Case - just for collectors ?

Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Messages
223
I recently bought Case Russlock knife. (I liked the design). It’s well-made and nice peace, but blade steal wasn’t too impressive, and for the price range I really prefer SAK or Camillus EDC as may EDC :)

So anyone of you caring your case as EDC ?
 
I've decided not to buy Case knives simply because I couldn't rely on them as an EDC. The quality control is very poor. I'd guess maybe 60% I reject have loose blades or poor "walk/talk".

Chris
 
Having grown up on these types of knives, my only ideas are:

Unobtrusive, bottom of pocket carry.

Fond childhood memories.

Sheeple Friendly.

Otherwise I see no reason to carry an inconvient, inferior material, often poorly made knife.

Yet if you go to a knife show in the midwest you'll see probably 80% of the people wandering around looking for these things. :barf:
 
Over the last few years I have purchased a few Case knives. Yes the steel isn't the highest of quality but the fit and finish has improved quite a bit. Remember you get what you pay for better steel means higher prices.
Good collecting !
Jocko
 
The yellow handle CV sodbuster is a pretty useful knife if you hunto for one that doesn't have a wiggly blade.

Ben
 
Though i have been exposed to some very high end knives priced anywhere from $500-$2,000, i have a few CASE knives that i recently bought because i thought they were pretty, and i think theyre fairly well made, especially for the money. I didnt "hunt" around for a tight one, i went and bought 5 or 6 of them very haphazzardly, from several different stores, and every single one has very nice fit and finish, and not one has a blade with ANY play. So, it could be that as another poster said, their QC has improved. Are they a DAKE Damascus folder? No, but theyre not $2,000 either. If any of those unhappy with the quality of Case know of a similarly priced equivalent, with similar styles and colors, that they feel is a better value and of higher quality, i am interested to know what they are and where i can buy them. Seriously.
 
Originally posted by Megalobyte
...recently bought because i thought they were pretty, and i think theyre fairly well made, especially for the money. ... If any of those unhappy with the quality of Case know of a similarly priced equivalent, with similar styles and colors, that they feel is a better value and of higher quality, i am interested to know what they are and where i can buy them. Seriously.

Ditto. I just purchased a Baby Butterbean and a Doctor's Knife and I am very happy with them. Looking forward to buying quite a few more.
 
Originally posted by Megalobyte
Though i have been exposed to some very high end knives priced anywhere from $500-$2,000, i have a few CASE knives that i recently bought because i thought they were pretty, and i think theyre fairly well made, especially for the money. I didnt "hunt" around for a tight one, i went and bought 5 or 6 of them very haphazzardly, from several different stores, and every single one has very nice fit and finish, and not one has a blade with ANY play. So, it could be that as another poster said, their QC has improved. Are they a DAKE Damascus folder? No, but theyre not $2,000 either. If any of those unhappy with the quality of Case know of a similarly priced equivalent, with similar styles and colors, that they feel is a better value and of higher quality, i am interested to know what they are and where i can buy them. Seriously.

If you bought 5 or 6 "nice" knives without checking them out, you are a lucky man. I always end up looking at a 1/2 dozen or so before I find one with decent fit/finish. I looked at over 20 gunstock patterns at SMKW last fall, and none of them passed inspection. I realize you are only talking about a $40-$60 knife, but.....

If you are adding to a collection, get the Case. If you want a knife to use, look at Boker, Camillus, or Queen.
 
I've recently bought 3 new Cases. Two are the "pocket worn" small Texas Toothpicks with different colored bone handles. Both of these appear to have excellent fit and finish and are just plain nice-looking. I carry one or the other as a small utility knife knife a couple days a week. [For context, I also have a carbon-fiber handled William Henry Kestrel that I carry as a small utility, and I think the 2 Cases are just as good-looking, in a completely different way.]

The 3rd Case I got was the large Texas Toothpick with "apple green" bone handle. Unfortunately, the color of this knife's handle is really putrid (I don't have a local Case dealer so I bought all 3 based on photos on the Net). Fit and finish appear to be good, although there was some greasy black grit around the pivot when I received it, and one of the bone slabs has a small barely-visible hairline crack which may result in part of the slab flaking off eventually. The dirty pivot really surprised me since I'm used to getting new knives in perfect condition. I carry this knife from time to time, too.

One thing I noticed is that all 3 Cases need to be lubricated regularly. Otherwise the pivot action gets rough.

I agree that Case may have some quality control issues, but I'm still glad I got the 2 small Toothpicks. I consider these to be a decent value.

miguel
 
I have two Case knives that have worked their way in and out of my daily rotation, a moose stockman 6375 and a small stockman 63032. Both are bone handle, Cr-V blades. This is a much better steel than their standard tru-sharp surgical stainless, and performs like a good carbon steel should. Both have good fit, smooth operating blades, good walk and talk, no loose blades. The finish is a little rough around the edges, though. Both were ordered by mail, so I assume they were random picks from stock. I am pleased with them, they make good user knives. I wouldn't get one of their stainless knives, though.
 
Case's chrome-vanadium blades are truly the 'stuff'.I have a 6318SP bought in 1982 that I've done everything from skinning a squirrel,to skinning a deer,to gutting a Brook trout,to slicing a grainger county tomato,to cutting the seal on a bottle of whiskey.The old shinbone handle's look pretty good too.
 
I have a few Case knives. My only complaint is usually the factory edges suck. I have accepted that, and usually just fix the edge up how I want.

At the last gunshow here I bought a new Sowbelly model, and was very impressed. Fit and finish was very good with rock solid construction. Best of all, the edges on all the blades while not razor sharp, were still very good and consistent.
 
I've only got 2 Cases, one bone handled copperlock and one yellow handled large stockman. The yellow one is in my pocket every day and has none of the flaws you hear about. Tight blades, sharp tips and good walk and talk. A good user for a pretty low price.

The fancy copperlock is another story - all I can say is I'll only be buying yellow handles from now on.
 
Originally posted by robow
I know I'm not the brightest but what is "walk and talk" mean??

Walk, how smoothly and uniformly the blade opens as it rides on the back spring.

Talk, the snapping sound it makes as it opens and closes, this is a good indication of how well the fit of the blade is and a good indicator of a strong spring.
 
I really want one of the latest Tony Bose collaborations with Case, and wonder how the company has done w/the other Bose models (quality-wise). I have read that the custom shop produces the Bose knives, and if so, shouldn't I expect higher Q.C.?
 
Originally posted by Megalobyte
If any of those unhappy with the quality of Case know of a similarly priced equivalent, with similar styles and colors, that they feel is a better value and of higher quality, i am interested to know what they are and where i can buy them. Seriously.

Queen (including Robeson and Schatt&Morgan); Hen&Rooster; Boker; Browning; Camillus...you can find them online at Knifecenter, Blade Matrix, Smokey Mountain...just do a search on each manufacturer...there are numerous sites...I own several of each mentioned above (all slip joints) and I have owned several Case knives in the past. Those mentioned above are, IMHO, all higher quality than Case.
 
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