Case....hate?

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morrowj_98 said:
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.
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I'm curious as to what constitues your normal every day usage, morrowj_98? I admit to not subjecting my EDC to heavy use on a normal basis. Open a package, slice a piece of fruit, maybe cut some plastic, and I only feel the need to touch up a Case SS edge once a week or so.
 
Blues said:
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.
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I don't have any experience with Case knives from their low point in the 70s and 80s but I have picked up "vintage" Case knives from the 40s through late 60s and as Elliott mentioned they are quite different (even with recent versions) and in a lot of respects very well made. Most had gator-like snap and beautiful red and green bone handles. The shields on the old ones were pinned IIRC whereas I know most of the new knives are glued on which I don't particularly care for. All of those older one I picked up had half-stops where for example, the similar pattern such as 63032 stockman nowadays don't. CV was also more predominant and nowadays the SS is and we hear a lot of folks saying, "If they just offered it in CV I would buy a dozen of them today". Case does listen as the example of the Swayback Jack that within a year and a half was offered in CV.

I have liked the recent examples I have picked up but they just didn't feel as solid as the vintage knives. I can't put my finger on the reason since their F & F has been superior on the newer knives I have picked up.

From my limited experience with probably a dozen of their knives and a couple of service requests, Case is a great company. I will buy from them in the future. Actually, I just picked up a 2003 Vintage bone Sowbelly Stockman off the 'bay that I am eagerly awaiting delivery.
 
Hate is too strong a word, but I also am not a Case fan. I like the CV, but I just don’t like Tru-Sharp stainless. Sure it’s good enough, but I’m a knifenut, why should I have to settle for good enough? I think Tru-Sharp’s primary attribute is that it looks good polished and stays that way, which is important to what I think is the largest group of Case’s customers (i.e., collectors). That’s fine, Case has identified their market and is catering to that niche. But I don’t have to accept it as a consumer. I’m voting with my dollars and choose to buy brands that offer what I want.
 
I think most of the reasons have already been mentioned.
Quality was up and down for some years, many versions directed more at collectors, and some folks thinking the steel offered is low grade.
But then again some people just don't like certain brands.
Even though I don't personally care for the versions that are more designed for "collectors", I can see Case' point to making the many different versions...

Its all about reaching a broader customer base and keeping the doors open.
If thats what it takes for them to stay in business, I'm all for it.
Recently they have been bringing out versions that are designed to attract the folks that are really after quality users, like the Chestnut CV series.

You will hear people say that they would never own Buck knives either.
However, the lowly 30 dollar 110 or 112 have been around for years and stood the test of time. Its just an old design that doesn't have the latest offering in steel. Although with their Paul Bos heat treating, the steel performs nicely, especially at the price point.

IMHO some people go through life with blinders on and reach decisions based on what others say (or read on the interweb) instead of giving a product a fair chance in the own experience.....
 
For all the chores around the house, at the office, in the neighborhood etc. ---Case knives work fine for me. If I am going to the woods, well I take my Puukko and a hatchet. I think Case makes a pretty good knife for the money.
 
Some people may disdain CASE for being a collector's knife and not a working knife.It is true there are some pretty hideous specials put out on offer but, CASE make very serious traditional knives for the user as well!

I've been very pleased with the cv and stainless CASE knives I've bought in this century,they are authentic American cutlery for everyday use with a wealth of patterns.Amber Bone, Chestnut Bone and Bonestag are all very desirable handles.I find their stainless perfectly acceptable for pocket-knife duties,I don't need to baton or cut rope all day! CASE also offers a good range in G-10 a modern handle that is actually well sorted for traditional patterns,they mate this to brushed stainless blades which are particularly good on a rough working knife.

We'd all be poorer (not perhaps in money terms....)if CASE were not in business and who else offers collaboration knives with the great T.Bose?
 
willgoy said:
We'd all be poorer (not perhaps in money terms....)if CASE were not in business and who else offers collaboration knives with the great T.Bose?
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So true. If Tony Bose is confident enough with Case to have them manufacture his models, this means quite a bit.
 
To each their own on the brands people buy. I do own 2 old Case knives that I got form my grandfather. They are not particularly nice knives anymore, since they were removed from an old rusty tool box. But I have sharpened them and they get use as my shop blades.

I liken the Case knives to the Old Timers that my Dad swore by. My first two knives were an OT 4" bowie type and a OT 2-blade skinner. Thats what he bought.

I am more into the Emerson and Benchmade offerings. It may just boil down to the fact that Case knives are more old school than cool as viewed by younger generations.
 
I like Case but Case doesn't like me. I have several of there knives and really like their products both True-Sharp and CV have served me well. My issue is finding a design with the blades and handle material I like. They can keep all the weird stuff for the collectors buying up ugly knives.

If they liked me they would offer more patterns with non-neon jigged bone scales and CV. No knock on TS performance, I just like a good patina on a classic looking knife.
 
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My yeller CV Stockman has a grind like that at one of the bolsters, only it's a little more pronounced. Is it something warranty can take care of, or should I just keep it? it is a user, after all. Will it affect the performance in the long run?
 
wintermute said:
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.
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Ditto. I forgot to mention this factor in my earlier post.
 
case makes a decent pocket knife; i prefer the cv carbon steel .yellow handles may not be pretty but makes it easy to find when you lay it somewhere. tactical or special purpose go to other manfac..
 
mdauben said:
I'm curious as to what constitues your normal every day usage, morrowj_98? I admit to not subjecting my EDC to heavy use on a normal basis. Open a package, slice a piece of fruit, maybe cut some plastic, and I only feel the need to touch up a Case SS edge once a week or so.
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Cutting up card board.....heavy gauge plastic strapping etc. I would consider what you doing to be light duty and agree 100% Tru-Sharp is more than enough to accomplish any and all of these types of tasks. I also acknowledge Tru-sharp isn't advertised as a steel for heavy tasks so it shouldn't be a surprise to me it doesn't hold up as well. With the better steels available, I'm simply making a choice to pick the tool best suited for the job.
 
I have Case knives in SS as well as CV, and many others from the other slippie companies. I gotta say that I love em' all! Certain companies offer a certain pattern that I find more appealing than the other companies offerings. Just having the choices is one of the reasons I got "stuck" on traditional knives:thumbup:
 
Regarding fit & finish, & QA:
The only Case I had for years was an old carbon steel two-blade Hunter, that had seen a lot of use. The blades were very, very worn down, but they still took a great edge, and held it for a long time too.

In 1998, my dad gave me a little Case Stockman, and the difference in overall quality (at that time) was incredibly disappointing. What my dad gave me was NOT the case quality I remembered as a kid in NC.

Later, in 2004, I sent my old two-blade Hunter back to Case to be re-bladed. for a grand total of $26. they cleaned, polished, & installed new blades, re-pinned part of the scales, reset the shield, and sent her back to me. That knife literally looked new. Case won me back after that, and several folks in my office who saw the knife later asked me to get them a smaller pattern, like the mini-trapper.

Another, (maybe?) smaller issue:
Sometime a while back - 80's or 90's - Case changed their tang stamps to a 'dot' system that included the 'SS' symbol for stainless steel, but the 'SS' looked distinctly like the old WWII German SS lightning bolts. I read here, or in one of my books, that many people protested loudly when Case created that stamp. It was changed later, but apparently a lot of people were turned off toward the brand. (If I can find the reference I'll edit it in here.)

As for me, I like almost everything Case has made in the last few years, in both steels.

thx - cpr
 
My experience.

A couple of years ago I realized that I had no Case knives in my collection so I bought 4 from New Graham with the rest of my order. After receiving them I was very disappointed with the quality. Tips of blades were exposed when closed, handles with gaps, very poor coloration in the scales.... Sent 2 emails regarding my concerns to them- polite and straightforward without innuendo or hyperbole. Heard NOTHING back from them after spending around $300 on their products (including a damascus stockman which I do still use). After this kind of poor service I will not purchase their product again (although I did trade for a swayback wharncliffe which I do enjoy and was much better quality as part of a multi blade deal). All 4 of the knives were made this decade as well, so it is not the 80's-90's issue that others have mentioned.

Another thing that I was told on this forum was that they may not respond to emails, and I feel that this is unacceptable for any company, let alone a major one such as Case, especially as I got the email address from their website.

So no more new Case for me, but I may look at some vintage ones. Another thing that may lead to a disdain for Case is the attitude of some collectors who talk down to those who carry other than slipjoints. This opinion kept me away from this forum for a long time as it seemed unfriendly to those who were not "folksy" enough, and it is still prevalent here, although I now know that it is not shared by all.
 
CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
Another thing that may lead to a disdain for Case is the attitude of some collectors who talk down to those who carry other than slipjoints. This opinion kept me away from this forum for a long time as it seemed unfriendly to those who were not "folksy" enough, and it is still prevalent here, although I now know that it is not shared by all.
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I certainly hope that that is not the case on this (or any other) forum but that discussion is off topic for this thread.
 
I didn't think much of Case 'till I started handing around "Traditionals" now I have 9 with one on the way. (yeller Medium Stockman in CV:D) I heard the steel snobs and believed them, I was a tacticool user, they seemed too expensive for old timey grandpa knives, whatever. It wasn't till I got a little blue bone Stockman thrown in to 'even up' a trade that I saw the light. I have two from the 80's and they seem fine but they are pearl handled safe queens and wont be used. All the rest consistently remind me not to judge a thing (or knife) until I have made an intelligent evaluation for myself.
 
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