Need help to ID a case knife

The W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has a very rich history that began in 1889 when William Russell (“W.R.”), Jean, John, and Andrew Case began fashioning their knives and selling them along a wagon trail in upstate New York. The company has produced countless treasures and it continues to do so as one of the most collected brands in the world.
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wandering bear
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Need help to ID a case knife

Post by wandering bear »

Hello I have acquired a knife I cant find out about, I cant find even a picture of it.
The only thing I know is its pre 64 by stamp. Any info will help THANKS Dennis
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cody6268
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by cody6268 »

V-42 Stilletto, ca. WWII. The handle has rotted off, most likely. These issued to special commando units during the war:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-42_stiletto
Gunsil
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by Gunsil »

That is most certainly NOT a Case V 42. Looks like it may be a copy of one, but it is definitely not a Case made V 42. V 42s never had a red spacer at the guard and had a very distinctive "thumbprint" on the ricasso and the lettering was different. The entire ricasso on a real V 42 is much longer than on the OP knife and the originals were hollow ground all the way from the ricasso to the tip unlike the OP knife. I do not believe the OP knife came from the Case factory.
wandering bear
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by wandering bear »

Thanks for the info I own an old v42 I acquired at a gun show in he 80s I think this has to be a prototype or a knockoff.
I need more info. THANKS GUYS
Gunsil
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by Gunsil »

Not a "prototype" either. not made by Case. Let's see your original one, they are fine knives but have been widely reproduced. Even Case made a repro. Do you have the original sheath with yours? Would love to see it (knife and sheath)!
wandering bear
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by wandering bear »

How do you know it was not made by case? As for the V 42, I don't have any pictures of the one I had. I sold it to a dagger collector for $1000 back in the 80s. I purchased it and a 9 shot H&R revolver from an old man for $200. I was happy with my profit.
I was the largest knife dealer in the state of Iowa, I had 8, 8ft tables, of mostly custom made knives and switchblades, at the biggest gun shows in the 4 state area.
I had the original sheath as well. The curious thing about the knife was that almost 1/2 of the thumb print was obscured, like a double stamped coin. We figured it lessoned the value, but the collector said it made it rarer. I sold several knives to this man over the years.

I dealt in rare woods, ivory's and meteorite, as well as a lot of rod iron for the making of Damascus.
JP Miller and Howard Clark and I did a lot of business together. JP even made a knife for me made completely out of Meteorite and we put mastodon ivory on it for handles' I have the last miniature JP made, Its a Damascus Dagger with fossilized Walrus tusk on it. JP's still alive, he just wont do miniature's.
Anyway, I've been in this business for a minute and know a bit about knives. Again How do you know, it was not made by Case?
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1967redrider
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by 1967redrider »

This is a recent reproduction, but I think all of the Case made V-42s have the same crafted ricasso. The devil is in the detail. 😉
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Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
wandering bear
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Re: Need help to ID a case knife

Post by wandering bear »

I do have some pics of another knife from the same pawn shop I got the case dagger. old westerns L 77 I gave $5. for it all together I got 15 knives from this shop, all at $5 each. Sometimes you just get lucky.
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