All About Pocket Knives

"This is a 1950-1964 Case XX knife model 32095 that features a broken tipped 4"" knife and a broken 4"" fish
scale and eyeball removal prong The tang is engraved along the tang of one side with CASE XX and STAINLESS
and on other side with 32095. The handles are made of either bone or a smooth yellow synthetic.
The knife is stainless steel. The knife body has rust and oxidation.
I have the following questions:
Where can I buy 1950-1964 Cass XX model 32095 4" knife blade and 4" fish scale and eyeball removal tool?
Where can I buy the 1950-1964 bone or smooth yellow synthetic handles?
Do you think the handle is bone or yellow synthetic?
What do you think this knife is worth as is?
Is this knife worth replacing the foreamentioned parts?

Thank you for your assistance in these questions.
Regards,
Robert Knarr

The 3 at the beginning of the pattern number would indicate yellow composition handles. A repair would probably not be cost effective on that knife which has a minimal value. You would be better off to just look for a other one in better condition.

I can sell you the blades and the handles, but they are attached to a near mint Case XX 32095.

When you say "composition" do you mean celluloid? That's what those handles appear to be.

tjmurphy wrote:When you say "composition" do you mean celluloid? That's what those handles appear to be.

TJ , I am not sure when the change was made but the early 3's did have a celluloid component.

Welcome aboard Robert!
From the deterioration shown of the knife I am 99.9% sure the handles were composition i.e. celluloid as TJ indicated.
The rusty looking colors on the bolsters are created when the and sulfuric & nitric acids vaporized during the decomposition of the celluloid. The acid leaches the copper out of the nickel silver and gives it that rusty color.

If the springs are stainless steel they may still be good but it appears the tip is broken off of the cap lifter/scaler/hook disgorger blade, so it probably really isn't any good either.

It is almost impossible to find old blades for a knife like that unless you find another knife of that vintage. If the blades are in good shape and the handle is still intact you're better off buying that knife than trying to repair the old when you have. The only scenario that even make sense for repairing that knife is if you have enormous sentimental attachment to it. Even then the knife needs to new blades and new handles. I can't tell if the liners are still good, but I can tell you they are at least weekend by the deterioration of the celluloid.

Welcome, Robert.
I believe your knife looked like this at another time.

Mine is a USA. Yours is an earlier knife.

Welcome to AAPK Robert. First time I've heard of an "eyeball removal prong". Assuming you're talking about the two-pronged end of the fish scaler blade, it's a tool for removing fish hooks from the mouths or gullets of fish (also called a "hook disgorger"). But I'm sure it would remove eyeballs too!

These Case fish knives come up for sale frequently on eBay. Theyre not usually very expensive, so unless yours has sentimental value you'd be better off financially to buy one rather than invest in repairing yours.

Ken

Although I appreciate you sharing with me your knife pics, my knife does not have the yellow handles like yours.
In my research, I found many of the yellow handles like yours but also one like mine whose handles might
have been a synthetic bone or bone and had a rougher texture with either white or off white perimeter
with black and/or brown mid section.

I can see what is left of the handle material on that knife. It looks like yellow celluloid that has been through the offgassing or decomposition process. It turns a brownish color and it crumbles. It appears that most of the material has crumbled from the handles of your knife. This is typical of offgassing celluloid. I know, I have several yellow celluloid fish knives made by a variety of companies and they all turn brown when the celluloid begins to decompose.
As a knife mechanic I by the old celluloid knives, if they are in good enough condition, and put new handles on them. I have lost count of how many knives I have seen with decomposing celluloid I have repaired. I know what I'm seeing, even if it's just in the picture.