Case Stockman Pawn Shop Find

willythekid

willythekid

Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
1,287
Hi guys, this is my first time making a thread like this so if I'm doing something out of line please let me know... Tonight I stopped by a local pawn shop and found a older red Case stockman. No sticker so the salesguy said $10 and I said $5 and we settled on $7... not sure if I got taken for a ride because I know very little about older Cases but hey, it was only $7. It is quite rusty but the blades still have nice snap with the exception of the sheepsfoot... nice snap closed but not as much opening. Anyways, firstly I would love to know the general age of the knife and anything about the cover material... Secondly, cleaning... what should I do and what should I not do? I'm a gold member, can I ask about value? Like I said, I am very new to vintage traditionals but am eager to learn more. The amount of character in these older knives is off the charts! Thanks much guys!

Edit: The marking on the opposite side of the Case logo reads (I think) either a 6 or a 0 followed by 318H and then either an "F" or an "E"... maybe 6318HF ?

Pictures:
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Nice. For dates, authenticity, etc...you will need to post photos so we can see what you've got. Taken for a ride? At $7, it would be a very short ride. ;) There are some tang stamps with dates here: http://www.wrcase.com/case_college/tang_stamps/ You need to look at more than the stamp to determine authenticity. For cleaning, Bernard Levine recommends using a rag damp with mineral oil. Wipe the metal surfaces until they no longer dirty the rag. That's it.
 
supratentorial said:
Nice. For dates, authenticity, etc...you will need to post photos so we can see what you've got. Taken for a ride? At $7, it would be a very short ride. ;) There are some tang stamps with dates here: http://www.wrcase.com/case_college/tang_stamps/ You need to look at more than the stamp to determine authenticity. For cleaning, Bernard Levine recommends using a rag damp with mineral oil. Wipe the metal surfaces until they no longer dirty the rag. That's it.
Click to expand...

So, don't take a wire wheel to it is what you are saying? lol
 
6318 HP is the model. Not sure on the tang stamp without a full view of it, it may be 1940-64. Does it just read CASE (over) XX?

There's nothing wrong about getting that for $7, well done.
 
For the rust on the blades you can without issue use the careful touch of a fine wire wheel for a dremel. On a knife in better shape which you don't intend to use it's normally not recommended, but for a knife like this which has seen tons of use and I consider to have most of it's value as a user that's what I'd do in spots.
You may also want to try flushing the inside of the knife out with mineral oil and compressed air which mat help bring some snap back into the sheep's foot blade, but should be done either way.
The clip blade has seen some heavy sharpening, but still has some life left in it.
 
The knife looks authentic 40-64 to me. The color is a bit unusual. An author of books about Case knives is a member here so maybe he'll see your post and tell you more about it. Neat find! Value is worth more than you paid certainly. That particular tang stamp is especially popular with collectors. Looks like it has seen a lot of use but still has life left.
 
That is a 6318HE.

6 = Bone (jigged or smooth) or jigged (but not smooth) Delrin
3 = # of blades
18 = the pattern number

H = sHeepsfoot
E = pEn

For some odd reason, they used the second letter for the abbreviation of secondary blades, when more than one was possible.
 
jc57 said:
That is a 6318HE.

6 = Bone (jigged or smooth) or jigged (but not smooth) Delrin
3 = # of blades
18 = the pattern number

H = sHeepsfoot
E = pEn

For some odd reason, they used the second letter for the abbreviation of secondary blades, when more than one was possible.
Click to expand...

Yep, 6318HE. I've got a couple from the '70s.
 
The presence of the pattern stamp (6318 HE) on the tang more narrowly dates the knife to ~ 1950-64. Case didn't stamp their blades with a pattern number prior to the 1949/50 time frame. Otherwise, the stamps on the knife would fit the broader 1940-1964 'XX' era, with the 'XX' underneath the 'CASE' stamping.

Nice find. :thumbup:


David
 
Nice old knife!! The handle is "late Rogers" bone. The bone was supplied to Case already jigged and dyed by the Rogers Mfg. Co. Scarcer than regular Case red bone. Case would purchase bone sometimes from outside sources if their in house bone dying/jigging was interrupted or could not meet the demand.
 
jc57 said:
That is a 6318HE.

6 = Bone (jigged or smooth) or jigged (but not smooth) Delrin
3 = # of blades
18 = the pattern number

H = sHeepsfoot
E = pEn

For some odd reason, they used the second letter for the abbreviation of secondary blades, when more than one was possible.
Click to expand...

In the catalogs and price lists, they used the complete designation...6318 Sh Pen or 6318 Sh Sp for example. In stamping the # on the blade tang, there was limited space, so it was abbreviated. Problem is, they can't use the first letter since the common secondary blades were sheepfoot, spay, pen, and punch. Due to the duplication on the first letters, a knife with sheepfoot and spay was not 6318 SS but 6318 HP. Further complicated by the fact that SS was used for stainless steel on some knives.
 
Nice find! Typically you can't score a Case like that in even decent condition for $7 because most people at least recognize the name and up the price. That should clean up well, I typically use a wire brush (found in the paint department) dipped in oil to clean everything. You can even use the brush to clean the inside of the springs, and then use compressed air to blow it out.
 
Thanks gentlemen! I really do appreciate the members of the porch... glad I get to hang out with you guys ;)... Question for everyone, do these kind of threads bother people. I have several other knives I've picked up over the years and would love some opinions and info on. These vintage knives are fun... mostly the hunt I think for me.
Cheers,
Bill
 
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