2012 Case Tec X Line

[lxplumm]

Fortunately for me, I don't buy Case knives made after 1977, so I don't really care what they make now. Still it seems to me that a company that has worked so hard to perpetuate it's 'Made in America' image shouldn't be attaching their name to products made in China. I suppose that if they need to expand their line of products, giving them the 'Case' name would be make them more salable. Hopefully, the business that they loose will be offset by sales from their new products. I personally think that they are making a huge mistake.

[HiPower]

With china producing one of the largest solar collectors in the world near austin, tex. i expect knives are really small potatoes in the big dollar scene. my opinion for a long time now is that the Chinese will do to the cutlery industry what Japan did to our auto industry.Remember China is'nt stealing American jobs, Americans are giving the jobs to the Chinese.Given enough profit & quality control China can equal & mostly surpass our best cutlery.They have new plants & new machinery with cheaper labor & with Americans giving them contracts how can they lose? The situation is'nt pleasant but that looks like the reality.With our own citizens Screwing us & Americans readily buying foriegn knives how can we triumph.---HiPower

[Rickwayne]

Most all USA knife Companies have extended a line of imported knives to compete in that specified branch of market; while still manufacturing a line of more expensive USA knives. Some like SOG try to camoflage it by stamping on the box 'assembled in the USA". Kershaw (a Japan affiliated Co.) still uses China (instead of Japan) due to the cheaper cost to produce them in China. Thus are able to compete in price with the same made knives by other USA companies in China. More people will go for the Walmart cheaper China knife than the more expensive USA made one (all things being similiar). Thus a change by Case in a completely different category of knives. Note: that the Case USA traditional knives still have to compete with the cheaper Hallmark, Schrade, CRKT and other US Companies China made traditionals.

[woseyjales]

Well Folks all amongst the friendly debate
of what was, what is, and what will be
there remains one undisputable fact.
No one in AAPK has posted their new
Case Tec-X 'find' in this thread yet.

[jerryd6818]

Most all USA knife Companies have extended a line of imported knives to compete in that specified branch of market; while still manufacturing a line of more expensive USA knives. Some like SOG try to camoflage it by stamping on the box 'assembled in the USA". Kershaw (a Japan affiliated Co.) still uses China (instead of Japan) due to the cheaper cost to produce them in China. Thus are able to compete in price with the same made knives by other USA companies in China. More people will go for the Walmart cheaper China knife than the more expensive USA made one (all things being similiar). Thus a change by Case in a completely different category of knives. Note: that the Case USA traditional knives still have to compete with the cheaper Hallmark, Schrade, CRKT and other US Companies China made traditionals.

True. And like the Japanese cars, as the quality and popularity of the Chinese knives go up, the price of the Chinese knives will, over time, go up. It's started already. Three years ago come Christmas, I bought about a dozen Rough Riders from kyknives on eBay. All his knives started at $0.99 with free shipping and I never paid more than $10 for any of them. Now at least a third of his listings are Buy It Now, with very few under the $10 mark and all the Colts priced at $20 or above. And then you have the A.G. Russell knives that are made in China and go for $60 or more.

[Rickwayne]

One question for all China made haters or imported made goods haters-what US companies do you only patronize- USA manufacturing (not just knives)? What brands of T.V., Clothes, shoes, Computer, and food, etc. do you choose?
Most high tech electronic innovations (exampl;e-by Steve Jobs) are made in China. ABC nightly news had one heck of a time trying to find USA made products to replace the items found in an average home-at a much steaper price. So don't knock just knife companies that have a much smaller market and a lot have folded in recent years. Some may have the same USA names but are now being made in China (example Schrade. S & W, Camillius, Gerber-(Fiskars) etc..

[trey]

I have two responses to that: one, while you can't buy everything made in America, there still is merit in trying.
Also, pocket knives are a luxury purchase for people on these boards, by that I mean we don't need another knife
so we have a choice. We can choose an American made knife. If somebody is just starting out in a tile business,
for example, he may only be able to by the cheapo tile cutter sold at Harbor Freight. Nothing wrong with that.

[jerryd6818]

One question for all China made haters or imported made goods haters-what US companies do you only patronize- USA manufacturing (not just knives)? What brands of T.V., Clothes, shoes, Computer, and food, etc. do you choose?
Most high tech electronic innovations (exampl;e-by Steve Jobs) are made in China. ABC nightly news had one heck of a time trying to find USA made products to replace the items found in an average home-at a much steaper price. So don't knock just knife companies that have a much smaller market and a lot have folded in recent years. Some may have the same USA names but are now being made in China (example Schrade. S & W, Camillius, Gerber-(Fiskars) etc..

Rick -- Welcome to AAPK.

Rick, that's not a criticism of you or your post. There's no way you could know, every time the subject comes up it's cussed and discussed to death. There for a while it was so pervasive Bryan, the forum owner, added a forum just for Chinese Factory Manufactured Knives. http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... m.php?f=79

One thing you can say. There's not much fence riding on the subject.

[vieu101]

I was gunna buy one but after seing this thread i think i will pass but if you beleive that i have some ocean front property in kentucky for sale

[garddogg56]

Buy American the job you save WILL be your own

[dealraddy]

SON ONE DAY DADDYS CASE TEX X COLLECTION WILL BE ALL YOURS. THANKS DAD UMM I THINK MAYBE

[mikekoz]

I do not think anybody has anything to worry about. These TecX knives are ugly!! They look like knives I used to buy at gas stations years ago. I think they are doing this because they are hurting financially. I have a few Case knives, and I really like them, but too many of them are overpriced. Case markets a lot of them like they are going to be a collectors item one day worth a lot of money. The truth is, very few of them will be. Several years ago I did something that I still regret to this day. I had 4 Case knives and decided to sell them. They were brand new, never used. I posted them on this forum and got no response whatsoever. I then put them on Ebay. Nobody touched them until I cut the price to $25.00 for each of them. They cost me $40.00 to $70.00. So only a very few of them are true collectors items. I have a nice stockman with a stag bone handle and a nice dark bone handled barlow style knife. I paid $50.00 for the stockman and $68.00 for the barlow. I think this is a good price for a quality knife. I also have a Sodbuster Jr I got at Lowes for $17.99, and a small folder, also at Lowes, for about $12.00. They are not pretty, but very sharp and functional. They do not have to cost a lot of money. They should have come out with a line of budget knives for the "user". They could have still made them here and have them sell for a reasonable price. American made goods do not have to cost a lot of money. I have several knives made by Buck here in the USA, and none of them were over $40.00. Look at Maglites. They are made in the USA, inexpensive, and durable. I know they do not make knives, but I am just using them to make a point. Case just needs to expand their line, but not like this. American businesses just have to stop being so darned greedy!

[garddogg56]

RIGHT ON Mike

[Jigslinger]

I'm of two minds on the Case overseas line. First, it seems to me that Case has turned its back on its own legacy, that of producing USA made knives, as well as its core base of consumers (collectors that wish to buy a 100% Made in USA product from a 100% USA company). Case seems top be cutting off its nose to spite its face. They are unwittingly tarnishing a reputation that took over 100 years to create and watering down the brand name too. Maybe this is a result of Case not being a family owned business any longer. Once you get the corporate types in, i.e. Zippo, the foundation that built the company is not as important to them. On the other hand, suppose, after much study and deliberation, it was determined that an overseas line and tapping the market that buys that product was the ONLY way for the company to survive? Would we as collectors rather see Case end up like almost all the other indigenous knife makers did or do what they must to survive? I suppose I'd rather have a Case knife company that disappointed me than no Case company at all. If the decision was based solely on greed, then all bets are off. Is it better for Case to sell one fifty dollar knife or five ten dollar knives? My bet is they want to do both. As for me, I won't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I don't like it but as long as Case builds a good quality fairly priced knife made here, I'll pick one up every now and then. They are still the only game in "town" for quality (though not as high quality as they once were- I blame the Zippo buyout), USA made knives with a wide product line and reasonable price points.

[vieu101]

Well Folks all amongst the friendly debate
of what was, what is, and what will be
there remains one undisputable fact.
No one in AAPK has posted their new
Case Tec-X 'find' in this thread yet.

When are you gunna get one wosey
I am sure they will hand them out at all their american tours u know good publicity

[Jigslinger]

I don't know how the marketing will go on these or how the box looks, but on Case's website the new line has "tecX" on the blades and nothing on the handles. As far as I can tell from the website, the word "Case" is not to be found on these knives. Caveat is the pics show only one side of the knife.

[LC]

Well I see nothing has changed But I will be in Kentucky next month to help a friend of mine's wife start selling some knives since he passed away and while at it there is a Case Event there and I know the dealer handles the new line might get one.................................................and run the damn thing over with my Dodge Ram 2500

[vieu101]

I wont support any dealer that markets that crap as a Case knife even Smkw dont do that
http://amersonfarms.com/case-pocket-kni ... 7_384.html

[TripleF]

I hate to see USA jobs lost, boy do I! Unfortunately I am not in a position to afford most American made products. Thus, most of our purchases are done at Wal-Mart and other low-ballers, manufacturing location is irrelevant. So I don’t usually chime in because I don’t support USA made goods like I wish I could.

Anyhow, on to Case Tec-X. Don’t buy ‘em. If you don’t like China made stuff don’t buy it. I understand, the whole principle here of all-in for US made. I understand, believe me.
The curve ball is; we are a dying breed. Guys like us, are more emotionally connected to the deep-rooted, chest-thumping, kiss our ACE pride this country exudes. The younger generation, well, not so much. They like tactical knives, and well, that makes up about 85% of the knife industry from what I’ve been told. Yeah, 85%.

Now, if you’re in business you gotta go where the money is. I understand Case’s move….it’s all about the money. Everything is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

Case didn’t abandon their traditional/classic lineup that we all love, and say, ahhhhhhhh the heck with the old fuddy-duds, they only make up 15% of the industry anyhow. No. They continue to make knives right here in the USA.

So, my take is, keep Case in business and buy their American made products and keep someone at Case employed.

[Just Plain Dave]

I woulda swore I saw some Tek-X at SMKW. I think they are all UGLY and that is the main reason I won't buy one.

[jerryd6818]

Well written Scott. Well thought out too.

[TripleF]

Well written Scott. Well thought out too.

Why thank you Jerry! I did actually put thought into that before I posted it.

[vieu101]

Hopefully when case looses money on their regular line they will get rid of the chinnese crap.I agree most kids these days all they want is some kinda tactical and an xbox controller.But when you been a long lasting American company then you do buisness with the enemy you loose alot of respect

[lxplumm]

One of the great things about this country (the one that Case loves so much) is that we are all free to buy what ever we can afford for any reason we choose. Those who are heavily invested in Case and eagerly await their latest catalog may chose to ignore the Tec-X or see it as a means of keeping the company alive and their knives in production. Others who have been driven away by Case’s duplicity need look no farther than this website to find other manufacturers who also produce high quality American made knives and DO NOT import knives from China.

Regardless of which side we are on however, we all have one thing in common and that is our love of slippies. In my part of the world, if you mention the name of any slipjoint manufacturer to anyone you will almost always be greeted with blank stares, so to be able to find other people who share our interests is a good thing even if we don’t always agree.

[Cutty]

One of the great things about this country (the one that Case loves so much) is that we are all free to buy what ever we can afford for any reason we choose. Those who are heavily invested in Case and eagerly await their latest catalog may chose to ignore the Tec-X or see it as a means of keeping the company alive and their knives in production. Others who have been driven away by Case’s duplicity need look no farther than this website to find other manufacturers who also produce high quality American made knives and DO NOT import knives from China.

Regardless of which side we are on however, we all have one thing in common and that is our love of slippies. In my part of the world, if you mention the name of any slipjoint manufacturer to anyone you will almost always be greeted with blank stares, so to be able to find other people who share our interests is a good thing even if we don’t always agree.

Well put lxplumm