I don't think I'll buy any more Case knives.

R

robertj298

Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
244
Over a month ago I sent in a Case Mini Trapper I bought probably over 15 years ago. A few years ago a chunk of the bone broke off in front of the front pin so I finale decided to send it in to be fixed. I just got a card in the mail saying it would be $30 to get the knife back. $5 for the plat, $15 in labor and $10 for postage. Now, I didn't expect it to be free but I don't think I payed much more than $30 new for it. I think I'll send the card back to them and tell them to keep it and I'll put the $30 towards a new Queen.
 
Nor me, especially after 15 years of wear&tear. At least CASE can fix it, I've had a GEC 73 ivory Smooth Bone and I cracked the centre pin the day I got it, repeated e-mail to GEC they tell me they can't fix it (at my cost) until they do another run! When??? Nor will they re-handle it for me in something different. Poor in my view.
 
I agree with other posters...sounds pretty reasonable to me, especially when you break it down. Only $15 in labor seems pretty reasonable.
 
Postage is a bit high, but I don't see it as unreasonable. Source one of the custom guys to fix it for you. It wouldn't be cheap.
 
Doesn't seem like a bad deal to me. Response time on knife repair hasn't been the best in my experience, for several companies. Case has actually been the only company for me that has had a great turn around time...
 
I agree with everyone here, it does not sound unreasonable. Unless it has some sentimental value I would just order a new one.
 
It is hard to pay for a repair when a new one may cost the same or just a little more. Now with me, sentimental value has a lot to do with whether or not I will have it repaired. If I have a knife for 15 years I am pretty attached to it. $30 is not unreasonable for that. But if I have a brown delrin knife and it breaks, then I will just buy a new one. But yes, $15 labor is cheap! Especially when your employees are usually people who have been there 14 years.

Don't get me wrong, I used to LOVE Case but after the TecX debacle, I'm not a fanboy like I use to be.
 
I can see if it were an expensive knife but like I said the knife didn't cost much more than that. I see the same knife now for $32 new.
 
robertj298 said:
I can see if it were an expensive knife but like I said the knife didn't cost much more than that. I see the same knife now for $32 new.
Click to expand...

So if your aren't attached to the other knife, don't pay the repair charges, and just buy a new knife.:D
 
robertj298 said:
I can see if it were an expensive knife but like I said the knife didn't cost much more than that. I see the same knife now for $32 new.
Click to expand...

The costs of labour, materials, and postage are going to be pretty much the same whether the knife cost $30 15 years ago or $100. Case's production line is pretty mechanised, but an individual will have repaired your knife for you. Really, the charges don't seem that high. If the knife has sentimental value for you, I'd pay the fee and go on using it.
 
The postage seems high, but for non-warranty work the rest doesn't seem unreasonable. I realize it takes time to package and mail and whatnot, but for me I want a bill that lists parts, all labor, and then simply actual postage. I know the total would be the same, but it's a personal pet peeve when anyone charges more than actual shipping costs.

Again, if Case needs to charge $30 to cover expenses, I got no problem. I just prefer that it be listed as labor or parts instead of offsetting with higher than actual shipping. Or the one I hate is handling charges. I get it that an employee is on the clock to get it ready to ship, but it's labor.

Just my meaningless pet peeve, but it irks me just the same. Now I could be wrong and their method of shipping and insuring packages may actually cost $10. If so, then I'm ok with it as long as it's clearly stated. I suppose it all comes down to transparency.

I'd get it fixed. It will be a sweet knife for $30, and I think you had time [15 years] to get what you originally paid out of the knife.

Just my opinion. Worth what you paid for it - nothing.
 
willgoy said:
Nor me, especially after 15 years of wear&tear. At least CASE can fix it, I've had a GEC 73 ivory Smooth Bone and I cracked the centre pin the day I got it, repeated e-mail to GEC they tell me they can't fix it (at my cost) until they do another run! When??? Nor will they re-handle it for me in something different. Poor in my view.
Click to expand...

Very poor. I dont see how its so hard to take a piece of smooth bone(they have done a lot of knives with this lately) and make it by hand. Maybe I am missing something but not being able to repair a handle or re-do it in somethng else is just unacceptable.
 
From my perspective, there is nothing special or collectible about a 15 year old Case bone knife, especially (and I am assuming) was a user knife. That said, yes, it would pay to just buy a new one and be done with it. Now, if it had some sort of exotic steel (for the time), and real elephant ivory handles, and was a special edition, limited run of only 50 knives, then I would spend the $30.00 plus whatever it cost now to replace the elephant ivory. For your $30.00, I am assuming Case will replace both slabs of bone, since only repairing/replacing one side would be a major mismatch, and based on personal experience, they will have cleaned up and polished your blades in the process, but I would just have bought a new knife rather than spend the same money on a repair; reasonable, yes for what they have to do...better to buy a new replacement, heck yeah. I'm not sure buying a Queen is going to give you any more satisfaction 15 years down the road if you had to send it in for handle replacement; but to say you're not buying Case knives any more because you feel, well, whatever you're feeling is about Case, is unreasonable.
 
$30 for 15 years usage. $2 per year. Seems like you got your value out of it.
Now$30 to repair versus$32 or so for new. I'd buy a new one because the blade is brand new and not showing 15 years worth of sharpening.
 
I agree with this strongly.

rockgolfer said:
Very poor. I dont see how its so hard to take a piece of smooth bone(they have done a lot of knives with this lately) and make it by hand. Maybe I am missing something but not being able to repair a handle or re-do it in somethng else is just unacceptable.
Click to expand...

As for the Case, I don't think it's unreasonable. If a flat rate box costs me 5 bucks or whatever, add 4$ for the gallon of gas and an hourly rate for me mailing it. Honestly I feel like people have gotten too accustom to the "amazon way" and they forget this logic is why we have seen so many brick and mortar and otherwise wonderful companies perish.

Anyhow, Idk what going labor rates are but I would gladly pay a maker 30 to fire up there machines and use their time and skill to rehandle a slipjoint.

Just a different perspective.

Kevin
 
I agree with others saying that you could just buy a new knife.

If you're in to modifying knives you could try to fix the old one yourself. Or you could perhaps give it to someone else who want to do such a project.
 
The way I see it, you're getting a new knife back from Case for 30 bucks. They'll clean it, polish it and sharpen it. I don't believe you can buy any new Case bone handled mini trapper for 30 dollars delivered. I bought an improved (wharncliffe) mini trapper and I think it cost me around 55 bucks.
If you don't really care for that knife, by all means put your money into something else.
Just curious....did you get an estimate or did you just send it to Case with instructions? If you just sent it off to Case without knowing the price, how much did you think it would cost? $15...$20....$25?
Since you sent it to them a month ago, I'm assuming it's finished and ready to ship back to you.
 
Last edited:
I really can't see it.If Case can make the same knife from scratch ship it to a dealer and he can sell it for $2 dollars more than it cost to replace one side of the sideplates and make a profit, it just doesn't add up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top