Case warranty advice----please

[GeorgeCAtl]

I have a Case 32095FSS pattern fisherman's knife with the yellow celluloid handle scales.
The yellow celluloid handle scales have shrunk and cracked in several places and the backside scale has a great deal of side to side play.
Otherwise this knife is in like new condition with it original edge and polished finish.
The Case XX Stainless stamping indicates 1950-1964 dates of manufacture.

I have returned the knife to Case to have the scales replaced under their "Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship or materials"

My problem is I received a repair estimate to replace the scales. The cost is not the issue; its the principal of not replacing a "known" defective material.
I called their customer service and was told that it was their policy to charge for this repair.

Anyone else had this problem? Suggestions? --------------or should I leave it alone for collectors value?

[Kansan]

It's at least 46 years old. Pay for the repairs.

[woseyjales]

Celluloid is 'known' to deteriorate with the passage of time.
So will house paint, wood decking, and human beings.
Passage of time is not a warranty issue, it is a force of
nature that cannot be reckoned with.
Celluloid is still used despite it's hazards and shortcomings
because of the aesthetic beauty that particular material offers.
Studies have proven delrin to be more durable however not as purty.

Rest assured, Case honors their warranty a lot farther than they
have to. Mary Ann & Crew do a fine job in the Case Repair Center & Spa.
Or you can send the knife to any one of several rehandlers found
to be in attendance here on AAPK.
Definitely sounds like a fine knife worth saving from the boneyard
and given a second chance to provide reliable service for another 50-100 years.
Now of course I could be wrong. Has happened before.
Five times already this year and it's barely March!

[Ramrod]

Agreed. bye bye cell. it will be worth the $$. Mark

[gino]

I would pay the $$ and have it replaced by a prof at case as long as it was reasonable and as long as the rest of the knifes condition was decent

[GeorgeCAtl]

Wouldn't the yellow celluloid that shrinks and cracks be considered a defect in material.
The knife is unused and in perfect condition with the exception of the celluloid.
It has sat in a collection---there is no wear and tear---the yellow celluloid just did what yellow celluloid does---shrink and crack.
The Case customer service rep told me they have discontinued the use of the yellow celluloid for the very reason i have returned it for repair.
From the repair estimate--"All case knives have a Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship or materials"

[miked32]

case repair center does a wonderful job..

[Pen & Toothpick]

This makes me think of all those goldstone-tone-glitter (whatever they call it) centenial knives that peel away at the bolsters. And they have an ugly white base to the handle material!

Are those worth replacing the handles - what would they replace them with?

[woseyjales]

George, You emphasize the 'materials' part w/o
apparently taking the 'limited' part into consideration.
If the celluloid had failed within 5 years of manufacture, then I suspect warranty replacement would have been done.
Consider the fact that any classic American made vehicle from the same time period as your knife, stored in an environmentally controlled garage since new, would now have dry rotted weatherstrips and seals resulting in fluid loss, water leaks & wind noise...if the vehicle was driveable. Which it probably isn't due to
the above mentioned failures in matrials plus the dry rotted flat tires.
Would the vehicle and tire manufacturers fix these defects under warranty? After all th car has less than 100 miles showing right?

In another thread someone mentioned a Case repair estimate with a handle replacement at $5 per handle. I have paid $10 each for blades. Shipping is usually around $7.50.
How does your knife repair estimate compare to price of a comparable new Case ?
Repair ie make it 'good as new' a lot cheaper I bet.

As you said before, it's not the cost it's the principle.
Well if it was mine I'd pay the principle by credit card
then pay it by the due date to avoid paying interest.

Better hurry & ante up though cause fishin' season is
fast approaching.
Hope this helps.
If not somebody else can take over,
my typing finger is cramping up!

[GeorgeCAtl]

George, You emphasize the 'materials' part w/o
apparently taking the 'limited' part into consideration.
Limited is certainly the undefined out on a lifetime warranty---I guess if they don't mean lifetime they should reconsider using that term
If the celluloid had failed within 5 years of manufacture, then I suspect warranty replacement would have been done.
5 years = limited lifetime---thank you for the clarificationConsider the fact that any classic American made vehicle from the same time period as your knife, stored in an environmentally controlled garage since new, would now have dry rotted weatherstrips and seals resulting in fluid loss, water leaks & wind noise...if the vehicle was driveable. Which it probably isn't due to
the above mentioned failures in matrials plus the dry rotted flat tires.
Would the vehicle and tire manufacturers fix these defects under warranty? After all th car has less than 100 miles showing right?
I have a restored 1955 Nash Ambassador Lemans---well over a 100 miles---but it's original warranty was 90 days or 4,000 miles--the warranty was also contingent on having the car inspected by the dealer at 1,000 and 2,000 miles ---a pretty well defined warranty with specific parameters
In another thread someone mentioned a Case repair estimate with a handle replacement at $5 per handle. I have paid $10 each for blades. Shipping is usually around $7.50.
How does your knife repair estimate compare to price of a comparable new Case ?
Repair ie make it 'good as new' a lot cheaper I bet.
I will have the knife repaired--handle material @ $3 per side; $15 labor and $7.50 s/h; $28.50 total-----Like I originally said Cost is not an issue and now I know a limited lifetime = 5 years

As you said before, it's not the cost it's the principle.
Well if it was mine I'd pay the principle by credit card
then pay it by the due date to avoid paying interest.

Better hurry & ante up though cause fishin' season is
fast approaching.
Hope this helps.
If not somebody else can take over,
my typing finger is cramping up!
No need to cramp up again----I get it---Case's Limited Lifetime Warranty is not a lifetime but merely a marketing slogan

[BIGHEAD]

Not at all if you have a knife that has a WARRANTY issue they will repair or Replace it for free no matter what the age.The celluloid shrinkage is not a DEFECT that is just celluloid acting the way celluloid acts Period.It was nothing that Case did to make it shrink and crack.I have sent them a knife that was forty years old with a broken backspring they replaced the backspring and sent it back to me free of charge.That was a WARANTY issue.

[wazu013]

I am a CCC lifetime under Jskfla. Last year I sent 6 knives in for warranty repair. Case accidently sent them out to the wrong address. To replace them they let me pick any 6 knives out of their standard catalog. Then they found them and sent them to me as well. They bent over backwards for me. One note though, If your knife has a value of more than $100. tell them or else they return ship for only $100. insured. Their warranty and service is great. As Woseyjales said it's like sending them to a spa.
Mike

[woseyjales]

George, Please accept my apology for apparently offering too much advice...you did say 'please' though.

5 years = limited lifetime---thank you for the clarification

Sounds like you might have misunderstood my meaning. Five years was an arbitrary time frame of MY choosing used as an EXAMPLE. Not in anyway meant to interpret Case's actual warranty terms for them.

I have a restored 1955 Nash Ambassador Lemans---well over a 100 miles---but it's original warranty was 90 days or 4,000 miles--the warranty was also contingent on having the car inspected by the dealer at 1,000 and 2,000 miles ---a pretty well defined warranty with specific parameters.
Like I originally said Cost is not an issue and now I know a limited lifetime = 5 years.

Once again my apologies for confusing you with my arbitrary 5 yr example which it sounds like you have taken to heart as an actual term of Case's warranty, which it is not.
You may also consider thinking of this repair expense as 'restoring' your Case knife in same light as restoring your Nash.
Both worthy endeavors imho.

Case's Limited Lifetime Warranty is not a lifetime but merely a marketing slogan.

Case warranty is for a lifetime, but it is also limited.
You may be confusing a limited lifetime warranty with the seldom offered manufacturer's 'everything forever' warranty.

By the way, speaking of Marketing Slogans.....
Could you please remind me what year(s) NASH won Lemans??
I furgit.


Look forward to seeing the pics of your restored knife.
Hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

[knifeswapper]

I have had / seen several of the exact same knife with perfectly preserved handles. And I'm sure Case has as well. Thus, deterioration many times has as much to do with storage / preservation as the material itself. If Case started honoring a lifetime warranty regardless or all circumstances, they would have to double their headcount to handle warranty work. But I have noticed lately that the items in which they are "flexible" in the name of customer service are getting fewer and fewer.

[GeorgeCAtl]

By the way, speaking of Marketing Slogans.....
Could you please remind me what year(s) NASH won Lemans??
I furgit.

A Nash-Healey took first place in its class (behind a Ferrari and a Talbot) and third among all entries in the 1952 LeMans sports car race in France. Of the 58 cars that had started, only 17 finished.

[gmusic]

Let's give peace a chance.

[Aimus Moses]

IMHO I don't think Case is responsible for celluloid handles doing what they naturally do. Every knife collector starting with the beginner who's collected for 5 or 6 months learns what celluloid handles do, they out gas and decompose. If for example a Case Tested era knife with stag handles was just left in a safe or knife roll since the day it was made and the stag dried and a crack appeared, Case isn't responsible for that. It natural to the material for it to do that, over time. If Case is to be responsible for celluloid breaking down, then they should be responsible for rusty and pitted blades and dull colored non-shiny bolsters and shields on ever Case brand knife also? I am in no way trying to be argumentative and do not want to offend anyone, if I do I apologize, but I agree with wosey. If a person has a car that they bought new and they let it sit for 30 or 40 years and only 50 miles were put on it and the color of the paint job faded & peeled, the car maker isn't responsible for that. It's a natural thing that happens over time. If the paint faded & peeled in 2 or 3 years then yes, I would say the car maker should fix it. The term "with in reason" should be applied to things involving warranties. That's just 2 cent MHO of the matter though.


Aimus

[GeorgeCAtl]

Aimus, no offense taken. I've never returned a Case knife for warranty or service work before and you can see from my post count--I'm new to this. From the responses from the loyal Case collectors, I see that the "Limited Lifetime Warranty" is a subjective interpretation and not to be taken in the literal form. I have read of the failings of the yellow celluloid, but was unaware that Case's use of this material in the manufacture of their knives would not be considered a material that would be covered by their "Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship or materials". I have trouble with the automobile analogy though, because I have yet to find a vintage car that ever had a Lifetime Warranty----limited or otherwise. But lets not beat this horse any further--its dead already.
Anyway, I will be on the phone tomorrow with their service department to authorize the repair at my expense. I look forward to receiving my knife back restored to a usable condition. Thanks to all for your input.

[DR_MAGOO]

So, just to clarify something for my understanding. If'n I own a knife, and it is still in the box, and it has a backspring so weak that it needs help closing, all I have to do is send it back to the Case factory to be fixed?

[BIGHEAD]

YEP
But before you send it back try some 100% silicone spray flood the back springs with it, a lot of times they will be gunked up with hafting compound. You can't see it all the time but will be amazed at what comes out of it.If that is the Case when sprayed out the backspring will come to life.

[woseyjales]

Magoo, if you do send it in for repair
be advised to send knife only, keep box at home.
Case ships returns in padded envelopes so knife boxes
are likely to receive crush damage in transit.
I learned that lesson 3-4 yrs ago from a crushed non-
replaceable red & silver Case box.

[DR_MAGOO]

Thanks, Barry and Wosey, for the advice and tips.

[LC]

Magoo, if you do send it in for repair
be advised to send knife only, keep box at home.
Case ships returns in padded envelopes so knife boxes
are likely to receive crush damage in transit.
I learned that lesson 3-4 yrs ago from a crushed non-
replaceable red & silver Case box.

Howey got my Norfolk back yesterday and the box was inside a box and bubble wrapped very well protected And my problem was under warranty Very well satisfied

[woseyjales]

True enough Lynn, so was my Ivy 032 but neither of those went
through the usual Case Repair Center & Spa main entrance
so to speak. Via SpcL LBM courier services you might say.

It has been suggested CRC ship returns in boxes and I believe
a feasibility study was in progress at one time.
Far as I know the CRC returns are still in envelopes.

But I could be wrong. It has happened before.
Twice...this month already !

BTW, wasn't your Northfork's shield pointing the other direction
before you sent it in??

[stockman]

I had a Case 3254 you all know what happened. I sent it to Case they repaired replaced the yellow Handle covers, did a wonderful job no charge. So later I had a 10 dot 4318 it had
handles that went bad, I sent it to Case to be repaired they repaired it. The knife is now junk in
my opinion. I will not send another knife to be repaired. I still buy Case knives many older ones
and New also. I get my grandson one each year with the year tang stamp. Thinking he might
have a collection someday. I am re-thinking about what to do next year. Warranty is only
as good as their word.