Sodbuster Question?

Badhammer

Badhammer

Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
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Decided to stop at a local "Antique Mart" and found a Case XX 3128 Large Sodbuster. It came in a white Case box, (missing one end), has black scales and has a locomotive and coal car etched on the right side of the blade with the words Norfolk and Western on the coal car. Since N&W railroad is local to us I know it became Norfolk & Southern around 1994.

My questions are:

What steel was used for the blade on this one (Box is printed "Special Cutlery Steel") but I'm guessing stainless steel though CV would be nice. The blade itself does not show the steel only CASE XX USA?
What year was it made. (I figure it should be prior to 1994 since that's when the name of the railroad changed but was wondering if an actual date or date range is known)?
How bad did I mess up at $40? Figured it was more along the lines of $25-$30 but I don't usually run across older ones in this condition or with a dedication on it so I figured what the heck is $10 either way.
 
If it only says Case XX USA with no dots stamped below it or between the Case XX and USA, then it was made between 1965-1969 and would be made with CV steel (just about everything Case made back then was CV steel -- if it was stainless, they would mark it as such). If so, you got a really good deal if it hasn't been sharpened or used.
 
Thanks for the reply. Will try and get some photos taken. There is no apparent wear of other signs of it ever having been used or sharpened other than at the factory. It's got a decent edge on it but nothing spectacular. There are no dots on it. The left side of the blade has the Sodbuster etch and is marked:

CASE XX
U.S.A.

Right side of the blade has the locomotive and

3128

Had no idea it was that old.
 
Sounds like '65 to '69 to me. And the '2138' (only) on the back of the tang does indicate carbon steel. Case wasn't marking them as 'CV' back then, although I'm virtually certain it was the same steel. I have a 1970 version of that knife. Essentially identical, except Case started using the 'dot' system on their blades that year. Mine has 10 dots underneath the 'U.S.A.', as seen here:
 
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Thanks David. Hard to see on mine but I just found three dots under the U.S.A. How does that effect or define the year it was made?
 
Badhammer said:
Hard to see on mine but I just found three dots under the U.S.A. How does that effect or define the year it was made?
Click to expand...

That would make it 1977. (1970 would be 10 dots, 1979 would be 1 dot...you subtract one for each year following 1970.)

In the 1980's the dots were placed between "Case XX" and USA
 
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Blues said:
That would make it 1977. (1970 would be 10 dots, 1979 would be 1 dot...you subtract one for each year following 1970.)

In the 1980's the dots were placed between "Case XX" and USA
Click to expand...


Ah, ok. Thank you Elliott.


So is the value in line with what I paid? Not looking to sell but if the value isn't too high I'd really like to add it to my EDC line-up.
 
Sharpen that puppy up and enjoy it. (They don't command a large asking price in the collector market by and large.)

Here's mine from 1980. You can see how the dots were placed differently on the tang and the letter "S" is different as well.


orig.jpg


(First thing I did was put an edge on it and put it in my pocket.)
 
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