Looking for a Case Pen knife

[brianv]

Hi everybody! I'm looking for a Case Pen knife in the age range of 1950's to early 60's. I'm trying to get a knife as close as possible to the one my dad carried for as long as I can remember. It was a Pen patterned knife, serpentine with square cornered bolsters. I'm quite sure is was carbon steel. The scales were some kind of bone. They may have been stag but to me they were not amber in color at all, mostly grey.

I greatly appreciate any consideration anyone may have in helping find and get such a knife.

[Mumbleypeg]

There were several serpentine pen knives with square bolsters in the Case product line at that time. It would be stamped CASE XX (probably two lines, CASE over XX). Do you remember how many blades it had?

Recommend you click on “Research” in the header at the top of this page, scroll down to the section on W.R. Case & Sons, and look through the information and pictures there about Case pattern numbers to see if you recognize it. Then come back here with those specifics. Otherwise, because of the number of possibilities, it's a pretty vague request.

Ken

[brianv]

Yes it definitely had two blades. I know it wasn't very large. At one time I was sure it was 3 or 3.5 inches but now I'm thinking it was 2 5/8's.

[Mumbleypeg]

So probably a 33 pattern, but I can’t think if anything with grey handle covers. Most common, and most likely would be a 6233. If no one here has a CASE XX version they want to part with, recommend you check in the AAPK stores, set up a ‘watch’ for one on eBay. If you don’t care that it is a CASE XX era version you can get a new one from a Case dealer, caseknives.com, casexx.com.

Ken

[Modern Slip Joints]

Like Mumblypeg wrote, 2 5/8" with square cornered bolsters would be a 33 pattern. They were common pen knives with two different length blades pivioting on opposite ends. However, I suggest handling knives at a dealer to get a feel for the knife's size. The 44 pattern is small. The 33 pattern is extra tiny. Also, remember Case did not offer different colors of dyed bone during that time period. Color variations exist only because Case did not think the shade of brown mattered. Take your time getting it right.

[brianv]

I appreciate your pointing me to the Research tab! I didn't know how much I didn't know.

Sadly the knife is lost and I have no pictures of it. My dad passed thirty plus years ago. From what I can sort of figure out it may have been a 32 or 44.

What I know is that it was small. I know it had two blades. The main blade was a clip point, the secondary a pen blade. The shield was an oval with CASE printed on it, very much like the shield on a plain jane medium stockman.

I seem to remember that they were at opposite ends of the knife as in a pen knife but they could have been at the same end as a Jack Knife.

I'm pretty sure the steel was carbon and the covers were some kind of bone or well worn stag.

If I had to guess a tang stamp it would have been CASE over XX.

[Mumbleypeg]

I’m sure your dad would be pleased with whatever you decide to get in his memory. Hopefully someone here will have what you’re looking for, but if not keep looking. In my experience, persistence pays off eventually.

Ken

[brianv]

Thank you Mumblypeg!

[Gtrclktr-351]

I’m sure your dad would be pleased with whatever you decide to get in his memory. Hopefully someone here will have what you’re looking for, but if not keep looking. In my experience, persistence pays off eventually.

Ken

Have to agree with "Mumbleypeg" and Good Lock to you. Hope you can find one to your liking.

[brianv]

Thank you, Gtrclktr-351!