Current CASE XX quality?

I don't think anyone has implied that Case's quality is on par with GEC. If you compare a Ford to a Ferrari it will come up lacking. Not everyone wants or can afford a Ferrari, but everyone still needs transportation. You're going to say it's not reasonable to have different expectations in fit and finish between a $30K auto and a $250K auto? Not only is it okay for their markets to help define QC parameters, it's necessary. If you pay $140+ for a pocket knife you have expectations. If you pay $50 for a similar pocket knife you probably have lower expectations. And their markets define what is and isn't acceptable at a particular price point, as does every other industry. The ones that meet or exceed expectations at their price point do well, the others fail. The OP's question was about Case's overall quality, and I'll stand behind the fact that it's high. And Case also builds some Ferraris ;). My Tribal and Swayback Jack are as good as any GEC or any other knife I own.
 
cjtamu said:
And Case also builds some Ferraris ;). My Tribal and Swayback Jack are as good as any GEC or any other knife I own.
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The Case/Bose collaboration knives are as good or better then most customs, in a similar price range. They aren't for everyone, but I've owned a half dozen or so different ones, and they were/are excellent in every way.

The Swaybacks and Tribal Locks are as well made and finished as any GEC or other manufacturers knives I've owned or handled.

Every manufacturer has their occasional stinker. It's the nature of the beast, and it applies to Case, GEC, Boker and all the others, here and abroad, that are still making knives.

I'm glad we have the choices we have, in knives and manufacturers. I wish we had more. I try and steer clear of making bold, sometimes incorrect or exaggerated statements about any of them.
 
Hit and miss can describe a number of companies out there....GEC included. GEC has more hits than misses, but I think it's a little off base when people regard them as the end all, be all of traditional knives. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love GEC but they do have flaws, although few and far between. I think Case has been pretty good lately and I haven't had many complaints given the price point. Case has crappy dye jobs and GEC lockbacks have up and down play....it is what it is. If anyone wants a perfect knife with zero flaws, pony up $2500 and have Tony or Reese make one for you....
 
Everybody's standards are different and we look at things with different expectations.
I hear too often that Rough Ryder knives are as good as Case, and Case knives are as good as GEC.
Well, maybe Rough Ryders are as good as GEC knives to some buyers who just want a cutting tool.
But I think we are more a discriminating bunch than your average buyer.
 
Mayonardo said:
...Quality is how well a product adheres to engineering and production requirements. Meeting customer needs is a marketing goal.
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You truly don't understand quality, meeting a customer's requirements is an internationally accepted definition of quality.
 
brownshoe said:
You truly don't understand quality, meeting a customer's requirements is an internationally accepted definition of quality.
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I actually like this definition of quality. It's one definition, and it's a good one. Simply put, you're looking at two different Case or whatever knives, same pattern, same everything. Both good knives, both will do the job. But, one has exceptional fit and finish, walk and talk, whatever floats your boat and one is just okay. Which knife are you going with? The one that's closer to the ideal, and that's the type of quality he's talking about. But, it's an unrealistic standard to expect every product that comes out of a factory to be ideal and/or identical. That's where a definition of quality that sets QC parameters and meeting customer needs comes into account.
 
If you don't meet your customer's needs you could wind up like the best dang 8-track tape player manufacturer in the age of CDs :)
 
Duper said:
I start off by saying I am in Canada so it is very inconvenient and costly for me to return anything for repair or replacement.

I asked for them to give the knives a good visual check for any obvious issues. I said I wanted a nice red with as little as possible fade near the bolsters. I asked them to check for any blade wobble or rub. I mentioned centering as best they could get. I think that was about it. They did a great job. And did email them back to thank them.

I guess some folks buying a $50 knife would not be as concerned but us knife nuts sometimes get a bit picky.

,,,Mike in Canada
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Eli Chaps said:
I figure the packaging person is probably pretty busy and probably doesn't have much time to be carefully opening boxes and carefully unwrapping the knife to make a judgement call on it's status. But, my favorite vendor does have a spot for "special instructions" I think it reads and I always type, "pick me a good one and have a great day!"

I don't know if it actually helps, but so far I've been getting some pretty fine examples. :)
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Peregrin said:
I always ask the vendor to send me a good example, as it will be a gift. Specifically check for blade play and obvious defects.
I figure any knife I purchase might end up being a gift.
Asking for an inspection also implies that a problem knife is likely to be returned.
If a vendor won't do this for me, I find one that will.
I don't buy a ton of knives anymore but so far I haven't had to return anything I've purchased.
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Thanks for the helpful suggestions, Mike & Eli & Gary! :):cool::cool::thumbsup:

- GT
 
brownshoe said:
You truly don't understand quality, meeting a customer's requirements is an internationally accepted definition of quality.
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I don’t know what “internationally accepted” means, but I would agree that this is one definition of quality—albeit an entirely subjective and only vaguely quantifiable one.

One need only read through this thread to determine how *useful* it is.

I’ve never been in charge of quality control for a company, but I’ll be willing to bet that much of the job involves comparing examples of the product to the design standard.
 
Will Power said:
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Damn that a gorgeous 6208 you've got there, and I agree with absolutely everything you've said about the pattern.
Wish they didn't favor polished stainless for the pattern ( or polished blades in general ) but otherwise it's such an excellent knife.

Does yours have sunken joints for both blades or just the main ?
The tang on my blade sticks up a little on mine but not a lot by any means.
 
brownshoe said:
You truly don't understand quality, meeting a customer's requirements is an internationally accepted definition of quality.
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Manufacturing requirements are set by the purchaser of the product, not the end user. The purchaser, perhaps a corporation selling smart phones or blenders for example, has set those requirements based on their resources and perception of marketing possibilities coupled with rigorous cost-benefit analyses. Meeting those requirements is the responsibility of the manufacturer but whether the end result will satisfy end user (customer) needs is quite another story.

Quality isn’t an objective attribute like weight or speed.

So, let’s say my requirement is for a manufactured pocket knife to be built to a certain set of defined standards (blade dimensions, length, shape, materials, etc.) and I am then offered a number of knives to choose from. If one meets those requirements and others do not, I have to say that the one that does is higher quality than the others.

Indeed, Case and others have chosen to work toward a much looser set of requirements, defined in house no doubt, permitting higher volumes and lower prices. Many customers like this combination and don’t care to pay for better quality and craftsmanship. Has Case recent quality improved? From the discussions here, it’s hard to tell.
 
Some dealers won't check a knife out before shipment. On their website, they call it extra time, extra money and that imperfections are to be expected. I've never needed to send a Case knife back due to a flaw out of the box in 20 years. I buy online but also at gun shows, Ace and Cabelas. In person, at Ace and Cabelas, I can always find one out of a bunch of the same pattern that I like best, but rarely one I couldn't buy.
 
Mayonardo said:
Manufacturing requirements are set by the purchaser of the product, not the end user. The purchaser, perhaps a corporation selling smart phones or blenders for example, has set those requirements based on their resources and perception of marketing possibilities coupled with rigorous cost-benefit analyses. Meeting those requirements is the responsibility of the manufacturer but whether the end result will satisfy end user (customer) needs is quite another story.

Quality isn’t an objective attribute like weight or speed.

So, let’s say my requirement is for a manufactured pocket knife to be built to a certain set of defined standards (blade dimensions, length, shape, materials, etc.) and I am then offered a number of knives to choose from. If one meets those requirements and others do not, I have to say that the one that does is higher quality than the others.

Indeed, Case and others have chosen to work toward a much looser set of requirements, defined in house no doubt, permitting higher volumes and lower prices. Many customers like this combination and don’t care to pay for better quality and craftsmanship. Has Case recent quality improved? From the discussions here, it’s hard to tell.
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Case has different levels of quality. Their highest level is the best there is, see Peregren's post. In their Bose line, they issue a variant of some models in Damasteel to select dealers. Those are even better, best production slipjoints I've ever seen. Again, at the low end is the yellow Slimline trapper at ~$30. Knifemaker Don Hanson said it's a knife he carried for years.
 
I would be interested to know how many knives Case produces in a given year.

Regarding "quality", I have realized that I expect perfection in things that I don't use.

I use pocket knives everyday, and the ones that I use the most show it. Even if they were flawless right out of the box, they certainly aren't now. Now, we say they have "character."
 
Hickory n steel said:
Damn that a gorgeous 6208 you've got there, and I agree with absolutely everything you've said about the pattern.
Wish they didn't favor polished stainless for the pattern ( or polished blades in general ) but otherwise it's such an excellent knife.

Does yours have sunken joints for both blades or just the main ?
The tang on my blade sticks up a little on mine but not a lot by any means.
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Thank you it is a worthy pattern. Main blade is sunk and the secondary more or less sunk,especially when viewed from the mark side as the main blade shields it.

Agree about the polished, but a few minutes careful work with paper will give you a nice as ground finish.

Thanks, Will
 
I think the OP enquired after the current state of CASE quality.

Which might imply that he suspects it has degraded since some golden age or is open to debate. The latter is I believe correct. The consensus on this thread appears to be very favourable, and I for one concur with it. To state that it's hit or miss is facile and misleading, all manufacturing has a tendency towards hit and miss and within the domain of Traditional knives this is markedly the case. I cannot think of a manufacturer of Traditionals that does not sometimes produce a below par knife and GEC is certainly not proof from this either. We have addressed SAK or Opinel and see that their automation, limited frames & scales give them a QC production advantage.

I like my traditional knives but not uncritically or through some sentimental lens that persuades me that one brand is inherently superior, brand loyalty or identification has always perplexed me. It is a kind of ego extension that convinces people that because I buy this product it must be better and ergo cannot be faulted . You can encounter this with car buyers who will not hear of anything other than one marque, they're convinced...analogy with cars might be dangerous. Ferrari may cost vastly more than a Ford, command some kind of envy appreciation but are they more reliable? Certainly not if the owner of one Ferrari I knew is correct, he was resigned to paying out vast sums for regular breakdowns. Which has better QC therefore?

Plenty of custom knives have faults or can create disastisfied customers despite costing more or 'reputation' Another so far unmentioned aspect of QC must surely be durability/longevity. Here, I'd argue that CASE scores highly, I've found my CASE knives to hold up to use extremely well, in fact better than GEC. Some of my GEC knives have shown pin cracking or blade play much more than my CASE knives, this is odd but I can't explain it but it is an aspect of quality. This is not an attempt to say that x is inherently better than y because as I've said, I enjoy all my Traditionals but I do feel CASE very often offers a good strong durable knife at reasonable cost, plus it has an unambiguous gurantee.
 
brownshoe said:
Some dealers won't check a knife out before shipment. On their website, they call it extra time, extra money and that imperfections are to be expected. I've never needed to send a Case knife back due to a flaw out of the box in 20 years. I buy online but also at gun shows, Ace and Cabelas. In person, at Ace and Cabelas, I can always find one out of a bunch of the same pattern that I like best, but rarely one I couldn't buy.
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I wasn't aware of this reluctance of some dealers to inspect a knife before shipping, but it's consistent with a surprising (to me) experience I recently had. I stopped at a hardware store over 200 miles from my house because I happened to be passing by and knew they were a Case Master Dealer. My hope was to actually buy a Case knife in person, rather than online, and experience choosing a knife that "met my expectations". As it turned out, the model I was most interested in was a model that the dealer had only one in stock, so I bought that one even though it wasn't quite what I wanted in terms of uniformity of dye. But the surprising thing to me was that I paid several dollars more for the knife in person than I would have if I'd ordered it online and paid for shipping to my house.

- GT
 
Ha ha ha Will Power Will Power . I'll stick with my analogy, and just say one doesn't buy a Ferrari for the same reason one buys a Ford Fusion. They're meant to be used differently and require a different level of maintenance. Kind of like the difference between a Case Sodbuster and a Laguiole. Those knives are receiving unequal treatment from me ;)
 
5K Qs said:
I wasn't aware of this reluctance of some dealers to inspect a knife before shipping, but it's consistent with a surprising (to me) experience I recently had. I stopped at a hardware store over 200 miles from my house because I happened to be passing by and knew they were a Case Master Dealer. My hope was to actually buy a Case knife in person, rather than online, and experience choosing a knife that "met my expectations". As it turned out, the model I was most interested in was a model that the dealer had only one in stock, so I bought that one even though it wasn't quite what I wanted in terms of uniformity of dye. But the surprising thing to me was that I paid several dollars more for the knife in person than I would have if I'd ordered it online and paid for shipping to my house.

- GT
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I think that can be said for buying anything in a brick and mortar shop opposed to online shopping.


I'm lucky to be close to a big case dealer with a nice selection and there is something to be said about picking through the case and handling a knife prior to purchase. As an every once in a while treat, it's worth the additional 20% IMO.
 
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