Case Tang Stamp

[Aimus Moses]

Can someone tell me the first year that Case used the floating dot tang stamp? One piece of research I found said 1997-1999, another I found said 1993-1999. I'm not sure if the 1997-1999 floating dot tang stamp info was for the Copperlock pattern only. The reason I ask is I was in a pawn shop and while looking through a pile of China, Pakistan, and no named lockback knives in a box, I found a stag handled Case 59L lockback in the pile. It had been sharpened with a few hair scratches on the blade, but not hurt and still had a full blade. The brass was dull and dis-colored and the handles were dirty with a little green on them. It looked as though it had been setting a long time. The box that held the pile said your pick - $8.00 so, I said why not take a chance, Columbus did. I brought it home and wiped it off. It has a floating dot tang stamp of 1995. Lightning S in the word Case and USA, with 3 dots to the right of USA and 2 dots to the left, staggered, not in a straight line. The stag was perfect with no cracks or chips and the blade cleaned up nice. My guess is that someone who worked there only seen the color of the knife and not the name. Mistook it as a China or Pakistan cheapy from just a glance and threw it in the box. Best $8.00 I spent. I'm thinking Case used the floating dot tang stamp on lockback knives from 1993-1999 but I'm not for sure. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.

Aimus

[BIGHEAD]

'97 was the first I knew of but hey I learn somrthing everyday