Best years of case knives?

1940-1979 were the best years. 1970 was a particularly good year for all around quality, great covers and f&f that year.
 
Here's a couple pics I posted in another thread, there's knives from probably the mid-40's to the 70's.

 
I like the modern ones. Nothing wrong with them, in fact I love the ones I have. Blue bone saddlehorn, red bone gunstock, harvest orange slimline trapper, goldenrod barlow, goldenrod backpocket.
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I think the pre 80s ones seem the best. Anything past that just doesn't have the same character from what I've seen. Not saying they are bad knives today, but they don't seem to catch my eye like the older ones do. I find more modern case really fail on their dye jobs imo
 
67nick said:
Here's a couple pics I posted in another thread, there's knives from probably the mid-40's to the 70's.

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Very nice group of red bones...
Out of the approximately 100 Case knives I've owned, I've never owned a new one. I have owned them from every other era though.
I'm partial to the XX Era. 40-64 knives. The workmanship on the knives I have owned from the time period have all been outstanding. If you can find a nice one, the Tested Era knives are very nice too. You have to spend more $$$ to get a nice one from that period, but imho , they are worth it...
 
I only own one Case knife in a chestnut bone peanut from 2013, and it's been a great knife for me. Blades line up nicely, perfect dye, and no complaints with f & f.
 
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I've had a few from the 2000's and for the most part I've been really pleased. I had a humpback stockman that I carried for 3 years and I loved it... Though the surgical steel was quick to give up a good edge.
 
Let us not forget the CASE/BOSE collaboration knives; they are super. Other than those, my only experience has been with pre-1980 knives, which I like very much.
 
tongueriver said:
Let us not forget the CASE/BOSE collaboration knives; they are super. Other than those, my only experience has been with pre-1980 knives, which I like very much.
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To be honest I haven't experienced the Bose collabs but they look awesome! I would love to get my hands on a lockback whittler one day...
 
tongueriver said:
Let us not forget the CASE/BOSE collaboration knives; they are super. Other than those, my only experience has been with pre-1980 knives, which I like very much.
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Those are very nice, and they should be, for the price
 
From my limited experience older Case knives are generally the best, up to 1970-1975. later production have no equal quality. The Case-Bose is different in quality design and materials.
Mike
 
I was going to say 40-64. Maybe up until the 70s, but I have only one knife from the 70s. I don't have a tested era knife to compare. Maybe some day.
 
I look for knives before 1978. Shields were all pinned on and the bone dye was just fantastic. Nothing against the modern ones at all, I have those as well. I personally prefer to get the pattern in late 60's early 70's if available and ost of the time they are roughly the same price if you shop around and wait for a deal.

I purchased this one ( 6231 1/2 ) on a big auction site for under $70 shipped and it was mint and equal in fit and finish to any modern Case or GEC I've bought in the last few years.






Greg
 
That is a pretty knife Greg, great price too!!! I lucked out like you and got the jack pictured above on an auction site for $78. You gotta love that old red bone, as far as covers go it's hard to beat IMHO.
 
I like all years...I cannot find a knife that one can buy for a street price of $35.00 to $90.00 that even comes close to the materials, fit, finish, and heritage that a Case knife provides.
 
Overall my opinion would be pre 1970. I like a lot of the newer ones as well though.
 
gmarthur said:
I look for knives before 1978. Shields were all pinned on and the bone dye was just fantastic.
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Not to be "that guy", but shields were only pinned on for all bone knives of that time. Some of the synthetic had pinned shields, many didn't.

I'm not sure if there is a rule of thumb for which did or didn't.


As to the original question, I like them all, but there was a quality dip in the 80's and early 90's that was kinda severe. Late 90's knives were better, and I think it's been improving ever since.

There were also plenty of "bum" knives back in the day, crooked shields, poorly set blades, etc.

I think it was less common in those eras, and many possibly were factory seconds.
 
Kadmos said:
Not to be "that guy", but shields were only pinned on for all bone knives of that time. Some of the synthetic had pinned shields, many didn't.

I'm not sure if there is a rule of thumb for which did or didn't.

.
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Thank you for the correction. What I should have said was that the red and green bone that I like to collect from that era had pinned shields. Also the stag and wood was all pinned as well.
 
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