I was trying to find out if the knife got back to Case, or was lost in the mail. Here is an update on the status of the warranty repair I received today:
<<Dear Case Customer,
Our factory was shut down for 10 days over the holidays and we returned to work on 1/3/11. We are currently looking at a backlog of mail from 12/20/10 with only one person to process the incoming mail. Therefore, we expect this backlog to remain for several weeks since we continue to receive daily mail. Once your package has been processed into our system, a postcard will be sent to you advising receipt. From that point, our turnaround time will be approximately 8-9 weeks. We apologize for this delay. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call our toll free number 800-523-6350.
Thank you for your patience!
Case Repair Center>>
Wow.... that probably just finished CASE off for me. I have posted here before that CASE was the only knife for me for years. I always thought of BUCK, Shrade, etc., as second line knives for one reason or another, and never looked anywhere else through the 70s and 80s.
ONLY CASE in my pocket.
Those knives have lasted well and have worn so well they were never replaced. I still have them and use them. They are the epitome of everything I wanted in a knife. While not a fanboy, I always bought with total confidence.
I have felt for years that CASE was slipping, and expressed that in mild terms here, stronger terms on other sites where the CASE fans aren't so sensitive. CASE is no different than any other company trying to hold onto their market using mass market tactics. They can only do so much now with quality control and I am sure they have a good idea how many knives go out that shouldn't, and rely on an actuarial table to predict how many of those will come back to them.
It is obvious now how little regard they have for their customers. Their email response was proof. Read it carefully; you don't know how many items that the ONE person will have to process, or if that one person was caught up before they took off for the holidays.
We are currently looking at a backlog of mail from 12/20/10 with only one person to process the incoming mail. Therefore, we expect this backlog to remain for several weeks since we continue to receive daily mail.
At least they admit that they will have a backlog of mail that will take several weeks just to get your knife into the system. Ballsy, but honest. And they will keep you updated. Once it is finally "in the system" they will notify you by postcard.
Then.... wow....
From that point, our turnaround time will be approximately 8-9 weeks.
So for repair on a $65 item, it will take several weeks to get it into the system, and 2+ months to fix it. So if several means six weeks, and you add a minimum of 8 more, you could easily be waiting
4 months 
(plus shipping
) for repair of a brand new item. Just to have them do their quality control. Nothing extra, nothing custom, no favors asked to improve the knife, nothing. Just to ensure that you got what you thought you paid for in the first place.
I appreciate the fact
ManiacalPete, that you withstood the incredulous disbelief of the CASE fanboys and followed up here to let us all know exactly what is going on with your repairs. It is a keen insight into the actually inner workings of CASE as opposed to "well I've never had a problem so I don't think there is one" responses.
Before this thread, I have posted here that I wouldn't have any problem buying a CASE knife as long as I could hold the knife in my hand and inspect it before purchase. Now I am thinking, "what will I do if a scale cracks or works loose, a shield falls off, something gives and I have a huge blade wobble, etc. in the first 30 days of ownership?" Am I willing to wait 4 months (although I must say it was honestly explained upfront in a courteous way) to get the knife back for a simply quality control issue?
Worse, imagine what CASE would do if YOU screwed up the knife. Yikes!!
I am not a fanboy of any knife. I know all manufacturers make mistakes. I am concerned with how they fix them. While for a fanboy this long wait no doubt makes the anticipation much more exciting and the actual receipt of the repaired knife much sweeter. For me it is unacceptable.
I am not a collector, although I have about 75 pocket knives, mostly CASE. All of my knives are tools with only a couple of Benchmades being safe from the EDC lineup. As with any other tool, I expect the manufacturer to do their own QC.
I do not care that they make a million knives so some are "bound to get by". Think how many knives RR makes, and how many Sanrenmu makes for themselves but also for highly regarded USA based companies. Yet, they are literally 1/5 the price or less and they seem to turn out a more consistent, quality product. If I buy a product that costs 4 - 5 times as much as their competitors, I need to know that my money purchased value, not provenance.
I do not care that they are partly hand made (
hand made didn't used to mean an excuse for poor quality). If some of the CASE knives I have seen at the last several gun shows are hand finished, they need to retrain their workers.
I do not care that they are struggling in a tough market. Their American competitors that are selling at the same price point or just a bit higher seem to be doing fine.
I do not care they only have one person to log in their warranty items. If they are weeks behind simply logging in all the returned items, that should indicate
something to them.
I do not care that Zippo owns CASE, and that their business model has changed.
I do not care that they are "trying to get better". My hard earned dollars won't be going to help a company
try to turn out a good product, hoping I will be lucky enough to get one of the good ones.
Although CASE was my favorite brand for about 25 years, I am not in love with the brand (or any other) and still expect that when I pick up a CASE knife, I want it to be a
CASE knife. If that ship has sailed, so be it. I will, too.
I want what a I pay for with any product I buy; that's all. Nothing extra expected. I understand mistakes being made in manufacture, but taking about 4 months to fix a brand new product under warranty is unacceptable. I wouldn't put up with that on my drills, saws, grinders, and all the other tools I buy routinely as a contractor, so why would I with a simple pocket knife?
Stripping away all the romance of CASE (including my own personal baggage train of nostalgia) it is still just a tool.
It isn't a privilege to own a CASE, it is their privilege to have you buy their product.
I am glad Zippo/CASE is doing well and their business model is working for them. I am sure much smarter hands are guiding that ship than mine, so I am thinking they know what they are doing. Sitting here typing this, I would be horrified to see the brand lost, or worse, made in China as Schrade, etc., are now being made. I hope things get sorted out. I would love to see CASE regain themselves and be regarded (without question from anyone) as one of best pocket knives made.
Once again MP, thanks for the follow up. I hope you keep us posted on the final results.
Robert
)
I knew what it means just looking for clarification from the members using it in this thread, honestly ive never seen what i think constitutes Case "fanboy" from anybody in the traditionals forum, usually very fair, level headed... Now if "fanboy" means a member hasnt had a problem and voiced his satisfaction then yeah ive seen a couple of positive things said. Didnt think that made ya a fanboy, perhaps i was wrong