Thanks for your help gentleman,and yes the birthcard did say bg42.
If that is the case, then it appears the original BG42 blade was replaced with an S30V blade (the "S" mark). This can happen intentionally or due to a warranty issue. CR knives have lifetime warranties, but they always replace older parts with current materials as a practice.
Any of the following could be a possibility:
- Out of spec lock up (warranty)
- Thumbstud replacement cracked the original blade (warranty)
- Irreparable damage done during a blade refurbishment (warranty)
- The birthcard was swapped either intentionally or accidentally
- The previous owner changed the blades intentionally (part swapping is not unheard of )
- Near the blade steel changeover date in early 2002, CRK made a stamping mistake at the factory (doubtful but as often pointed out, everyone's human) -
BTW - what's the date on the card?
Any of these issues (except perhaps the last) should have been noted by the seller before you bought the knife. I'd backtrace the knife previous ownership with a few direct questions myself.