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

lamech said:
Quick chuckgp and wilgoy sell those knives, they must be Case knock-offs because they don't make anything that nice. they only produce sub standard products according to most people in this thread.
Tracy
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Most people in this thread have not said or even suggested that. It has been stated over and over in this thread that they make a fine knife at their price point. Please don't attempt to speak for other people, especially if you have no idea what you're talking about.
 
I generally buy my Case knives at one dealer in person. I handle them and look them over, but I am not as picky as some in terms of some of the details. In general, I have been buying GEC, Northwoods, Queen, S&M, and Canal Street in the last couple of years and really haven't paid a lot of attention to Case as there is only so much money available for knives.

I buy a fair number of knives at that dealer simply because I can handle them and look at so many different brands at the same place. I feel you pay a little more there, but I get to look at them in person and that is worth something to me.

I don't collect knives, so I am not trying to buy a certain pattern or whatever from Case, so I don't really miss not buying their stuff. I believe the last one was a yellow delrin full sized trapper as I just wanted a yellow one.
 
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Corey Hess I must be reading a totally different thread than you. Dang I best get these bifocals adjusted. And yes I know what I'm talking about and I don't argue with stupid.
Tracy
 
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Take the personal attacks offline. Anymore in here and there will be infractions issued.
Respectful discussion please.
 
I buy all my knives sight unseen and have really only been unhappy with one of them. Believe it or not it was a select knife. One of these days I will send it in and let them have another crack at it. My three most recent purchases from Case have all been superb in the fit and finish department though. A damascus sodbuster, a teardrop jack and a 6318pu stockman.
 
chuckgp said:
Just got mine, flawless with superb Fit & finish.



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Wow! ChuckGP, That is a wonderful example and clearly whoever finished that one wasn't staring at the clock waiting for their shift to end on a Friday afternoon! However, since we are talking about the variability with finishing of case knives, here is my example. The pictures minimize the difference in the covers but one side is nice and toasted and the other...well...isn't. I'm still happy with it but if I received one with as evenly matched covers like yours I would have been blown away. Perhaps that is some of what is being discussed here as every GEC I have purchased has well exceeded my expectations, yet most of my case knives (which I admittedly only have a few of) have often just barely met them.

 
I only have a few Case knives. For their price I don't consider them to be all that bad. I have a couple of Swayback Gents, a Tiny Toothpick and a Mammoth Tooth Trapper. That Trapper is an outstanding piece of cutlery..... excellent F&F, superb pull/snap..... it matched the price although the steel could be better. As for the others, they aren't bad, but they certainly aren't as good as my worst GEC. I really feel that you get what you pay for. Let's face it; a knife made in the USA will cost more than one made in China. I'm fine with that.
 
euthymic said:
Wow! ChuckGP, That is a wonderful example and clearly whoever finished that one wasn't staring at the clock waiting for their shift to end on a Friday afternoon! However, since we are talking about the variability with finishing of case knives, here is my example. The pictures minimize the difference in the covers but one side is nice and toasted and the other...well...isn't. I'm still happy with it but if I received one with as evenly matched covers like yours I would have been blown away. Perhaps that is some of what is being discussed here as every GEC I have purchased has well exceeded my expectations, yet most of my case knives (which I admittedly only have a few of) have often just barely met them.

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I was able to request that the seller 'pick a dark one' for me out of his inventory of them, that's how I got this one.

Thanks for showing yours, certainly they are all different in this run.
 
I cant really say that Case Knives are made any better now than they were back in the day because I have many that are spot on with the Case Knives from back in the day. And I really like the SS versions. That said, It cant be said enough that its better to buy in person but that aint always obtainable to do. When I buy online its usually from a place that knows me and my concerns, so they accomadate these concerns and everything is usually fine.
Case Knives will always have a special place with me. But like anything you do get the occasional not so good knife. Ive run into that with other brands as well. And as far as some of their crazy bone finishes I like most of them and its nice to see some variety. I really like the Pacific blue bone.
 
Of course, Case Bose annuals are the best production knives out there, all of my examples have been top notch. However, the ebony scales on my first Tribal Spear had gaps after EDC. I sent it back and they fixed it.

Case Bose and Case CV models seem to me to be made for users and collectors alike, as the fit and finish is generally better than their standard SS line. The standard SS line, as far as I can tell, is just for collectors to put up in a display case. Very pretty, but poor fit and finish.
 
There's NO difference in fit/finish or functionality between Case's CV knives and their SS line, due only to steel type itself; the notion that the stainless knives are only intended for display cases is laughable. All of these knives come off the same identical production line; as with any high-volume producer, there'll be some good ones, and there'll be some not-so-good. Most of my Case knives (of which I have dozens) are SS, and all of them are users; and good users at that. In particular, I have several '75 pattern stockmans; all but one are stainless, and all have similar fit/finish and functionality. Those particular patterns are likely the most consistent across the board, and virtually indistinguishable in fit/finish, blade pull/snap and functionality. The eventual patina on the CV example is the only obvious visible distinction, aside from the 'CV' stamp on the tang. The CV versions are moderately easier to sharpen, using exactly the same methods and stones (and strops) I use for my SS versions. Once the edge is applied (at same geometry & edge finish), they cut and perform essentially identically.

I also have four Sod Busters, two of which are CV (large yellow '38 patterns), and the others are stainless (one each of the '37 and '38). Both of the large CV models came with visibly uncentered blades, and some wobble. The smaller stainless one is the best of them all, with no play, perfect centering, great snap and the best primary grind and tip on any factory blade I've seen; a beautifully thin slicer in it's purest form. That one I carry most every day. I've also thinned the edge grind on the larger SS version, then applied a polished convex. It has taken a wickedly-sharp slicing edge, and does so as well as the smaller and much thinner hollow-ground small version.

Bottom line, if one treats any of these knives as 'users', which implies making an effort to sharpen & maintain them as such, it becomes clear they're perfectly capable in that role. If one wants to buy the 'pretty' stainless ones and put them in a display, so be it; to each his own. But those 'collectors' will likely never be aware of what they really have, if they're buying those knives only for display; that's usually where uninformed notions about the perceived 'uselessness' of those knives take root and get perpetuated.


David
 
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Shaggy said:
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.
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This!

Case knives with better fit and finish at 440C would be great for me. Unfortunately, all the specials sold through the big warehouse knife store and the cutler of the hills store, are probably their bread and butter.
 
I bought two stockmans last year. One was perfect but I bought it from a full retail outfitter so it cost me shy of 50 bucks. That was the 6318 pocket worn. They put it to the buffing wheels and I knew this before I ordered it. The other one which I wanted more was a 63032 to replace the one I carried for years. I bought it from one of their big distributors. I had to send it back to them because it had a lazy spring. They sent me a replacement and I was kind of happy with it because it was tight. The pen blade would catch on the nail nick of the sheepsfoot, and since it was a user it bugged the crap out of me. after a short stint in my pocket I figured I would send it back to see if they could fix it. Getting it back was a major disappointment. The springs are raised in closed position, the pen blade still catches and one of the pins sticks out of the bolster on both sides. I honestly didn't know what to do so I just threw it in with the gen pop. By then I had my GEC Abilene stockman and that knife more than filled the void. If I ever buy another Case it will be handled first or bought from a BladeForums supporting vendor.
I like Cases style and their CV, but not so much their quality control or customer service. I've been burned from them before, when I had a large mid-lock hunter, in the pic below, a very nice knife. The spring broke so I sent it in for repair. They said they couldn't fix it so they would replace it with a similar design. What I got back was a cheap 40 dollar coke bottle with thin slabs. I never forgot that.
At some point I may take the 63032 and peen the pin a tad and try to get the springs right, but right now I'm disappointed with them. All it takes is one hack working there to mess things up. They certainly aren't what they used to be.:crushed:

Two Cases in this pic and I was happy with both of them, as well as the one in my pocket at the time. This was my early collecting days.
 
I think in order to really appreciate Case knives you have to get some older ones. Not that the new stuff is necessarily bad, its just that the 60's 70's and early 80's stuff, which is still easy to get is very nice I believe.
 
As far as Case Steel, IMO both the CV and Surgical Stainless are fine choices that act very similar in most respects except the obvious patina. If all knives could only be made of Case Steel, I wouldn't be all that upset. They work fine for those roles.
 
I'm a newbie here and a little worried that this post might ruffle some feathers but this is my experience:
In the last about 8 years i have bought around 30 Case knives new online. Most are decent with minor cosmetic issues that don't bother me. A few have blade play including the esteemed Bose/Case Collab (Lanny's Clip). None are up to the level of GEC, and none arrived shaving sharp.
During this same time i have bought about 10x as many Rough Rider knives, all online. None have blade play, all have good walk and talk, very consistent ~ 5-6 pull and every single blade is shaving sharp.
I have used both Case and RR folders for mostly outdoor farm type work and they edge hold about the same.
The main difference is the Case blades needed sharpening +/or thinning of the blade first.
As the RR knives cost about 1/4 the price of Case knives, i think they are a better deal for a working knife.
When i want a real treat of a Traditional knife i buy GEC or Northwoods or Canal Street Cutlery. These knives are more expensive but they don't bring any disappointment with them. Just the opposite: a sense of elation from a beautiful knife that is sharp and works 'just right' and you don't want to put it down. Only issue i have had is that some of the GEC made knives have too strong a spring.
So Case i think is loosing out: Rough Rider has the lower end covered and GEC and CSC get the higher end business.
kj
 
Honestly, if you look hard enough, I'm sure all of us could pick apart every brand out there for one thing or another. This includes CSC and GEC. Case tries but they're in it for the quick turn now and with that comes too many mistakes a lot of the time. I stopped buying their knives, with the exception of my one Sod Jr. around 8 years ago, because of this. It's kind of hard to screw up a sodbuster,, IMO.
Perry
 
MercyfulfateXX said:
I wonder why Case doesn't have their own forum here like others?
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They have their own forum, within Case's own home domain. I doubt they'd want to devote their own mods' time in running another forum off-site. With all the Case-bashing that seems to take place here, I wouldn't fault them in not wanting to deal with it.


David
 
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