Case....hate?

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JTR357

JTR357

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I've seen it mentioned only a small handful of times by some members here(no,I don't remember whom).Statements like "I would never own a Case knife" & similar.So,my question is WHY?
Did Case do something unethical?Their quality & F&F are top notch,from my experience.
I just started collecting some Case knives & would like to know why some people hold such disdain for this company.

Thanks,
 
one reason given by a pocket knife user collector friend of mine is
the steel. the surgical stainless steel. he does not like it.
carbon is fine with him, also aus 6 & 8 is good too.

if Case used more 1095(CV) he might be more interested

i have a few Case knives, mostly Seahorse patterns. the fit and finish is superb. steel grinds handles are great, no complaints.

Case has re-issued the big balloon whittler in stag , pretty cool
buzz
 
I started collecting single blade Case knives in CV & SS.Their SS is pretty easy to sharpen & holds an edge well.I prefer the CV blades over the SS,but the SS they use could be compared to 440C from my experience.

:)I just got a burnt barnboard slimline trapper off the bay for $37.+free shipping(good deal?)
I'm going to get every handle (& blade CV & SS) varient of the slimline trapper.I really like this model.I wish they made a stag CV version,but they don't.:grumpy:
 
Right or wrong, loads of steel snobs turn up their nose at Case because A) they think all Case knives are SS, and B) they think Case's SS is no good (again, they're steel snobs).

Some others dislike Case because they primarily produce folksy slipjoints that get the job done. Nothing tactical about a 3.5" slipjoint pocketknife you drop down into your pocket till you need it and that :eek: takes two hands to open! ("But what if I get attacked by mall ninjas!?")
 
JTR357 said:
I prefer the CV blades over the SS,but the SS they use could be compared to 440C from my experience.
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Case may have used 440C in the past (at least according to some comments I've read here of late) but to the best of my knowledge the stainless they are using is not of that grade.

440C is a very good all around stainless that is capable of excellent corrosion resistance, hardness and edge retention. Case does a very good job by all accounts with the stainless they use but I would hazard a guess that it doesn't come up to the level of 440C.

Edited To Add:

Case does use higher end stainless (ATS-34, 154CM etc.) in some of their runs (such as Case-Bose collaborations and other premium knives).
 
Whenever you have a company that has been around as long, and been as dominant in the marketplace as Case has, you're bound to have some "hatas".


"One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time."- Robert Kennedy
 
Blues said:
Case may have used 440C in the past (at least according to some comments I've read here of late) but to the best of my knowledge the stainless they are using is not of that grade.

440C is a very good all around stainless that is capable of excellent corrosion resistance, hardness and edge retention. Case does a very good job by all accounts with the stainless they use but I would hazard a guess that it doesn't come up to the level of 440C.

Edited To Add:

Case does use higher end stainless (ATS-34, 154CM etc.) in some of their runs (such as Case-Bose collaborations and other premium knives).
Click to expand...


Thanks for your reply Mr.Blues:thumbup:

So,would you say it was softer steel than 440C?
 
I know I was saying that for a while, because of their drop in quality back (at least as it seemed to me) in the 80s? early 90s? It's only when I came to this board and saw all the great comments that I decided to give them another shot. And I'm glad I did.
 
JTR357 said:
Thanks for your reply Mr.Blues:thumbup:

So,would you say it was softer steel than 440C?
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe so generally. (Of course it's all about the heat treat. I'm sure Case is looking for that sweet spot between edge retention and ease of sharpening.)

I know that Frank, (knarfeng) has done some comparative tests with CV and Case stainless. I'll let him reply here when he gets the chance but as I recall he estimated the rockwell hardness as middle to middle high 50's on the stainless.
 
Returning to the original question...wintermute brings up a good point.

I think that those who have experience with older Case knives from the Tested and XX eras on up have watched the ebb and flow of Case quality over the years.

Things got particularly interesting during the 70's and 80's "Dots" years as quality seemed to decline (some would say in linear fashion) until things began to rebound sometime in the late 90's and earlly 2000's.

Not owning too many of the older patterns (but having handled and examined several) the thing that I miss most is that the current patterns are not as svelte as their predecessors.

The old knives were radiused very well and the scales were rounded and finished much more aesthetically. Also, the knives were lighter and less clunky compared to the modern examples. (You can easily measure this with a small digital scale and a pair of calipers.)

Oftentimes the older knives had two backsprings where modern incarnations sometimes have three or more and the springs on the older knives had much more snap.

So, my thought is that some of the "old timers" might have gotten soured on the changes they saw taking place to the patterns they had come to know and love.

To Case's credit, the quality of their current knives is nearly universally reported to have been seriously upgraded from those of just a few years back.
 
JTR357 said:
I've seen it mentioned only a small handful of times by some members here(no,I don't remember whom).Statements like "I would never own a Case knife" & similar.So,my question is WHY?
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I really can't say, since I tend to look at products on their own merits case by case, rather than black-balling a company's whole product line for some percieved problem or issue.

It may be that your friend's only exposure to Case knives was from their products made 20-25 years ago, when admittely the company went through a quality slump and produced some sub-standard products. On the other hand that is then and this is now and currently Case produces very good knives, with generally excellent F&F.

It may also be that your friend is a "steel snob" as most Case knives do not utalize any of the currently popular super-steels, relying on their own "house brands" of stainless and carbon steel. Those "house" steels, however, while not perhaps comparble to the very best of the current generation of steels are perfectly adequate for the sort of every day chores (opening packages, cutting an apple, etc.) that most of us use our knives for. They sharpen easily, take a decent edge, and hold that edge reasonably well. The best? No, but more than good enough for most of us.

Finally, it may just be that your friend is not a fan of tradtional styling or non-locking blades. This is as much a matter of taste as anything, but while its a valid reason for him not to buy Case knives, it is certainly not a reason for dismissing the company's product line all together.
 
Thanks to everyone for your detailed explanations.:thumbup:


Now I can make more sense of these statements...not that I agree with them though.Every Case knife I've gotten has exceeded my expectations.
 
mnblade said:
Right or wrong, loads of steel snobs turn up their nose at Case because A) they think all Case knives are SS, and B) they think Case's SS is no good (again, they're steel snobs).

Some others dislike Case because they primarily produce folksy slipjoints that get the job done. Nothing tactical about a 3.5" slipjoint pocketknife you drop down into your pocket till you need it and that :eek: takes two hands to open! ("But what if I get attacked by mall ninjas!?")
Click to expand...

I'm one of those who turn their nose up at Case's SS. I'm not a steel snob. It simply does not have the edge retention I require. I don't feel I should have to touch up my knife 2 times during the course of a day. Now I wouldn't hesitate (and I don't) to carry a Case with Tru-Sharp if I'm going out or where nothing more than light duty was expected.

I have lots of Case knives and will continue to buy them (CV or higher grade SS).

The quality of Case knives definitely seems have picked up as my newer Case knives seem to be much better than my 80s knives. A big plus as well and something to keep me buying.
 
I love Case too. The best part is they are relatively affordable. Stainless or CV you get a heckuva lot of knife for your money.
I really like my red bone Trapper in CV. It's been my EDC for a while now.

DSCN0136.jpg
 
Blues said:
Things got particularly interesting during the 70's and 80's "Dots" years as quality seemed to decline (some would say in linear fashion) until things began to rebound sometime in the late 90's and earlly 2000's..
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So true..one example.I picked up this NIB 1988 Delrin 62087 SS about a year ago for a song.

100_0880.jpg




Now for why it was so cheap. Notice the very crappy final grind on the rear bolster and springs.

100_0881.jpg



Not a big deal to me now,I bought it as a user and the function is perfect.

But in '88 my standard of living wasn't that great. Working for Uncle Sam with a pay grade of E-2, money was tight. If this knife was (brand new)side by side in a knife store with say a Schrade 33OT, I would have bought the Schrade. Better final fit and finish in that time period.

Some people just never got over their initial impressions of Case's work in that time frame.
 
I love ats34, O1, and A2 blades, but I won't leave without my Case CV stockman. I love the ease of sharpening it. When a 59-60 ats34 blade gets dull for some reason out in the field, it is a little harder to get razor sharp than a CV blade. I will carry my little Case around no matter what other knife I have on me at the time. To each his own.
 
I've read that some people dislike Case because they feel that their knives are simply made for collector's, such as the commemorative John Deere and Johnny Cash collections. Perhaps some people just don't care for seeing the same knives repackaged in new handle materials. As some have mentioned earlier, it can also be due to people seeing Tru-Sharp as being a poor steel. Personally, I've never had a problem with the steel.
 
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