All About Pocket Knives

Gentlemen, I would appreciate any and all opinions, and please forgive my ignorance. I picked this up a few weeks ago on ebay for a few bucks thinking I was bidding on a vintage Case 47 pattern stockman with yellow celluloid handle scales and was surprised when it showed up with what I think is referred to as "cracked ice" celluloid. (My fault for not looking at the auction pictures more carefully.) Now I notice that it is 3 15/16" closed, or 1/16" longer than any of my other 47's and all the 47's I see in Steve Pfeiffer's great book (all are 3 7/8"). So, I am wondering just what do I have here, and did Case ever make anything like this? Thanks for your time!

That knife looks fine to me. It is a 047 pattern as opposed to a 47 pattern.
Tom

olderdogs1 wrote:That knife looks fine to me. It is a 047 pattern as opposed to a 47 pattern.
Tom

The 047 pattern does tend to be slightly longer that the 47 in my experience.

Just a skosh longer than the 47 and always has the California clip.

Agreed Tom.

CASE XX 93047 with CA Clip blade. Knife looks fine to me. Not sure if 047 are longer so I will defer to you on that. That said, I personally would not sweat 1/16” on a Case knife based on hafting and other factors.

Not a red herring in my opinion.

Jerry

Excellent, thanks for the good info. No pattern stamp on the tang, so I am assuming it is pre 1949. Funny how this knife suddenly looks so much better now that I know what it is!

I've never seen that written in any books but everyone I have come across is 1/8 inch longer than the 47 patterrn. here are a couple of x247's on the left and a couple of x347's on the right. The 63047 in the middle is clearly longer.

herbva wrote:Excellent, thanks for the good info. No pattern stamp on the tang, so I am assuming it is pre 1949. Funny how this knife suddenly looks so much better now that I know what it is!

I don't want to alarm you, but you should keep an eye on that knife. That celluloid looks at the very least to be shrinking, but it may possibly also be gassing out. If you look at the top parts of each blade, the parts that are exposed above the liner, they look to have had corrosion heavier than the rest of the blade, and that look/effect is typical for what we see in celluloid that is/has outgassed.

It may be much ado about nothing, but until you know for sure, I would keep that knife stored separately away from any knife of value.

Glenn

gsmith7158 wrote:I've never seen that written in any books but everyone I have come across is 1/8 inch longer than the 47 patterrn. here are a couple of x247's on the left and a couple of x347's on the right. The 63047 in the middle is clearly longer.

....GREG, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades!!............ ...............

Yep, 047 for sure. I have a XX 63047 in my pocket today. Right at 4 inches and a California clip. One of my favorite patterns.

Glenn, thanks for the warning. I can see where the celluloid has started shrinking and am familiar with the danger of keeping these things around other knives. I think this one is going to be a fun rehandle project this winter.