An old pocketknife can carry a family story. Case also puts a few clues right on the blade. The small marking where the blade meets the handle is called the tang stamp; on many knives, it helps narrow the manufacturing year.
Start with the dots — and the logo around them.
Case introduced dot dating in 1970. Its 2020–2029 stamp began with ten dots; one disappears each year, so the 2026 version has four. But four dots on an older-looking knife do not automatically mean 2026: Case changed stamp designs by decade and used Xs and dots in the 2000s and 2010s. Compare the complete stamp to Case's official guide before assigning a date.
Then read the pattern number.
The separate pattern code describes the knife, not its date. Take 6347 as an example: 6 points to a handle-material category that includes jigged bone and certain synthetics; 3 means three blades; and 47 identifies the factory pattern. That number isn't an individual serial number or a price tag.
One good habit for inherited or collectible knives.
Photograph the tang stamps on both sides, the handle, shield, and blades. Keep those pictures with anything you know about the knife's history. A date mark is a starting clue, not proof of authenticity or value — especially with older or altered pieces.
Case reference guides checked November 1, 2026: Dot Dating · How to Identify Knife Patterns · Handle Materials · Tang Stamps.