Case the best years?

The W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has a very rich history that began in 1889 when William Russell (“W.R.”), Jean, John, and Andrew Case began fashioning their knives and selling them along a wagon trail in upstate New York. The company has produced countless treasures and it continues to do so as one of the most collected brands in the world.
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espn77
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by espn77 »

I'm not even a case collector......i try so hard not to be. I've sold all my doted, XX knives and only have one tested display and it is cases finest. I'm with Ken and Jerry on this one.
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

XxTestedxX wrote:My post wasn't in response to anyone's, my two cents.

Also said to a degree, but no.. No mint tested or xx without snap, I meant fit On shields, some assembly fit, nothing major, just not flawless perfection. On some.. But overall xx and tested era has my heart

Yes, there are some LP's on modern case, some congress and others like the baby Butterbean. A few knives with nice swedges, some of the Bose patterns.. And case selects.


Not as much as I'd like to see, I'm sure they could pull it off.
Undoubtedly Case could still do it and sometimes does. I've been tempted to pick up a current or recent 6215 Gunstock jack, which has swedges and a long pull on the master blade. Nicely done IMHO. Nowadays it's a welcome exception but uncommon for Case, whereas those used to be common features of many Case patterns during the Tested and prior eras. Such features added little or no functional value but were an added perk as part of the cutler's "art". Sort of like adding deluxe trim to an automobile. It won't get you there any quicker but it's nice to look at! :lol: I suspect at the time Case added a slight price premium for knives having such features.

Ken
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stagman
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by stagman »

I cannot speak for the folders, but I feel Case's fixed blade knives were better
back in the Tested Era...I have the Cody, Carson, series and these are all Pre-Chromed knives
the blade steel is thicker, sharpens well, just seem to be built better
I think the 1965-69 era knives were the best lookers for stag and such,
but all the later fixed blades just do not compare to them old girls

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Lansky1
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by Lansky1 »

My entire Case collection (approaching 100 pieces) is all post 1980. I've bought & sold lots of them (I have over 700 transactions - actually sold off many more than I've kept - the ones I keep have great color, acceptable snap, NO wobble - if there's wobble, it goes right back on eBay - that's the one thing I won't tolerate). After trying most everything Case makes, I've narrowed it down to the patterns I like & I like all colors with the exception of the plain black, brown & redbone traditional colors - I'm not afraid of color ::ds:: . My point is that if you're selective, there are solid examples of Case knives from the 80's up to present, not limited to just the golden XX era and prior. I do wish they'd bring back the #45 ... COULD YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY THEY'D SELL ! Arghhhhhh - that is a huge sense of frustration to me as I'd like a spanky new one (or 5) without having to buy a GEC variant, or mortgage the house to get an original ...
pffffft that's not a knife ......... now THAT'S a knife !! Crocodile Dundee

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zp4ja
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by zp4ja »

Lansky1 wrote:My entire Case collection (approaching 100 pieces) is all post 1980. I've bought & sold lots of them (I have over 700 transactions - actually sold off many more than I've kept - the ones I keep have great color, acceptable snap, NO wobble - if there's wobble, it goes right back on eBay - that's the one thing I won't tolerate). After trying most everything Case makes, I've narrowed it down to the patterns I like & I like all colors with the exception of the plain black, brown & redbone traditional colors - I'm not afraid of color ::ds:: . My point is that if you're selective, there are solid examples of Case knives from the 80's up to present, not limited to just the golden XX era and prior. I do wish they'd bring back the #45 ... COULD YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY THEY'D SELL ! Arghhhhhh - that is a huge sense of frustration to me as I'd like a spanky new one (or 5) without having to buy a GEC variant, or mortgage the house to get an original ...
What you said in red. BINGO!

Pretty much the point I was making. As Ken stated also, it is hit and miss. In the old days, not much if any hit or miss based on the examples I own and have compared.

Not sure whom it was but someone here stated they bought a newer CASE that had a snap issue. They took a dull wood chisel and a hammer and freed up the blade. God bless em and I am not being judgmental or trying to call anyone out, but I would never personally do that to a new knife. It is their knife to do with as they please. Have I fixed things that are brand new if it was minor rather than return it, absolutely. Personally would not do it on a knife though.

Jerry
That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who leaves the world better than he found it; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in other's and gave the best he had.
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chrisbray1954
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by chrisbray1954 »

Just bought some new Case models, two slim trappers 48 pattern and a mini trapper, one of the slim trappers in CV is fine, good fit and finish, blade centering is good. The other a Case collectors club SS not so good, when open the back of the tang needs a little removed as it will not fully open. the mini trapper is fine, better than the previous one I bought in G10.
It seems to me that it depends on who puts the knife together, sometimes the hafting is a little underdone, sometimes overdone etc. My problem is that I cannot walk into the local hardware store and physically choose one, I have to purchase blind so to speak. but I do get the pleasure of waiting for that parcel to arrive!!
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QTCut5
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by QTCut5 »

And, although it's somewhat of a hassle, you can always return a defective knife to Case and they will fix it or send you a new one. They have proven to be reliable on their famous quality guarantee. However, in some cases involving older knives or patterns that have changed significantly, you may be out of luck returning it to the factory...fortunately, we have many highly qualified, highly skilled, expert knife mechanics right here on AAPK who will take care of you for very reasonable costs.

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In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
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chrisbray1954
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Re: Case the best years?

Post by chrisbray1954 »

On a slightly different tack, does anyone know when Case started stamping / blanking blades as opposed to cutting / grinding them?
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