First few Case knives...not impressed. Is it just me?

[donkengine]

After realizing that the lock back I carry to work is too small, I decided to pick up another slip joint (just one right?). Long story short, I purchased a Sway Back Gent. I had to look at 2 to find a centered blade, but the dealer wouldn't budge on his price which was $30 higher than average.

I finally found one at another local store and it was priced right. Blade is centered and the walk/talk is great. However the dye on the bone is pitiful. I bought it thinking Case would make it right since it's supposed to be Old Red Bone...not old pink and white bone. I contacted Case and they said $35 to install new scales. I am going to try some Feibings dye instead.

In the mean time I ordered a Chestnut Bone Sodbuster jr. from an online dealer. The size is perfect and it's a looker. The first one they sent me had some blade rub so they kindly exchanged it for me. The replacement knife is perfectly centered but the spring sticks up when open. The hafting of the handle is also uneven on the butt end. The seller said it was the best example they had of that model and offered a refund. I don't know if I can mention them by name on here but they have been fantastic. I will buy from them again.

I hate to sound picky, but I have Chinese made Buck slip joints with better fit and finish than at least half of the Case knives I've looked at. I really want to buy American and I really wanted a Case as they were always top shelf when I was a kid. Am I just getting the rare lemons or is Case quality not what I thought it was?

 

[Cory Hess]

Unfortunately, your story isn't unusual. I have decided that I won't buy any more Case knives unless I can handle it in person first. They are good for their price point, but if you're looking for more consistent quality control you're probably better off looking at GEC or Queen. Keep in mind though, that consistency comes with a higher price point.

 

[Shaggy]

I really wish Case would slow down, stop making a billion color variations annually for collectors, and start making higher quality knives again. And yes, I'd happily pay more for GEC level quality.

 

[jc57]

Case can be hit and miss. I am less particular than some people so a lot of the little flaws don't bother me as much as they seem to others. I have learned how to deal with the occasional bad dye job, and blade centering is inconsequential to me. If Case doesn't live up to your expectations, I would suggest you don't buy any more of them. Plenty of other brands to choose from. Queen, Canal Street, and GEC are all worth a look.

Also, if you want to buy American made knives and like Buck, their 30x series (301, 303, etc) are made in the USA, though the choices of styles and handles are limited.

 

[donkengine]

Also, if you want to buy American made knives and like Buck, their 30x series (301, 303, etc) are made in the USA, though the choices of styles and handles are limited.

And that might be the answer. How are the new USA made Bucks?

 

[steeltowninwv]

I ordered a case slim lime trapper about 2 weeks ago...I will never order another case knife..if I cant handpick case I will just do without case knives.....the slimline trapper was very off centered to the point where it got scratches on the blade just from opening and closing...I have a store about 15 miles away that carries rough rider knives..i can hand pick them..i really believe the good rough riders are as good as the bad case knives for a fraction of the cost..if I buy what I consider a nice knife..it will be gec...northwoods..queen...if I buy cheap it will be rough riders or vintage imperial or schrade...just my 2 cents...bottom line is I think case is way over priced for what u get

 

[jc57]

And that might be the answer. How are the new USA made Bucks?

Well I certainly like mine. I have a 301 and a 303 in yellow Delrin. They are good sturdy working knives, not quite so pretty and stylish as a Case but they have their own functional beauty.

Here's the 301.

 

[dma1965]

In my opinion, 1979 was the last year Case made a high quality knife. It's not that the Case knives made today are low quality, it is that they are not up to the level of fit and finish the older knives had. I have taken apart lots of knives and modded or fixed them, and the older knives from just about any maker were light years ahead in quality from the new knives made by Case. Some old knives are so well built it is an absolute pain in the butt to take them apart. Everything was high quality back then.

The older Case knives I have, especially the ones from the 1940s to the 1960s, are built like tanks. About the only US knife maker today that is building knives that meet, and in many cases surpass the old Case quality is GEC, with Canal Street and Queen closely following.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Case can make some great knives, their QC is a little spotty and you should handle the knife first if you can. Buck makes tanks, but they are not generally finished as well or as pretty as a Case. Queen is usually a step above, GEC is a little better than all the previously mentioned, but aren't always perfect. They make a wide range of patterns and short runs at that. They are just fun to keep up with. Canal Street Probably makes the best and most consistent, but their offerings are more limited and don't often do Carbon Steel.

I will also say that Case is usually way cheaper than all but the Bucks.




Case makes quite a few knives I like, but the dye jobs can leave some to be desired..... We have a coffee/tea/oil based leather dye thread around here that covers some options to address.

Some Case knives just have the mojo that others don't..... and the Case/Bose knives are simply awesome.

 

[NMpops]

When I order Case knives I order from a Case dealer in Missouri. I tell them to hand pick a nice one and they do a good job. I always stop there when traveling too. I also own a Buck 303 I bought new in '96 (Camillus made I think) F&F are great. The other 2 Bucks are both 301's. The F&F on the Chairman model is fine on the other hand on the standard 301, all three blades rub, no snap when closing and is you look at it when all blades are open, one of the liners is bowed inwards. Both were made the same year '08. I probably should have sent the one back, but never have.

I too would pay more if Case would just slow down and make better knives. I don't need all the colors anyway.

 

[arizonaranchman]

I've had good luck with Case pocket knives. I don't have alot but the several of current production that I have are good workmanship in fit/finish. This includes two Peanuts, a large Stockman, yellow Sodbuster Jr and a yellow Slimline Trapper.

It's a shame that such a great company lets mediocre work go out the door. IMO they're better off raising the price a bit and paying greater attention to detail.

 

[hank_rearden]

I hate to sound picky, but I have Chinese made Buck slip joints with better fit and finish than at least half of the Case knives I've looked at. I really want to buy American and I really wanted a Case as they were always top shelf when I was a kid. Am I just getting the rare lemons or is Case quality not what I thought it was?

you're talking about this? it's a chinese-made buck 371. i had one and it's a beauty. F&F is far superior to the US 301. however, it's blade was atrocious. when comparing it with a US-made 301 with a saw cut delrin handle, it wins in all --except for the edge. believe me you'll want the crappy US-made if only for the edge.

a US-made 301 with sawcut pattern that i bought.

one good rule when buying slip joints, especially, those tauted as "vintage" made in 1940-60, is to buy them not online but eyeballed and handled right at the counter.

 

[LaughingBones]

I sent a Case Canoe (the one with the Indian in the canoe engraved) in for warranty repair, because both blades wobbled bad and after about 2 weeks the pins punched out of through the bolsters. Beautiful knife, but sorely dissapointed with the quality. Really looking forward to seeing how they will resolve the issue. Not sure if they will repair it or send another one.

On the other hand I have a Case Peanut, Swayback Jack, Med Stockman, Mini Stockman and a Texas Jack that are up to par and almost perfect. I really like Case, but have branched out now to other brands. Case got the ball rollin' though. I still plan on purchasing Case. Looking at a Seahorse Whittler now!

 

[black mamba]

I must be charmed, but most all of my recent Cases have been quite good, especially for the $$. I have an '09 #46 pattern humpback whittler, a '12 #07 Wharncliffe mini trapper, a '14 teardrop and a '14 damascus #47 stockman. Nothing major wrong with any of them. Tiny slivers of light between a couple of the liners, some minor over-buffing of the covers, but no blade rubs, even grinds and great snap and action on all the blades. I think they are a bargain for the small $$ they cost. I just think that if you are picky enough (and you have every right to be so), then you should probably not be buying $50 production knives.

 

[black mamba]

Just a couple of thoughts on the Buck alternative. The USA made 301 is a fine stockman, but the springs have generally been too soft for me. I guess GEC has ruined me in that regard. I only wish they offered the 301 from the custom shop with S30V blades. I could put up with the softer action for a better steel. Of course, with Queen's D2 you get both.

 

[jc57]

I am either very lucky or just relatively easy to please. I have probably close to 150 slipjoint traditional knives, probably about 100 of those made by Case. The others are GEC, Buck, Victorinox, Canal Street, Queen, and Schrade USA. Not a single one of them has had issues bad enough to send back to the factory or the dealer.

However, being a knife hobbyist, I don't mind doing a little tweaking and tuning to make a mediocre knife into a an excellent knife. Heck, out of the last 5 factory new Case knives I got (little Christmas shopping binge), two had obviously been returned to the vendor and resold to me since they were not still wrapped in their original tissue but it was stuffed into one end of the box. I could immediately tell why - one was an Amber bone where the dye job on the reverse side looked pretty weak, and the other was a Peanut with both blades very tight with no walk and talk to speak of.

Neither of those flaws were a big challenge to me. I had experienced a much worse issue with tight blades on a GEC #15 to the point where I almost sent it back, but the fix was the same for both - flushing and rinsing the joints in very hot soapy water, then lubrication and just constantly working back and forth.

The Peanut that someone else sent back now has excellent walk and talk and great snap (so does the GEC 15 I mentioned). Just because I know how to fix that particular problem.

The dye job was also easy. I have a technique which I have used on several Amber Bone knives where I clean the handles off well, then use several colors of Sharpie permanent markers to touch up the colors. I found that a combo of yellow, orange, brown, and black applied properly will do the job very well, You put it on, let it dry, wipe and buff off as much as will come off with a paper towel, and repeat if needed. Then finish up with a coat of Renaissance wax (which will remove any excess that didn't soak in). That process will turn the ugliest amber bone into a beauty, and is a great technique for when you get a knife with sides that don't match. Other than that one issue, the fit and finish on that knife was excellent.

With the Case reds, those can be fixed by stovetop RIT dye. I've improved the appearance of several Case knives with red bone simply by overdyeing them. You don't want to do that with a multicolored bone like the Amber since you will end up with a monocolored knife when you are done.

So my point being - somebody got those two Case knives and sent them back to the dealer. I ended up with them and couldn't be happier with either of them. The difference is, I know how to do these little maintenance things and don't much care if it isn't perfect out of the box. Nobody is going to see them or care except me, and they'll be headed to my pocket and getting used and scratched up eventually anyway.

Between polishing pastes and compounds, Renaissance wax, and a little elbow grease, I can get rid of pretty much any minor scratches or blade rub issues, and I don't mind adjusting the centering of a blade with some mild lateral pressure.

I've got a Queen knife with a proud backspring when open, I've got GEC knives with blade rub, and one with a nailbreaker pull (literally - I think it's more to do with the sharpness of the edge of the nail nick than anything else). I've also got perfect Case, Queen, and GEC knives. The one Canal Street knife I have is flawless. There are just little variations in all of these traditional knives. For me it's just part of the hobby, and I'm used to it.

Many people don't want a fixer-upper surprise when they open their brand new knife. I understand that. And if I get one with some sort of mechanical or cosmetic defect that I can't resolve or live with, I'll send it in. So far nothing has exceeded either my fixit skills, or my level of tolerance for imperfections.

 

[akula83]

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I guess I got lucky on mine, took a shot on a new Case and no issues. Pretty dang nice actually, but I have not bonded with it so it's probably going to go.

 

[TLARbb]

I have to admit that I've gotten a few Case knives that were not what they should have been, but I have gotten some really nice knives from them as well. I particularly like the mini copperhead, the Texas jack, the Swaybacks, the mini trappers, and the single blade sowbelly patterns. If you don't get sucked into their 500 new cover colors each year and stick with the less costly versions, they can be quite a good value.

In fact, my main gripe with GEC is that they make short runs with this or that different blade shape or cover material. It's the same trap that Case uses on a smaller scale. If you find a nice pattern, with the blade and cover material you want, best get it cause in about 4 months you will have trouble finding it and next year, it's a needle in a haystack.

I like Case, I wish they were more consistent. I like GEC, I wish they had some standard, we make them all the time, patterns. Stuff happens; it'd be nice to be able to pick up a replacement.

Ed J

 

[jc57]

... If you don't get sucked into their 500 new cover colors each year and stick with the less costly versions, they can be quite a good value.
...

That's pretty much what I do. Case has (unfortunately, in my opinion) decided to stick with a rather limited number of patterns, and then just constantly produce the same ones over and over with the only variation being in color and jigging of the bone handles.

If you shop for their core product lines, you can find some pretty good deals if you know which vendors or auction sellers to regularly stalk. Also, prior years new handle materials tend to be discounted if you wait a while. They seem to mark those up when first released. I remember saving about $10 by waiting a year or so before picking up one of the bone-handled Sod Buster Jrs. At $45 I wasn't interested but at $32 I said 'what the heck' and got one. Great knives, glad that I did.

 

[Will Power]

I'm just about to buy a Swayback in Damascus with that Creme brulee bone. So let's see....

It's quite costly, the more so for me now the Euro has taken a nosedive against the Dollar....:grumpy:

Sending stuff back across the ocean is never easy But those handles and that blade steel is like a Siren

Fingers crossed and all that!