I am going to open up a can of worms with this post. Qute a few years past I and some other people ordered a kkk folding knife frome Case. The owner of the store I bought it from had a very long list of new knives from Case and the KKK presentation knife was on the list. At the time I could not believe that Case would ever sell such a knife. I ordered this knife simply because if it were true, this knife may someday would be valuble and maybe one of the rarest knives they would ever make. (Once they came to their senses). I still have this knife that has the cardboard sleeve around the blue presentation case. The top of the box reads in gold W.R.CASE & SONS CUTLERY CO. Under this reads HAND FORGED GUARNATEED CULTERY. It also has the Case trademark on the top. The inside of the top cover also says the same thing. The knife is set on blue velvet with Ku Klus Klan and a red cross on one blade and The invisible empire on the other. Their is also a card in the box that reads Case collector series and Limited Edition. The knife itself is numbered. Please do not trash me for this post. I am not or ever have been a member and find the whole idea of this organization offensive. I have not read anything in this forum about this knife. Do any of you members know anything about this folder ?
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Case xx - A can of worms
- Thread starter elvin
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I am quite sure that this is an "aftermarket" type product....Case sells the basic knife and then someone else adds the blade etching, fancy box, etc. Case has never put out a KKK knife themselves....think about it...they would have to be NUTS to do that.
You could try posting this on the Case forum at the "other" site and a Case factory person can chime in.
You could try posting this on the Case forum at the "other" site and a Case factory person can chime in.
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This is not the first time I've heard of such a knife, but I've never seen one myself as far as a Case XX is concerned. I'd also bet they were aftermarket--but it's possible they were done in the Parker years I guess. It'd be interesting to hear from someone who knows for sure
knifeaholic said:
Knifeaholic is right, Case has never made a KKK knife. There are some very good aftermarket companies that buy the original Case knives and then re-scale them and/or etch them, put them in fancy boxes and offer them up as originals. These have mostly come out of the mid-south region where "modifying" Case knives is a old cottage industry for alot of folks. Go to the "other" forum to the W.R Case forum and ask the company historian, Shirley Boser, herself. She's good people and will set the record straight for you.
The others are correct, the KKK case is after market. The most recent ones were done in Tennesse or Kentucky, I forget the name of the company.
One thing, if you truly "find the whole idea of this organization offensive" then you should modify the scales so its KKK relationship is unknown. Sure it destroys the collector value, but why make money this way? Plus, your heirs could find it and cast you as a secret bigot.
One thing, if you truly "find the whole idea of this organization offensive" then you should modify the scales so its KKK relationship is unknown. Sure it destroys the collector value, but why make money this way? Plus, your heirs could find it and cast you as a secret bigot.
I suppose it could be made by a aftermarket company but I would think that they would have to be licensed by Case to do this. The presentation case looks very similiar to other collector series, limited edition sets that I have seen on Ebay. I bought this knife at dealers cost about ten years ago and I don't think I paid very much money for it. I don't know how it would be worth the while of another company to make such a limited run. My familiy already knows that I am not a bigot and I am not worried about that part of it. If everyone destroyed items just because they are offensive they may also destroy the historic evidence that the events ever happened.
I do think that others are correct when they say that this particular knife is an aftermarket custom job (no way for me to prove this). However, I know that Case does make at least some knives for organizations that they seem to market. In the current catalog, they list 2 (I think) Masons insignia knives. This is definitely not to say that have made all of the organization or special knives that bear their name. They have probably made many commerative knives for various organizations or for special events, but it seems unlikely to me they would make a knife with racist overtones. Kind of like economic suicide for them.
The long tail C won't tell you anything other than the history of the original knife before it was modified. These are definitely not knives authorized by Case, they have no control over a knife once it leaves their factory. Many people and firms buy knives and rehandle them. SantaFe stonworks for one. You can buy lots of Chinese knives rehandled by American Indians in turqoise, red coral, fake turquoise, fake red coral.
I think its bad Karma to profit from bigotry. Make the knife unoffensive and use it.
I think its bad Karma to profit from bigotry. Make the knife unoffensive and use it.
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I have even known of at least one private company that have put that long tail C serial number on their own "commerative" knives that they purchased in bulk from Case. (I have personally seen it done too.) 
I think Brownshoe has the right idea "make it unoffensive and use it".
I think Brownshoe has the right idea "make it unoffensive and use it".
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Bastid said:I have even known of at least one private company that have put that long tail C serial number on their own "commerative" knives that they purchased in bulk from Case. (I have personally seen it done too.)
Yikes! :grumpy: Well that CASE Rep on that other forum
says that the long tail C is they're claim to fame when it comes to LE knives... So, I guess what your saying is that the F'N fakers are still keep'in up with Jones',, or the Case's 
Well, all of you folks have convinced me that this knife was done by someone other than Case. They did a nice job on the case (box) the knife came in. I would gladly post some photos if I knew how. I am not even sure that I am allowed to do that here. I can email some pictures if anyone is interested. I am not a big fan of Case knives. I have a little Kershaw/Onion that I carry and use almost daily. I will more than likely just put it away for another ten years.
OK, here we go.
Screw the political correctness. This is America, freedom of speech and expression. This may well be a collectors item. Look at all the other negative symbols and organizations that have blossomed into collectors items. There will always be a market for historical items of this type. And this is history, and we always need to remember both the positive and negative aspects so we can learn from the lessons of it. Trying to sweep such things under the rug will only cause complaceny to allow history to repeat. Lets rehandle all uncomfortable memories and forget about them. Lets arrest everyone who has a symbol that offends you. The next thing that will happen is that you will hassled for reminding anyone of past military actions and patriotism. Remember 9/11 will be taboo because of the implications. The Constitution, Federalist Papers and Bill of Rights will be forgotten. As far as profiting from such items, Damnit man this is a capitalist society. Our economy depends on supply on demand, not on what YOU may or may not like. If it offends you, use the huge array of legal rights that you have to change it. Telling someone to erase it or change because you don't like is not in line with the basic fundamental rights that this country is based on. If you don't like it, change it. If you are offended by the radio, change the channel. Tv is pissing you off? Turn it off. We as Americans wield the most individual power of change than any other society. Think about how we got there. It was not by forgetting historical lessons and hiding the truth of our past accomplishments or digressions.
Screw the political correctness. This is America, freedom of speech and expression. This may well be a collectors item. Look at all the other negative symbols and organizations that have blossomed into collectors items. There will always be a market for historical items of this type. And this is history, and we always need to remember both the positive and negative aspects so we can learn from the lessons of it. Trying to sweep such things under the rug will only cause complaceny to allow history to repeat. Lets rehandle all uncomfortable memories and forget about them. Lets arrest everyone who has a symbol that offends you. The next thing that will happen is that you will hassled for reminding anyone of past military actions and patriotism. Remember 9/11 will be taboo because of the implications. The Constitution, Federalist Papers and Bill of Rights will be forgotten. As far as profiting from such items, Damnit man this is a capitalist society. Our economy depends on supply on demand, not on what YOU may or may not like. If it offends you, use the huge array of legal rights that you have to change it. Telling someone to erase it or change because you don't like is not in line with the basic fundamental rights that this country is based on. If you don't like it, change it. If you are offended by the radio, change the channel. Tv is pissing you off? Turn it off. We as Americans wield the most individual power of change than any other society. Think about how we got there. It was not by forgetting historical lessons and hiding the truth of our past accomplishments or digressions.
Mr. Bilker, you are incorrect when you say "Telling someone to erase it or change because you don't like is not in line with the basic fundamental rights that this country is based on." I have every right to tell him I believe that bigoted knives should go the way of the garbage that spawned it. What I do not have is the right to FORCE the gentleman to rid himself of his bigotted symbol.
As you said "If you don't like it, change it." The gentleman says he finds the KKK offensive, thus change your knife.
By the way a fake Case with KKK is nothing more than a con game using bigotry as its hook. It's not history. If you resell it, you perpetuate the con game. Now a KKK emblazoned knife from the late 19 century, stained with the blood of disembolwed victims, that would be history. I'd still destroy it as an object of evil.
As you said "If you don't like it, change it." The gentleman says he finds the KKK offensive, thus change your knife.
By the way a fake Case with KKK is nothing more than a con game using bigotry as its hook. It's not history. If you resell it, you perpetuate the con game. Now a KKK emblazoned knife from the late 19 century, stained with the blood of disembolwed victims, that would be history. I'd still destroy it as an object of evil.
You are so out of line that trying to explain to you all of the implications associated with your rhetoric would be a useless endeavor. You are taking in the little picture of your own personal agenda and not the issue of a collectable item.
I will not fight a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
Enough said.
I will not fight a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
Enough said.
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Not seeing the problem here, Bilker.
Brownshoe never tried to force Elvin to change the knife, only saying that if he owned it, he would render it inoffensive and use it. Last I checked, in a free nation, he has every right to that opinion. So what if Elvin doesn't? That's entirely his business.
I've read the Constitution, the Declaration, the Federalist Papers, the works of Paine, and I can nowhere find a statement that says stating a contrary opinion is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper. Personally, if I owned that knife, I would erase any and all reference to the Klan, assuming I even kept the knife. You wouldn't. So what?
In honesty, this isn't even an "uncomfortable memory", but a manufactured one. Let's say I come across a Luftwaffe dagger. That, considering I had relatives who bore the scars of fighting the Axis, has uncomfortable memories. Would I destroy it? No. Would I blame my grandmother for destroying it, considering her brother lost a leg to a Nazi round? Not at all.
Now, let's say I came across a Nazi penknife, one of the many modern pieces. Would I destroy it? No. Would I buy it? No. Does it have anywhere near the emotional charge of the genuine article? No. It's a manufactured symbol, no connection to the actual events in history.
Brownshoe never tried to force Elvin to change the knife, only saying that if he owned it, he would render it inoffensive and use it. Last I checked, in a free nation, he has every right to that opinion. So what if Elvin doesn't? That's entirely his business.
I've read the Constitution, the Declaration, the Federalist Papers, the works of Paine, and I can nowhere find a statement that says stating a contrary opinion is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper. Personally, if I owned that knife, I would erase any and all reference to the Klan, assuming I even kept the knife. You wouldn't. So what?
In honesty, this isn't even an "uncomfortable memory", but a manufactured one. Let's say I come across a Luftwaffe dagger. That, considering I had relatives who bore the scars of fighting the Axis, has uncomfortable memories. Would I destroy it? No. Would I blame my grandmother for destroying it, considering her brother lost a leg to a Nazi round? Not at all.
Now, let's say I came across a Nazi penknife, one of the many modern pieces. Would I destroy it? No. Would I buy it? No. Does it have anywhere near the emotional charge of the genuine article? No. It's a manufactured symbol, no connection to the actual events in history.
