Case pocket knife quality vs others

J

jackknifeh

Joined
Sep 29, 2010
Messages
108
I used Case pocket knives all my life. I only bought 5 or 6 of them because I usually only owned one knife at a time. When I wanted to replace one after several years I would give my old one away. I always liked them and trusted the quality. For the past few years I've been buying Spyderco and a couple of other brand knives. Of course these are very different type of knives. I recently got the itch to get some pocket knives like I used to use. The thing is I'm far more concerned with quality now. I have been looking at a Case peanut with stag scales for about $60. I see a Bear & Sons peanut with stag for about $30. I know nothing about the quality or reputation of these companies. I am fine with sticking with Case knives but am interested in learning about other products as well. I've been getting an A.G. Russell catalog but never gotten any of those knives but have been tempted.

Any information on A.G. Russell and others is appreciated. I would be comparing everything to Case since that is the only knife I know anything about which isn't much.

Thanks for info in advance.

Jack
 
Hi Jack! Check out the AGR Cowboy and Rancher folders and his new LB Barlow.
 
Case makes a good knife most of the time but I've read about and experienced more quality issues with them than there should be.

Can't speak for Bear & Son.

You will not be disappointed in any A.G. Russell knife. You can buy from his catalog with complete confidence.

Check out Great Eastern Cutlery. (GEC) Quality is more consistent than Case and they are generally built a little sturdier.

Buck makes some nice knives too.
 
Railsplitter said:
You will not be disappointed in any A.G. Russell knife. You can buy from his catalog with complete confidence.
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I completely agree! If I was buying knife sight unseen, I would definitely go with AGR. Seems like quality with all manufacturers is getting spotty these days and the hassle and disappointment of having to work on your knife to get it up to speed (or even return if there are too many problems to fix) when you buy it new ruins the experience.

I purchased a single blade wharncliffe in the AGR brand from him, and the one I got had a small problem. I called AGR, not sure what I wanted to do, as it was a problem I could live with, but it just annoyed me. I didn't know what to do, but wanted to make sure that if it was replaced I wouldn't get one that was worse.

Since the knife was defective by their standards, they hand picked a replacement knife for me. I had the replacement in three days (!!) along with an RMA tag and return shipping. If that isn't service that stands behind the product, I don't know what is. As another benefit, that knife is better designed, more well built, and has better fit and finish than just about any knife I have purchased in years.

From what I understand, he stands this solidly behind any product he sells, not just his AGR branded stuff. Hard to beat that.

Robert
 
Out of the last 10 Case knives I've bought, and over a 4 year period of time, I can't remember having any problems with them. Back in the 80's-90's I would find Case knives that felt like they had no edge at all, and with weak "walk & talk". Now they come, at least mine have, with razor edges and well defined grinds that are symmetrical, and the actions are tight meaning excellent "walk & talk".

The only other slipjoints I have bought have been those made in China. I have been very surprised to find the same thing in them that I've found in the Case knives, and at a quarter, or less, of the price! These are Rough Rider's, Hammer Brand, and Steel Warrior's.

Though I don't have any of AGR's knives, I would think them to have excellent quality based on what the China made knives have.
 
I have purchased about 75 Case knives over the last 10 years and the only issue I have had is blade rub on one large stockman. I had a yellow trapper that was dull as well. Maybe I am not as fussy as everyone else or maybe it is my lack of knowledge but I trust Case knives completely. I live in Canada so all my purchases have been online- I have never seen a Case knife in a store. In fact, I have never seen a Case knife that I didn't own.
 
Zidfeldts said:
I have purchased about 75 Case knives over the last 10 years and the only issue I have had is blade rub on one large stockman. I had a yellow trapper that was dull as well. Maybe I am not as fussy as everyone else or maybe it is my lack of knowledge but I trust Case knives completely. I live in Canada so all my purchases have been online- I have never seen a Case knife in a store. In fact, I have never seen a Case knife that I didn't own.
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I believe that when someone buys what is claimed to be a higher quality it should come VERY sharp. People who arent' very good at sharpening shouldn't have to worry about their new knife being dull. That really bugs me. However, I can sharpen so when I get a dull knife it's not a big deal. Glad to hear your knives were in good shape. The reason I'm asking this is I bought my first Case in many years and sent it back to be replaced today. When the longer blade closes it hits the back bar where the middle rivit is because the back bar is wider there. If the spot on the tang that hits the bar were longer the blade edge would not hit the backbar, dulling it. I'm pretty sure this is one of those isolated incidents.


Jack
 
Just curious then on the Case Stockman pocket knives and in particular the Rancher. Are these (Case Stockman Rancher CV) hit or miss?
 
Just my opinion, but most knives seem to be hit or miss these days. You can search this forum for opinions on CASE as it has been delicately discussed (but in depth) so as not to offend. I don't think their knives are any worse or better than most mass produced knives these days. Those that have purchased newer patterns seem to enjoy better fit and finish as the CASE tooling is probably decades newer than the older stockman/trapper/congress etc., patterns they have been producing for so long.

If I had my heart set on a new CASE, I would try to buy it from a store that would let me look at the exact knife I would be buying. They are certainly capable of turning out an excellent product. As far as inspecting before purchase, not to play favorites, unless I have experience with the vendor I don't buy traditionals online anymore. Too many things to go wrong.

Robert
 
Two years ago this fall, I had to finally try Case knives. I bought a then recently dropped model - the Seahorse Whittler. My wife soon shocked me with two more via our local sharp thing pusher. They were all stiff and drug while opening the main blade - which did have both springs to work against. I flooded each of the knives with aerosol RemOil, a firearm cleaner/lube from WallyWorld. I couldn't believe the dirt/manufacturing grime that deposited on the paper towel below the knives. I did this to my fourth and final Case knife - a Trapper - it behaved similarly. A drop of clock oil at the pivots via a needle applicator and leaving the knives half opened for several days in a drawer (Out of cat range!!) seemed to help their function. All were acceptably and uniformally sharp, if not up to the razor standards of some brands. I believe Case still makes, albeit a bit expensive, decent slippies - designed for collectors.

My view was jaded - I had rediscovered Boker Tree Brand (Solingen, Germany) several years earlier. They are great values - fine carbon steel, real scale selection, and delivered sharp! Did I mention that they are available for less - often ~2/3 the cost of a Case? And... they all function fine and despite blasting a couple of new ones with aerosol RemOil, like I did the Cases, I found no crud. They are a great value. Puma slipjoints - the German made ones - were a decent knife, too - not so sure about their 'International Product' units, however. Bear MGC, despite being made ~60 miles away here in Alabama, are - 0r were, as it has been a few years since I tried another new one, a real hit or miss, QC wise. Buck - like my 25 yr old 301 Stockman - are boring - but great knives - and delivered very sharp! I, too, left the purity of slippies for the lockbacks, frame-locks, etc, some years ago, only getting back into slipjoints in the last five or so years. Nostalgic, for sure.

Stainz

PS Try evil-bay for Boker Tree Brand classic slipjoints - they seem a bit hard to find locally.
 
cutter17 said:
Out of the last 10 Case knives I've bought, and over a 4 year period of time, I can't remember having any problems with them. Back in the 80's-90's I would find Case knives that felt like they had no edge at all, and with weak "walk & talk". Now they come, at least mine have, with razor edges and well defined grinds that are symmetrical, and the actions are tight meaning excellent "walk & talk".

The only other slipjoints I have bought have been those made in China. I have been very surprised to find the same thing in them that I've found in the Case knives, and at a quarter, or less, of the price! These are Rough Rider's, Hammer Brand, and Steel Warrior's.

Though I don't have any of AGR's knives, I would think them to have excellent quality based on what the China made knives have.
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If you liked the rough riders you really should try the AG Russells. They stand head and shoulders in quality over the RR knives.

You can't go wrong with the AG Russell designs when it comes to quality. They might not be to your taste. But no one can deny that they're of the highest standards when it comes to build quality and service.
 
I am currently EDC'ing a Case Mini Copperlock in jigged bone, and I love it. It's a very fine, high-quality knife for a great price. It's made in the U.S.A. and it feels like it: rugged and dependable. Is the fit & finish perfect? No. Quite the opposite; if you are looking for refined fit & finish, you will be disappointed. But the materials are high-quality, and the assembly and construction are solid.
 
Stainz said:
My view was jaded - I had rediscovered Boker Tree Brand (Solingen, Germany) several years earlier. They are great values - fine carbon steel, real scale selection, and delivered sharp! Did I mention that they are available for less - often ~2/3 the cost of a Case? And... they all function fine and despite blasting a couple of new ones with aerosol RemOil, like I did the Cases, I found no crud. They are a great value. Puma slipjoints - the German made ones - were a decent knife, too - not so sure about their 'International Product' units, however. Bear MGC, despite being made ~60 miles away here in Alabama, are - 0r were, as it has been a few years since I tried another new one, a real hit or miss, QC wise. Buck - like my 25 yr old 301 Stockman - are boring - but great knives - and delivered very sharp! I, too, left the purity of slippies for the lockbacks, frame-locks, etc, some years ago, only getting back into slipjoints in the last five or so years. Nostalgic, for sure.
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Strangely, I have been on the same path.... I am hearing the tinkle of the Twilight Zone music.... !!

I went back into construction full time about 16- 18 years ago after doing white collar work. I had a small group of traditionals that I had used for years from my previous life as a construction worker as well as in my white collar career. But I discovered a real use for the inexpensive lock blades that I previously discounted as mall ninja gear. Cheap, and affordable, knives like the RAT 1 and their ilk turned out to be great utility knives. Not wanting to look more like a yahoo redneck than I already do, I never carried a big locking folder in a sheath (think Buck 110 or the Schrade LB7) and never needed to do so.

But I had a recommendation from a friend of mine for a Kershaw he had and a Spyderco. Liked one, didn't like the other, and since I had some Kershaw already, I bought a couple larger knives. Loved them. Then I bought a couple more from different manufacturers to take to the site with me. Some were good, some were bad. I found a world of knives that I liked - they were almost indestructible. I could clean out my RAT 1, my Utilitac and others with charcoal lighter fluid or acetone to get off tar and adhesives, industrial enamel paints, etc. and it never did a thing to the knives. Thirty five years ago that would have been an emergency only procedure for my CASE and BOKER knives. No way I would have subjected them to an acetone bath unless I had no choice.

But with these knives that are essentially just pieces of CNC material screwed together and topped with micarta, G10 or FRN, nothing seems to hurt them. Their steel are hard enough to be quite useful, they take a good edge and it isn't fragile (although it doesn't hang around all that long!) when really sharp.

I actually found bladeforums by chance as I was thinking I needed a new peanut, butterbean, mini-jack or something else in that size to compliment my "utility" knives. I had no idea there were still really nice knives being made today as all I had seen were pretty much gun show fare and limited at that. The forum, and particularly this sub forum really opened my eyes.

I bought a Dan Burke Barlow from Mike Latham. Loved it then and still do. That started the ball rolling. I took out all my old knives and cleaned them up and sharpened them, and decided that some had so much sentimental value to them I would replace them and only carry them occasionally. Now the ball had bounced off the cliff.

To me, knives are tools. I like some more than others, and some have more value than others. But until I made that fatal step it had been about 15 years (literally) since I had purchased a traditional pocket knife. Now I look at them all the time and seem to be purchasing about 5-6 a year and have been for some time. It's actually something I get a great deal of pleasure from, so I am not concerned.

I have rediscovered my love of a good knife but have also reaffirmed my idea that most knives are simply tools. I don't get much pleasure out of my "utility" knives. I clean them up, sharpen them, and they go in the rotation of ready to use gear. But my traditionals are tools I enjoy. I take a minute or two to decide which traditional to take to compliment the big knife. A peanut? My small Dan Burke stockman? The butterbean?

Then on the weekends, just one knife. A small soddie? One of my Barlows? A medium stockman?

In my little world of unsettled problems, these are good ones to have. My traditional knives are something I enjoy every day.

Robert
 
Blunt Forged Edge said:
Just curious then on the Case Stockman pocket knives and in particular the Rancher. Are these (Case Stockman Rancher CV) hit or miss?
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No one has a Case Stockman Stag Rancher? Or is just a plain old Stockman? Just curious about the "quality" of these from Case nowadays since I'm new to the whole "Traditional" pocket knives.
 
Blunt Forged Edge said:
No one has a Case Stockman Stag Rancher? Or is just a plain old Stockman? Just curious about the "quality" of these from Case nowadays since I'm new to the whole "Traditional" pocket knives.
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Ding. I received have a Case 3 7/8" stockman with Yeller handles and CV alloy steel blades as a Father's Day gift.

Nice walk and talk. Came pretty sharp, though not up to Spyderco standards. No gaps in the springs or scales. Very decent fit and finish. I paid less than $40 for it. It was a special run made for one of the Case dealers. I'd say I got good value for my money.

I also got a yeller scale Case Sowbelly in CV. That was a bit more expensive, but it's more knife, too. fit and finish are all good. I'm happy with it as well.

I dunno. We get some folks on the Traditional Forum who find their Case knives have flaws. We get that with most brands, including Boker and GEC. But we also get a lot of folks who, like me, are very satisfied with their purchases. And a side comment is that Case has a very good reputation for taking care of any customer with an issue. I'd give them a shot.
 
knarfeng said:
Ding. I received have a Case 3 7/8" stockman with Yeller handles and CV alloy steel blades as a Father's Day gift.

Nice walk and talk. Came pretty sharp. . .No gaps in the springs or scales. Very decent fit and finish. . .I'd say. . .good value for my money.

I also got a yeller scale Case Sowbelly in CV. . . That was a bit more. . .knife. . .fit and finish are all good. I'm happy with it as well.

I dunno. We get some folks on the Traditional Forum who find their Case knives have flaws. We get that with most brands, including Boker and GEC. But we also get a lot of folks who, like me, are very satisfied with their purchases. And a side comment is that Case has a very good reputation for taking care of any customer with an issue. I'd give them a shot.
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That's good to hear and know. I'll give that Case a shot. Thank you for your honest appraisal!
 
Case is now hit and miss. Go through 5 to find one good one. Russel have some good knives and GEC have the best "modern" traditionals, just in my opinion mind you. If you are after a good user then go china, yes i said it. If you are after a knife that will hold value go with the ones mentioned above in the thread. Many china knives are just as good as case now a days even thought I only own two but own rolls of case knives. I would browse many brands until you find the one that work for you. To each his own.
 
Lots of good advice here. I got one case knife and had to send it back to get it replaced. Don't have the new one yet. A lot of my opinion will depend on the condition of my replacement.

Another question I've wondered about. How much difference is there in the Case SS and CV steel. Edge retention is a big deal for me and actually the only reason I decided to buy more expensive knives. Can anyone compare the Case steels they use with anything like AUS-8, VG-10 or CPM-S30V? According to Case the CV has better edge retention and is easier to sharpen. Any opinions from the guys who have used both?

Thanks,
Jack
 
jackknifeh, I am no expert and I really don't respond much on these forums because of it but I have carried case, Chinese buck, USA buck, camillus, spyderco and the list goes on.
Every blade steel sharpens differently but always seemed to do the job required of it. Some folks here will argue about this steel or that steel is better for edge retention or for driving through the hood or door of a car.The truth be told most of us here just need something to cut simple things with.If you touch up your blade regularly you really don't need to worry about all the fancy steels.
As for me ive reverted back to a simple case yellow trapper and peanut that my children got me for fathers day years ago.
Fit and finish on all my case knives have been fine and no complaints.If you do have a problem send it back and you will get it returned in timely manner and you will be pleased.
You know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and remember everybody has an opinion about what is best and what is not so if it is case you want just buy an inexpensive yellow cv trapper or stockman or even a peanut drop it in your pocket use the fire out of and form your own opinion.
I carry case because you get your monies worth and most important to me they are USA MADE. There are other quality US makers but the prices keep me away. If you look around at flea markets or antique stores you can usually find older US made knives inexpensive pick up a few you may be surprized.
Sorry about the rambling of an old guy
God Bless
Tracy
 
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