Any Case experts that can help me ID some Trappers?

E

emarkd

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May 22, 2009
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So I've got a somewhat sizeable collection of Case knives from years past but I haven't touched them much in quite a while. I got them out the other day and now I can't remember what some of them are. I really should have kept better records. Can anyone help with some ID's:



These are my exotics. I remember the Red Coral, Blue Lapis and Orange Spiny Oyster handles, but I can't remember what they called that gold/pyrite looking stuff that's 3rd down. Its stamped EX254, like all the exotics, and is dated 2004. I tried to Google around but failed.
Finally hit on the right Google combination and answered this one. This handle material was called Apache Gold. Thanks to Vayu for giving me the clue I needed to find it.


This is a matching set of serial numbered knives from 1994. They're all serial numbered 108 with different handle treatments. What are these guys?
ID'd! This is a matching set of Trappers from the "Missing Dots" releases in 1994. Thanks to Knifeswapper!


Another matching serial numbered set, this one from 1981. They're composite (plastic) handles, one black and one white. The black knife has pattern 2254 on the secondary blade. The white one is stamped 4254. Both have serial number 0661 engraved in their bolsters. I have no idea what they are.

Thanks in advance!

PS: If anyone wants to look, here's my whole collection.
 
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All of these trappers would be in the basic '54 (large trapper) pattern.

The exotics in the first pic are probably customized (re-handled) versions of the 6254 SS pattern (assuming stainless). Handles weren't likely done by Case themselves. The pattern numbers should be seen on the tang of the spey blade, if I recall. For the specific handle materials, you might look up the web site for Santa Fe Stoneworks; they've done a lot of this type of aftermarket customization on factory knives from Case, Buck, Kershaw and others.

Also look for the pattern numbers on the other knives, in same location. From what I see in your 2nd pic, the jigged bone in the 2nd knife should be a 6254 (probably 'SS' there, also assuming stainless steel). The stag (3rd knife) would be a 5254 (SS?); and if the other two are wood-handles(?), those might be marked as 7254. Case used the '6' prefix for any bone-handled or any jigged materials; the '5' was always reserved for stag, and the '7' for smooth wood handles.

The synthetics in the 3rd pic should be '2254' (smooth black synthetic) and 3254 (smooth yellow synthetic). I'm assuming CV steel ('chrome vanadium', i.e. non-stainless), due to the apparent spotting/patina on the blades. In that vintage (1981), Case hadn't yet started indicating the CV steel in the tang mark. Later knives in the '90s started showing a 'CV' suffix to the pattern number stamp on the tangs.

Very nice group of knives, BTW. :thumbup:


David
 
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Thanks for your reply David. I think I worded my original post poorly. I know what the knives are generally, I'm just wondering what they are specifically.

I believe the exotics were factory Case issues. The pattern stamp is not 6254, its EX254, for exotic. In fact I think they still release knives in that line occasionally, but all of mine are at least a decade old. The gold/pyrite handle in question is dated 2004.

And for the other two images, I guess what I was asking is, why are they special? Why are these different from just regular issue Trappers? Why did Case release those groups in serial numbered sets? Were they a commemorative of some sort or what?

If this was 2004 instead of 2014 I'd have a Parker Guide or one of Sargent's books handy and would just look it up. But its been a *looonng* time since I had one of those. I don't even know if those sorts of guides are still published.
 
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Can't remember on the top/bottom.

The second group might be the "Lost Dots" set.
 
Hey, you're right! Thanks! Those are the Trappers from the Missing Dot sets! I just counted the dots on one and assumed they were all the same, but they're not. I pulled them out to count and they're really stamped 90-93, even though they were all actually produced in 1994.

Geez my memory is getting bad...
 
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Thanks Vayu, you were right. The material in the highlight strips is Gold Lip Mother of Pearl. Adding that into my other Google searching I was finally able to stumble onto the right knife. Case called this release "Apache Gold". The main body of the handles is a mineral matrix that's apparently mined from the Little Daisy Pit Mine near Jerome Arizona, a spot that has been mined by the Native Americans in the area for centuries. Its not pyrite as I has originally suspected but is in fact real gold veins in a matrix of silver and copper sulfides.
 
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