Case handle bone or Delrin again ?

[robertj298]

I posted this before and was told if the serial # started with 6 that the handle was bone
but after further research I find this 6=Jigged Bone, Jigged Synthetic, Jigged Laminate. So if I'm buying a case knife online and it's not stipulated what the handle is made of I guess you just
have to ask?

 

[hornetguy]

Yes, asking is the correct way to go. Unfortunately, not all sellers know how to tell the difference, and will just say "it's bone"...

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Case's online dealers are generally very specific as to what materials are used for the handles. If the online seller isn't saying so, or worse, doesn't know, I'd avoid buying from them in the first place.

 

[Scott J.]

Case's online dealers are generally very specific as to what materials are used for the handles. If the online seller isn't saying so, or worse, doesn't know, I'd avoid buying from them in the first place.

I'm guessing it's an old knife and if that's true maybe it's good for the buyer if the seller doesn't know what he's got.

 

[jc57]

6 can also be smooth bone.

 

[Railsplitter]

If the knife was manufactured 1975-1985 you might be able to tell by looking at the shield. During those years Case omitted the circle around the word "CASE" on Delrin handled knives. The shield in the picture below is what I'm referring to. This would be a Delrin handled knife if made 1975-1985. If it were bone there would be a circle around CASE (during those years)

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'm guessing it's an old knife and if that's true maybe it's good for the buyer if the seller doesn't know what he's got.

That crossed my mind too, as a possibility. Under that circumstance, asking the seller for a well-lit, closeup photo of the handles can usually clear things up. The differences between bone and synthetic usually become obvious under good lighting and in clear focus. In that scenario, if the seller still isn't willing to provide clear pics, then I'd especially avoid them.

Whether it's good for the buyer or seller is a toss-up. Years ago, I was interested in older Case Folding Hunters ('65 pattern). I noticed more than once, many of the 'Staminawood' laminate-handled '65s listed on the 'Bay & elsewhere were misidentified as jigged bone. If advertised as bone, the buyer is in for a big disappointment in that case. The older 'elephant toenail' 6250 pattern from Case is another pattern of which many were handled in jigged laminate. I have one of those, a 1976 model, and the genuine bone-handled versions are much harder to find and a lot pricier as well, assuming the seller knows the difference, of course.