Case Collecting

Joined
Feb 8, 2017
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186
So what are the sought-after pocketknives that Case has made?

I know the Case Bose series but there has to be others, like old ones or unique ones or well liked ones.

What kind of value do they hold?

Post pictures!
 
Get ready! You're going to get a 1000 different answers on this one!

It's all about personal preference. What model and/or handle material "speaks" to you? The one(s) that do becomes the one(s) you collect.
 
I like lots of Case knives, but I'm especially partial to a good 72.

Bulldogs, Buffaloes and Bosses especially, although I still need a Buffalo for my collection.
 
They are an extra-wide clasp-type folding hunter.

ETA: I am too dumb and lazy to figure out posting pics but there is a Bulldog on the cover of the Steve Pfeiffer book "Collecting Case Knives" which is an excellent reference for the Case collector.
 
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I like the Appaloosa bone Barlow pattern, top, and the old sawed bone Barlow in the middle. Case offers no Barlows now, so I suppose if Case and Barlows are your cup of tea old is desirable.

The red mini copperlock is still in production. It fits real nice in dress pants and has a usefully long blade.

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Older 6488 Congress patterns from the XX era (1940-1964) seem to spark a lot of interest when they are in good condition. Same goes for the 6345 pattern. There are many others.

Paul's comment above in post #3 is a good rule of thumb. The older the more collectible but of course, condition is a major factor. Choose a few patterns you like that were made in 1964 or earlier and then begin searching for those.

1970 10 Dot knives seem to attract some attention too depending on the pattern.
 
I think there were some Seahorse Whittlers made in ATS-34. That'd be my most sought after, not that I could afford one.
 
All of these knives are collectible - some more so than others. Some are quite valuable - some not so much.

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If you're going to start collecting knives, no matter the brand, you need to start reading. Get some good books on what you're interested in the most.
 
If you're going to start collecting knives, no matter the brand, you need to start reading. Get some good books on what you're interested in the most.

In my opinion, Ed has offered you the best possible advice here.

Speaking from one relatively new guy to another: Though the gracious folks here on the Porch can help steer you in the right direction, the onus is on you to do the research necessary that is pertinent to your interests. You will find that Google can become a close friend and that there are some great books that can shed even further light on your queries.

The traditional knife path is narrow, winding, and fraught with all sorts of exciting details and history. I have found it to be very rewarding, I hope that you can too.
 
I am in the collect what makes you smile camp. I like Case Swayback Gents. So I have 4 of them (so far). Value ? Well probably less than I spent.
But they make me happy, and cut nicely.

Here are 3/4. My Bonestag CV is MIA

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Man I like those yellow delrin Case's Ed. I have a sodbuster and stockman in smooth yellow delrin in fact they're in my pocket today and I just posted I picture of them in the "what are you toting today" thread but seeing yours sure makes me want to expand my collection. Since this is a thread on Case collecting and your post made me want to collect some more of these I'll post mine here too. This is a good example that for me and a whole lot more like me it's much more about what I like than value or potential value. Because truth is the majority of yellow Case knives don't have much monetary value or the potential for it.


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Know what you like. Collect what you like.

I like and collect Case knives from about 1972 and earlier. I try to get best that I can find.
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Caveat Emptor: There are lots of re-works/counterfeits out there. If you decide to collect older Case knives, you gotta do your homework...


about Case knives, specifically
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and pocket knives, generally
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This forum has a wealth of info... coupled with knife books and study, a collector is more likely to keep it between the ditches. ;)
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Whether something will hold its value or not depends on many variables, but bottom line: it'll be worth what someone is willing to pay. Study the market (which has its own variables).
 
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How do you determine which pocketknife is a "Case Classic"? and do they still produce them?
 
According to another knife site "Case Classics" are 37 patterns manufactured during the early to mid 90's, while Jim Parker was involved with Case. Apparently they were not all actually made by Case.
 
How do you determine which pocketknife is a "Case Classic"? and do they still produce them?

If I'm not mistaken, and I might be, the Case Classics have a different tang stamp than regular Case knives. For example, most of the Case Classics have the actual 4 digit year stamped on the tang instead of the dots and X's system. You'll see 1994 instead of 6 dots.

The majority of them were made by Queen.
 
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