Case quality across the range?

Gmountain

Gmountain

Joined
Oct 2, 2005
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475
What do you guys think of Case quality across the range of Case knives? Is there a hierarchy of quality. I assume the Tony Bose/Case collaborations are top quality, but after that, are they all pretty much the same?
 
a lot of the guys here have been noticing that the CV Chestnut Sway Back Jacks they have been receiving have been a cut above the standard norm from Case. I have to concur with them. My own copy is also above the quality of my other knives from Case.
 
I don't buy new knives, but there seems to be a fair amount of reports that Case has upped the QC.. As with any company though, there will always be a few that slip through the cracks that shouldn't have.. Even on the higher end knives.

I'm partial to the older stuff, but the new CV Chestnut scaled versions have really been tempting me ...
 
Most of my 70's Case slipjoints with delrin scales are not finished as nice as my new TB swayback. There are mismatches at the base of the spine of the blade where it meets the spring in the open position. My new Tony Bose Sway Back in chestnut looks perfect,where most of my 70's dot Case knives are uneven, gapped, and/or unmatched. I still love every one of them, but I agree about the current chestnut bone Case knives in CV. I may have to plink down some duckets for a stockman to match my swayback.
 
The Swayback I have is a stainless one in pocket worn Bermuda Green.I can't find fault with it,no gaps,no wobble no rough bits or ANY irritations.

It seems to me that the Working knives series in brown delrin are more roughly finished and not surprisingly either given their remit.They are still very satisfactory though,the blades are thicker and come in brushed matte which appeals to many.

What I am impressed by is the quality of bone that CASE uses recently.I wonder if there are grades of bone quality,thickness durability? Whatever, the bone looks well jigged and dyed and is the right thickness for the pattern.My Amber Bone Medium Stockman is a superb example as ii its cousin the Small Texas Jack.
 
willgoy said:
The Swayback I have is a stainless one in pocket worn Bermuda Green.I can't find fault with it,no gaps,no wobble no rough bits or ANY irritations.
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Same here. Mine's one (out of three) of my EDC's, and it goes with me everywhere. Not a single thing I can find fault with.
 
338375 said:
As with any company though, there will always be a few that slip through the cracks that shouldn't have..
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Just a few weeks ago, I received a new yellow cv knife that had really bad shaping on the handles. I don't expect anything to be perfect at that price point, but these were way off. So I sent some pictures to Case, and they were back to me in about an hour to say that it was covered under warranty. I had a replacement in about a week. Bad knives slip through, but Case seems very eager to make things right when they do.
 
I originally started collecting Case knives a few years ago and got rid of most of them once I discovered Great Easter Cutlery, Queen (and the other brands by Queen).

GEC has great fit and finish and feel more solidly made. They also don't have the mass produced feel (which is of course the case). Queen also felt solidly made though some weren't perfect with tiny gaps occasionally.

Recently made Case knives (such as their bolsters) felt hollow and thinner to me. The exception was with the vintage 1940s to 1969 knives which I picked up a couple of examples and they were very well made with excellent bolster, bone, springs and blades. However, for an example in excellent condition you had to pay well for it.

I decided to take a chance on the chestnut swayback given the glowing reviews and it really hasn't disappointed. It is very well put together and polished. No gaps or flaws. If anything, the pen blade could have a slightly stronger spring but otherwise no complaints. I really like the fact that this version has no rear bolster. The chestnut peanut is flawless, with good springs and snap to attention half-stops on both blades. The blades are the expected thin slicing devices. Very pleased with the peanut.

I was debating recently purchasing a Case stockman and in the end decided on a GEC Northfield single blade trapper pattern (#73) instead. Nothing really against the Case stockman but this would be my first single bladed trapper and sometimes I have to support the other American slipjoint makers.
 
I have about 20 Case slipjoints from various periods and most of them are decently made.

I recently picked up a new trapperlock and a (Standard Brands) barlow and both of them are as nicely finished as my Queens & GECs.

Still, I have a GEC #23 in my pocket today...
 
Just picked up a mid size Case Stockman in Black G10. Have several other case knives and am happy with this one. My only nit is that sheepsfoot blade could have been adjusted to lay deeper in the knife body with closed. Fixed that one in about 2 seconds with my belt grinder. Knife had a good edge on blades out of the box and good walk & talk.

Cheers!
 
A while back when I first heard case was laying off people, I pulled the trigger on a new yellow delrin CV peanut to replace the one I gave away, and a chestnut CV peanut.

Both knives were very good, with the chestnut being awesome in fit and finish. It's one of the most perfect knives I've had from case. I think they must have doubled up the QA people.
 
I hope Gmountain will forgive me for piggybacking a question on his thread.
Regarding Case quality control, I remember hearing about what some consider the low point in Case quality but can't remember exactly when that was. Seems like it was the late 80's to mid-90s, does that sound about right?
 
I believe you're correct. I often hear negative things about 80's-era quality control.
 
Thomason said:
I hope Gmountain will forgive me for piggybacking a question on his thread.
Regarding Case quality control, I remember hearing about what some consider the low point in Case quality but can't remember exactly when that was. Seems like it was the late 80's to mid-90s, does that sound about right?
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In my limited experience, anything made after 97 or particularly in this century is generally very good.Things in the 80s/90s were not much to write home about,with exceptions.Knives pre 1979 seem very nicely made.
 
What I am impressed by is the quality of bone that CASE uses recently.I wonder if there are grades of bone quality,thickness durability? Whatever, the bone looks well jigged and dyed and is the right thickness for the pattern.
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Yes, there are indeed different grades of bone, types of bone and quality levels. I supplied Case with ivory and stag for years and was very involved in their processess.

Jigging and dyeing bone is no easy task. Case does both of these in-house for the most part. They buy high quality cow bone from South America where it is still available in hard, dense form. They don't use camel or yak or buffalo bone because of the wide variability in those forms of bone. They go to great effort to obtain good quality, consistent raw material to work with.

Their jigging operation is centered around a machine that is decades old. They maintain it and pamper it. Nothing is taken for granted and the maintenance is first rate. The result is very consistent jigging that is quality controlled very carefully from start to finish.

Then they dye most of their own bone. Again, NOT EASY. It takes alot of effort to get it right, and to keep getting it right over and over again. They worry about temperature, pressure, size of color particulate, type of dye, penetration, actual color, separations and a whole host of other variables. For them to get it right over and over again is a tribute to the dedication they have to a quality end product.

IMHO.........they work really hard to get the bone right. Now, I am not a Case knife person. I don't own one and probably never will. But as an outsider looking in, and as someone who has specialized knowledge about things like bone jigging and dyeing, I can tell you that they do a terrific job procuring, jigging and dyeing their bone. When people do things right, they deserve credit for it.

When it comes to bone, it's not easy to get it right.............but the folks at Case do it, day in and day out. They are a hardworking and caring bunch.

That's all I know...............

Keep Care,

Tim
 
Gmountain said:
What do you guys think of Case quality across the range of Case knives? Is there a hierarchy of quality. I assume the Tony Bose/Case collaborations are top quality, but after that, are they all pretty much the same?
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The actualy Tony Bose knives soild by Case that cost several hundred dollars are as you would expect of excellent quality. The Tony Bose designs that Case makes (like the popular chestnut CV Swayback Jack) which are priced comeptativly with other Case knives are pretty much of the same quality as other knives the company produces.

Now, I would say across the board that Case knives are generally very well made production knives. I have quite a few and they all have very nice fit, finish and quality of materials. :thumbup:

silenthunterstudios said:
The CV models have better fit and finish IMO. Better edges too. The SS models are not of as high a quality.
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I don't know. I have a number of modern Case knives in both SS and CV steel, and just looking at them I can't really tell the difference between them unless I check the blade stampings. The CV knives do take and hold a bit better edge, but that a matter of differnt steel, not better quality manufacture. Fit and finish for both looks just about the same to me.
 
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I have to agree that they do a nice job on their bone, but I've seen their F/F all over the place from really nice to really inexcuseable. I'll be trying to get rid of most of my Cheetahs, and replace them with GEC stuff.
 
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