Share your H1 knife collection!
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Original history contribution and deep dive post linked below for those unfamiliar or missed it.
Great to see so much love for the 102-12. 
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I never get tired of seeing folks show their love for theCHEF. Thanks for the photo!
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Thatās an amazing knife, sleeve, and box combo! Phenomenal set! It took me 4 years to piece those three items together.
Did you acquire them all in one purchase? Iād love to hear the story on how you found them and secured the sale.
The hunt is one of the greatest feelings in the world. When you finally find what youāve been searching for itās euphoric and surreal.
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Thanks for posting this info. Great stuff 
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Brother you and me are more alike than you will ever know, haha.
Like you, its been a long journey and Iāve picked up a fair few different knife types along the way (something you would understand well) Iāll add a photo of those other pieces at a later date, I believe one of them may be a 102-10 although Iām not 100% due to being unmarked.
Like many I spent hours trawling through the likes of Ebay which is easier said than done being UK based given our laws on online knife purchases especially from the US. I had some success in the form of the 100-10ā pictured in addition to a Henckelās which was very close but sadly no scores in relation to a true 102-12ā (unsurprising to those who know). I took my search to Europe in the hope that it may be an untapped market with little expectation and looked through what we call car boot sales for second hand vintages knives. This lead to plenty of European and French branded Chefās as youād expect but no Case. I did however in doing this form a friendship with an individual who specializes in house clearances and took an interest in my story and love for H1. To cut a long story short it was around 6 months later I gained a message that they think they may have found what I was looking for matching the description of a large Case pumpkin box. To my surprise it was indeed an excellent condition 102-12 rumoured to have been brought over from the states as a gift sometime in the 70ās/80ās and remained unused in what we call a loft ever since. The inner paper lining was sadly too far degraded so I replaced this with a modern equivalent sourced from ebay but I think it still looks great. The rubber stamp on the front is still legible but has been subject to UV and moisture weathering. I gave the handle a light sanding and treatment with Danish oil which brought out the Rosewoodās original rich grain in addition to carefully polishing and treating the blade with food grade mineral oil.
Safe to say after a long time my search was over but Iām still enjoying sharing catalogue details and knowledge to help others locate their own grails. One member who reached out but who will remain anonymous even travelled all the way to a Case factory in Bradford, dedication! As youād know, you do find 102-12ās on ebay of an earlier era and Iād like to think my history contribution (mostly compiling everyoneās prior findings along with my own) helps to stop people paying over the odds for these and remaining well informed.
If Iām not mistaken your second image is the NOS 102-12 you sourced in 2024 and the first image is the 102-12 sourced March this year from 102124U? (clearly a Better Call Saul fan lol)
Will your search ever end Hedge? I always picture you in future with a GoT style throne made of 102ās seated in your full H1 outfit and ID. Leave some for everyone else brother. 
Interesting fact from my research, Case ran with blue base pumpkin boxes up until the end of the 1960ās and then transitioned to using white. There was however a surplus of the older blue style boxes so these would sometimes still appear in orders fulfilled in the late 60ās / early 70ās subject to whatever was still available which coincides with the release of what we know to be issue #70 1969 102-12 variants. I recall your prior images showed a white box base and your latest image blue so you must be lucky enough to own both?
Which 102-12 is your favourite? If Iām not mistaken the 102124U variant has a small piece missing from one side of the beak which is unfortunate although IMO only adds to its character and history.
Sincerely, many thanks for yours and prior OG member contributions. As Iāve said in the past I wouldnāt have any of my life long grails if it wasnāt for this community/forum and individuals like yourself selling replicas to likeminded enthusiasts. 
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I simply love it!
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Fantastic story! We often lean on unlikely friendships to find these elusive items. I certainly have. Man, to find one in Europeā¦ what are the odds?! I donāt suspect there are many over there. Thatās truly remarkable. Congrats! That feeling you had when you saw the message from your friend saying they had found itā¦ thatās the feeling we all chase, man. 
To answer your questions:
The knife pictured above in both photos is the same knife, the one I bought from 102124U. The top photo is the sellerās and features the patina still on the blade. Iāve since removed the patina. The bottom photo is one I took last night.
At one time, I owned two boxes, yes. I have since gifted one of them to a friend.
I sold my NOS 102-12 shortly after I bought the one from 102124U. The NOS knife, as beautiful as it is, is not accurate to a true late model 102-12 in two ways. Something I was very upfront about with the person who bought it from me.
The NOS knife was of the correct era, but, as is Caseās legacy during that era, the quality control was atrocious. Because these knives are hand crafted, and there were more than just a couple of smiths crafting them, no grouping of 102-12s from the late 60s and early 70s were the same.
To complicate things further, as it was explained to me, the 102-12 design was altered at the end of its production life, not long before Case discontinued it entirely. These changes were implemented between catalog runs and never made it into the logs themselves. This is why the late model 102-12, the knife we see in the film, looks different than what can be seen in the final catalog that advertises the 102-12.
This, in part, is what makes the late model 102-12 such a rarity. The last minute changes made to the design of the knife before the manufacturer ultimately discontinued the product all but ensured that there werenāt many made.
Iāve said this before, but Randy Moore unwittingly selected a unicorn of a knife for the film. A service to the film, no doubt, but a right pain in the ass for folks like us that want the same one.
The NOS knife had a rivet placement in which the rivets were set an equal distance from each other, meaning the rivet furthest from the blade was not in the correct place. Also, the bolster on the NOS knife was chunky like the older models. I believe the knife is of the correct era given the blade drop and handle angle, which were a part of those aforementioned last minute changes Case implemented, but the smith who crafted it made a thicker bolster. The person in charge of attaching the scales must have had an eye for symmetry and chose to place the rivets at an equal distance from each other. That is my assumption, anyway.
The knife I bought from 102124U is nearly perfect in every conceivable way and has a blade that is almost entirely intact. It really is a grail piece. There are two very minor differences between my knife and the one used in the film, both of which can be attributed to Caseās aforementioned lackluster QA and the fact that these were made by hand. Discrepancies are to be expected.
For the curious: my grail knife features an angle drop that is off center from the bolster. It can be seen on the spine. Additionally, my knife features half moons on the bolster that were shaped too aggressively. Too much material was removed during the shaping process, a common discrepancy. Itās a bummer my knife isnāt perfect, but I refrain from complaining. I am very fortunate to own this knife, I know that. Iām just also a bit of a whackadoo when it comes to obsessing over details.
To clarify, there are no chips in the handle on the one I bought from 102124U. In fact, the handle itself is the closest one Iāve ever seen to being perfect in every way. Thatās ultimately why I chose to sell the NOS knife. The handle on that one left some things to be desiredā¦ i.e.,: the person who was in charge of shaping the scales post-attachment was a little over zealous with the sanding implement and removed too much material along one side of the belly. The rivet placement, the thicker bolster, and the lopsided handle simply didnāt nail the look of the knife used in the film. Itās still a unicorn and absolutely a grail, but Iām looking for a perfect, unaltered representation of what is seen in the film.
Your knife is amazing and a perfect representation of what is seen in the sales catalog prior to the late-stage changes. Iāve never seen one so accurately nail the image seen in the catalog. The etchings, in particular, are stellar. Iāve owned 4.5 102-12s now. Iāve sold two of them. The .5 is a 102-12 that was cut in half and used as a cleaver. None of mine have had the makers marks as clear as yours. Iām envious. Even the NOS knife has etchings that are extremely superficial, very faint.
Here are a couple of photos of the NOS knife and the knife I bought from 102124U prior to me removing the patina and selling the NOS knife. You can see the differences I mentioned above. Iāve included two close-ups of the handle, too.
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Likewise! Appreciate your story, one Iāve read and researched many times in great detail!
As youād know it can be hard to cut through misinformation with a history that stems back this far especially in a hobby that can at times foster the worst in people. Narcissism, main character syndrome and self entitlement is only too present in rare collectible hobbies but like you I feel its important to appreciate the history, give back to the community, and add that extra layer to the Legacy that only comes from patient research, personal sacrifice and commitment. To even come close to physically owning the Hero knife despite its rarity as you say is truly humbling.
Removing the patina is no mean feat!! I can only assume after years of crafting replicas you felt confident enough to delicately attempt a restoration. Iām shocked to learn that you parted with the prior NOS (what a beauty), whoever picked this up is a lucky individual, I have my suspicions on who it might have been. 
100% agree in relation to quality control you could mistake length and shape for a 6130 quite easily on some variants. To those who know or would be interested these knives were not crafted in the modern sense, imagine very large āpressingā machine which would literally press the blade material and thus create that initial bolster shape which frankly you canāt just reproduce. It came as no surprise for that reason when I learned you would reshape similar era knifes to achieve the Chef look (painstaking and time consuming no doubt!). Hand shaping and finishing was indeed the production method of that era and thus each Craftman would leave their own unique mark be it a deviation in handle length or deviation in shaping of the iconic beak. At times Iāve wondered if it was worth me taking a steel file to achieve a closer onscreen beak given that thereās enough material to do so but I quickly remind myself that retaining the original finish that matches a historically accurate and factual document was more important to me.
The revelation in reference to an undocumented mid catalogue change is fascinating and intriguing, Iām no stranger to the merger with cut co which came with its own historical influences. Iāve always been a stickler for facts and evidence hence the prior independent deep dive endeavouring to share both ends of the catalogue spectrum. I know of one other piece that matched up this closely, I believe I included it on my original post in the form of an alternating gif (features a green surfaced background).
Absolutely no offence intended by my prior comment, this was purely from photo observation in a minor area right at the very tip of the beak. As you say undoubtedly a perfect piece worthy of the grail status (it couldnāt have found a better home).
Thank you Sir, the markings are indeed very legible, I had seen this once on a prior 100-10 image from a reputable knife sale site although not directly in my possession. I can only attribute the quality to its archival style storage away from friction and elements for which Iām forever grateful. You would understand what I mean by this but the texture of the markings is actually smooth as opposed to deeply engraved as one would expect, this actually makes re-polishing restoration near impossible in those areas.
Likewise, its very humbling to own a 102-12 let alone one that mimics the materials and blade drop that those who have research this piece can appreciate. As a long standing member recently told me this forum has at times been quiet but thereās a real sense of a community resurgence. Individuals like yourself are very much part of that OG club in my eyes and its a pleasure to be able to seminice on each others journey, one I wouldnāt have even started if it wasnāt for you sharing your own.
P.S I personally love the half cut cleaver style 102, brutal to look at in one way but a poetic reminder of how these knifes where simply day-to-day functional tools of the trade before H1 fans like ourselves became aware.
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Great thread, a very interesting read. Thanks for all your research.
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