well.

I'm comparing OP's pictured knife to a '65-'69 6265 SAB I've got; the point mentioned about the oval around the CASE mark on the shield might be relevant too. My shield has the oval around the CASE mark, and the more deeply cut frame is a carry-over from the 'XX' era (1940-'64) version of the 6265 SAB, which likely dates mine to very nearly 1965, if what I've read is accurate...

David

Yes, yours has the XX frame with the larger bolster at the blade end. That would make it an early USA stamped model 1965 era as you say.

The lack of the circle around Case is definitely relevant on the OP knife as it does date it to 74-79. That is without doubt, unless that shield is not original to the knife.

t1mpani · Mar 15, 2015

Primble said:
If it were a 1970, it should have ten dots. Please reveal this "new list" you found that makes it a 1970.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/price_guide/case/65/
Well, new to ME

This was where I was looking, and having looked a little harder I see 1974 mentioned as a possibility also, and will defer to y'all on that--which is, of course, why I chose to direct this question to the awesome folks on this forum.

Try as I might, I can't see any dots, but having seen a few of these apart where there were indeed markings under the bolster, I'm sure it's a possibility in this case.

In any event, however, it doesn't sound like--given the condition--there should be any issue with me slapping edges back onto this thing and giving it back to him; I won't be defacing a collectible.
Thanks guys!!!

Obsessed with Edges · Mar 15, 2015

cilohaefink said:
Yes, yours has the XX frame with the larger bolster at the blade end. That would make it an early USA stamped model 1965 era as you say.

The lack of the circle around Case is definitely relevant on the OP knife as it does date it to 74-79. That is without doubt, unless that shield is not original to the knife.

Thanks for that confirmation on the frame. :thumbup:

(Just realized I mentioned 'pitting on the bolster' making it difficult to see dots; should've written 'pitting on the tang' instead...)

David