Is this normal?

J

jk13542

Joined
Jan 22, 2012
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37
This is from my Case XX Selected Snakewood Barlow knife. Please see the mark/scratch at the tang of both blades. I don't if this is normal for the production knife. Also notice that my GEC Barlow also have this kind of mark on the blades. Is it possible that it is related to stiff opening of both.

Sorry for the small pictures. It is from my iPhone

CaseBarlow.jpg
 
As much as I'd like to offer some input, the pic is just too small to see the marks you're describing. I zoomed on it, but it just gets too fuzzy at high mag.
 
Supratentorial, Yes, I mean that kind of mark.
You are telling me that it is normal, even on Case XX selected knife?
Don't know whether it is related to stiff opening.

David, Sorry for my fuzzy picture. I now if office and can find only my iphone here.
 
^That's actually normal on a lot of mid-range production folders, aside from customs or higher-end production, which will usually have a higher finish on the tangs & such. If this is what's referred to in the OP, it's not a functional issue, or even an indicator of wear. I have several folders out here in front of me, and I see it on a couple Case knives, an Old Timer (USA), an Eye Brand, a Moore Maker (Camillus) and a Queen, to varying degrees. Case also tumbles their blades, unlike the 'as ground' finish seen on the tangs of other makes. That tumbled finish sometimes tends to highlight the otherwise unrefined look on these tangs.
 
I don't have any of the Case Select knives but it's the same on most (all?) my modern Case knives, except the Case/Bose collaborations.
 
I've seen that kind of mark on hundreds of knives. It has nothing to do with how soft, stiff, smooth or rough the action is.
 
I'd suspect your knives aren't any different than others in the Case Select line. That line emphasizes additional embellishments to a more-or-less 'standard' Case knife, built in one of their standard patterns. By 'embellishments', I mean things like different blade grinds, swedges on the blades, different shields, pinched/fluted bolsters, special tang stamps and/or etches, exotic scale materials, etc. The basic 'parts' of the knife, like the blades, are otherwise made the same way as the 'standard' line, and with the same materials (like the Tru-Sharp stainless steel, and either brass or nickel liners, and nickel bolsters).

A real 'step up' in overall quality of manufacture would be the Case/Bose collaboration knives. Essentially custom-quality (and priced accordingly), but produced in a production environment. Completely unique patterns, higher-grade blade steels like 154CM, and upgraded handle/scale materials, including stainless steel liners & bolsters. In other words, in no way similar to the the standard line of Case knives, including the 'Select' line.
 
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yablanowitz said:
I've seen that kind of mark on hundreds of knives. It has nothing to do with how soft, stiff, smooth or rough the action is.
Click to expand...

How much are you willing to spend? Case Select may be an "elite" class of Case knives, but they're still production knives. Slipjoints involve a disproportionate amount of hand labor compared to more modern designs. Like Jack pointed out, the unpolished tang does not affect the knife's action one bit. If Case, or any other company, spent time polishing the tang, it would drive costs up. They would have to increase prices, which is a dicey proposition for many companies these days because of competition from cheap imports.

If you want polished tangs and superior fit and finish, take a look at the Case/Bose knives like David suggested. Be warned though, they're not cheap and ~ 4x the cost of regular Case knives. The type of quality you want is expensive.

- Christian
 
It's just leftover tooling marks from when the blades are punched from the steel sheets. It's to be expected in production slippies.
 
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