The Quintessential Coke Bottle Thread (The Patterns, The History, The Experiences)

[Pàdruig]

Since we are talking of Coke Bottle's in general now, today I received an exemplary example of this pattern in my mind. A Schatt and Morgan 2011 worm groove bone with ATS-34 steel blade. It is by far one of my favorite first impressions of a knife out of the box. The fit and finish are very tight, no gaps, even sharpening grinds, primary grinds are beautiful, and the highly polished blade looks great. Sharp enough to cut, but not perfect...good enough though for out of the box. At 5-1/4 inches, it is a big boy, but I do like big folders, and compared to say, a GEC 23, I feel it is a much more svelte pattern, like the 97 is.

The action on this particular knife is what I would consider perfect for such a large offering, a stout pull, maybe a seven? and a firm stop at the half stop and open positions. And at the open, it is held there firmly by the spring, something that my GEC version was severely lacking, in fact, I would consider the GEC that "I" had to be a detriment to the safe usage of that knife.

I will give it to GEC on the blade grind, as the Tidioute had a very thin grind which made it an excellent slicer, but this S&M blade isn't all that bad, it is reasonably thin, and with the swedge grinds I believe it will perform just fine, it is just a little thicker behind the edge than the Tidioute.

This one is a keeper, and frankly, I am so happy with it that I will not be pursuing any other versions of this pattern. I plan on putting that ATS-34 steel to the diamond plates and honing it to my liking, this will be a user, and I don't have enough years left in me to ever wear it out. I am grateful for getting a GEC version to test the waters, and very happy that I found this knife, as it really rings a bell with me, maybe even more so than my beloved 23's...and I really like my 23's. This knife just feels special, right out of the box...

Very nice, Duane! Great review and excellent pictures.

Truth be told, I am not typically a fan of S&M's worm-grooved bone (just not my thing). That said, yours looks a bit like Stag - which I am a big fan of - and it has really nice, rich coloring to it as well. I also am a fan of the singular nail nick on it - very nice and clean. With a stout pull and an upgraded blade steel, this really seems like a winner.

 

[Rookie82]

I like this thread, lots to read. I only have 2 coke bottles, but I like both of them. I'm a fan of large knives.

 

[sitflyer]

Very nice, Duane! Great review and excellent pictures.

Truth be told, I am not typically a fan of S&M's worm-grooved bone (just not my thing). That said, yours looks a bit like Stag - which I am a big fan of - and it has really nice, rich coloring to it as well. I also am a fan of the singular nail nick on it - very nice and clean. With a stout pull and an upgraded blade steel, this really seems like a winner.

Some of my Queen/ S&M worm groove had lighter, and irregular coloring in the grooves. One I actually touched up with a sharpie. I don't know why I was drawn to that particular treatment of bone scales, I guess it is that taste is subjective thing. I'd really like to find a smaller Coke bottle knife now, probably have to swim in the Bay to find one...

 

[sitflyer]

I like this thread, lots to read. I only have 2 coke bottles, but I like both of them. I'm a fan of large knives.

I dig the long pull on your Tuna Valley, and those covers are gorgeous! You got a real looker there.

 

[North Shore]

I believe this is my only coke bottle knife, a Challenge

 

[sitflyer]

I believe this is my only coke bottle knife, a Challenge
View attachment 1441208 View attachment 1441209

Very cool looking knife, really dig that shield!

 

[Pàdruig]

I believe this is my only coke bottle knife, a Challenge
View attachment 1441208 View attachment 1441209

That is a fine looking blade - I like the shape of the clip and that shield is very attractive. I very much appreciate the broad canvas that these large folding hunters provide - I've seen some very nice looking shields placed on some of these in the past.

 

[Pàdruig]

My latest acquisition is a veritable behemoth (thanks, Forrest ( Quiet ), for the heads up). It is the very first pattern made for the resurrected Maher & Grosh name by Queen before the fellas at M&G started having their knives made by GEC.

I do not have the original catalog print that this knife was modeled after but I did find an eBay listing with an M&G that is rather similar - it's a fine looking knife in pretty good shape (the seller thinks so too... ). Instead of the square bar shield that the Queen-made reproduction has, this original has the more common bowtie shield that is found on a lot of these old large Coke Bottles.

(I did not buy this knife and it isn't my picture)

Unfortunately, this one from Queen is a rather crudely made piece of work. Though it is robust and actually has pretty decent pulls and excellent snap, the edges are incredibly obtuse, the grinds are quite wavy, and the overall fit and finish is sorely lacking. The inletting for the shield is pretty terrible and the handle slabs are not shaped well, being on the thicker side. The etch (something that M&G is rather known for, even on their modern reproductions) lacks the sophisticated polish and pizzazz that GEC is able to impart.

I got mine second hand and I suspect that the one I acquired had either been carried a bit or at the very least, knocked around some. The bail has a nick where someone obviously closed the blade on it and there are some scuffs and scratches here and there - it also did not come with its original box or packaging (another thing that modern day M&G is known for).

It is indeed a monster - heavy, ungainly, and quite bulky. Definitely not a knife that I would choose to carry in my pocket. That said, it is a knife that I am pleased to have in my collection - there are two other Queen-made M&Gs out there as well that I would like to seek out. Both in jigged bone - one with a bail and the other without.

Here are a couple of comparison shots. Note the similarities to the Winchester (also Queen-made).

And, of course, a nice glamor shot for good measure.

 

[Augie]

Pick bone handle Lawton Cutlery, 1895 to 1900.

 

[JohnDF]

Great picture, beautiful knife, looks like a BEAST.

 

[Tyson A Wright]

My experiment is well underway (Day #19) and I've still not been inclined to deviate from my purpose. The 97 has proven to be a very fine knife and I've very much enjoyed learning about the pattern, its history, and it's efficacy as a everyday user.

I'm still researching and learning and have reached out to more knowledgeable folks and with the help I've received from them, I hope to have a rather comprehensive history post soon. I've been rather busy this week so I haven't had a whole lot of time.

I did receive a new #97 (the first of many that are on their way). This is one of the rarer club knives (I was told like 28 pieces or such) and I was intrigued by the fact that it has the same covers as my Tidioute - just in Northfield trim.

Comparing the two is fun. Where mine shows the patina of use, the mellowing of bone, and the character imparted by regular carry, the Northfield is all crisp, sharp, and bright.

I love having examples with similar bone and two classic shields - the Tidioute and UN-X-LD.

It's interesting to me that your user knife has the pivot so visible, after carrying it for only a month or so. I usually expect that to take a little more time. I wonder if the large blade rotating on that pivot makes it become visible a little faster than with smaller knives.

This has been a great thread, and I especially enjoy Pàdruig 's photography. You do an excellent job of composition, and the lighting and clarity are amazing. I believe you've mentioned being a software engineer, but I would have believed you if you'd said you were a professional photographer.

-Tyson

 

[black mamba]

This one has a lot going on, from the Bowie style clip blade to the brass copperhead bolster and the big etch. But just LOOK at that jigged bone!
Sharp, deep, and nearly full coverage, just how I like 'em.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

A C61050 SAB with Pakkawood covers and a Case XX USA “four dot" tang stamp (1976). Beginning with the CASE XX USA ten dot stamping and into the 1970s, Pakkawood was used 100 percent on this pattern. The C61050 SAB was discontinued in 1977. It is believed that the “C” at the beginning of the pattern number designates the inclusion of the “cap” or lower bolster, and the "SAB" refers to the saber grind. (From Steve Pfeiffer's book.)

 

[Pàdruig]

It's interesting to me that your user knife has the pivot so visible, after carrying it for only a month or so. I usually expect that to take a little more time. I wonder if the large blade rotating on that pivot makes it become visible a little faster than with smaller knives.

This has been a great thread, and I especially enjoy Pàdruig 's photography. You do an excellent job of composition, and the lighting and clarity are amazing. I believe you've mentioned being a software engineer, but I would have believed you if you'd said you were a professional photographer.

-Tyson

Thank you for taking the time to check out the thread and for the kind compliments. This thread was a labor of love of sorts and it's nice to it brought back.

With regards to the pivot showing - I have noticed that with just about any knife that I start carrying regularly (as in every day for a good amount of time), it doesn't take too long for the pivot pin to start becoming visible. I suspect with use and pocket carry, the contrast becomes readily apparent.

This one has a lot going on, from the Bowie style clip blade to the brass copperhead bolster and the big etch. But just LOOK at that jigged bone!
Sharp, deep, and nearly full coverage, just how I like 'em.

Thanks for sharing that one, Jeff, that is quite the knife. As you say, there is a fair bit going on, but it sure is a stunning knife.

A C61050SAB with Pakkawood covers and a Case XX USA “four dot" tang stamp (1976). Beginning with the CASE XX USA ten dot stamping and into the 1970s, Pakkawood was used 100 percent on this pattern. The C61050 SAB was discontinued in 1977. It is believed that the “C” at the beginning of the pattern number designates the inclusion of the “cap” or lower bolster, and the "SAB" refers to the saber grind. (From Steve Pfeiffer's book.)

I've been starting to dig into Case's history with the Coke Bottle pattern so your info is very interesting and welcome.


Another point of curiosity for me is that despite the large Coke Bottle frame not being particularly popular these days, it is not an easy one to collect. Older examples are quite expensive and even ones that are in rather poor shape can't be had at what I would consider to be reasonable prices. Perhaps I just haven't quite grasped the collector's way yet - this pattern has been the only one that I have put serious effort and thought into as a wholescale endeavor.

 

[VashHash]

I hope this counts. Technically it's a coke bottle swing guard. My favorite coke bottle knife.

 

[Pàdruig]

I hope this counts. Technically it's a coke bottle swing guard. My favorite coke bottle knife.

I'd say so. I love that example (the shield and jigged bone combination is really stellar) and have been wanting to scoop one up for a bit now - it's all in the availability and timing.

Admittedly, I don't know a lot about the history of the swing guard and I don't know if it is specific to Case but it sure might be worth digging into some more.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I've been starting to dig into Case's history with the Coke Bottle pattern so your info is very interesting and welcome.

I bought that knife from a friend for $10. He had picked it up somewhere but is not a Case collector so he just wanted it to go to a good home. (I'm not a "collector" either, but the darn things seem to keep accumulating. ) Anyway, I did a bit of research before I bought it and shared it with him. Because of your interest I'll post it here. It's not very long.


PATTERN 050

The basic pattern: The 050 pattern is a swell-center folding hunter pattern and referred to by collectors as the “big Coke bottle” pattern. It is a 5-1/4” (closed length) knife with a clip master blade. The 050 pattern goes back to the early years of Case and during the years prior to WWII, it was produced in a variety of handle materials including bone, stag, and celluloids. It was produced with both a saber ground clip master blade and a flat ground clip blade, and both with and without a lower bolster. A lockback version was also produced. The C61050 L SAB had a locking saber ground clip blade with an attached folding hand guard. After WWII and during the Case XX era, the only variation of the 050 pattern produced was the C61050 SAB. This bone-handled knife had a saber ground clip master blade, an extended bolster at the blade end, and a “cap” or lower bolster at the other end of the handle. It is believed that the “C” at the beginning of the pattern number designates the inclusion of the “cap” or lower bolster. The C61050 SAB in the CASE XX stamping will be found in several of the Case XX-era bone color variations including green, regular and red. It appears that the C61050 SAB was never produced in rough black. The use of bone handles on the C61050 SAB continued into the 1960s. During the CASE XX era, jigged laminated wood, or Pakkawood, was substituted for bone on the C61050 SAB on a random basis. The C61050 SAB was changed over to being handled in Pakkawood 100 percent at some point later during the Case XX USA era. Both bone and Pakkawood handled examples will be found with the CASE XX stamping. A few bone examples will be observed with the Case XX USA stamping but these are rare. Beginning with the CASE XX USA ten dot stamping and into the 1970s, Pakkawood was used 100 percent. The C61050 SAB was discontinued in 1977. Newer variations: In recent years, Case has reintroduced the 050 pattern with stainless steel blade material and in various different bone handles and with a flat ground clip master blade.

 

[Dale_P]

I am looking forward to your reports Dylan .
I only have one 97 . Of course it is a Stag one . I have seldom ever carried it . In part because I do not have a Slip big enough for it , and I do not carry a Stag that has brass liners and pins unless it is in a slip .



I will probably never know how good a User that it could be , but I do like the knife . It fits in with my meager collection of Northfields very well .

Harry

Good evening...my compliments on such a beautiful knife. Forgive my ignorance, but I was wondering why one doesn't carry a stag with brass liners and pins?

 

[Quiet]

Good evening...my compliments on such a beautiful knife. Forgive my ignorance, but I was wondering why one doesn't carry a stag with brass liners and pins?

The brass tends to tarnish, and spread green verdigris around on the stag around it, some folks don't mind it, others find it unsightly.

 

[Mike Robuck]

Here's a somewhat rare NYK Co. swing guard/coke bottle.