The News from ElephantToenails.com

Recently one of our active ETCC members got a lead on a CB 7250 Tortoise Shell handled toenail and did the right thing of running it down. Do you know how rare an authentic 7250 Case Brothers tortoise shell is?

Interestingly, however, it turned out to be the same fake Case Brothers (and same seller, Jay Nelson of Huntington, WV), I purchased a few years ago. The good news is we KNOW about this knife and who has it. The main purpose of this article is to put our other fellow members on notice before Toenail Blindness* clouds someone’s  judgment and it is added to their collection.

Here is it- at first glance it almost looks good but if you look further it is a fake.

I’ll cover what I didn’t like about it, but first take a look at the stamps- Look at how jumbled up the letters are.

Here is the pen blade stamp- check out the remains of the ‘C’ from what I believe to be Camillus. It is right above the C on Case. Also, see how close the letters are- too close among other things.

Now compare the length against authentic Case Brothers. The top one is the ‘51 pattern (4 1/2 inches) and the bottom one is the ‘50 pattern (right at 4 inches) Case Brothers. The fake is in the middle at 4 1/4 inches.

 I”ll post an article illustrating the various Case Brothers stamps (I know of three variations right off) soon.

The knife and backspring are ‘thinner’ than any Case Brothers (or WRC, for that matter), but are an exact match to Camillus in length, width and style. Also this knife lacks the TESTED XX stamp on the rear of the master blade. There were several other issues (real tortoise does not shrink, I am told but celluloid does, etc.), but you get the point. Therefore, I had concluded it is a Camillus frame (the blades were poorly stamped Case Brothers).

Our fellow ETCC member reached his own conclusion on this knife totally independent of me and arrived at the same conclusion- it was a fake and it was really a Camillus.

*Toenail Blindness is an delusionary illness where the collector wants to see a fake knife as the real thing.

I know you are aware I have an particular liking for Case Brothers and have just about been able to get my hands on most of the variations made. But, a few weeks ago I was contacted by a fellow toenail collector about one he has had in his collection for some time. It is one I haven’t been able to find in authentic condition. (I am amazed by the “closet collectors” who have some jewels out there they have kept a secret. I know without a doubt there are some of the most desirable and sought after premo toenails keep below the radar that will surface soon enough.)

This particular toenail is the 7250 tortoise shell produced by Case Brothers. It is advertised in their 1904 catalog.

If you will notice the 7250 is the second most expensive list price in their catalog. While it is just under a third of the price for a dozen pearls, it is more than the genuine stag or bone stag. Tortoise Shell (sea turtle shell) was expensive then and eventually was banned.

I have the 2250 (ebony), 5250 (genuine stag), 6250 (bone stag) and the 8250 (pearl), but have had a difficult time locating a genuine 7250. I have seen a few fakes, but not the real thing yet.

Well this collector states his is the real deal (I haven’t see it in person yet).

Tortoise Shell was replaced by celluloid. Hibbert Spencer and Bartlett, Chicago was one of the large producers of celluloid to look like tortoise shell handles.

No this isn’t a Bud commercial, instead it is my fulfillment of my promise to a recent request.

As I posted earlier this week, I had a new collector want to see a toenail in hand (so he could show his wife how big toenails are). I have two confessions here- one is I am a terrible photographer and two, I only have time to play knives at night so the lighting stinks. I had to take the photos left handed which is hard due to the camera being made to push the button with your right hand, plus it is an bulky camera at that.

Anyway, you see how the knife is a handful, but honestly it fits like a glove. To me the toenail being a working man’s knife was perfectly made to fit the contours of the right hand.

Can you guess the knife I am holding? You probably guessed right. It is in my all time favorite standard style toenail (non-jumbo, that is).

I acquired it last year from a fellow collector who was raising money to buy a car or something…..really I don’t remember what he said, but you know as well as I do he could go out and nearly buy a car for what I had to pay for this pearly. While there is a bit of rust on the bolsters the knife still has original finish on the blades and is the best conditioned Case Brothers pearl I have ever owned. While the famous trademark XX is not stamped out on the blade, the rear tang is stamped TESTED XX.

As most of you are aware Case Brothers made this knives shorter than most other manufacturers. It measures out at nearly four inches long closed.

You have probably heard by now of the big auction of Bob Wurzelbacher’s green bone knives. While I doubt they are all he owns, it is reported to have over 100 antique Case knives in it.

Green bone handled knives command a premium. It is a fact. Case green bone knives command a king’s ransom. While some folks may want to argue only Case made green bone handled knives, that isn’t the topic for today.

Bottomline: Green bone handled knives are in very high demand. I must confess to like them too, but green is one of my favorite colors.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why folks like green bone so much? I don’t know all the reasons, but do know, variations are good. Collectors like niche’s. Differences add an element of desirability. In my 2003 interview with Mr. Joel Seale, he told me green bone was one of the most desirable handle materials. He went on to tell me one of the reasons for this- Case lost its formula and couldn’t duplicate it. The story goes: After WWII Case tried to rehire its workers returning from the war. The new hires weren’t able to replicate the formula with the proper mix of dyes and also weren’t able to get the color to hold to the bone. 

In a conversation with Mr. Tony Foster, notable antique Case knife expert, Tony said, “all TESTED XX are green bones, actually, even though some appear brown.” He added that there are several variations of green bone and that the Bradford, TESTED XX and XX are the only eras with green bone. He also believes that neither Case Brothers or early WR Case used green bone.

I am not going to argue with an expert, but opinions differ out there as we have learned over the years when it comes to knives and toenails. So, is this Case Brothers a brown bone??  

Anyway, sorry I wasn’t able to add several of the other green bones toenails I have, including some killer green TESTED XX! Plus, I have several non-Case branded toenails made with green bone handles.When you have the chance to acquire a green bone toenail, grab it. You won’t go wrong, and if you are like me, will develop a special liking for them :) 

In our recent ET.com survey it was interesting for me to see a the majority of you indicated the topics of The News were just right- not too basic and not too advanced, however a handful of you indicated a desire for some “meaty” topics. Well you know advance level courses in college (graduate and doctoral level courses) don’t always give you answers as much as teaching you to THINK.

So, with that here we go and, while I don’t profess to be a doctor of toenails, I thought I’d let you into my world……hang on tight and DON’T JUST SKIM.

Let’s begin by asking: “Do you ever wonder which knife company invented the toenail?” I do all the time. I have been running this rabbit for years now and have declared this to be my quest. (more…)

Scott, I have attached photos of a Case knife that I have not be able to identify.  The knife is clearly marked CASE BROTHERS - LITTLE VALLEY and also has the XX marking on the blade.  I found this knife in a storage box when my father closed a General Merchandise country store he operated for 50 yrs and been in business in total over 100 yrs.  Any insight into the pattern, date of manufacture, and value would be much appreciated.  Additional photos are available if needed. David 

David, your hunch is correct. It is a 5250 Case Brothers stag handled elephant toenail, some call it a sunfish knife.  CB was from Little Valley, NY. It was made somewhere between around 1900 to like 1911, but you can verify that on my site. www.elephanttoenails.com search in The List for Case Brothers, plus you can see other stag handled ones like this. The XX on the blade was their trademark double stamp that the knife was tested and passed their approval. It was their claim to fame. Later they actually stamped the blade where the XX is with TESTED XX.

My guess is it is probably worth $200- $350, maybe up to $500. It is really hard to say, because some collectors really like knives in “used” original condition, plus it is affordable to a wide range of folks.. The stag handles are the best thing it has going for it. Stag ranks higher than some other handle materials among collectors. Did you take the knife apart? The pin holding the master blade in is sticking up which is not normal and will cause some collectors to question the knife. Don’t try to hammer it down if you are going to sell it just leave it as is. Scott

Scott, I found your site and it looks great. My father has an elephant toe knife that he cannot find complete information on.  (more…)

Hey Scott,

Just a quick note to say hello and that I enjoyed your article in Knife World.  I found it very informative and an absolute pleasure to read.  I learned a lot about Toenails that I didn’t know before.

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