Here's a list of books you can buy pertaning to Case knives.

American Premium Guide to Knives and Razors , 6th EditionThe BEST guide for older Case, Queen, and Remington pocketknives and fixed blade knives, bar none. Also covers the modern Remington Bullet series. Softcover, 504 pp. Author Jim Sargent
This is likely the best book overall to see all of the patterns, handle materials, and tang stamps on the old Case knives. It has tons of pictures from all eras and a price guide that is a bit behind but still a good reference.

Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery An essential volume for the collector of antique pocket, hunting, and bowie knives, this book will teach you how to identify and protect yourself from counterfeits. Softcover, 512 pp. Author Gerald Witcher This is a very through book and a must for any serious old knife collector. However, I would warn the new collector from trying to use this book exculsively. You can learn much more by handling a knife and asking questions in person.

Pocket Knife Trader's Price Guide vol. 7. Although this book covers Bulldog, Case Classics, and a few others, it's primarily dedicated to pricing Case knives from the late 1800's up to 2000. 384 pages and authored by the late Jim Parker. This book is the most current price guide, in book form, today. While some say the prices are high, it is still the most accurate book on the market. In addition, it lists book values for Case knives up through the year 2000 and no other publication is currently providing that.

The Case Cutlery Dynasty The extraordinary story of America's oldest and largest family of knife makers, who created some of the most collected knives in the world. Written by Case descendant and award-winning author Brad Lockwood, this hardcover, 304 page book is a must-have for all Case knife fans. Author Brad Lockwood.

I will be adding to this list often, I don't quite have the time to list all of the books at once. I also highly recommend Knife world as your best source to buy from. I do have a few of them on my web site but Knife World has the best selection

Perry, excellent list. Another to recomend is long out of print but easy to find at the shows and on ebay etc is The Romance of Collecting Case Knives by Dewey Ferguson. This was the first serious work published and it hooked my generation of collectors.

David Mullins
Board Member NKCA/NKM

Uli
Dewey Ferguson attempted the first serious work trying to bring the Case story to the written page. Organized knife collecting was just beginning in the United States. The copy of the book you have was one of his first editions. My 1969 edition has an orange cover and is titled Handbook Romance of Knife Collecting. The edition I spoke of in my earlier post was a larger book 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches with a white cover titled Pictorial Price Guide Romance of Collecting Case/XX Knives with a copyright date of 1972. I acquired my copy in 1973.
Speaking to your question is it interesting, to a 16 year old Georgia boy it was like heroin. I could not get enough. Today it's still the first reference book I reach for when I need one, The prices quoted in it now seem ridiculous but the photos of the basic patterns are solid (Case has a very detailed system for identifying knives by the pattern number and have had for years). Books with more information have been written about Case knives, some by very old friends but this is my favorite. Hang on to your 1969 edition not many around anymore.

Are more recent books like

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Price-Guide-Collector-Knives/dp/0676601898

Even worthwhile for someone getting involved in collecting?

Thanks,

H from CaseKnife Community

I've got the 1976 edition[third version] issued by Dewey's wife and have kept it for these many years because of the pictures and explanations on many of the various models offered - its one of the very best; forget the prices - they are truly from a time far, far in the past!

All of these out of date price guides will have information to offer although you can forget about using the information provided on the knife values. But the relevant information about the knives, blades, patterns and the cutlery companies can be useful.
My two favorites of the newer editions are the American Premium Guide to Knives & Razors by Jim Sargent. This one has had two editions issued and Jim is in the process of revising for the 3rd edition. It has pictures of Case patterns you will not see anywhere else. My other newer favorite is the last edition of the Pocket Knife traders Guide By Buzz Parker and Ed Henley. It has some good material on newer Case knives. By newer I mean 70s, 80s,90s.

If your looking for something to help you price your collection of older Case knives, Tony Foster puts out a price list on a monthly basis It's knife values are not carved in stone but we all use it as a guide.

All three of these publications are available from the authors. I would suggest trying to purchase a copy from someone in the knife business. You may have cause to speak to one of these gentlemen one day and they will remember selling you a book quicker than Amazon will.

Thanks for all the good book titles...I've been looking for some info to start a case collection. Keep up the good work.

I have all of the books listed below and two of Jim Sargents. His addition of a PDF CD for your computer that is instantly searchable to pattern numbers, key words, manufacturers, collectable FSO, is great for an eBayer. The Pocket Guide is a must too. Ron Stewarts books “Knife Collectors Guide” is a great book for the beginner to understand the history of the brand names and manufactures out there but his data in his price guide this year was a cut and paste from last.

New on the scene and no where do I see mentioned here is Steve Pheiffer’s “Collecting Case Knives – identification and price guide”. From the editors of Blade Magazine this book is not a price guide to thumb through to check on a pattern’s value. It’s an historical and well documented explanation of how and where Case knives values are supported and why. It’s detailed, documented, and well resourced. It has abundant color photos – far more than any other similar book I have seen and made from high quality glossy stock paper surely to serve as a superb reference guide but with the class of a coffee table book. In content and in its presentation Steve has done what he said in his introduction was that he wanted to create a different type of reference guide that will detail the “knives themselves…” …the “DNA” so-to-speak.
I think along with those already mentioned in this forum, Steve’s guide is a must have complement to the those and will stand for year too come as a cornerstone to any Case collector library.

You are correct sir! I haven't updated the books in a while and Steve's certainly deserves to be right at the top. I will get hiim added shortly. Thanks for the heads up!!