Case recent quality examples & ordering unseen

[sXePhenomenal]

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Case they've been a part of my life for decades. That said for several years they just plain had poor QC and it was a shot in the dark getting a good one at least that was my experience however in the last few years to me it seems they have really stepped up their game. I still see gaps in the liners, poor dye jobs, blade play and I agree with Buzz the wire edge is a problem and even when I sharpen one they tend to roll up a wire edge rather than a burr. You can find them however that are near perfect. I think that some if not all of the problems stem from the shear volume of knives they produce and workers trying to reach production numbers. I do support them with purchases because I may be wrong but it seems that the traditional pattern knife market is shrinking and the fact they still make their knives in the good old USA is important to me and yes it does make me cringe a bit when I see an iconic USA knife maker like Buck sporting a foreign country's name stamped on the tang. In the last couple of years we've saw the demise of Canal Street and Queen and we all know what has happened to other iconic USA makers like Schrade, Camillus and so on. I have learned to live with their dyeing and also like Buzz I've learned to tighten, adjust and otherwise compensate for things I just can't live with and just live with the things I can overlook. I do like GEC's offerings and this may not be popular but they also have their problem even though I feel they are making the most consistently least flawed US made traditional patterns today. I would love for more traditional USA makers to open up production companies so we could have more choices but I don't really think that's going to happen so I will continue to buy Case knives and mumble about how much better they could be.

Very good post a lot of people probably feel the same. Still making them here and quality has improved to the point were buying offline isn't much of any issue anymore to me at least. They're very attractive and usually well fitted knives with sharper blades out of box than any other I've tried yet. My biggest gripe is I want CV on the stag covered knives! Haha but Will continue to buy them as long as they're making them.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

 

[gaj999]

Agreed. GEC is at the top of the game right now, but they do indeed have their issues. Every Case knife I've bought, over the last few years, has come much sharper than your average GEC, and none of them have had any problems with proud tips or blade rap, which frequently afflict GECs. In those respects, Case is light years ahead. Those differences shouldn't be minimized either, as they are real world functional knife issues. If you're planning on putting your new knife in your pocket and using it, and not just placing it in your pretty collector's case, all three of these problems will effect you.

Yup. I think the GECs are sharpened at a crazy obtuse angle to make them look pretty for the collectors. The first GEC I got was sharp enough, but when I went to sharpen a pencil with it, it just slid off the end without biting wood. Once I reprofiled it, it cut like a dream but the main bevel was too wide to call pretty. When you see folks buying two copies of each cover of each model, they aren't users ... they've got their market well defined.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Both are made very well, and priced extremely reasonably, but see half stop and back spring on peanut. Not flush, but action and pull is good.

Nice looking knives! I particularly like that peanut. The backsprings on my swayback jack and swayback gent (TB62117 and TB61117) are flush at the half stop, but I haven't seen that on any other knife (admittedly my experience is very limited). Is that something you would normally expect to see?

As I mentioned before, I think Case mismatched covers are "a feature, not a bug." YMMV, of course.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

I expect absolute and total knife perfection, including the impossible and then some more.

But flush backsprings at half stop is a nice build. The pen blade is closer to flush.

 

[Will Power]

Update.

The Root Beer Small Stockman 63090 arrived the other day from across the Atlantic to Europe.

PROS: Sunk-joints, NO blade rub or play, good loud snap, no gaps, flush springs open/shut, matched scales. Very pocket friendly Equal End 3 3/8" Stockman. Cost 50 Euro including delivery, amazingly good value.

CONS: Took a while to get here but that's always the thing

VERDICT An excellent knife that I've taken to immediately, extremely well-finished and pleasing.

 

[sXePhenomenal]

Update.

The Root Beer Small Stockman 63090 arrived the other day from across the Atlantic to Europe.

PROS: Sunk-joints, NO blade rub or play, good loud snap, no gaps, flush springs open/shut, matched scales. Very pocket friendly Equal End 3 3/8" Stockman. Cost 50 Euro including delivery, amazingly good value.

CONS: Took a while to get here but that's always the thing

VERDICT An excellent knife that I've taken to immediately, extremely well-finished and pleasing.

That's sweet! Glad you got a great one they're pumping out great ones and that's very pleasing to see as my favorite USA traditional company.

 

[sXePhenomenal]

Have another on order. The 154cm Backpocket it’s a Bargain for only $70 on the Case site a Bose design for only $70 with that jigged bone and 154cm sign me up.

 

[SharpieB]

My biggest issue with current Case knives is the generally poor blade centering. I own 4 Case’s and only one has perfect centering and I bought that today. I handled 7-8 today (mostly Trappers) and only the 1 I bought had perfect centering.

I don’t expect perfection when it comes to knives generally priced in the $40-70 range, but a blade rubbing against a liner right from the factory isn’t acceptable IMO.

I won’t send back my new Muskrat that has poor centering on both blades, but it still annoys me a bit even though the knife is a Limited Edition and was only about $60.

I will buy more Case knives in any case (ha!), but I wouldn’t if the majority of them were $150-200.

 

[sXePhenomenal]

My biggest issue with current Case knives is the generally poor blade centering. I own 4 Case’s and only one has perfect centering and I bought that today. I handled 7-8 today (mostly Trappers) and only the 1 I bought had perfect centering.

I don’t expect perfection when it comes to knives generally priced in the $40-70 range, but a blade rubbing against a liner right from the factory isn’t acceptable IMO.

I won’t send back my new Muskrat that has poor centering on both blades, but it still annoys me a bit even though the knife is a Limited Edition and was only about $60.

I will buy more Case knives in any case (ha!), but I wouldn’t if the majority of them were $150-200.

There is that and also I’ve found that a lot of Case knives have plenty of side to side wobble. Does it matter eh not really that much to me but would I like them to be better fit? Ya I would. The amber cv med stockman is rock solid a lot of other patterns I’ve checked have been pretty wobbly on most. Stores around here have a pretty big selection of Case knives

Comparing Case directly to Solingen Böker (my objective favorite for $60-80 knives) I think Böker makes a more consistent better knife but only slightly Case makes wonderful knives “most” of the time at least lately from all the testomonials I’ve read

Can’t wait to get the Backpocket have high hopes. Hope it’s as excellent as it looks put in the notes asking if they’d check it out before they sent it to make sure of quality dunno if they actually will but worth a shot.

 

[ccsavage]

I recently made a big gripe post about the an ebony wilfred lockback I had purchased. The fit and finish was not good and I sent it to case. Their costumer service is awesome by the way. Although I was pretty ticked off about it I figured it as a fluke and didn't want to believe case would intentionally send a knife out as bad as mine. An ex employer of mine once told me that a company is only as good as its worst employee. Bad stuff can happen when folks aren't paying attention. That said, I went out on a limb and purchased another wilfred lockback. It is outstanding in every way. In fact it I could go as far as saying it's worth the money I paid. My faith is restored in case knives... actually we will see when I get the other one back from repair. Haha

 

[skyhorse]

Seldom hear of issues with the peanut or half whittler patterns by case, seems like they have these two down pat.

 

[Lansky1]

I'm not a vintage guy.... my entire collection is post 1980. Late model Cases's in my experience can be outstanding. Obviously, there are exceptions, and those go back on the chopping block, but if you go into it realizing that every single one off the production line isn't an A+ example, but most are darn decent, you won't be disappointed when you get the occasional stinker. I just got a 63032 circa 2015 with raspberry bone sides that is absolutely perfect ... all 3 blades snap nice and hard, fit and finish is spot on & there's no side to side wobble.

 

[Wowbagger]

Buzzbait,

I've never really cared for their lightly dyed bone.

Yes that weird's me out. I've gotten my hopes up a few times by the Case catalog photo and what arrived at my door was soooooo different. If they are going for a white bone streaked look fine . . . I guess . . . just put that in the catalog.

. . . I absolutely adore the look of their yellow delrin.

I have never given it more than a passing glance. I was never drawn to it in the least . . . until . . . your photo. You got me !
Great looking knife and a great photo.

I just couldn't appreciate the yellow delrin at all until I read (or heard in a video maybe) that the color is particularly useful if you drop it in the brush; makes it easier to find.
I have, oddly enough since it is an inexpensive material, been heavily drawn to the White Sparxx for it's appearance. It is super easy to see in the dark as well and I prefer the texture over the smooth.
Still though . . . because of your photo I may have to go for a yellow delrin one day.

PS : what is that long thin blade shown in your photo ? ? ?
At first it looks kind of like a punch; then it looks like a VERY HEAVILY OVER SHARPENED long clip blade that has been polished . . . hahaha or is it a Marlin Spike ? ? ?

 

[Wowbagger]

production date

I suppose my last Case purchase of a week ago doesn't count because the date is 9/06/16 but the FF is perfect for the price : pull, closing, sharpness, blade alignment/centering, no gaps to speak of. The ends of the back springs at the butt are not filed jewelry perfect but are polished and smooth and something I don't look at anyway.

There is more white bone than I would prefer and I wouldn't mind a deeper chestnut over all but I am pleased with my purchase.
For a year before buying this diamond textured Trapper I was planing on modding the spay blade. It wasn't in my hands but over night and it became the joyously useful cutting machine you now see before you.


Oh what a little cut off wheel can do !
(including the nail nick; extra deep because the blade is short for the spring rate I now have to over come)

 

[Wowbagger]

Seldom hear of issues with the peanut or half whittler patterns by case, seems like they have these two down pat.

See now your blue, dark blue / black scales are ENHANCED by the VERY tastefully used and balance white bone.
THAT IS THE WAY TO GO Case.
But do avoid the random blotch or weak dye in general . . . please.
e.g.,

 

[Wowbagger]

Out of the box I've found blades . . . have a bit of a _________, but that's all fixable and sharpening is part of the fun of knife ownership.

You said it !

(my last Case . . . the Trapper I posted above. . . the blades were perfectly usable / sharp enough and no bur right out of the box (rounded tip of course on the long clip but they have since been doing it right). Since then, in a week at work of light but daily use, I have only touched the shorter modded blade once with a Spyderco Ultra Fine Ceramic triangle rod.) For the heavy duty cutting the S30V and the M4 get busssed out of my pocket. Life is good !

 

[Wowbagger]

My biggest gripe is I want CV on the stag covered knives!

Is that a NATURAL no brainer or what ? ? ? ? ! ! ! !
CV, CV, CV, CV etc., etc., etc., (with the Stag please).

 

[B.F.U]

I have two Case knives right now. One is a recently made knife, a yellow Trapper. It came with good centering, snappy action, sharp edges, no play, no blade rap (I gave it some by stupidly dropping the kick too much). It did have a scratch on one blade and some slight gaps.

I just don't like the steel that much. It does ok holding an edge, but it EXCELS at holding a wire edge/burr. I mean this thing was driving me crazy.

Is the CV significantly better? Right now the steel is holding me back from buying other Case knives.

Have another on order. The 154cm Backpocket it’s a Bargain for only $70 on the Case site a Bose design for only $70 with that jigged bone and 154cm sign me up.View attachment 905164

Whew, where's that? Literally on Case's site?

 

[sXePhenomenal]

I have two Case knives right now. One is a recently made knife, a yellow Trapper. It came with good centering, snappy action, sharp edges, no play, no blade rap (I gave it some by stupidly dropping the kick too much). It did have a scratch on one blade and some slight gaps.

I just don't like the steel that much. It does ok holding an edge, but it EXCELS at holding a wire edge/burr. I mean this thing was driving me crazy.

Is the CV significantly better? Right now the steel is holding me back from buying other Case knives.



Whew, where's that? Literally on Case's site?

I think the CV is a lot better specifically with the issue you said. Yeah just on the Casexx site they’re usually $140 but they have them on special for $70