Mint seventies Case knives question

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mas113m

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Oct 7, 2017
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The in-laws have just arrived and given me a dozen or so Case knives. My father-in-law was given a couple Case knives every year for decades and never used any. He said he never took most out of the boxes. They bring me some every visit now(already got all the guns except a few they keep around the farm).

This haul had a few from the 1970s that are unused and in box. These ones are nicer than many of the others, great visual depth of the bone, perfect blade centering, etc. The large stockman, slimline trapper and mini trapper in particular.

So, should I use them?
 
mas113m said:
The in-laws have just arrived and given me a dozen or so Case knives. My father-in-law was given a couple Case knives every year for decades and never used any. He said he never took most out of the boxes. They bring me some every visit now(already got all the guns except a few they keep around the farm).

This haul had a few from the 1970s that are unused and in box. These ones are nicer than many of the others, great visual depth of the bone, perfect blade centering, etc. The large stockman, slimline trapper and mini trapper in particular.

So, should I use them?
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Depends if you care about making money off of them.
I've heard this is basically the best era for case knives, and if you appreciate using a very well fit and finished knife you've obviously got some options.
If what you care most about is just a good solid user I'd use one of the other newer slightly less refined examples and collect these.

Now in my opinion an unused knife is just an object, these were meant to be used and it's something I would personally do.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Depends if you care about making money off of them.
I've heard this is basically the best era for case knives, and if you appreciate using a very well fit and finished knife you've obviously got some options.
If what you care most about is just a good solid user I'd use one of the other newer slightly less refined examples and collect these.

Now in my opinion an unused knife is just an object, these were meant to be used and it's something I would personally do.
Click to expand...

I do not really care about making money but I do feel a little guilty about using them. Almost seems a shame to use a knife that made it 43 plus years. On the other hand, they are really nice.
 
That's a tough call, do these knives have any sentimental value, and are you a collector? Are you interested in them for their monetary worth? Are there kids that these might be passed on to someday? So many angles to consider without knowing the particulars.

If it were me, I'd look them over and and take some time and see if any one or several called to me to be used. I personally get a giddy kind of kid at Christmas time feeling from breaking in an old but new to me knife. It's even better when it is an unused one...
 
mas113m said:
I do not really care about making money but I do feel a little guilty about using them. Almost seems a shame to use a knife that made it 43 plus years. On the other hand, they are really nice.
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I understand your perspective because it's exactly the same way I would feel about them if they were mine. I think I would pick the one that speaks to me the most and carry it for a few days without using it. Keep it in a slip if necessary to prevent scratches.

Just having it in your pocket and being able to admire it throughout each day might give you a good idea if it's a knife that will stay in your carry rotation or if it's a knife that will go back in the box.
 
Personally, in this case every knife that was NIB pristine, I would keep new and unused. You can always grab a knife to have and use. You can't always have a 40+ year old knife that is new and unused. Unused anything is worth more than used.
OK, maybe not virginity. But everything else, that pretty much applies.
If you prefer knives that show their experience, then hey, that's your preference and go ahead and use them. Problem is you cannot un-use them and you would need to go buy another, stash it away, and wait 40 years to replace what you already have. And from what others have stated, current manufacturing standards don't meet up to your knives made in the 70's.
 
The 70's is a good era no doubt, but it's not a "collectible" era. In rough terms, an unused 70's knife will go for on the high end, maybe twice what a new knife of the same pattern will sell for. Whereas the truely vintage Case knives routinely sell in the thousands. So my advice, pick out the few that speak to you that you really like - use them proudly and with no remorse, and sell the others (or hang onto them - they will go up in value somewhat over time).

My $.02 for what it's worth ... but I'm an admitted anti-collector - I use EVERY single Case knife I own (there are many :thumbsup:).
 
they've made it this long in their boxes, but you owe it to yourself to experience at least one of them.
When does one get to experience vintage cutlery as it was the day it was made ?

Not to mention that whoever may eventually inherit them from you would not only get some valuable collectables, but also a knife you've carried that may become part of various memories.
 
I think we need to see some pictures! I say use a least a few, and maybe keep some of them new for gifts that you can give away to people that will appreciate those knives.
I can't help but ask- if your father in law was not a knife guy why did he keep getting those as gifts every year??
 
That is a tough choice! I think the ones that are from the 70s and are NIB I'd leave alone and just enjoy having and looking at them. Sounds like there are plenty of others to choose one or more EDC/users from. And we do want to see pictures!
 
If you have used or less-pristine examples of the same knives, then I'd say use those instead. If they have serious sentimental value, I'd suggest making/buying a nice display to hang on the wall or something. If you really like one of them and want to use it, maybe find another off eBay to use in its place. Otherwise, I say go ahead and use them. They're meant to be used, and they're not in such short supply that you'd never find a replacement (probably).
 
Ernie1980 said:
I can't help but ask- if your father in law was not a knife guy why did he keep getting those as gifts every year??
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His father bought one or two for each of his sons during holidays and later his brothers started too. They all got the same gifts regardless. They were just stocking stuffers. Worked out well for me though!
 
Would love to see some photos!

Personally, I would use them and enjoy them. That’s just me. I’m not a collector and don’t care about the money side of it.

That’s awesome for your family to gift those to you!
 
someone gifted me with a case 6231 1/2. it's not mint but very well-maintained with the cv blades kept mirror-polished. now i feel i'm in charge of a UNESCO world heritage site wherein i have the responsibility of keeping the site in pristine condition. failure thereof will cause forfeiture of the status, and i will be viewed by my friends as a scrooge.

I vote for maintaining mint condition.
 
First off, what a stroke of luck having generous and intelligent relatives like yours:thumbsup: Giving you knives&guns that otherwise would lay around unappreciated. It's great they go somewhere where somebody enjoys them. I'd be pretty sure that in many places, house clearance, cleaning up, moving etc 'those old knives' get thrown out by people who have no interest in them:eek::eek: Must have happened and happens...

I'd use one or two I liked and the others, well you could trade them for other knives you prefer or sell them. In this way, all the knives go to appreciative homes, win win I feel:cool:

As for posting, join Imgur and simply copy the image and them paste it with your post. There are other methods too but go to Tech support, there are people there who ask this question and get useful answers.

Thanks, Will
 
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