Case "New Grind" Question

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.
Post Reply
User avatar
XX Case XX
Posts: 3574
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:24 pm
Location: California

Case "New Grind" Question

Post by XX Case XX »

Case "New Grind" or "Shoulderless Grind" knives were only made for three years: 1983-84-85. This listing on eBay is interesting. While the blade does have that "new grind" kind of look, the seller says it's an 87 Case.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-xx-Knife- ... 6016.l4276

I don't think this is a true new grind blade. Any thoughts on this?

__________
Mike
"If there are no Dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went". Will Rogers

I work hard so my Dog can have a better life...
donjr
Posts: 124
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:59 pm

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by donjr »

Mike,
I think the Knife has 7 dots, and with the lightning ss, that would date it as a 1983 Knife. And so should be a correct year for the New Grind style. donjr
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by Mumbleypeg »

donjr wrote:Mike,
I think the Knife has 7 dots, and with the lightning ss, that would date it as a 1983 Knife. And so should be a correct year for the New Grind style. donjr
Correct. It’s a 1983 knife.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
User avatar
big monk
Posts: 5690
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:53 am
Location: Ninety Six,South Carolina

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by big monk »

Ding-Ding-Ding ____we have a winner 1983 for sure :)
I'm not young enough,____to know everything !!!!!!!!!!!!

MONK****
User avatar
XX Case XX
Posts: 3574
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:24 pm
Location: California

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by XX Case XX »

Okay, I'm stupid... ::dang:: It's official.

Mike
"If there are no Dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went". Will Rogers

I work hard so my Dog can have a better life...
donjr
Posts: 124
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:59 pm

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by donjr »

No Mike you are not stupid! We all, (or I sure have!!!!), fallen victim to the Case add a dot, take away a dot, dating system. donjr
Froe
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:31 am

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by Froe »

Gentlemen
Can somebody tell me why the 'new grind' was instituted in '83 to begin with? Was it to strengthen the blade at the tang? A style choice?
And then why was it discontinued? Cost? Market resistance?
I remember hearing that it was a Parker era decision. But in '83 I was too broke to care about buying knives, I was rolling pennies to buy gas and pinto beans back then.
Many thanks!
Keith
User avatar
Mumbleypeg
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13409
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
Location: Republic of Texas

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Supposedly the new grind is stronger and represented an engineering advancement in knife blade structural design. However, customer acceptance of the change was not good. (Remember “New Coke”? :lol: ). So they dropped it and went back to the old grind.

That’s my understanding of it anyway.

Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.

If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

https://www.akti.org/
User avatar
steve99f
Posts: 2769
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 9:49 pm
Location: Eastern PA

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by steve99f »

Ken
I believe that is correct. It was thought that the grind at 90 degrees to the centerline of the blade at the tang plus the 90 degree angle at the corner of the grind were a stress risers and this is true. A smooth transition in thickness, angles,etc pose a more benign stress problem. It is a problem to design around for materials that bear a load, constant or intermittent. Knife blades, if used properly shouldn't be effected.
steve99f
jmh58
Posts: 13448
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:22 pm
Location: Pgh,Pa

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by jmh58 »

And the Carhartt knives were doing a version of the New Grind while they were in production..
John :D
Not all who wander are lost!!

Of all the paths you take in life,
Make sure some of them are Dirt!!!
Froe
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:31 am

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by Froe »

Thanks for the info!
Keith
User avatar
QTCut5
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 5762
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:59 am
Location: Napo'opo'o, HI

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by QTCut5 »

Mumbleypeg wrote:Supposedly the new grind is stronger and represented an engineering advancement in knife blade structural design. However, customer acceptance of the change was not good. (Remember “New Coke”? :lol: ). So they dropped it and went back to the old grind.

That’s my understanding of it anyway.

Ken
That's essentially the version I read once in a knife publication (can't remember which or when). However, a subtle distinction in the version I recall reading is that while the new grind did, in fact, make the blade structurally stronger (albeit negligibly for most knife users to notice or care), it was also more expensive to manufacture which naturally resulted in a corresponding rise in the retail cost of Case knives during that time period...which was what the customers really objected to--not the design itself, but the increased knife prices.

Ironically, since the new grind knives were only made for a few years, there were fewer overall numbers produced, thus making them more and more scarce over time. A basic tenet of economics which is particularly true in the world of collecting (anything), scarcity generally creates higher demand. Personally, as a collector, I love the graceful elegance of the new grind design as compared to the traditional perpendicular shoulder grind. But that's a purely aesthetic value that has nothing to do with the functionality of the knife. I doubt the vast majority of Case knife users ever use a given Case knife in such a way that the structural integrity of the shoulder grind is ever even a factor. How many broken blades have you ever seen that broke due to a too-weak shoulder grind (assuming, of course, that the knife was used properly...not as a pry bar or something)?

BTW...take a close look at the Case/Tony Bose collaboration knives and you'll notice that the shoulder grind is somewhere in-between a new grind and a traditional grind (although, still closer to the traditional grind, IMHO).

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
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.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
jmh58
Posts: 13448
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:22 pm
Location: Pgh,Pa

Re: Case "New Grind" Question

Post by jmh58 »

P82A0959.jpg
P82A0959.jpg (24.28 KiB) Viewed 2676 times
Not all who wander are lost!!

Of all the paths you take in life,
Make sure some of them are Dirt!!!
Post Reply

Return to “Case Knife Collector's Forum”