Do some Old Case BullDogs 5172 have Fat Stag

jftman

jftman

Gold Member
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Sep 3, 2006
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I have what is considered a first version 5172 Clasp made by Case knives between 40-64
The blade marking are Front Large CASE (can't) see XX under bolster.
Backside Tang Large 5172. Back blade etch is two lines HAND MADE then IN U.S.A.

The shield is pinned and has a tall open S rather than a shorten flat curved S top n bottom.

But..... The stag is pretty fat on both sides.
Looks to be a full inch and a hair more (1/32) give or take.

So I have handled other later model fat and thinner 1-3rd version original Bulldog
Stag handles.
Is Fat cool regardless?
Blade tang imprint on inside back spring looks one lined and crisp,
I don't see any evidence that the knife has been apart.

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Do I have a "lunch box" Case employee walk out from the early era? Hand pic'd stag?
Should we Bulldog buyers think Fat Stag is wrong on such a knife?

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Next to a Hinderer XM-18
 
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I don't know anything specific, but for many years people complained about the fat poorly hafted stag on Case knives. Yours is the fattest I've seen, but not really by much. I'd guess it's factory.

I don't think fat stag like this is "cool" but I am not a Case collector. I do think that Case has had some of the most unattractive stag knives I've seen. GEC is the "cool" knife company of today's collector and their stag is not fat.
 
Looks like it will give you a hand filling grip, nothing wrong with that, IMHO.
Very nice knife.
 
Some of Case's older large knives had stag like that, or very nearly so. I've seen many of those older fat stag Bulldogs at knife shows, though I've never owned one. I do have a 1970s era Case Folding Hunter (5265) in fat stag such as that. In the post-2000 era, Case has also emulated those earlier patterns with some knives in their 'Vintage Stag' handles (pattern numbers begin with 'V'); I have a V5265 SS Folding Hunter and a V5383 WH SS Whittler pattern, both of which have thicker-than-usual stag on them. Whether it is cool or not is entirely subjective to the one handling it. They do nicely fill up the hand though, which is nice from a using perspective.


David
 
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The Case collectors I know prefer fat stag. When I'm buying a new stag knife in person, I'll go through several boxes and look for the one with the biggest stag. When selling stag knives, most people will use it as a selling point.

Kevin
 
I've got a Mini-Copperlock with that type of Stag. Fat yes, maybe even a snake that's just had a huge feed look:barf:

It's grippy as it swells in the palm but personally, I find it unattractive and featureless. I agree with Brownshoe, most CASE stag is shades of ghastly. It is like 3rd cut, smooth and bone like with these gas bloat handles. :D GEC offer entirely different, and what I find is much better Stag, gnarled and popcorn with many features/topography yet can be quite slim panels.

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