Durable Delrin Delights

[1967redrider]

Since Case uses a "6" to denote bone, rough black Pakkawood and Delrin (Collecting Case Knives, Identification and Price Guide by Steve Pfeiffer), sometimes it drives collectors mad trying to figure out the difference (mainly between jigged brown bone and Delrin). Some treat Delrin as the red headed step child of scale material, but I think it looks nice on certain patterns. I also think Case happens to do Delrin justice by the way it's jigged and colored.

Attaching some pictures of a few I have in not so common patterns; 6205R, 62055 and 6225 1/2. Feel free to post yours too and show some love for the "working man's" pocket knife.

[Colonel26]

Very nice group of knives! I don’t have any CASE Delrin to show, but I do appreciate Delrin. On a using knife it’s a durable and not always unattractive material.

Oh, I just remembered, I do have some yellow Delrin CASE knives. I’m partial to CASE yellow Delrin.

[doglegg]

A great trio redrider.

[1967redrider]

Thanks guys, and feel free to post yellow Delrin and others too!

[herbva]

Since Case uses a "6" to denote bone, rough black Pakkawood and Delrin (Collecting Case Knives, Identification and Price Guide by Steve Pfeiffer), sometimes it drives collectors mad trying to figure out the difference (mainly between jigged brown bone and Delrin). Some treat Delrin as the red headed step child of scale material, but I think it looks nice on certain patterns. I also think Case happens to do Delrin justice by the way it's jigged and colored.

Attaching some pictures of a few I have in not so common patterns; 6205R, 62055 and 6225 1/2. Feel free to post yours too and show some love for the "working man's" pocket knife.

Nice knives John, and a good idea for a new thread! Sometimes, when just looking at pictures it can be hard to tell jigged delrin from bone. But I see that 2 of the knives you posted have the shield missing the engraved oval that Case used on delrin knives for a period of time (I think it was in the 70's). I have 2 interesting yellow delrhinos that I will try to post later today when I get home. If I remember........

[jmh58]

Since Case uses a "6" to denote bone, rough black Pakkawood and Delrin (Collecting Case Knives, Identification and Price Guide by Steve Pfeiffer), sometimes it drives collectors mad trying to figure out the difference (mainly between jigged brown bone and Delrin). Some treat Delrin as the red headed step child of scale material, but I think it looks nice on certain patterns. I also think Case happens to do Delrin justice by the way it's jigged and colored.

Attaching some pictures of a few I have in not so common patterns; 6205R, 62055 and 6225 1/2. Feel free to post yours too and show some love for the "working man's" pocket knife.

Looking GOOD!!!
John

[jerryd6818]

[tallguy606]

I have an older 6249 Copperhead marked Case XX that has dark brown scales. What material would those handles be?

[jerryd6818]

I have an older 6249 Copperhead marked Case XX that has dark brown scales. What material would those handles be?

Probably bone because of the '6'.

[jmh58]

I have an older 6249 Copperhead marked Case XX that has dark brown scales. What material would those handles be?

Probably bone because of the '6'.

Delrin is also a 6.
John

[jmh58]

Some of mine.
John 🥸

[doglegg]

A few.

[Mumbleypeg]

I have an older 6249 Copperhead marked Case XX that has dark brown scales. What material would those handles be?

Depends on what you mean by “older”. If it’s Case XX it’s bone. Delrin was developed by DuPont and introduced in the 1960s. It was in common use by most knife makers (except Case) soon thereafter. The first Case brown jigged Delrin I recall seeing was in the early 1970s. If it was used by Case earlier as a bone substitute I don’t remember seeing or hearing about it. So I think it safe to say if it’s Case, jigged brown and earlier than 1970, it’s bone.

Actually it’s easy to determine whether it’s bone or Delrin. Look for the tiny flecks in bone where the a Haversian canals are. That’s where blood capillaries and nerves existed in real bone. Delrin does not have them. If you can’t tell with the naked eye, they’re readily obvious using a magnifier or loupe, even at low power. Here’s a link to the “sticky” thread about it in the “AAPK Tips and Tricks” viewtopic.php?f=98&t=62145

Ken

[jerryd6818]

I have an older 6249 Copperhead marked Case XX that has dark brown scales. What material would those handles be?

Probably bone because of the '6'.

Delrin is also a 6.
John

Oops. Stepped on my whanger again.

[herbva]

I only have 2 yellow "delrhinos" to share, but I think they are pretty interesting knives. The first one in the attached pics came to me with yellow celluloid in the final stages of "grenading". The stuff was literally falling off in pieces. Fortunately there was very little metal damage. I couldn't figure out what pattern this one was, so I posted it on the Case forum last December. (Case Tested ID Help Requested - Maybe 32031????) Steve and Wayne identified it as a rare 32005, but without the long, pinched bolsters and razor style blade normally seen. I was going to rehandle it with green bone, but fortunately Ken and Wayne advised me to go with yellow delrin, in keeping with the original look of this knife. And, I am glad that I listened to them. The material I used is a bit darker yellow than the normal Case yellow, but I think I like it better. The second knife is a 99 pattern I got in the early stages of celluloid "grenading". The cell was starting to shrink up and had turned brown around the edges, but no outgassing damage. It cleaned up real nice, and I was going to rehandle it, but I checked with Case customer service and they outfitted it with brand new delrin scales for free! I think they did a terrific job.

[cudgee]

Nice delrin sodbuster jr..

[1967redrider]

Nice posts, guys!

Another trio- 6111 1/2, 62048 (the quintessential Delrin pocket knife ) and a 6327.

Hoping someone will post some of the newer blue American Workman Delrin knives.

[jmh58]

Are we sticking to Case or are Others OK too??
John

[1967redrider]

Nice, John! I purposely posted this in the Case forum but I enjoy looking at all knives, so . . .

[treefarmer]

Sometimes Delrin ain't so delightful. I know it is tough stuff but sometimes it is just plain ugly in my opinion, especially when compared to real bone. Case in point, these two Case 61048's , the bone is beautiful, the Delrin is flat:

But as 1967RR titled this thread, the "durable" part can't be denied and truly you have to look carefully at some of the Delrin handled Case knives to determine if they are bone or plastic. Personally the colored Case handles, the yellows and black of the old Sod Busters are very nice but on this little 61048, the brown Delrin is plumb ugly. It should be a user, not a shelf queen. Just my 2 cents worth.
Treefarmer

[1967redrider]

Can't beat that pocket worn bone, can you tree?

[Hesmikeb]

Always been a fan of brown jigged delrin....

[1967redrider]

Always been a fan of brown jigged delrin....

That's a really sweet group, Hesmikeb! Thanks for posting.

Is top left a 6347? That barehead is niiiiiiice.

[Hesmikeb]

Thanks red...top left is a 06247PEN....haven't had it long but love the pattern....here with a 06244...

[jmh58]