Am I being too picky? Case CV Peanut & Case CV Texas Jack

Bob W said:
I vote "too picky," especially if those are intended to be Users.

The first knife with the spot, I wouldn't consider that problem even on a non-user. A bit of character.

The second, obviously a manufacturing defect from imperfect workmanship. I wouldn't save it in the Collection or give it as a gift, but the hassle of sending it back for repair or store exchange isn't worth it considering the low price. If it's to be a user knife, the defect will perhaps be completely unnoticeable after a couple of sharpenings.

I'd say if the edges aren't jagged and the blades don't wobble, then you've gotten some decent Case knives. :thumbup:
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You're right. The build quality is actually solid. Just minor aesthetic issues.

I do wish that they can do better though.
It's too bad that our bar is set so low now.

I mean the RR peanut is better finished, but I like CV more and even though I don't live in the US anymore I would like to buy knives made there.

BTW I didn't mean to make my post to bash Case. I really like their knives. Just want them to be able to live up to their potential.

One of my favorite knife is the Case Pen Knife. I love that knife even though there are huge gaps in the back spring/liner. But it's my perfect knife. If I were to get a custom in the future, it'll be based on that pattern

KG
 
I certainly think the QC on GEC is better than Case by a mile. The consistency is much better on a GEC, Case is very hit or miss. If you get a lemon, you get a lemon. But the chances of a GEC lemon are much much lower than a Case. Either company will,do their best to fix any QC problems however, so rest easy in that department.

Connor
 
In the time it took for the OP to compose and post this thread, he could have:

Made a peanut butter & jelly sandwich

Played fetch with his dog

Fried up some bacon and eggs

Checked the oil in his car

Those are serious undertakings whereas the perceived problems with the peanut and jack are actually non-existent.

Just sharpen them away and you'll be good to go. Oh, try a Snickers. It'll put you in a better frame of mind. Kinda like those character in the Snicker Commercials on TV:rolleyes:
 
uchinanchukg said:
I may have gotten lucky but the Buck 303 and 309 that I got in the same order was much better finished and I guess that highlighted the F&F of the Case.

I was also surprised that even the Rough Rider Peanut that I got last week was much better finished than the Case.

I'll eventually buy a GEC. They seem to make very nice knives. That said they are not immune to the QC issues either. I've seen enough posts on here to show that they aren't necessarily better in QC even though they are pricier.

It would be nice if the QC got better as you pay more. But that's not necessarily the case (no pun intended)[emoji14]

KG
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You should be able to see very noticeable shortcuts in the manufacturing of those Buck and Rough Rider knives. And lower quality materials should be obvious on the Rough Rider knives.
 
Not all rough rider knives are perfect. I've unfortunately had the opposite experience with RR's. The handful I've ordered have been no where near the quality of Case.
 
I don't see a big deal with the peanut if you are going to use it. This is part of the reason I only buy Case knives in person and pay a bit extra.
 
I completely understand where you're coming from, OP. If somebody has hundreds of knives it's easy to overlook the flaws in any one knife. If you don't buy many knives, and intend to carry and use your knives for years, you want to make sure that the knives you buy are up to snuff. If I went to the store to pick up a five dollar screwdriver and the one I grabbed had burn marks on the blade I would put it back and grab another. You would think that the same would be true of a thirty dollar pocket knife. Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, the bar on slipjoints has been set relatively low. This seems to be a result of very low profit margins for knife manufacturers. To put your mind at ease, the flaws that you point out in your Case are minor in relation to what we've come to expect from that company. You could exchange those knives for replacements a dozen times and you'd probably just end up with bigger issues.

There have been reports of Buck admitting that their Chinese lines have better QC than their American lines due to the difference in their manufacturing costs. If a Chinese knife has a minor flaw they can throw it in the bin. They can't afford to be so picky with American knives. The same seems to be true of other Chinese brands such as Rough Rider.

It sucks that we've been conditioned into thinking that these things aren't an issue. It's gotten to the point that people obviously think it's acceptable to attempt to shame somebody for asking about them. Unfortunately, the standards have become so low that "knife people" have become blind to these flaws. If you're looking for a higher standard you're better off purchasing a Victorinox or a modern folding knife. I don't see nearly as many problems with those knives as I do with American made slipjoints, and as a result flaws are recognized as flaws and corrected. However, if you're anything like me, the tradeoff is that you won't enjoy those knives nearly as much as the flawed slipjoints. As with so many things in life, it comes down to compromise.

As has been pointed out already, your best bet is to beat the snot out of those knives. Sooner or later those flaws will just blend in with all the scrapes and gouges you've added to the knives and you won't even notice them any more. We affectionately call this character. Best of luck, and let us know how things go once you've had time to bond with your new additions. ;)
 
That kind of stuff bothers me too, don't feel bad.
The only thing I might actually worry about though is the burnt tip. Is doesn't look real serious in the photo, but it is possible that the tip will be soft. Of course if you have the inclination and the ability you could re-profile the tip and both remove the burnt end, and remedy the rounding in one shot.
I just expect these kind of things from Case or Queen so I quit buying them sight unseen.
 
You'd be surprised what a little use/carrying/etc. will do for your hang ups on a knife. Sometimes even just sharpening releases a knife of its virginal splendor in my eyes, and then I'm free to have my way with it as I choose...

Recently reshaped some blades on brand new knives. Now, 1) I love them even more, 2) they're more useful, 3) I'm not worried about "messing up their perfect factory hairdos."

RemOil will help clean the pivot and reduce grittiness. Actually, hot soapy water, a toothbrush or dishbrush, and then cold water might help a lot first. Derlin spot - it's Derlin. Meant to be inexpensive and worked hard. Even GECs have some imperfections. Sometimes, people spend big bucks on a particular Ivory specimen because of its imperfections. And besides, when the patina sets in, it'll match.

Enjoy the knives!
 
Cory Hess said:
It sucks that we've been conditioned into thinking that these things aren't an issue. It's gotten to the point that people obviously think it's acceptable to attempt to shame somebody for asking about them. Unfortunately, the standards have become so low that "knife people" have become blind to these flaws. If you're looking for a higher standard you're better off purchasing a Victorinox or a modern folding knife. I don't see nearly as many problems with those knives as I do with American made slipjoints, and as a result flaws are recognized as flaws and corrected. However, if you're anything like me, the tradeoff is that you won't enjoy those knives nearly as much as the flawed slipjoints. As with so many things in life, it comes down to compromise.
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That's not the case at all. We're talking about a knife here that sold for $30 retail. I know you want it, but can you honestly expect perfection at this price point? Remember that by the time these knives gets in the OP's hands, the retailer, the distributor, and the manufacturer have all taken their cut. It's about realistic expectations. I expect different things from a Case knife than I do from a GEC than I do from a custom made by the likes of Kerry Hampton.

You can have excellent, even great knives, that's not a problem. You'll have to pay a lot more than $30 though.
 
It seems to me that any "flaw" that is the size of a pin head at 10 power magnification, isn't a flaw at all.
 
They were built and priced as knives to be used...minor flaws, but acceptable.

I've seen a lot worse in knives I've paid much more for.

As the others have said: sharpen, oil, use them! Throw them in the same pocket as your keys and change. A couple weeks from now, they'll have character that a more expensive knife may never have.
 
Your knives look normal to me, coming from someone who owns a pretty decent number of Case knives (including both of those models). You can fix the problems if you want to (assuming that little spot on the Delrin doesn't go really deep.

Since you asked specifically, yes, you are being too picky.
 
I think if we were all honest with ourselves we would admit some degree of disappointment when our purchases are not perfect to some degree. The Tascosa Yellow Rose below is my first top quality knife. I absolutely love everything about it, except like the OP's delrin it too has a spot as you can see by the lanyard hole. If not for that it would be perfect. It's still too nice to beat on. Like a beauty mark, I know it's mine.


Alan
 
supratentorial said:
You should be able to see very noticeable shortcuts in the manufacturing of those Buck and Rough Rider knives. And lower quality materials should be obvious on the Rough Rider knives.
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How so? The differences may be there, but they are far from obvious to my unpracticed eye. I have had some Rough Riders with obvious assembly flaws, and some "bone" that appears to be synthetic, but Case does the same thing, although they are better about disclosing it. Most of my Rough Riders, especially the more recent arrivals, look to me to be fully as good as my Case knives. So what am I missing?
 
You get what you pay for... I get Case knives for users, and they are always defective in similar ways as the OP.

However, I was given two limited edition Case knives for Christmas. They were almost perfect.
 
My Case knives, aren't perfect either, but i seem to prefer them to any others i tried. No other traditional knife i have carries and really slices that easily.
No other one has sliced trough an apple like that :D
It was funny, how i cut so many apples in the last years with my peanut, which by itself, for others, is barely noticeable. Magic of the peanut...
The 18 stockman does a good job in that regard too.
Recently I acquired a 34ot, US made carbon. which i really had to sharpen quite a bit, all its blades, to make it cut. But now, i like it even more, even though the blades are flat, and not hollow, plus, they do have some grind imperfections. The sheepsfoot cuts very good, being thin, yet the clip is a bit behind the 18's clip. Not much, but being a smaller package overall, i can live with that. Plus, it is a schrade, after all...
Had a Gec too, a 66 stockman, never got carried, so i sold it. It was done very nice, but it was too chunky for my preference.
Plus, the Case knives are hollow ground, and i very much like that.
Had a few buck 30X series, they had to be reground to get them where i wanted, but still, I prefer the Case.
A few queens in d2 as well. Again, just sharpening, like for the 34ot, wasn't enough for me. Reground was what they needed.
But the Case, once sharpened right, which is done waay easier than the above mentioned, and used well, they have the tendency to make me forget about other problems which may be present of course, as long as there isn't a terrible blade play that can't be fixed, or rubbing blades/liners.

Yeah, I'd say use those knives. And congrats on coming back on the porch :D
 
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