Case Knives

[Peter Parker]

I have a half dozen Case knives now I think my Case lock back is the oldest manufactured late 90s I think and I have a 2000 model Canoe, a 2001 Sowbelley the other 3 are all 2010. They all have F&F W&T as good as any of my knives from Titusville in cluding my lone GEC(that's getting ready to change)! Admittedly though the only one I didn't hand pick is my 5347 so with stag and having case hit and misses I sure won the lottery with this one. I have as good confidence in Case as any of the others!

 

[Modoc ED]

I've purchased two Case knives recently.

One a CV Backpocket

One a CV Cheetah

Both of these knives are flawless. Fit and Finish is superb. Both knives rival any other Case knife I own.

From the past, I have

Case XX Barlow circa 1940 -1964

Case XX Texas Jack one-dot (1979)

Both of these knives are flawless with superb fit and finish.

As to the OP's original question -- Are the case knives made today as good as the ones made in years past? the answer for me is YES.

If Case didn't make a good knife, they'd be out of business -- simple as that.

Does a lemon slip by Case's quality control from time-to-time? SURE!!! Happens today and happened in years past.

 

[cultivateitnow]

Nice knives!

 

[Rick]

I own quite a few older Case knives, but only a dozen or so modern ones. IMO, their quality began to drop in the mid-'70s following their purchase by American Brands, Inc., and kept right on falling for the next twenty-odd years, with their lowest quality knives being produced under James Parker's ownership in the late '80s.

The XXs, USAs and early '70s dotted knives were the last I've seen that displayed consistent fit and finish quality, though things began to come around when River associates, Inc. sold the company to its current owners, Zippo Mfg. Co.

My experience with recent Case knives leads me to believe that they're working hard to put out a decent domestic product for the money, but there's still too much variation in quality for me to feel comfortable about buying sight-unseen, whereas I'll gladly buy a GEC based solely on web photos, and they've never let me down.

YMMV, but one of my major pet peeves about Case concerns a labor-saving shortcut that I find typical of modern Case knives: Boxy handle profiles. In their heyday, Case handles were always deeply rounded; a profile that makes them much more comfortable in the hand and far more pocket-friendly.

Case (heh) in point, here's a modern Case (right) and an old XX from the fifties (left). The modern knives have thinner, flatter handle material slabs and squared edges, while the older knives use a generous slab that's been deeply rounded for better looks and comfort.

They sure don't make 'em like they used to.

 

[Harry Callahan]

In my experience, Case knives enjoy a reputation that far exceeds their ability to turn out a quality knife. I took a chance about seventeen years ago and blew 65 bucks on a yellow slimline trapper in CV. The shield almost immediately fell out of the scale and the durn thing wouldn't hold an edge. At least not up to my expectations. I had a Vic Swiss army knife around the same timeframe and it's edgeholding capability was off the charts in comparison. That was, admittedly, seventeen years ago. Things may have changed since. I wouldn't know as Case basically burned it's bridge with me on that yellow Trapper. They need to come up with something that makes me "gotta have" it and I'll give em another chance. Unfortunately they seem to crank out the same stuff year after year with different colored scales. Spydie releases are much more exciting (and they hold an edge!) cheers.

 

[Railsplitter]

Rick,

Thank you for sharing your observations and knowledge. That was very interesting and informative.

 

[mr.trooper]

My two Case knives are both recent manufacture - a Yellow Handle sodbuster from about 4 years ago, and a bone toothpick from the last year id guess.

The grind lines on both are very good, and even. There is no discernible blade play on either. The seams between the scales, bolsters, and liners are all so tight you couldn't get the edge of a razor blade into them. Springs on both are strong, but not so much as to damage nails. Blades each came shaving sharp. Very good overall.

In fact, even under close scrutiny, only two or three very minor flaws can be seen on either of them. Those are things like a micro-gap in one small spot between the spring and liner that must be held up to the light, a barely noticeable waver in edge angle close to the tip, or a variance in the depth of the proof stamp.

Yes, those things indeed mean the knives in question are not perfect. But then again, they are still very good. My Queens are a little better, but only by a judgement call. Either way you slice it, a Case is still a solid knife.

What we need to keep in mind is that the bulk of Case knives are in the SUB $60 category. Indeed their yellow derlin models are often in the SUB $30 class (the guy who paid $65 in 1994 dollars got raped by any standard). IMO for a traditional knife in either price range to exhibit only minor 'nit-picky' flaws is quite a good value. YES, Case makes a dud knife from time to time, but even those are still function and safe - I think that is also reasonable for a firm that employs a substantial number of people, all of whom need to be trained at a skill with a learning curve.

Bottom line I still think Case is a good knife. They may not be a steal or a bargain, but they are worth what you pay. If they have a pattern you like, then buy - if they don't, then keep looking.