Case 6310

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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JAMESC41001
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Case 6310

Post by JAMESC41001 »

Does anyone have any info on a Case 6310 lockback?
Circa 1902-1903. Wr Case and Son era. I believe it is 3 7/8” closed length providing the Sears and Roebuck catalog cut is the same knife.
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Case 6310

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Appears to be a Lockback whittler? That timeframe would have been when W.R. Case & Son did not have a factory, and operated as a jobber. To my knowledge W.R. Case & Son never had a factory in Napanoch, so my guess would be the knife was made for them by Napanoch, who also made the same pattern for Sears. Just a semi-educated guess. It’s well known that Napanoch was the maker of Sears’ house brand name Wilbert Cutlery.

In late 1903 Russ Case joined with his brother-in-law Harvey Platts to bring the Platts factory under Case ownership and provide in-house manufacturing. At which time they decided to change the company name to W.R. CASE & SON’S. A short couple of years later they brought in Crandall Cutlery which was owned by Teresa Case’s husband, Herbert Crandall. The name was then changed to the more grammatically correct W.R. CASE & SONS (no apostrophe).

Ken
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JAMESC41001
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Re: Case 6310

Post by JAMESC41001 »

Thank you for the response Ken. Your info is spot on. I’m trying to understand some of the claims Sears made in their 1902 catalog regarding having a factory of their own in NY. Napanoch did not incorporate until 1905 but were producing knives in the factory in 1900. It’s pretty well documented they were making knives for WR Case during this time. I believe they were making knives for Sears in 1902 base on the Saddlehorn pattern which Sears is touting as a “brand new” Pattern. I would be extremely interesting if Sears was one of the opportunities that contributed to WR going off on his own as well as the Carmen brothers leaving Ulster to go on their own. I think I may have found the connection that bought the two together as well.
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Case 6310

Post by Mumbleypeg »

One other semi-educated guess is that the factory mentioned in the Case ad, said to be located in Little Valley N.Y., was probably Cattaraugus. The other obvious option in Little Valley at that time was Case Brothers, but given the recent acrimonious departure Russ Case had from his uncles at Case Brothers, I’d speculate getting knives from his other uncle JBF Champlin at Cattaraugus is a better bet. ::shrug::

Also interesting that the ad doesn’t mention Eldred PA since it is widely believed Platts was another cutlery that supplied Russ Case’s jobber operation at that time.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

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JAMESC41001
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Re: Case 6310

Post by JAMESC41001 »

That is a great observation Ken. I was thinking since they were based in Little Valley with their jobbing business they just stretched the truth a bit. Lots of changes and possibilities during those first years. But most people would need some customers and inventory ahead of making the leap. It’s worth noting that the Napanoch factory had just got electric power at that time. That kind of stability must have been attractive. Low water and lack of daylight were big concerns those days.
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