Bought A Case XX That Needed Some Restoring Have A Look Let Me Know If You Know More.

[Ogien]

So in conclusion the over all knife is a vintage 72 with the blade above being a vintage 77, if I'm understanding things correctly.

I have to be honest, although I'm not bothered all that much by the replacement blade there is something to be said for all original. You guys have any idea if vintage replacement blades are available and would it be worth putting in the true replacement blade?

That's the pattern number of the knife for which that blade was intended. In this case, it appears to be an exact duplicate of the main blade in your knife, also a 64052 pattern (likely, anyway). Looks like vintage is the only difference, separated by one year.

BTW, you've done a nice job in re-handling that one. Those scale covers look good. :thumbup:


David

Thank you very much both for the info and the kind words about my scales. I'd like to see if I can perfect the layers of veneer method on future fixes on knives that need it. If anyone does try to do the same thing with veneer, remember that it's important to have a sliver of veneer sandwhiched between at least 2 layers of the larger veneer cut outs in order to accomplish that rounded shape that fits the contours of the knife.

 

[Modoc ED]

If there are 2 blades with the 'CASE XX', 'U.S.A' and dots, then it looks like it's been re-bladed at some point. Ordinarily, on an original build, there should only be one blade marked with the name/vintage tang stamp; normally it's the 'main' blade on the front side. If the other blade with 3 dots is marked otherwise identically, it's likely a 1977 blade. I'd think the patina wouldn't necessarily vary much, especially if one blade was replaced fairly early on in the knife's life (maybe a blade was broken). Might've been done quite a long time ago, and the age/wear/patina might've happened concurrently, since then.
David

I don't think the knife has been rebladed David.

Case treats both the large Sheepfoot blade and the large Spear blade (main blades) as master blades on their Congress patterns. That's why both blades have the same "Case Tang Stamp" on each blade. It's not unknow for one blade to have been from earlier or later stock than the other blade. So, in the case of this knife, it is possible that one blade be from 1978 (2-dot)and the other blade be from 1977 (3-dot).

Here are three pictures of one of my Congress 6488s. Note that both main blades (same knife) are marked with identical tang stamps. Now, both of the main blades on this knife have the same number of dots (8-dots; 1972 manufacture) but as I said above; I have seen them with different dated blades on the same knife.

 

[Ogien]

I don't think the knife has been rebladed David.

Case treats both the large Sheepfoot blade and the large Spear blade as master blades on their Congress patterns. That's why both blades have the same "Case Tang Stamp" on each blade. It's not unknow for one blade to have been from earlier or later stock than the other blade. So, in the case of this knife, it is possible that one blade be from 1978 (2-dot)and the other blade be from 1977 (3-dot).

Just learned something new again. In all honesty although that blade does fit a bit "odd" when all are in the closed position it's not something that is overtly out of place.

Here's another thing I just noticed, the stamp on one blade is facing the opposite direction of the secondary stamped blade. Does that make it unusual in the least or is this also acceptable in the way Case produced their knives?

Thanks Modoc ED, that answers the question about the stamps facing opposite directions. If you look at the pictures I posted you can see in the first picture the stamped blade

And if you look closely the more spear like blade in the above picture has a stamp on the back with a number and facing the opposit direction that same blade has the second stamp facing the opposite direction.

 

[Modoc ED]

I'd have to see exactly what you're talking about but it seems normal to me. The only oddity about your knife is that it has one blade with two dots and one blade with three dots but in my mind, the poor conditipm of your knife over rides any added value the differently dotted blades would have made. Please, when I say poor condition as relates to your knife, I am not knocking your knife. It's really quite nice but as far as the condition of the knife, I'd call it poor - errrrrrrrrrrr, maybe average.

 

[Ogien]

I'd have to see exactly what you're talking about but it seems normal to me. The only oddity about your knife is that it has one blade with two dots and one blade with three dots but in my mind, the poor conditipm of your knife over rides any added value the differently dotted blades would have made. Please, when I say poor condition as relates to your knife, I am not knocking your knife. It's really quite nice but as far as the condition of the knife, I'd call it poor - errrrrrrrrrrr, maybe average.

Oh no, no worries, I understand perfectly well. The knife has had it's share of use and it's own history prior to coming into my posession. The "Dot Mystery" does intrigue me though and I'd love to eventually figure out why one blade has 2 dots and the other 3. Maybe it was made towards the end of one years production run and the start of the next? Who knows but it's an interesting mystery, at least to me.

As for condition, there's no way to hide the fact that there is more than just patina going on here, there is some pitting and the scales were manufactured by me so that takes away value for not being original. Just out of curiousity, how much would you expect this same vintage knife, without the dot mystery and with original scales in good condition to go for on the market? I'm only curious as I'm not planning on selling this one, it's very personalized to me by virtue of the first set of scales I'd ever made and the fact that it has a mystery attached to it.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks Ed.

The thought crossed my mind, as I was posting earlier, that the sometimes perfect symmetry (front-to-back, and sometimes end-to-end with identically-paired blades) of the Congress patterns makes them seem/feel as two knives in one. It sort of makes sense, therefore, that having two 'mains' in the pattern wouldn't be so odd, in this example. Thanks for the insight. :thumbup:


David

I don't think the knife has been rebladed David.

Case treats both the large Sheepfoot blade and the large Spear blade (main blades) as master blades on their Congress patterns. That's why both blades have the same "Case Tang Stamp" on each blade. It's not unknow for one blade to have been from earlier or later stock than the other blade. So, in the case of this knife, it is possible that one blade be from 1978 (2-dot)and the other blade be from 1977 (3-dot).

Here are three pictures of one of my Congress 6488s. Note that both main blades (same knife) are marked with identical tang stamps. Now, both of the main blades on this knife have the same number of dots (8-dots; 1972 manufacture) but as I said above; I have seen them with different dated blades on the same knife.

 

[Brian.Evans]

You need one of these to repin scales without taking everything apart.

The steel thing, not the little monster rubbing Fruit Loops into dad's tooling. Dang fruit loops play heck with a surface finish. Hahaha

Here's a better look. It's called a cutler's stiddy, or steady rest. The skinny part slides into the blade well and gives you a place to peen against to peen the cover pins down.

Good job on the cover replacement. Now do another one, and another, and another, and..........
Watch out, pretty soon you'll be neck deep and wanting to dive further. It's addicting.