Despite being mass-produced by the hundreds-of-thousands, the original Old Timers were incredibly consistent in build quality, much like a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife.
You can get an original USA-made Old Timer easily on eBay. And if you look at the smaller and more common models, they are quite affordable.
With Case you get a knife that's also made in the USA, with a wider range of handle materials, multiple steel choices, and prices that range from reasonable to ridiculous. What Case lacks is the consistency. The model, the batch, the random luck... I've bought plenty of Case knives but only in person. Some models are generally very good, but with others you may have to go through a pile to find a decent one.
You can get an original USA-made Old Timer easily on eBay. And if you look at the smaller and more common models, they are quite affordable.
With Case you get a knife that's also made in the USA, with a wider range of handle materials, multiple steel choices, and prices that range from reasonable to ridiculous. What Case lacks is the consistency. The model, the batch, the random luck... I've bought plenty of Case knives but only in person. Some models are generally very good, but with others you may have to go through a pile to find a decent one.