Case knife question

damascus blades

damascus blades

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I am fairly new to traditional folders. I always preferred locking folders, but recently decided to change it up to a simpler design and more people friendly knife. I got tired of opening a nice flipper of axis lock and everyone looking at you. So here is my question. I recently found and bought this medium stockman knife. I liked the the blades and the overall size, but most of all the jigged bone color. It is a very nice sky or baby blue color. I have not been able to find any others from them in this color, even in other models. The question is was this an original color and why is it so hard to find another model in this same color? Another question is how to tell the date. I read up on their system and it did not help me at all. There is one x above the Case logo and two x's below the logo. The model is listed as a 63087. Just looking for some clarification from some people with experience. Thanks.



 
Search "pocket worn Caribbean blue".

63087 is the pattern number. It tells you that it's an 87 pattern with 3 blades and bone covers. The item number (on the box) will identify the color in catalogs or web searches.... it is probably 05082. Searching that number would identify the covers as Caribbean blue.

Your knife was made in 07 since there are three "x" above and below "CaseXX".
 
Thanks. Unfortunately I do not have the box. Every blue I looked up online looked too dark to match it. Now I have a start when I get one of their Texas toothpick knives. I always liked that design.
 
The bone covers on your knife might just have taken up less dye or maybe they were polished a bit more. There's a lot of variation with natural materials and hand made knives. ...it could also be the wrong item number since I'm making a guess.

The toothpick is a nice pattern. I highly recommend the sowbelly and swayback jack.
 
I will look into those as well. It took some research for me to find what would be considered a good brand for a good price. Case always seemed to be well like when I searched quality and their prices seem to be more realistic compared to some others. Does this seem to hold true for anybody else here? Very good price to value?
 
One of the best values in my opinion were the old Schrade Old Timer knives with 1095 blade steel. But long gone are the days when you could buy a USA made knife at Wally World for $20.

There aren't many companies making knives in the US these days... Case, Queen, GEC are the big three.

Case makes knives at a wide range of prices with different steels, cover materials, and manufacturing techniques. The standard production knives are no different than knives with more expensive cover materials. So you can save a bit of cash by buying yellow delrin instead of pearl, for example. Some of those knives (like the swayback jack and sowbelly) are based on patterns from Tony Bose, a custom knife maker who has had a large positive influence on custom and production knife makers... he's also a valued forum member. Some of the most expensive Case knives are built with better steels and the parts are cut by Wire EDM. Those knives are much more expensive and made on a limited basis (this year the pattern is Tony's Eureka jack).

The USA made Buck 301 is a very good value. Some knives made overseas like the Opinel and Victorinox Swiss army knife are also an extremely good value. GEC knives tend to be more expensive but some of their most basic knives are more affordable than others.
 
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I can't answer specifically on your Case but I can tell you as a knife maker and having used jigged bone hundreds of times, sometimes it just changes color when worked. One of the cool things about it I guess. I did a knife right before Christmas with a royal blue jigged bone handle. One side worked up with quite a bit of white as your knife is displaying, the other stayed royal blue. As was mentioned just a lot of variation in natural materials.
 
I would say they are pretty dang good knives for what they cost. The thing with Case is, they can be hit or miss. The good one's can be great and the not so good one's are bad. I know that's a pretty broad, vague statement. I've gotten $50 trappers and stockman knives that were perfect right out of the box, and I've gotten models that were close to perfect after I sent them to Case the same day I received them because they were jacked up. Case always makes them right though. With the choice of patterns and scales I think they're a top notch brand. OP, yours has a fantastic color by the way....
 
JD Bear said:
I would say they are pretty dang good knives for what they cost. The thing with Case is, they can be hit or miss. The good one's can be great and the not so good one's are bad. I know that's a pretty broad, vague statement. I've gotten $50 trappers and stockman knives that were perfect right out of the box, and I've gotten models that were close to perfect after I sent them to Case the same day I received them because they were jacked up. Case always makes them right though. With the choice of patterns and scales I think they're a top notch brand. OP, yours has a fantastic color by the way....
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Thank you. I was looking for this style and as soon as I saw the color on this particular one I pulled the trigger and bought it. It has some surface pits on the bolsters and the brass liners are slightly discolored, but it is going to get used so this will happen anyway.
 
I think it is a 2007. I'm not real up to date on Case, but in 2000, Case added 5 x's and 5 dots and removed one each year. So in 2000, you would have all 5 x's and all 5 dots,, remove one each year so by 2007, only 3 remain............I "think". You can google Case Tang Stamps and get it exact. Nice looking stockman!
 
Just an FYI, but people also dye Case knife scales, probably a number of threads on it. Lotta times they will start with basic amber bone(yellow Delrin and amber jigged bone are kinda they're baseline...um, lines) and use rit dye, aniline dye I think, to either enhance or totally change the color. The upshot being, you can purchase a knife with somewhat blah color(s) and change them to your liking. Not having done it idk, but at a guess it would probably be easier to start with a knife whose color is in the area of what you're looking to achieve. Hope this is helpful, and not annoying. ;)
Thanks, Neal
 
neal70 said:
Just an FYI, but people also dye Case knife scales, probably a number of threads on it. Lotta times they will start with basic amber bone(yellow Delrin and amber jigged bone are kinda they're baseline...um, lines) and use rit dye, aniline dye I think, to either enhance or totally change the color. The upshot being, you can purchase a knife with somewhat blah color(s) and change them to your liking. Not having done it idk, but at a guess it would probably be easier to start with a knife whose color is in the area of what you're looking to achieve. Hope this is helpful, and not annoying. ;)
Thanks, Neal
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They come out looking awesome when they're dyed. I've never done it myself, but the pictures people have posted look great. Don't know if I'll ever try it. Instead I'll look at their results and wish I could have one :rolleyes:
 
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