Old Case Stockman XX

[JohnKSa]

My great uncle gave me this knife. He saw me once when I was just a baby, but of course I don't remember that. I believe he gave this knife to my parents then with instructions to pass it to me when I was old enough. They decided I was old enough at seven and that's when I first saw it.



I carried it for years, both in the tropics and here in the U.S. Not long after my folks gave the knife to me, I used it to cut my left index finger pretty badly. I can still see the scar and it slightly deformed the nail on the finger. That was the last time I ever cut myself badly with a knife. Don't get me wrong; I've cut myself many times since then, but they have been only minor, superficial cuts. Apparently the injury made quite a constructive impression.

It's just under 4" closed; the big clip-point blade that left its mark on me is about 2.75".

It wasn't a new knife when I got it although it was in excellent condition. I don't believe he bought it specially for me; I think it was one of his knives that he had used and wanted me to have. It has to be at least half a century old, perhaps much older than that.

The jigged bone handle is mostly worn smooth. On one side, the scale cracked and has been repaired--I did that (cracked it and repaired it) many years ago. I wish I hadn't been so hard on it over the years before I stopped carrying it, but at the same time, I do enjoy remembering all the time I spent with it. Whittling, learning about sharpening, performing various cutting tasks, and just having it close at hand.

Of course, it's not stainless, given its age, so all of the blades, and any other metal parts show patina or maybe even a touch of light rust in spots. I mowed a lot of yards in the Texas heat with that knife in my pocket. It's a wonder it it didn't rust away completely.

I carried this knife from the time I received it, well into highschool. I can't remember exactly when I finally replaced it with the Buck stockman my parents bought for me, but it was my constant companion for around a decade. It sticks in my mind that the Buck was a either highschool graduation present or my birthday or Christmas present the year I graduated from highschool, but I can't be certain of what year it was.

 

[bikerdoc]

I love stories like that, about old knives. Thank you JohnSKa.

this is a Schrade 804 It was the wifes grandpa's I did a story on it recently. Circa 1950

 

[troy fairweather]

Nice story. Like like the color of the scales its got from age.

 

[JohnKSa]

Well, I got curious about the knife's age and found these resources:

https://www.casecollectorsclub.com/college/tang-stamps/
https://www.casexx.com/Library/TangStamp.asp

According to the information on the websites, the Old Case was made sometime in the period from 1920 to 1940. That means it is somewhere between 79 and 99 years old. It's age makes it seem quite likely that my great uncle owned the knife for some time before he gave it to my parents to hold for me, although I suppose it's also possible that he bought it used at some point.

Very interesting. I had no idea that it was so old--in fact, was already quite old when he gave it to me all those years ago.

 

[bikerdoc]

The old ones have character!

 

[bannockburn]

This is my first and oldest Case knife, a 3 blade Stockman, that I purchased new from a department store's sporting goods department sometime in the mid '70s. Used it for awhile but decided to put it away before it got too worn or worse, lost. There was just something about this knife and how well made it was, that I wanted to pass it down to one of my kids some day as a family heirloom.

 

[JohnKSa]

They really knew what they were doing. My old Case, in spite of being well over 70 years of age, and showing it, is still in good working shape.

Two of the three blades "walk and talk"* like a new knife; the spey blade still snaps closed, but is a little lazy opening.

*Walk & Talk - The motion and snapping sound that occurs when the blade of a folding knife snaps open or closed. The tang end of the blade moving along the spring is the"walk", and the snap of the knife at the end of the opening or closing cycle is the "talk." A knife that won’t "walk & talk" is said to be "lazy".

 

[bannockburn]

JohnKSa

This one definitely does "walk and talk" with all 3 blades!