Pocket Knife Tang Stamp Identification & Dating Guide – Volume One | Digital PDF

Identify and date collectible pocket knives with greater confidence using the Rugged Cross Customs Pocket Knife Tang Stamp Guide – Volume One.

This professionally designed 18-page digital field guide brings commonly encountered tang stamps and date-code systems together in one organized, easy-to-read reference. It is ideal for collectors, buyers, sellers, knife-show shoppers, flea-market hunters, and anyone trying to determine when an older pocket knife may have been made.

Inside the guide:

• Case XX folding-knife tang stamp eras
• Case hunting-knife stamp variations
• Case annual dot and X dating systems
• Buck knife date codes from 1961 through 2024
• Schrade and Old Timer stamp families
• Camillus tang stamp eras
• Queen City, crowned-Q, Big-Q, and annual Queen marks
• Imperial and Hammer Brand stamp eras
• Quick-reference comparison chart
• Dating notes, cautions, and collector tips

The stamps are presented as clean reference images and reconstructed illustrations instead of hard-to-read photographs of worn blades. Each section includes the approximate production period and the primary details collectors should examine.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

This listing is for a downloadable PDF file. No physical product will be mailed. After purchase, you can:

• View the guide on your phone, tablet, or computer
• Print the entire guide for a collector’s binder
• Print individual pages for use at knife shows or flea markets
• Keep a copy available while buying, selling, or cataloging knives

Please note: Tang stamps are an important dating tool, but they should not be used alone to authenticate a knife. Factory overlaps, leftover blades, repairs, replacement parts, contract knives, and reproductions can affect identification. Always compare the stamp with the knife’s pattern, construction, handle material, blade configuration, shield, and overall condition.

This first-edition starter guide focuses on commonly encountered stamp families and dating systems. It is not intended to document every factory variation, special edition, contract stamp, commemorative, prototype, or reproduction.

Created by Rugged Cross Customs for collectors who believe the details matter.

Copyright 2026 Rugged Cross Customs. Purchase grants one customer a personal-use license. Redistribution, file sharing, copying for resale, or repackaging as another product is prohibited.