Your thoughts on Case Genuine Stag?

willgoy said:
Another aspect of CASE's approach to stag, is that it doesn't really feel like stag in the hand:grumpy: It may be to do with their source of stag or the way they smooth it down, I don't know, but most of stag knives I've handled FEEL very different from bone. A slight porous texture to it-it is after all more akin to hair than bone:D

I actually prefer their Bonestag 6.5 scales to their stag! Got a Mini Copperlock in stag that seen spine on looks like a snake that's just swallowed a meal:eek:Great bulge in the middle and narrow each end. If you look at one of Wellington's latest pics in the Sheffield Golden age thread you can see some extraordinary gnarled grooved stag that is also thin on the handle, magnificent .But that is from long ago when either stag was better or the cutters were more skilled.

GEC's stag is in all ways superior but CASE bone is often superb.
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It is probably a little of both. The stag may have been better as there was no embargo on India Stag as there is today. As well, "back when" scales were fitted to the knife by grinding away at the back of the scale to leave the bark intact. As you can see on the Case examples, Case cutlers fit the scales to the knife, then grind all the bark away from the ends so that the scales "match" the bolsters. GEC does a much better job at fitting the scales, leaving only a small bald spot as a result of fitting. They must spend a lot more time fitting the scales to the knives prior to the final finishing... Even their knives with end caps only have minor balding due to fitting. Case also seems to do some finishing on the surface of the stag as well. Unfortunately, that finishing removes much of the character that those of us that love stag are looking for.
 
Rick said:
Hi Mike. The bolsters are typical of the fancier "Northfield" GECs, which tend to have grooved, slanted or pinched bolsters, along with mirror-polished blades and more pronounced swedges, while the plainer "Tidioute" GECs have unadorned bolsters and satin finished blades with subtle swedges.
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Thanks Rick. I really like the looks of it. I went to one of the vendors, and they have a few of these versions to choose from. I will have to think this over at work today :D
 
black mamba said:
Hal, the UN-X-LD you commented on in the picture is GEC's "red stag", I believe burnt and dyed. They also have "burnt stag", which is more yellow-brown, and "genuine stag", which is unburnt, tends to have more subtle coloration and comes without a shield. The red stag is new this year.
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I had a "genuine" (no burning or dye, and no shield) red stag GEC from '07, so its use dates back at least three years.

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I just asked Herman Williams about that GEC stag. He says it is not his; they came up with it on their own.
 
While cleary not as figured as GEC Stag, I've still been happy with the quality and fit on this Case knife. It's a small one, but pretty well done I think.

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Case stag can be really hit or miss. I've seen some horribly ugly stag on Case knives, but the only example I have in my collection, a swayback jack, has gorgeous, nice & "popcorny" stag. Maybe I just got lucky. I do see images of OOGLY stag Cases all the time online. I'd like a stag peanut, but I'm afraid I'd be rolling the dice on that one. Very rarely do you see very small knives with nice stag.
 
I'll agree with the posts above. GEC's that I have seen (posted here and elsewhere, I don't have one yet), look better than most Case stag and I do have one Case knife with stag. That said, I still like Case stag handled knives and wish I had more of them. And I hope to have a GEC some day soon.

EJ
 
Now after looking at Peregrin's pics of that Swayback Jack I'm narrowed down to a pocket worn bermuda green Swayback or Stag (CAN'T DECIDE!!!). And I think GEC will be my next.
 
I like case stag myself,if you buy from the prime stag line they are as nice as anything out there of course then they will cost about as much as the gec,but the regular stag line are very nice at much less money than gec,so i would say you get what you pay for.
 
Case stag does not usually have the gnarly, popcorn exterior that GECs better pieces have, but it is still nice.
Even smooth stag has a different and to me better feel than bone does. It seems "warmer".

Here's a couple of newer ones in red stag and green stag.
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matt said:
I like case stag myself,if you buy from the prime stag line they are as nice as anything out there of course then they will cost about as much as the gec,but the regular stag line are very nice at much less money than gec,so i would say you get what you pay for.
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I'm not familiar with Case's prime stag line. Can you elaborate, please?
 
Yes, please. That is a new one for me as well. I wasn't aware there were two different stag lines.

Ed
 
I bought mine online,If memory serves I believe there are 100 pieces of each pattern made, could be 200 or 50 I really dont remember,if you do a search on google i am sure you will find what i am talking about,they dont have any kind of shield and the stag is very fat and beautifully colored,the blades are marked prine stag as well.
 
I am nowhere near the photographer that Rick is but just to show that his knives are not flukes, here are a couple of shots of the GEC Northfield Mini Lockback Hunter "Red Stag" that I received a week or so ago.
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I have many Case knives but none in stag as I've never been a fan of their stag. That said, the stag on the knives that "tongueriver" posted is very very nice. I think where Case shines/shined is in their bone -- green, red, red rough cut, etc..

The stag on the knives that Buck Fan posted a link to are for my .02¢ mediocre at best -- certainly not worth the inflated prices being asked for.
 
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Modoc ED said:
I am nowhere near the photographer that Rick is but just to show that his knives are not flukes, here are a couple of shots of the GEC Northfield Mini Lockback Hunter "Red Stag" that I received a week or so ago.
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Thanks, my friend, but you did a great job of capturing the texture on that puppy. You could lose the spare change in your pocket in all those nooks 'n' crannies. :D

The stag on the knives that Buck Fan posted a link to are for my .02¢ mediocre at best -- certainly not worth the inflated prices being asked for.
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I have to agree. That's what Case's standard stag outta look like, instead of the 'second-cut-with-a-hint-of-bark' stuff they usually offer. At best, their "Prime XX" stag resembles GEC's standard burnt variety.
 
Thanks Rick. For my .02¢, GEC seems to have the corner on quality stag, at least in the production market. Custom makers of course have some very nice stag but to be frank, I haven't seen any stag on a custom knife that looks any better than the stag on GEC knives.
 
Modoc ED said:
Thanks Rick. For my .02¢, GEC seems to have the corner on quality stag, at least in the production market. Custom makers of course have some very nice stag but to be frank, I haven't seen any stag on a custom knife that looks any better than the stag on GEC knives.
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Ed, while I do agree with you about the quality of GEC stag versus other production knives, I think custom stag is a slight cut above. I'm sure Elliott could throw a few pictures in here to support my argument, but here is my only custom stag traditional, a John Howser 4" back pocket. You be the judge.

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