Case question..............

[knife7knut]

Posted this on the Q&A forum;got 114 looks but no responses so I guess I'll try it here.
Bought this knife in a box of parts knives from a local flea market. Figured I could use some of the bone handles for repairing other knives in my accumulation. Not being very familiar with Case knives I looked it up in one of my books and found what I think is the proper pattern number: 6237 1/2. I wasn't aware they made "coke bottle" patterns in anything other than the 5 1/4 -5 3/8ths size.
Anyway what struck me as unusual is the fact that the Case Tested XX stamp is on the pile side of the secondary blade rather than the mark side. That and there appears to be a capital C stamped on the master blade. Did Case ever do this to any of their early knives. I know they stamped a double X on some of them.
Some people on another forum suggested I send it back to Case to have new blades installed but I am content to leave it as is.Would like to find out when this was made if earlier than 1920 and if anyone has ever seen one with a C stamped on the blade.Any info is greatly appreciated and I hope to get some responses this time.

[treefarmer]

There must have been at least 3 "coke bottle" sizes, the big one, 5 1/4" C61050/61050, the little one, 3", 6225 1/2 and the one you have, the 6237 1/2(clip) also a 6237 (spear). I've only found your knife in one of my books, the #9 traders price guide only in the tested era. That's one of them good ones, shame about the broken blade.
Surely someone will come by with more and better information.
Treefarmer

[Mumbleypeg]

I'll try to answer as many of your questions as I can. Case made "Coke bottle" shaped patterns in several sizes, small (the 25-1/2 pattern at 3 "), medium (the 6237-1/2 should be 3-1/2" ) and large as you've mentioned, among others.

It's not at all unusual to see a knife from the early Tested era, or other earlier eras, stamped on all blades including on the pile side. I have seen several examples. As for the date, yours is stamped with the usual Tested era stamp which most sources say started being used in 1920. I personally believe dates cited for those earlier stamps are approximations based on the best recollections of some Case employees in the early 1970s, plus some historical records of name changes or ownership changes which may have prompted stamping changes at around the same time. So IMHO it's possible your knife could be as old as about 1918 or thereabouts but not much earlier. More likely it's early 1920s would be my guess.

As for the capital C stamp, I've never seen nor heard of it myself. Could have been a special factory order or could have been added by an owner of the knife at some point.

That's all I've got. Will be interested to see what others think!

Ken