Case vs GEC and why?

jec88 said:
I'm not bashing GEC. The one I had was nice other than the pull. Case is just what I'm more familiar with, so more comfortable buying.. I'm really a Buck guy, with Case being my second favorite.
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The early GEC's had very heavy pulls, I had a 25 that was impossible to open comfortably.

The current 15 is about perfect, easy to open with nice snap (in my examples). Any of our BF supporting retailers would certainly allow you to return it should it not be to your liking.
 
Bartleby said:
Well put, I agree. Both have their supporters for good reason.
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I wasn't trying to be intentionally obtuse, just that it's hard to go into reasons without accidentally implying that there's something inherently wrong with the other thing.

A lot of the things I like about Case knives are the very things other people dislike. I like shiny blades. I like stainless steel. I like nickel silver bolsters and brass liners. I like the smooth feel from their tumbled and polished everything. I like the pulls and the walk and talk of the blades. And I really love their thin hollow ground blades. I even like the steel. It's easy for me to get razor sharp using the kinds of tools I like to use (oil stones and a leather strop) and holds up well enough for most things I do.

Other things that some people find important in their knives really aren't important to me. Blade rub, perfect blade centering, small liner gaps. I just don't care, as long as they don't affect the functioning. These are things that people often call out as problems with their Case knives. But since they are non-issues for me, it doesn't detract.

Proud or sunken backsprings when open, yes, that bothers me because I can feel the edges when using it. That does affect the functioning for me. I've got a couple of Case knives with that issue, as well as a Queen. That's one thing that GEC always gets right (or have for me so far).

GECs are beautifully made precision tools. All of the edges are crisp and sharp and square. Even the parts I don't want to be crisp and sharp, like spines, corners of tangs, and nail nicks. I've got some GECs where the nail nicks will guaranteed tear my nail, just because they are so perfectly cut, not so much because of the pull. Some don't open or close smoothly because their tolerances are so tight. Not bad, but you kind of have to follow them through the entire opening or closing process to get to the snap at the end. Not all are like that, but the three I normally carry are. Beautiful and well made, just not as easy for me to use in my normal daily life.

There's only a certain level of luxury I require or even want. Case seemed to hit the right spot in my own personal value equation.
 
Also, a knife can be too pretty. I know that lots of people in this forum are looking for collectable knives that they will never use so that they will not remove the factory edge and they will retain their value, but I'm not. I will use every knife I buy no matter how much it costs. So, I'm looking for knives that can get sharp and that I can sharpen myself easily. I'm looking for practical patterns. I am collecting some patterns just for completeness, and just for the fun of it, but that's why I've decided to focus first on Case yellow Delrin. Any patterns I can't find in Case Yellow Delrin, I'm looking for in Case anything. Any patterns I can't find in Case, and there aren't many (true Senator or Equal End Pen), I'm looking for in other U.S. brands like Queen, but it's always with cost in mind because I will be using them at least once maybe a lot if I like the pattern.
 
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GEC offers a much better range of shields than CASE, most of them are I think well chosen for the pattern as well. However, it's for me at least, really regrettable that they've funked out of inletting shields on their Stag knives.

On the other side, CASE do their pins far more to my liking than GEC does, but let's not get lost in that sink-hole...;):D:D
 
Gabriel Velasco said:
If ( Value = Quality / Price ) then Case is greater than GEC.
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Well no, because the cost of quality does not go on a linear scale.
As there are fewer flaws, it takes increasing amounts of time, effort, precision, inspection, and rejection rates - all of which equal money - to create smaller increases in quality. One major reason is that the easily seen and achievable fixes have been done.
It's a lot easier to improve from Hen & Rooster quality to Case, than from Case to GEC.

For a lot of patterns, there is simply no choice for me. Case makes a wide array of patterns. They also make far more small patterns, which is what ends up in my pocket. Yes, GEC has made small Northfields but these are the exception. There seem to be a lot of really tall GEC blades, fatter than "normal" handles, and other bulkiness that I really don't favor.
OTOH for many covers, the cost of Case goes up sharply, well into GEC territory. Sorry, but the quality isn't there for the price - their MOP's are closer to $200. I'm not talking about Tony Bose collabs either. The overly polished, overly rounded feel isn't for me either.
Ideally, for me GEC would make some stuff in the peanut to half-whittler size. If they made more patterns that I use, I'd pick them up right away and put off the other knives on my list.
So in reality I like the Queen/S&M F&W's I have. The pattern selection and size fit my tastes. All but one have equaled my Cases in quality, better steel, better price for cover materials.
 
jc57 said:
I wasn't trying to be intentionally obtuse, just that it's hard to go into reasons without accidentally implying that there's something inherently wrong with the other thing.
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I didn't mean to imply that you were being obtuse, I certainly do agree with your main point that liking one should not be mutually exclusive of liking the other.
 
No matter how many times these issues come up, everyone is always going to have different opinions of value. These threads always end up in an argument. Case and GEC aren't really comparable in a lot of aspects. It's like comparing the local corner deli to a chain supermarket. The mom and pop business may be more selective and offer better quality products while the supermarket is convenient, well stocked and always open. Both are good....it just depends on which is more important to you. Whichever company you support, it doesn't make it right to put down the other. I love both because both have their place in my hobby and my work tools. Different horses for different courses and all that.....
 
navaja said:
For me, they just have a cool factor. Just like people who collect antiques, classic cars, or other old collectibles, there's just something about owning something that was "made like they used to" and when they used to. Granted, that's the quality level that GEC brings to the table now, just without the heritage...yet. Every slipjoint fan should own at least one vintage (70s and older) knife from Case, Cattaraugus, Robeson, or maker from that era. They were made with a quality and pride of craftsmanship that you can truly appreciate.
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Thanks for the reply. I've looked a few times at picking up a 70's era Case but it always gets put on the backburner for something else.
 
JD Bear said:
No matter how many times these issues come up, everyone is always going to have different opinions of value. These threads always end up in an argument. Case and GEC aren't really comparable in a lot of aspects. It's like comparing the local corner deli to a chain supermarket. The mom and pop business may be more selective and offer better quality products while the supermarket is convenient, well stocked and always open. Both are good....it just depends on which is more important to you. Whichever company you support, it doesn't make it right to put down the other. I love both because both have their place in my hobby and my work tools. Different horses for different courses and all that.....
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Well said JD. I never saw it as either/or but I wish there were more choices.
 
Ourorboros said:
Well no, because the cost of quality does not go on a linear scale....
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Yes. I meant to say that if Value = Quality / Cost then Case is a better value, not a better overall knife. I still think this is a decent rule of thumb except that I like to include features with quality when evaluating things that have more features like cars and refrigerators. ( V = (Q+F) / C ).

Basically it's saying that VALUE is getting more bang for your buck. Value = Bang/Buck. For us that would be Value = Blade/Buck. I think Case is a better value on average when you take everything into consideration, not necessarily a better knife on average.
 
This seems like more of a knife enthusiast site though, so 'bang for buck' isn't a consideration for most of the people that come here.
If all we want is something sharp for cutting cardboard we can just go buy a box cutter at Lowes.
 
Value is in the eye of the beholder (or wielder, in a knife's case). To me, a GEC is well worth the extra money over a Case production model, but for me it stops there. I've never been tempted to buy a Bose Collaboration, as the improvements over the GEC just aren't there for me, price wise. To each his own.
 
Norcaldude said:
This seems like more of a knife enthusiast site though, so 'bang for buck' isn't a consideration for most of the people that come here.
If all we want is something sharp for cutting cardboard we can just go buy a box cutter at Lowes.
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What if you want a good whittling knife? What if you actually work on a ranch or a farm? What if you live on or near a lake and want something good for fishing and sailing, that you are actually going to use for fishing and/or sailing? What if you might actually be using your knife for trapping or hunting? Do you want a beautiful knife that you don't want to get dirty and lose the factory edge, or do you want a well-made knife in a proven pattern for achieving your goal?

I'm sure you're right that this forum is slanted toward collectors, but I'm sure there have to be LOTS of members here who actually use their knives every day, and for more than just cutting boxes at Lowes. And, I think THOSE people are probably going to be more likely to buy a Case over a GEC.
 
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Gabriel Velasco said:
What if you want a good whittling knife? What if you actually work on a ranch or a farm? What if you live on or near a lake and want something good for fishing and sailing, that you are actually going to use for fishing and/or sailing? What if you might actually be using your knife for trapping or hunting? Do you want a beautiful knife that you don't want to get dirty and lose the factory edge, or do you want a well-made knife in a proven pattern for achieving your goal?

I'm sure you're right that this forum is slanted toward collectors, but I'm sure there have to be LOTS of members here who actually use their knives every day, and for more than just cutting boxes at Lowes. And, I think THOSE people are probably going to be more likely to buy a Case over a GEC.
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I think I disagree. A well made knife is a well made knife, regardless if it is pretty or not. GEC makes a well made knife and will do the job it was designed for and look darned good doing it. I am not sure that I understand the whole "GEC is only for collectors" concept. With a couple of exceptions of course, I use all of my knives, GEC or not. Many of them have scratches, dings, and patina.

We have members here who have demonstrated all sorts of use from cleaning game, farm work, construction, food prep, etc. GEC doesn't make a knife just to look pretty in a case, they are built to work just like any other decent knife out there, including Case.
 
Gabriel Velasco said:
What if you want a good whittling knife? What if you actually work on a ranch or a farm? What if you live on or near a lake and want something good for fishing and sailing, that you are actually going to use for fishing and/or sailing? What if you might actually be using your knife for trapping or hunting? Do you want a beautiful knife that you don't want to get dirty and lose the factory edge, or do you want a well-made knife in a proven pattern for achieving your goal?

I'm sure you're right that this forum is slanted toward collectors, but I'm sure there have to be LOTS of members here who actually use their knives every day, and for more than just cutting boxes at Lowes. And, I think THOSE people are probably going to be more likely to buy a Case over a GEC.
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You can use a GEC for all of those things and I'm sure some people do.

My point is that while many people buy and use knives, generally the sort of people that seek out a forum devoted to knives, like this site, to talk about knives, are interested in more than mere cutting functionality.

Coming here and saying 'a Case is a better value than a GEC' is like going to a site devoted to classic muscle cars and saying that a Hyundai Elantra is a better value than a 1964 Pontiac GTO. You're probably right in both cases, but the people you are talking to in both cases are enthusiasts that care more about things other than straight up value.
 
Norcaldude said:
You can use a GEC for all of those things and I'm sure some people do.

My point is that while many people buy and use knives, generally the sort of people that seek out a forum devoted to knives, like this site, to talk about knives, are interested in more than mere cutting functionality.

Coming here and saying 'a Case is a better value than a GEC' is like going to a site devoted to classic muscle cars and saying that a Hyundai Elantra is a better value than a 1964 Pontiac GTO. You're probably right in both cases, but the people you are talking to in both cases are enthusiasts that care more about things other than straight up value.
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I think a more apt car comparison would be that a BMW 320i is better value than an 340i. Comparing a ~$15k Elantra to a ~$75k+ muscle car isn't representative of how close Case is to GEC. A $15k Elantra of the knife world would be a $10 Chinese or Pakistani gas station knife.

Back to knives: I think GEC's single blade Tidioutes are probably, reasonably the best value in our little corner of the world. They typically clock in at the $60-80 range and have fantastic build quality. That said, I agree with others who tend to prefer Case's "softer" build.

I like rounded spines and tang corners and a bit softer spring. I also like small, unobtrusive knives; a huge benefit of which is their lightweight. GEC's #18 Beagle is 25% heavier than a comparable jigged bone Case Peanut. GEC's multi-blade knives are -heavy- for their size; even my two-blade TC #14 has a noticeable heft to it. Some people tend to attribute weight to quality; I don't. I'm just reminded of the sarcastic movie line regarding a pistol purchase: "Heavy is good. Heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work, you can always hit him with it."

I've sold most of my GECs. I've kept most of my Case knives because they aren't worth the work to move at the price they would command. Does that add to GECs "value"? I think it can be argued so. If you can buy something, use it, and sell it for the same price you paid for it, that seems like great value to me.

Because of my preferences, though, I'll argue forever that the Case Peanut is the best value of any traditional knife. For ~$35-50 you'll get a knife that accomplishes 99% of your needed daily tasks, will never raise eyebrows from Johnny Law or John Q. Public, and you'll never notice it in your pocket; but it will always be there for you.
 
Shawn, I value your opinion, but by your reasoning a $25 Victorinox Cadet is a much better value than any Peanut.
 
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