I made a mistake........

S

Sowbelly270

Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
123
Before I tell you my story let me say that I am a very positive and upbeat person that tries to find the positive and good in everything. I have my Grandpa's knife, Case 87 pattern stockman, that he carried for 25 plus years and it is one of my most prized posessions. With all the years he used it he had worn the pen blade down to a toothpick. I do not carry it all the time but do like to carry it some because of all the memories I have of my Grandpa using it. I have debated, in my head 1,000 times over the past few years, about sending it in and seeing if they could replace the pen blade. I finally decided that would be the thing to do so I called Case and spoke to a nice lady who told me to send it in and they would take a look at it and let me know what it would cost and if it could be done. I informed her that it was a 64 to 69 era and the history behind it. She said just send a letter with it and include all the details. I sent the knife off, with the detailed letter, and began the wait. I got a post card on the 15 stating that they had received it and that it would be 6 to 8 weeks.

Two days ago the UPS truck shows up with a package from Case and I thought o boy here we go! I opened the package and could of cried right there on the spot. Please keep in mind that this is a 64 to 69 era with carbon blades. They had replaced the pen blade with a SS pen blade that does not fit. I assumed that they would put a carbon blade back in it since that is what it had. The new blade completely blocks the nail nick on the sheepsfoot blade so the only way to open it is to try and wedge your thumbnail between the two and try and catch the nick. The spring, which used to be flush, is no longer flush.

Please keep in mind that I am not trying to bash Case but am just relating my experience. I have been a fan of Case for a number of years, I even have a Case XX tag on the front of my truck, but this coupled with the fact that the last new knife I got had some issues makes me very disapointed, The good in all of this is that they did not charge me anything, which I was expecting them to.




Have a great day,
Jeff
 
Really sorry to hear this Jeff, what an awful experience. I think you need to take this up with them, maybe put it down in writing.

Hope you can get something done about it.

Jack
 
Ouch that hurts especially because of the history that knife has and what it means to you. I would give them a call for sure and see what they can do for you.
 
Hi Jeff, yeah...mate that was a tough decision, possibly one I wouldn't have taken to be honest, but you are here now, with this predicament, I would contact Case, talk to them, and express concern that they would use SS on a pre '69 era knife that was Carbon, I think that this is most definitely a huge stuff-up - ESPECIALLY when they ask for the history! now lets not forget CASE is meant to be a proud historic Company...and they only had to think ever so slightly of what to do.

I personally would ring them first, as well as e-mail them, and find a Case knife with a Carbon Pen blade that you want, and that of course would fit, and send that knife as a parts knife for your Grandfathers knife. This can be fixed, but by a person who can think and button his shirt up in the morning, not the same moron who laid hands on your knife previously.
This angers me no end, because this was a simple procedure, and so far in this case, this has been extremely poor service and damage by Case -please keep us informed of this, as we need to know just how Case wants to handle this.
Good Luck.
 
I can really imagine your disappointment when you opened the package! What a bummer. Seems weird they would put an SS blade in there in the first place, but to have it block access to the sheepsfoot, and not notice?!? I'd do like others have said and contact Case again. Hope it works out for you, especially with a knife of such sentimental value!
 
It could be, and of course I'm only speculating, that this job got passed down the line a few times, the whole message didn't get through, and it clearly ended up with someone with less sense than a sandwich.
 
Wow, that's disconcerting. I had some really good luck with Case restoring an old knife, but the blades were not needing replacement (just the handles). I hope they make it right. :o
 
Just to play devils advocate here....
As it doesn't specify in the OP, Did you expressly specify what you expected/wanted done to the knife? Or did you just let them have at it?
 
I'm sorry to hear that. But may I ask why you decided to send it in? You wrote that the knife holds a lot of memories. Presumably the pen blade was worn down through the years making those memories. Why get rid of the visible reminder?

Posts like this bring to mind the old poem -

This is the axe my grandfather made,
My father replaced the handle,
And I replaced the blade.
Click to expand...

- Christian
 
Wow, that sounds like a real kicker. I wouldn't even bother with case at this point. If possible, I would find a knife maker here at the forums, and see if they can fix it up properly for you. Maybe buy the same model from the same era as your knife from the big auction site, and then use the pen blade from that knife as the replacement blade for you grandfather's. I'm sure there is a handy man or knife maker around here that could fix it up like new for you.
 
Campbellclanman said:
Hi Jeff, yeah...mate that was a tough decision, possibly one I wouldn't have taken to be honest, but you are here now, with this predicament, I would contact Case, talk to them, and express concern that they would use SS on a pre '69 era knife that was Carbon, I think that this is most definitely a huge stuff-up - ESPECIALLY when they ask for the history! now lets not forget CASE is meant to be a proud historic Company...and they only had to think ever so slightly of what to do.

I personally would ring them first, as well as e-mail them, and find a Case knife with a Carbon Pen blade that you want, and that of course would fit, and send that knife as a parts knife for your Grandfathers knife. This can be fixed, but by a person who can think and button his shirt up in the morning, not the same moron who laid hands on your knife previously.
This angers me no end, because this was a simple procedure, and so far in this case, this has been extremely poor service and damage by Case -please keep us informed of this, as we need to know just how Case wants to handle this.
Good Luck.
Click to expand...

Duncan, you hit the nail... it can´t be that difficult (for a cutlery) to replace a blade that has the correct alloy and does at least fit in the knife frame.

I hope you keep us informed about what´s going on with that knife...
 
Karda said:
Just to play devils advocate here....
As it doesn't specify in the OP, Did you expressly specify what you expected/wanted done to the knife? Or did you just let them have at it?
Click to expand...
Yes I did. The only thing that I did not specify was to replace it with a carbon blade because I thought that was a given, obviously I was wrong.

Have a great day,
Jeff
 
It seems unlikely that Case has that carbon steel blade in stock. I would look for a wreck with a good pen blade from the same model and period and send it back to Case. Someone here may have a blade if you ask.

Best regards

Robin
 
kamagong said:
I'm sorry to hear that. But may I ask why you decided to send it in? You wrote that the knife holds a lot of memories. Presumably the pen blade was worn down through the years making those memories. Why get rid of the visible reminder?

Posts like this bring to mind the old poem -



- Christian
Click to expand...

You bring up a very good point and hence the debating 1,000 times over the last few years to do this or not. The reason I did this is because I wanted to carry this knife part of the time, not all the time for fear of something happening to it, and in it's condition the pen blade was sticking up out of the handle due to being worn down to a toothpick. The other two blades are in good shape and I thought that if I could get it restored it would be something that not only I put up and look at but something that I could use. Like I said before there are a lot of memories with this knife and it gives me great comfort to carry it once in a while. If I had it to do over I would leave it in it's original condition. That was one of the reasons I posted this in case someone else was thinking of getting a heir loom restored to think twice before doing it.


Have a great day,
Jeff
 
burnside said:
Wow, that sounds like a real kicker. I wouldn't even bother with case at this point. If possible, I would find a knife maker here at the forums, and see if they can fix it up properly for you. Maybe buy the same model from the same era as your knife from the big auction site, and then use the pen blade from that knife as the replacement blade for you grandfather's. I'm sure there is a handy man or knife maker around here that could fix it up like new for you.
Click to expand...

While a very good idea, not something that I can afford at this time.


Have a great day,
Jeff
 
Pipeman said:
It seems unlikely that Case has that carbon steel blade in stock. I would look for a wreck with a good pen blade from the same model and period and send it back to Case. Someone here may have a blade if you ask.

Best regards

Robin
Click to expand...

That's the critical thing. I'm betting Case didn't have a carbon/CV blade for the pattern anymore, so they used what they had. That's why it's so very, very important to be 100% explicit in what you're willing (and not) to accept, in the work done. I don't know if sending a spare blade from a similar old knife, to swap into it, can be done either (if they're willing, in other words), but that might've been the only other option.


David
 
Send it back.

But I just want to say: When you (generally speaking here) get grandpa's knife or your dad's knife, that's a great and wonderful thing. When you make a single change to it or repair to it (no matter how small) it is no longer their knife - it's yours.
 
You´re right with your thought, Ed. I think the same thing. But "the child almost fell into the wells" - as we say here in Germany. So now it´s time to think how it can be good after all.

I hope you´ll get it in good way, Jeff.
 
Wouldn't the Pen blade from the CASE Texas Jack be suitable? CASE certainly have those new in cv! Them installing a stainless blade is pretty clumsy in my view.
 
Humppa said:
You´re right with your thought, Ed. I think the same thing. But "the child almost fell into the wells" - as we say here in Germany. So now it´s time to think how it can be good after all.

I hope you´ll get it in good way, Jeff.
Click to expand...
No worries Andi and Ed, that's why the title says "I made a mistake". If I could roll back the clock I would leave well enough alone and would not have had it worked on.


Have a great day,
Jeff
 
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