Conclusion: Buck's fit & finish are better than Case's

Smaug said:
Also, maybe our illustrious moderators could put down their popcorn for a minute and actually contribute?
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I guess my first conclusion would be that it is a little far reaching for you to "conclude" that one brand is better than another based the very small sampling of knives you've compared. I have far more Case knives than I do Buck slip joints and I've sent about the same number of knives back to Buck for issues as I have Case. Does this mean I should proclaim, as you've done, that Buck's QC is substandard when compared to Case?
 
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Had to get another bowl of popcorn.

Have you set those Bucks on their spines yet? Do they sit square and proud or do they lean and wobble?
 
It's a tough call. I've had a few knives from both companies and they both had F&F problems. Buck to me, is more utilitarian so I don't mind the "flaws" as much. Case is more flashy and "high class" type of knife and I expect flawless F&F, which every so often they get right and when they don't it bugs me. So, if you want great-flawless F&F pick up a GEC. They might cost more but you're almost guaranteed a great knife F&F wise.
 
I think they are very different knives.

- Case is much more traditional. Their blades are thinner and they offer carbon steel. The use bone, stag, and yellow delrin more than modern materials.
- Buck is the evolution of they slipjoint pocket knife. Their blades are thicker, they have excellent 420HC (steel snobs must be laughing at that one), and they use modern materials more than traditional materials.

As far as quality is concerned - if you hand pick your knives instead of ordering them online then the fit and finish will be good on both.. I happen to love both Buck and Case.
 
Sorry for getting off topic, but that red Jigged case with the lever on top is beautiful. Does it lock or is it a friction folder?
 
That's good to hear -- errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr read.

A lot of them do -- lean at least. Newer 501s, 55s, etc. I've even got a brand spanking new 112 that leans when placed on it's spine. Do not mean the lean or wobble to be critical but if they do, the finish isn't 100%.

Wondering where the OP is.
 
Modoc ED said:
Have you set those Bucks on their spines yet? Do they sit square and proud or do they lean and wobble?
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Never occurred to me to check for this. Not something I've ever encountered as being an issue in usage, except when I'm bored in a business meeting and put the knife on the conference room table and give it a gentle spin.

All of my Bucks lock up tight with no blade wobble, including 2 that were made in the 70s. All of my Bucks hold a decent edge.
 
To help with this problem/problems send all the Case & Bucks knives you're unhappy with to me and you'll never see or have to deal with these problems again. :D

You're Welcome. :D
 
pinnah said:
Never occurred to me to check for this. Not something I've ever encountered as being an issue in usage, except when I'm bored in a business meeting and put the knife on the conference room table and give it a gentle spin.

All of my Bucks lock up tight with no blade wobble, including 2 that were made in the 70s. All of my Bucks hold a decent edge.
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I think you've misunderstood me. I don't mean it as a useage issue nor a blade wobble issue. As I said to the OP, close the blade and sit/set the knife on it's spine/back spring. Dang neare every one of my newer Buck knives (501s, 55s, 112s, even a couple 110s) lean off-center and some even wobble. Heck, one of my 501s won't even stand up. It'll fall over on it's side every time.

I've never had a bad Buck knife. I'm not bashing them. Just trying to point out an odd quirk many of them have.
 
This thread has had at least six "popcorn" references and the old, "send me the knives you don't want" line, twice. Hilarious.
 
I've bought a lot of late model Case and Bucks knives. Every now and than I get one that has a small problem and have been able to fix the knife myself.

555 knocks on Wood: I have yet to return a knife with an issue. Came close once because there is a cut in the bone handle of a Case. Changed my mind and decided I'll deal with it myself in the future with a little glue. Last summer bought yet another 301 from a Gun Shop aways from me. I noticed blade wobble, more than I would like in an EDC. A little pressure and the knife was fix and now has a couple of months carry time on it.

Ether I'm not too picky or too independent to return a knife for what seems to be a small problem.

These issues have in no way changed my buying habits of Case or Buck and enjoy these as part of my collection and EDC.
 
Newbish said:
Sorry for getting off topic, but that red Jigged case with the lever on top is beautiful. Does it lock or is it a friction folder?
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That is the Case 'RussLock'. Slipjoint (with a backspring) AND a liner lock. It does operate similar to a friction folder, with the blade being 'thumbed' open using the lever. I have one just like it, even down to the color.
 
Stelth said:
This thread has had at least six "popcorn" references and the old, "send me the knives you don't want" line, twice. Hilarious.
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:D

Plus one LOL Cat for the mix. :D

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:D
 
Smaug said:
Also, maybe our illustrious moderators could put down their popcorn for a minute and actually contribute?
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Personally I don't see much being gained by comparing one manufacturer against another. I have a few knives made by each one of those mentioned and I'm pretty happy with them. No one turns out perfect knives everytime and your sample is pretty small.

I think the customer service is at least as important. As far as I know all the mentioned companies have excellent customer service and stand by their products. If you aren't happy with something, send it back and let them fix it.

Is that enough contribution for you? :)
 
Morrow said:
Does this mean I should proclaim, as you've done, that Buck's QC is substandard when compared to Case?
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Yes, it does.

Also, it is worth noting that the majority of folks who have bothered with a thoughtful response have concluded the same thing. My sampling is small, but with this thread, the sampling becomes much larger. ;)
 
Peregrin said:
I think the customer service is at least as important. As far as I know all the mentioned companies have excellent customer service and stand by their products. If you aren't happy with something, send it back and let them fix it.
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The word in this thread is that 50% of Case knives have fit issues. My small sampling was supported by others' samples, which was kind of the point of the thread. (although maybe the thread title rubbed some folks the wrong way)

Is that enough contribution for you? :)
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It's better than 'popcorn', although it could have been better yet without the snippiness.

Breaking out the popcorn reference, to me, is like saying: "I'm an old and seasoned poster. I've seen similar threads many times before. However, I will NOT hold my tongue let this go or just let others respond. Instead, I choose to make The Popcorn Reference", so that newbies stand in awe of my thread count and registration date, and others will refrain from daring to post something similar to what has been already posted. I'd rather make them search through dozens of old thread, so that I don't have to suffer through reading this thread's title again."

That's what it says to me anyway. Maybe I'm snippy too.
 
What I don't understand is if someone is SOOO tired of the topic, why do they bother to post in the thread?
 
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