Factory Reject/Second Case Knives

[Lansky1]

No matter the brand seconds are worth less.

To a collector perhaps.

Are you saying to a non collector, seconds are worth the same as non-seconds?

Absolutely - would be to me. I have a couple case seconds where the tang stamp is ground off .... I can't find anything wrong with them & they're great knives, every bit as good as a new one.

[Mumbleypeg]

I think David’s question was are they worth the same, not are they good knives. They are likely good as EDC users. I don’t know any collectors who would pay as much for a factory second as they would for a factory first. Now that I said that, I’m sure someone will tell me they collect factory seconds and will pay a premium for them. (But that doesn’t mean they’re worth the same or more).

I must lead a sheltered life - been collecting Case knives for over 50 years and I’ve yet to see a Case factory second in person. I guess it’s sorta like the old song Everybody Got It But Me.

Ken

[edge213]

Exactly Ken.
I would not pay as much for a second, but I would (and have) carry one.

[knifeaholic]

I think David’s question was are they worth the same, not are they good knives. They are likely good as EDC users. I don’t know any collectors who would pay as much for a factory second as they would for a factory first. Now that I said that, I’m sure someone will tell me they collect factory seconds and will pay a premium for them. (But that doesn’t mean they’re worth the same or more).

I must lead a sheltered life - been collecting Case knives for over 50 years and I’ve yet to see a Case factory second in person. I guess it’s sorta like the old song Everybody Got It But Me.

Ken

I have been collecting and studying them for 50 years myself.

The only factory seconds that came from the Case factory that I have seen are either very old (Tested and older) - OR - only from the time period of about 1978 to about 1983. There seem to have been a bunch of seconds released to the market for that five-year period for some reason.

I have NEVER seen a Case second marked with the CASE XX stamp, the CASE XX USA stamp, or any 70's to 80's stamps other than '78 to '83.

I have NEVER seen a Case second newer than '83...none '84 to '89, none from the 90's, none from 2000 to current.

Note that I said "that came from the Case factory"...there were several companies, including Alcas and Camillus, that made knives for Case, and these companies evidently did sell seconds that never made it out of QC and on to Case.

I talked to a collector who grew up in Olean who told me that there were large quantities of Case Shark Tooth seconds made by Alcas that were selling for very low $$ around Olean.

I recently owned (and sold) a Case Tested 6254 trapper with perfect green bone handles that was a second. All the tang mark removed except for the lower remnant of the TESTED XX. Case logo removed from the shield as well.

[just bob]

Would a Case transition congress knife qualify as a factory 2nd?

[just bob]

This is from an old Shepherd Hills auction.

Year of Tang Stamp Manufacture: Thought to be from the 1960's

ITEM 21 - (FIXED BLADE)
GENUINE STAG CASE FACTORY SECOND
FIXED BLADE
CLIP BLADE
10 1/2 INCHES OVERALL
In the past, Case employees were allowed the opportunity to purchase "Factory Seconds" for personal use or for their personal collection. To keep the seconds separate from non-seconds, they were not permitted to leave the Case factory without having the tang stamped removed. This practice of releasing factory seconds is no longer allowed at the factory and has since ended. This particular knife, with thick stag handles and light red tones of color, is a fine example of Case's rich history and fine craftsmanship.
FIXED BLADE
>RETURN TO COMPLETE AUCTION LIST
Winning Bid
tony - 7005
$210
High Bidder's First Name and last 4 digits of their phone number

This is an interesting old thread on this subject.

viewtopic.php?t=53956

[philco]

Would a Case transition congress knife qualify as a factory 2nd?

In my opinion.........NO. A transition knife has blades with stampings from two different years. That happens because the company does not want to waste the blades they have left over bearing last years stamp. I don't see that as a flawed knife and therefore I would not consider it a second. Apparently Case agrees with me.

[knifeaholic]

Would a Case transition congress knife qualify as a factory 2nd?

In my opinion.........NO. A transition knife has blades with stampings from two different years. That happens because the company does not want to waste the blades they have left over bearing last years stamp. I don't see that as a flawed knife and therefore I would not consider it a second. Apparently Case agrees with me.

Correct. Seconds are knives with defects, even if only cosmetic. The tang marks on seconds are altered so that a buyer cannot return the knife to the manufacturer under warranty. Transition knives are not defective.

[junom]

look at the inter scale it will have proto inscribed there sometimes it's hard to see it maybe one , they leave them in a not finished and no edge condition, I have had a few like that, I don't remember what the man who worked at case called the finish it was something like aggergate I know that's not spelled correctly but it sounded like that. I would check with the man but he is very sick. He is 81 and worked at most of the knife company's like cutco alcas ka-bar

[junom]

Joe Heister would know, I just emailed him, he has cancer and is very sick , He's a great man very honest but I won't bother him at this time, he's been a friend for a lot of years.

[GSPTOPDOG]

I ordered a Case Purple Bone stockman... It looked great, great bones .... then when inspecting the blades... the sheep's hoof blade is bent/off set too much and set too far over and won't close w/o pushing on it to the side and the main blade won't close as well w/o pushing the sheep's hoof blade over out of the way to the side. The main blade is rubbed by the sheep's hoof blade

So I will be looking at making a return... a brand-new knife should not have been shipped from the factory like this!