Case knife date

[CLEARY BUCKLEY]

Hello,
I have a green bone Case canoe knife #08974 that I inherited from my father. The tang stamp with 5 dots and 5 X's appears to be for year 2000...but the thing is that my dad died in 1995, (or maybe 1996, I know I should know this by heart.) Did they apply the stamp earlier than 2000?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm confused.
Thanks for your help.

 

[pinnah]

I'll bet the guys in the Traditional forum will be able to answer this for you.

 

[mtngunr]

they separated dots and dashes in different manners, as well as arrangements, to differentiate decades. You are off a decade or two, would be my guess. I keep forgetting the dating schemes as I date my handful of older ones and then never look again.
https://www.allaboutpocketknives.co...eference-guide/case-knife-age-identification/
I really would like to see what you are calling dots and x's considering you seem quite certain it predates 2000...

 

[CLEARY BUCKLEY]

I'm not sure how to add a photo to this thread. I've been wracking my brain about whether this knife could have been added to the collection after my dad died, but I really think it w there when he died. The mark looks like this knife: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CASE-XX-US...YEAAOSwYm5a29OJ:sc:USPSFirstClass!90210!US!-1 But mine is a jigged green bone handle.

 

[mtngunr]

well, if it is *x*x* up top, and below trade name, as the link i posted above shows, there really is no way for it to be earlier, unless your dad was a super slueth collector who obtained a rare prototype....
Which IS remote possibility, but, only that...and will take looking on your part to determine if such even exists.