All About Pocket Knives

I don't know if this is legit or not, but it's out of my budget anyways. If you look closely at the tang stamp isn't it stamped on top of something else? What does it mean that the blades have been professionally restored?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Case-T ... ition=3000

I believe this has already been posted here before.

Beavertail wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:34 pm I believe this has already been posted here before.

Can you provide a link for that information? I'd like to read it.

I don't think any knife that has been 'cleaned and re-finished' is worth $11,000.
This seller uses most of the 'description' to tell us what a Case expert he is. Real experts rarely tout their own horn.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 4:29 pm I don't think any knife that has been 'cleaned and re-finished' is worth $11,000.
This seller uses most of the 'description' to tell us what a Case expert he is. Real experts rarely tout their own horn.
kj

The description reminds me of a "carnival barker"!

I would like to hear from Case collectors as to a realistic value for this old Congress knife.
kj

Interesting. The knife may be legit. But even so it has been buffed extensively (note the still-obvious pits on the tang). The pictures have been enhanced by software. If legit, with those handle covers it’s a rare item. But the price reference from Sargent’s is for a knife in mint condition, which the posted knife is far from. Even being lightly carried cuts the value by half.

IMHO the knife is worth 10-20% of what the seller is asking. JMO. I don’t traffic in that league so it will be interesting to see comments from the experts.

Ken

I agree with Ken on value, the blades has lots of metal loss. It doesn’t look like a true Red Stag either.

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 4:29 pm I don't think any knife that has been 'cleaned and re-finished' is worth $11,000.
This seller uses most of the 'description' to tell us what a Case expert he is. Real experts rarely tout their own horn.
kj

I'd like to know what "refinished" means.
It looks like it's been very heavily buffed.

I remember Steve Pfeiffer saying that "Red Stag" didn't really exist in 1920 - 1940. Stag was Stag. Yes, some of it had a bit of a red tinge to it, but that was by coincidence. To back that up, I have a Stag Peanut from the "XX" era that has what I would call Red Stag but inly in the pile side.

I believe the knife in question here has some blade loss, possibly from the aggressive polishing. I think that is most evident on the pen blade.

It's kind of funny to me how he said "I will let the knife do the talking" then proceeds to write a few paragraphs, mostly touting himself. Not saying that's bad but it's kind of funny.

A question to the serious case collectors; if legit, is this well used and heavily cleaned knife desirable to you? If so at what price is it considered fair market value?

Saying this knife has “light blade loss” is like saying a broken knife is in excellent condition. Heavily used and cleaned knives like this scare me away from buying especially at such extravagant prices. Doesn’t look like Tested era stag to me let alone the anomaly of red stag.

My first thought on seeing this knife was; the blades don't even look natural. It's as though the blades had to be polished and shined up so much, and were overdone. Its like obvious flaws were trying to be 'covered up' and to try and make it more appealing. And I don't know anything (other than what I've learned here) about Case knives, or refurbishing techniques. I would think that this old knife would have been more appealing and acceptable if whomever would have just left it alone and sold it in its natural state.