Question about Case Quality

I have 5 Case knives and all of the them have good f&f. My Texas jack and magenta bone mini trapper are awesome and for 40 dollars a piece have better finish than my GEC #15 (witch I love) and that was more than twice the money.
 
I have a half-dozen or so Case knives. All have minor imperfections like slightly uneven bevels or blade rub. None have any blade wobble or problems with the scales. All perform perfectly as cutting tools; being pretty just adds to the enjoyment of using them.
 
i just gave some away, but of those two, and the 4 i still have, 1 is used so i dont know how it came out of the box. the other three were fine. of the two i gave away, one of em had a weird grind but thats about it. they are users i guess
 
I have three Case knives. The large sodbuster I was able to inspect; I chose it over three others that had minor issues. I got the Sodbuster Jr. online. The blade was obviously off center; I would have rejected it in person, but I won't send it back. The medium stockman purchased online has no issues.
 
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I have quite a few Case knives in my collection ( about 30) and roughly half of them have some imperfection, primarily blade play/wobble and/or raised springs. A few have other issues such as blade rub or uneven bevels. I started my "journey" into traditional knives with Case since I've had a few since I was kid. I only buy Case now when I can inspect them before purchasing or through a dealer that will hand select them. All that being said, when you get a good one they are great.

YMMV.............
 
I currently have 18 Case knives only 2 have very minor issues. A 6347 Yellow CV has little too much gap in the back springs and a Large Sodbuster with an off center blade. Neither is a big deal. I do have the usual bladd rub on stockman but that's normal.
 
I really love case knives. But like many have found them to be hit or miss.

I have a hard time finding local vendors so inspection is impossible.

I have at 10-12 case knives. Most are from the last 5-10 years.

I've had to return some, AND have several that would go head to head with GEC. My 62032 stockmen and small Texas jack are about as perfect as can be.

To be fair i have 10'ish GECs and have had to return some as well.

All companies have issues. It's just disappointing that case (a company I like and have history with) seems to have more issues than the other companies. I just hope they can figure out the QC issues before we loose another American knife
Pocket knife company


Jim
 
I have two, both from a local Ace hardware store. The Russlock had no problems. A Canoe, which had a bit of a bur/ rolled edge, but was an easy fix. I agree with others, still good knives, but they really need betterQ/C.
 
NMpops said:
I currently have 18 Case knives only 2 have very minor issues. A 6347 Yellow CV has little too much gap in the back springs and a Large Sodbuster with an off center blade. Neither is a big deal. I do have the usual bladd rub on stockman but that's normal.
Click to expand...

Blade rub is normal? That's horrible...
 
coinbuysell said:
Blade rub is normal? That's horrible...
Click to expand...

It's really not uncommon on knives with krinked blades like on a stockman. It's great when you don't get it, but many do. Even GEC may show some rub.

I really think people are a little hard on Case and compare them to knives that cost twice as much. I find the same issues on those more expensive knives.... I will say a little less frequently. I have sent a few GECs back and am thinking about sending a couple of bear traps for tweaking (GEC has excellent customer service and so does Case). Gaps, non-centered blades, blade rub.... is not uncommon in a production knife.

I also have a few RR knives that have gaps and weak bone dye (my red bone camp knife is really pink)..... They actually compare about equal to Case.... which is a testament giving they are much cheaper.


I really find that each company offers something unique in a production knife that makes them worth owning. I do wish that Case would up their game on F&F. Victorinox is pretty consistent and makes lots of knives..... I'd like to see Case get a little more consistent.

My only real complaint with Case is their bone dye...... I've had some awesome red bone knives, but about an equal number were pink.
 
Every once in awhile I need to remind myself that as much as some of us consider these to be works of art, in reality they are a tool built to do a job. As much as we may wish, they're not going to be perfect every time, especially in the quantities produced. I too dislike blade rub but a small amount is a reality in production folders to some degree... I agree that the traditional old red bone made by Case certainly isn't what it once was. I sure wish Case would go back to the old recipe on that one. I hate "pink" knives...

Because a lot of us put our knives on display, we mostly rate them only on appearance. The true value of any knife is how it performs, day in and day out, doing what it was designed to do. That is a meaningful review. Sure appearance is part of it, but functionality is in my opinion, an equally important part. This is why I like Case knives; they have consistently good steel, they're built for actual use (and in the U.S.A. no less) and overall they look good!
 
I guess I've been lucky with Case knives. Got about twenty or so with no problems worth mentioning. I've never ordered one online. I always buy from dealers, hands on. I tend to suspect that some online purchases may be knives that were returned by someone earlier for a problem that they hope you won't notice.
 
Good point, Mad Trapper. They are built as tools first, as they should be in my opinion.

When I buy a new hammer, I may check the grain orientation or head fit. Both of these make for a better, longer lasting hammer. It certainly is not rejected, however, if the periphery of the face is not perfectly ground or the claw grind not perfectly symmetrical.

We are knife people. We inspect, fondle and modify our knives. We worry about small imperfections that do not affect function in anyway, myself included. I am sure somewhere there is a forum of hammer people worrying about the finish on their fine hammers. Saying quality just isn't what it used to be.

All in all, Case knives can be had under 50 bones. They are still American made. Still made in America by Americans. We compare them to knives that cost twice as much money or more and complain. I think it is pretty phenomenal that Case still offers knives at that price point. They have to let some things slide to stay in business at their price point. Domestic manufacturing is expensive. Yes, some of these imperfections are inexcusable. Some duds slip by. I am willing to sacrifice some build quality for a very well functioning piece that supports domestic manufacturing. Or if I want higher fit, I had better be willing to pay GEC prices.
 
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I have a lot of Case knives. Most of them are just part of my collection but I use some too. I've never had a wobbly blade but have had a weak back spring occasionally. The most common problem is blade rub on stockman patterns and small gaps in between liner and spring. A lot of people have problems with the shields but I have only experienced this once. They don't always come sharp either but I've never had a factory knife that came satisfactorily sharp...

Everyone can find a Case that they like :) they're great knives and the CV steel is really really good.

If you want the best quality Case then go on eBay and get one from the 1970's. F&F is way better than today.
 
I would love to see a knife with Queen's good looks, Great Eastern's fit and finish, and Case's high production volume behind it.

I would say that Case knife quality is available in the following ranking:

  • Case annual Tony Bose designs, anything in ATS34, BG42 or 154CM
  • Case Tony Bose CV collaborations
  • Case Tony Bose SS collaborations
  • Case CV knives
  • Case SS knives

I just got a Panama trapper in a trade today, from the pics and look of it, it looks like a custom knife. They did a great job on it. Walk and talk on it was great. The previous owner got a really nice knife. I carry an ebony Tribal Spear every day, but it needed work. For a time, I bought almost every CV pattern offered in amber bone. I either returned or sold them all. I was spoiled by GEC and what they could do. However, I also had to send my Tribal Spear in because I could fit a piece of paper in between the liners and the covers. I've been very impressed by the quality of the Bose annual collaborations, both ATS34 and 154CM models. I would look at anything SS in person before buying it though. Bose regular collaborations and any of Case's CV knives just seem to have a better construction to me. Almost as if they know people are going to use these and want to make a better knife. Highly unlikely, but that's just what I intimated.
 
I'm carrying a Case medium stockman today. 6318 Pocket Worn Old Red Bone in SS. To me, there is nothing wrong with it (well, one thing, but I'll get to that). Slim serpentine shape with rounded bolsters carries easily.

I have all three blades razor sharp after spending a little time on some Arkansas stones and a strop. The factory edge was sharp but with the typical burr that needed stropping off, but a little more toothy than I generally like. It was certainly ready to use once the burr was removed, but I prefer a bit more refined edge. The 420HC steel seems to like Arkansas stones.

Good looking and good feeling knife with a consistent dark red dye on the bone. They usually do a good dye job on the Pocket Worn Old Red from my experience with them.

Good walk and talk and nice snap on all three blades. Smooth, non-gritty consistent pulls. In general, just a fine pocket knife. I don't recall what I paid for it but it would have been less than $40 at the time, bought unseen over the Internet from an auction site seller that I'd done business with in the past. Factory new, never opened or unwrapped.

Now like I said, there's nothing at all wrong with it. It has blade rub. All crinked-blade knives I own have blade rub, no matter who made them. So to me, that is not an issue. It's just how they are made. There is a little bit of a gap, visible if you look for it but not big enough to get a piece of paper in, between one of the backsprings and a liner. When the main clip blade is fully open, the backspring is just a tiny bit proud. Not something I'd normally notice without looking at it up close. I've got more expensive knives from other companies that are much worse in that regard.

Now - the one thing I mentioned before - the sheepsfoot blade sits a little higher than I like when closed. It is normal for the 6318, but I find I like to file the kick down a little to lower it some. Just personal preference and something I have done on a few other stockman patterns for the same reason.

So - some people may approach it as "coarse blade grinds with a burr, backspring gap, proud sheepsfoot when closed, and blade rub, what a piece of junk." I approach it as "what a great looking and great cutting knife. Needs a couple of minor tweaks and ready to go."

So it's all about your expectations and what makes you happy. If you get out a magnifying glass and inspect your pocket knives looking for flaws, you'll find them. I'd rather be a little less observant and happier with my knives. As long as they work well, feel good in my hand, and look pretty to the naked eye, I'm willing to overlook little issues that I would never have noticed if I hadn't gone looking for them in the first place.

I've got a few Case knives that I'm not overjoyed with, but in general they're good enough for me.
 
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John, I agree with you, I too can accept these things in a $40 - $60 knife. But it is difficult to overlook all of these plus other problems in a $350 knife. The one I received is a poster child for everything you don't want to see in a knife.

Wolfe
 
Yes, I agree. The annual Case/Bose collarborations are priced such that you should expect near perfection. I'm just talking about their general production runs.
 
Does anyone have any input on Case's damascus line? I like the looks but want to see if the tolerances are a bit better with the higher prices, or if the prices just reflect higher cost materials. I have been happy with my traditionals so far, so I don't expect absolute perfection in anything under hundreds of dollars, but in general, does the damascus line also indicate better fit and finish?
 
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