a visit to case

[steve]

well, i was at my sisters house visiting this week and got a chance to go visit the case store/museum and took the factory tour. i have to say that i really enjoyed it. i dont know how many of you out there are case collectors club members, but i joined recently in anticipation of my upcoming visit to the area and i knew the tour was only available to members. the tour took about 3 hrs and i got to see every step in how case makes there knives, from the way the bone comes into the factory all the way to the final polishing and honing. it was really interesting. at the end of the tour, they gave me a few complimentary case items including a coffee mug, refrigerator magnet, pen, and some other miscellaneous items, including a few samples of the metal that they use for the shields and blades. i also got a sneak peak of some of the case collectors club knives that arent even available yet and a few case knives that were made as samples or prototypes but that were never put into production.


my sister lives in randolph ny which is very close to little valley. i didnt get a chance to look around little valley much, but plan to next trip. case is planning a swap meet around june or july and i am thinking of going back then. its going to be a really big deal. they are going to have bus tours and take people to little valley and show some of the history of case.

an interesting story...while i was there, i was helping my brother in law outside one day, and he pulled out an old hunting knife. i looked at the blade and it was stamped cattagerus, little valley, ny. he was using it to cut something. he had no idea what he had. i told him that the knife was made in little valley ny and that it was made before 1900. the knife was his grandpas and he had the sheath for it and everything. it was still in really good shape. it had been used but the blade was near full and really nice. anyway, he took it to the case factory and they looked at it and dated it to around the 1890's. they told him, they werent sure what it would be worth, but possibly upwards of 1000.00. now i dont think it would actually bring that and hes not an avid knife collector, but it really tickled him to hear that and since then, he hasnt taken the knife off. he wears it in the sheath and carries it.....lol. just goes to show, you never what kind of treasures you will find unexpectedly.


steve

[Mossdancer]

Hi Steve;
Sounds as though you had a ball on the tour. I am not an avid
case collector, but you did mention a Cattaraugus hunting Knife that case substantiated being made circa 1890. You really need to establish a documented trail of this finding, with names dates and all other pertinent
data. I have a few early Cattaraugus, none within 35-40 years of that date. Would it be possible to get some photos and a complete description
of the knife. If it is possible, thank you very much for your efforts.
W.B.

[steve]

hey mossdancer, ill see if i can get some photos of it. im back in north carolina now and the knife is in new york with my brother in law, but ill see if i can get some good photos of it for here. my brother in law told me that it was his grandpas knife and that he had gave it to his son and then he handed it down to his son, who is my brother in law.
to be honest, i think my brother in law thought i was pulling his leg or putting him on when i told him it was made around 1900 or so, but when he took it to the case factory and they told him that it was made in the 1890s, he really was excited. last i heard, he said he was going to join the case collectors club and start collecting...lol.

[steve]

hey guys,

i was just looking thru some of the pics that my wife took while we were at the case plant and store and thought i would share a few of them on here with everyone. i was feeling poorly the day these were took or i wouldve tried to get some closer ones of the knives in the display cases. anyway, there are a few nice ones of the granite sign outside the case plant where they make the knives and one is of the case canoe sign on top of the case store/museum. there are a few that we took inside the store. one is a usa flag made out of zippo lighters. some of those have my niece in them...lol. ill also post a couple that were taken near by when we visited amish country and niagra falls. i know they arent knife related, just thought i would share them with you all tho. if you have never been, they are beautiful places. anyway, here they are and i hope you enjoy them.

steve

[steve]

more pics. these arent knife related as i said, but they are near by and we went to vist them on our trip and i thought i would share them with you all here. one is of some amish country and a couple of niagra falls. anyway, hope you enjoy them.

[steve]

heres a picture of the case plant where they make the knives in bradford pa.

[Bryan]

Sounds like you had a great time.

Awesome pics Thanks for sharing them.

How much to go over the falls in a barrell?

Bryan

[steve]

LOL.....they say a couple of people try it every year to become famous, but they never make it. one guy did it several years ago, and i think he still lives in the general area, but hes much older now..lol.