Thread: Wild caught Case knife and Rubberset #4 !

Originally Posted by tintin

yes, here is what the historian told me about the dating:

Yes and no. Yes (it was made with Tested blades). No (It wasn’t made in 1920-1940). It was made using the Case Tested XX blades. The Tested XX era transitioned into the 1940s. So, in other words, it was NOT a complete cut off of the Tested XX in 1940. It went further into the 40s. Some speculate as late as 1948 on some patterns. We will never have a definitive answer on which patterns, but it was transitional and sometimes you catch knives with both Case XX and Tested XX blade stamps. And it may be why we did not bother with the pattern stamps until 1948-1952ish.

Very true. The fellow who told you the history knows his stuff. Here, top of photo, is an XX 62048 with green bone scales and a tested 'curly C' shield, next to a XX (1940-1964) both with a tested blade (profile) stamped XX, and the regular XX shield without the earlier Curly C.

Not sure if you can see it because of the photo angle, but the tested blades had a more refined blade profile than the later XX, as shown on the red Rogers bone XX at the bottom of the photo. The yellow 'tested' 31048 came out of a batch of tested blades that Jim Parker found in the factory after he bought out Case. Somewhere in the late '80s IIRC. Probably the last tested knives assembled at the factory.