Learn About Case Knife Tang Stamp Prefix and Suffix Letter Meanings

March 15,

In addition to the pattern number, Case often stamps additional letters before or after the pattern number. These letters indicate certain blades or other unique characteristics incorporated in its knives. The blade abbreviations may be located behind, below, or on a different blade as the pattern number. Below is a ever-growing list of abbreviations and what they stand for. We will add to this list as we encounter them.

ACK suffix = Annual Club Knife

CC suffix = Blade will have a concave grind.

D suffix = Blades made from damascus steel.

DR prefix = Dark Red Bone

DR suffix = Rear bolster will be drilled for lanyard.

EO suffix = The knife will have an easy open feature.

F suffix = The knife will have a file blade or a fisherman抯 blade.

GS prefix = the knife has a gold stone handle (a sort of plastic gold fleck material)

HP suffix = This knife will have both a sheepfoot blade and a spey blade.

HE suffix = This knife will have a sheepfoot and pen blade.

I suffix = The knife will have iron liners.

J suffix = The knife will have a long spey blade.

K suffix = The knife will have a corkscrew.

L suffix = The knife will have a locking mechanism.

P suffix = The knife will have a punch blade.

PEN suffix = The knife will have a pen blade.

PU suffix = The knife will have a punch blade.

R prefix = Red Bone handle

R suffix = There will be a bail in the handle, or the knife will have a razor blade.

RAZ suffix = The knife will have a razor blade or one armed man blade.

SAB suffix = The blade will be saber-ground.

SHAD suffix = The knife will not have bolsters.

SC suffix = The knife will have a pair of scissors.

SCIS suffix = The knife will have a pair of scissors.

SP suffix = The knife will have a spey blade.

SS suffix = The blades and springs will be stainless steel.

SH suffix = The knife will have a sheepsfoot blade.

S suffix = The knife will not have bolsters.

SSP suffix = The blades and springs will be stainless steael and will have polished blade edges.

T suffix = The knife will have tip bolsters.

TB prefix = the knife was designed by master knifemaker Tony Bose

W prefix = White Bone Handle

W suffix = The knife will have a wharncliff blade.

X suffix = Used to signify a change in the handle dye.

1/2 suffix = The knife will have a clip master blade.

3/4 suffix = The knife will be saber ground on one side and not the other. (rare).

Note that blade abbreviations often run together. For instance: SHR indicates that the knife will have a sheepsfoot blade as designated by the SH, and will have a bail as indicated by the R. In addition, there could be instances where the abbreviations are shortened to save space. For example, a knife with HE stamped on the blade. This would indicate that the knife will have a sheepsfoot blade and a pen blade. The S was dropped from the SH, and the P, and N were dropped from the PEN.

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