1900-1914 case tested xx- real or fake

[Aaronius007]

Hello. I am relatively new to AAPK, as well as knife collecting. So, please forgive me if my post is not done properly or this seems like a stupid question. I saw this case knife and liked it. Mostly due to the fact that it looked similar to one of my C.F. Wolfertz knives that is all brass. I was wondering if this case knife is legit. From what little bit i have found, it seems the "tested xx" on the blade is not near as deep as i have seen on others. Also, the tang stamp seems almost too perfect. Could this just be a legit case that somehow made it this long without ever really being touched and am just extremely lucky to have found it, or is it jus a fake reproduction, or even a later, authorized reproduction by case itself? This knife may be bought by someone else before i get my amswer, but just knowing the answer will be satisfying in itself.

[rodgers62074]

The stamping on the tang might be fake .However, the tested xx on the blade looks good from here. One thing to remember thou is, in the tested era they had square corners on the letters. I think the Case Bros did this too. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Aaronius007]

Thank you for that information! I never knew that anout the lettering!

[Mumbleypeg]

The “Tested XX” stamped into Case Brothers blades wasn’t any uniform depth, at least not from those I’ve seen, so that doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is the tang stamp, which is out of focus in the pictures provided, but from what blurry pictures I can see looks like probably a cold stamp. Why the blade would have a clear “TESTED XX” stamp on the blade and a cold stamp on the tang is a mystery. Better pictures of the tang stamp might provide an answer. I’m unfamiliar with the pattern but there are few if any thorough resources for Case Brothers.

Maybe one of the Case Brothers experts will recognize the pattern, but being unable to verify it as an actual Case Brothers pattern combined with the fuzzy pictures, bottom line I wouldn’t risk more than $30 for it. If in doubt keep your money in your pocket, or don’t venture more than you’re willing to lose. YMMV

FWIW here’s an example of Case Brothers stamps (fake and real) from page 220 of Gerald Witcher’s Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery. There are several pages of actual photos of authentic Case Brothers stamps in the book. Anyone who is going to play in the old knives pool probably should invest in some good resources so they can see what to look for on authentic knives, and avoid wasting money buying fakes. JMO

Ken