Knife Specifications:
- Pattern Number: 6228
- Approximate Mfg. Date: c. 1920
- Number of Blades: 2
- Length Closed: 3 1/2″
- Handle Material: green bone
- Bolsters: nickel silver
- Liners: brass
The Case Tested XX (sometimes called ‘Long Tailed C’) blade stamp on the master blade was featured on knives from about 1920 to 1940. The “Tested XX” trademark is popular among collectors and has an interesting history. Many early Case Brothers knives (c. 1905) had the Tested XX or just XX stamped out on the blade or even on the back of the tang. The Tested XX trademark made its way onto the front side of the tang stamp in 1914 when Jean Case of Case Brothers sold the rights to the “Tested XX” trademark to J. Russell Case of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery. The trademark was sold for a total of $1500 and was to be paid in $100 installments over a 15 year period!
This knife has very nice green bone handles, a popular variety of jigged bone used on Case Tested (1920-40) knives. The oval stamp seen on the punch blade was one of the first uses of the Tested XX trademark on a tang stamp and was used (according to my resources) around 1915 or so. The master blade is a spear point blade with a long pull while the other blade is a punch blade made for creating holes in leather and other soft materials. The harness jack is usually seen in the teardrop or swell end variety but this is not always the case.