Case Rarities

SOUTHERN WOODS · Dec 21, 2014

Been collecting Case knives for a couple of years, always been fond of the yellow delrin handle models and am trying to piece together a decent collection. In reading on another forum of which I'm not a member I ran across a thread titled "Your Most Prized Case". One member posted this one...

I have never seen a yellow handled Seahorse whittler and a search of google shows no mention of them. Can anyone shed any light on when this was made or maybe someone else has seen them before?

Obsessed with Edges · Dec 21, 2014

Based on the yellow synthetic handles, I'd assume it should be a 3355WH (w/either 'SS' or 'CV' suffix, and assuming it's 3 blades; a 2-blade would be '3255WH'). Tang stamp looks like 2008 (I think I see two 'Xs' below the CASE XX mark). Like you, however, I'm not seeing any info on the web about it, in yellow synthetic handles. The Seahorse Whittler pattern from Case didn't exist prior to 2002 (when first introduced), so that at least narrows down the possibilities. Might also be an SFO from a specific dealer; those are often hard to track down on the web. And this is reaching, but I suppose it could even be a re-handle (by Case) of a damaged knife for which they might not've had original handle material available, substituting the yellow synthetic in it's place; that might explain the almost complete absence of '3355WH' in web search results, if that version never existed to begin with.

Might be worth writing to Case about it...

David

Simian5353 · Dec 21, 2014

It surely is a great looking knife...

Old Hunter · Dec 22, 2014

I am thinking along the same lines as David, perhaps a SFO for one of the Case retailers like SMKW or Tractor Supply, etc. I looked through some 2010, 2012, and 2013 Case catalogs - nothing. OH

navihawk · Dec 22, 2014

Here's a Mini Copperlock in Ebony. A SFO from [a large knife purveyor].

Eric H · Dec 22, 2014

Is that a whittler or just a mini copperhead with a wharn blade?

rwc53 · Dec 22, 2014

I believe that it is a Mini-Copperhead with a wharncliffe blade. I have seen one like it before, about 6 or so years ago.

Obsessed with Edges · Dec 22, 2014

rwc53 said:
I believe that it is a Mini-Copperhead with a wharncliffe blade. I have seen one like it before, about 6 or so years ago.

I was starting to think along the same lines yesterday. But, after looking at other images of the mini-copperhead, it's bolster at the narrow end is upswept to conceal the closed blade's tang (consistent with copperheads in general, but not the Seahorse Whittler), and the wharncliffe blade is narrower on the mini-copperhead and much wider on the Seahorse Whittler. Here's an older thread with some nice pics of the Case Mini-Copperhead (Wharncliffe):

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/844208-Case-Mini-Copperhead-Wharncliffe

The OP's pic also shows what appears to be a coping blade (closed) at the narrow end, which is consistent with a whittler pattern anyway, and specifically included on the Seahorse Whittler.

David