?? story on this Case knife/ pics included

[Mr.Vic]

In my hands i have a 3" or close, lock back single blade case knife. On the handle is a deer scene (Two bucks and a doe) under clear protection. On the blade there is case xx under that very very small print and then under that usa. on the other side of the blade is stamped 059L and under that SS I'm asuming that is the steel strength? etc. Now what i'm wondering is it's value, year made. Closest thing i found on net so far is one or two like it around 50.00 up. But this one has the release on the back about 3/8" from the end. and not on the end like the others... any ideas???? Hunting buddy bought a box of junk for 2.00 and it was in it...can't post pic sorry.

[ArrowChucker]

The 059L is the model number and SS is stainless steel. As far as what year it was made depends on what the writing on the other side of the blade looks like and if or how many dots it has on the blade. Every 10 years they change the writing style and start out with 10 dots and take 1 dot off for every year and at the end of that 10 year period they change the style or font of the writing and start over with 10 dots again. Without pictures I can't tell you what year it was made.

[LC]

ArrowChucker is right on, but lots of times it's X's and dots combined. An X or a dot is removed every year. Case Knife company has a very detailed web page on aging knifes and a collector forum where you could get more details.

[Mr.Vic]

Try to get some pics in a few days thanks guys. Didn't see any dots with the naked eye looked more like a stamped solid line under the XX. Looked at a site, case knifes and looked at hundreds of pictures none like the one we have were on it. Lock blade style but lots of differences. I'll get some pics. Cause my mind needs to know. Thanks again

[Mr.Vic]

These are the best i can do, and the stamping around the USA is that messed up. Thanks guys!!!

[ArrowChucker]

Thanks for the pictures that helps a lot.

That knife is called the Executive Lockback and it is part of the Image XX Outdoor series from the year it was made. It was made between the years of 1990-1993. That is the four years they used that blade stamp. The exact year it was made is stamped on the blade the first 2 numbers are on the left side of USA and the other 2 numbers are on the right side an example is 19USA92. I can't make it out from the picture it is too blurry.

What that blade stamp actually says is:

  CASE XX
Bradford, Pa.
  19 USA 9?  

Whatever the last number is 0,1,2,or 3 from the year it was made. It looks like they messed up on the Bradford, Pa. stamping because it looks unreadable.

I hope this helps you out.

[Mr.Vic]

Thanks a bunch Arrowchucker.. reckon my bud got a good deal than... he's had some people trying to buy it all ready from him at the coffee shop.. highest offer was 45.00 told him better keep it .... vic

[ArrowChucker]

No problem Vic. I got probably 250 Case knives. Once I saw the pics it made it a lot easier to figure out......Darrell