You probably know that my favorite knife pattern probably has more documented names (nicknames) than any other pattern I am able to identify. The list includes, Old Honesty, Butterbean, Pumpkinseed, Red Eye, Elephant's Toe, English Rope Knife, Toe, Sunfish, Camp Knife, Pocket Axe, Vest Pocket Axe (my favorite), Jumbo, The Bulldog and probably others.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?

I know it has been a topic of conversation as to when Case first referred to the toenail as an “Elephant Toenail” in one of their catalogs. Do you care to guess when this first occurred?

The answer is- Case first used the nicknamed for the 6250 pattern as an Elephant Toenail in their Cat. #70 published in 1968. Did you get it right? This is not to say, the knife wasn’t referred to as an Elephant Toenail prior to that, but that was the first time Case used it in one of their catalogs.

Second question- When was the first time Case used the nickname “Sunfish” in one of their catalogs?

The answer is- Well, it was also in the same catalog #70 from the same year.

I want to thank Brad Wood for researching this question for me in his extensive collection of Case catalogs. In fact, as Brad researched this question for me, he made an observation, one he had not noticed before. In going all the way back to the earliest Case catalog he owns (c. 1934) he concluded, “It was interesting for me too to see the first time Case listed nicknames for its patterns in catalogs was 1968 (prior to that the knives were simply referenced by the pattern numbers. SK). I had never notice that before.” Thanks Brad.