Thoughts on Tony Bose collaboration Case knives?

[WValtakis]

Tony Bose was an awesome maker, and his customs fetch good money...but it's nowhere near the top end for custom traditionals. See what a "simple lockback" from Ron Lake goes for these days

 

[Signalprick]

The man must’ve been very VERY influential on the traditional knife industry to fetch those prices.

I'd wager there isn't a US slip joint maker alive and quite a few abroad makers that weren't in some way inspired by Tony Bose. He's a driving force in slip joints knives even being relevant in today's generation. I'd say he had a little influence.

 

[Bubber]

The man must’ve been very VERY influential on the traditional knife industry to fetch those prices.

He was and only because he was just that good! We all are very fortunate to of lived during his mark on the knife world. I still can’t believe he is gone.

 

[King of the Cheese]

Tony Bose was an awesome maker, and his customs fetch good money...but it's nowhere near the top end for custom traditionals. See what a "simple lockback" from Ron Lake goes for these days

Well to be fair from what I see of Ron’s there’s a lot of hand-engravings and expensive inlays like gold and MOP. Tony’s knives are all much simpler in appearance yet still command high cost.

 

[Prester John]

I wish I were one of those simple souls that can find contentment and satisfaction in a $20 Opinel.

$200 is the most I have spent on any knife (maybe 3 or 4 at most). And they're great knives. But I find myself carrying mostly my $25 Victorinox Tinker and my $17 Opinel. Would love to have a Bose/Case knife, but probably won't spend that much.

 

[Bubber]

I had the Bose/Case Laney’s knife and sadly sold it. If I were to get another one it would be the Eureka. I really like that pattern.

 

[kamagong]

$200 is the most I have spent on any knife (maybe 3 or 4 at most). And they're great knives. But I find myself carrying mostly my $25 Victorinox Tinker and my $17 Opinel. Would love to have a Bose/Case knife, but probably won't spend that much.

Like I said, I wish I was like that. I know that I'm not. Even something as simple as an Opinel I end up fussing over. I only received my first Opinel last Friday, a No. 8. I didn't get one of the current carbone or Inox models. Rather I spent a few dollars more for a vintage example because I like the markings better.

When I said knife nuts were a silly bunch, I was describing myself.

 

[mrknife]

Must be the name. There are custom knives.. and then there are Tony Bose custom knives… and when knives cost 4-5x more than the average mortgage payment, I don’t even look. Well, I look but who is buying? Jeff Bezos?

The last Tony Bose sold on AZ customs was $6,000, and there’s one listed now for nearly $9,000.

agreed, ive handled some of Tony's and his son Reese's because friends had them, and this was back then when they used to be around $2000 or so. the most ive dropped on a knife is that custom balisong in my profile picture but thats cause ive wanted one of those balibalistics since I was a kid. Looking back with what I know now, Id probably tell myself not to buy it.

 

[brownshoe]

Anyone own a Bose collab. that has actually used it for EDC? What have your thoughts been? Is it worth the cost?

I really can only find initial impression type reviews.. haven’t seen much from anyone that has actually used one.

Thanks

I have 5 and carry every one, in my pocket no knife purse in honor of Tony . Oldest is the 2001 Yukon Jack. No problems except scratches on the bolsters which can be taken out with sandpaper if that bothers you. Tony designs a good package and Case executes the design with skill and attention to detail. All were fine out of the box, 4 were bought online,but all were new.

Bose/Case knives are better than most customs because they are faithful reproductions of an actual knife designed and handmade by Tony. A Lanny's clip made by Billybob the custom maker is Billybob's knife, a Bose/Case Lanny is Tony's knife...huge difference.

 

[JustinR]

I wouldn’t pay retail prices for any of the Case/Bose knives but deals can be had in the secondary market. I’ve owned many of them and regret letting a few go (Damascus Norfolk). The two that have stuck the longest are the Norfolk and the clip bladed lockback whittler. Carry them a few times each week, I don’t treat them any differently than my other knives.

 

[sitflyer]

I've got one, it's a nice knife and I have carried it and cut stuff with it. It performed as expected, it's a knife. Yes it has superior materials and construction, ie, mill relieved liners, but it also has an extremely proud shield with sharp edges. Those sharp edges are uncomfortable in hand and were a major disappointment to me. I have been tempted to take it to the buffer to soften those edges, but that is not something I was expecting in a product at this price range. However, truth be told I got this one second hand, and the original owner actually gave the knife a dye bath because he was not happy with the original dye job from Case. So I got this one for a pretty reasonable price. All that being said, I am happy to own it and will probably never let it go, as TB is gone. It's a rather large knife but it does pocket well in jeans. Maybe I will give that shield a ride on my buffing wheel and tame those sharp edges of the shield. When I did use it, I was not hesitant to slice cardboard, cut plastic, etc. It's just a knife and was made to be used.

 

[brownshoe]

I do not own any Bose/Case collabs , nor have I in the past, so I can't really speak to personal experience regarding them.

However, I can speak to why I have had cold feet regarding them and why I continue to have said cold feet. I have no problem with shelling out $500+ on a knife - if it's worth it to oneself, who is anyone to judge? That said, with the reports that I have seen with QC issues on these, especially considering the price tag, I remain rather wary. You shouldn't have to worry that a knife may or may not pass muster when you shell out that kind of cash for one but when more than a few folks have mentioned that their experiences have been less than perfect, it gives me pause.

All that said, I understand that Case will absolutely take care of you if there are issues - so there is that to fall back on if needed.

Well if you don't own any then you have no QC issues. I own 5 w/o QC issues, 4 bought sight unseen.

A lot of people can't really afford them, can't admit it, expect perfection at the price even though it's a hand assembled, hand finished factory knife made in large quantities and they love to complain. They look for and relish faults 'cause it gets them noticed here. Some "QC isssues" can only be noticed at high magnifications.

If there is a real problem Case will fix it. Case has done a repair to my AK hunter for free, even though the problem was my fault.

I believe the "proud" stainless steel shield on the above AK hunter is not really a flaw. Only the ebony handled more expensive knife has a nickel silver shield, flush and buffed even with the scale. Ask Case.

 

[Railsplitter]

I've owned 6 or 7 Case/Bose Norfolks (I lost count) and 3 Case/Bose Cattle knives. 2 of the Norfolks and 1 of the Cattle knives were users. All of them were worth what I paid for them in regards to quality and workmanship. I'd be lying if I said that pride of ownership didn't play a part in that.

The only reason I don't have them anymore is the cost. When there's another knife I want, I have a bad habit of selling one knife for a few hundred dollars as opposed to selling 3 - 5 knives for the same accumulative price.

I usually delete my photos when I sell a knife but these Norfolk photos were hard to let go.

 

[Peregrin]

I find the Case/Bose collaboration knives to be as close to a quality hand made custom knife as you can get. You might find custom knives for less, but they won't be made any better then the collabs, and won't be from the better makers. They are far and away better knives than any other manufactured knife out there. Bottom line is you get what you pay for. Tony had a dream, and Case helped him make it come true.

Most of those I own, I've used. They do the job and hold up as well as any good knife.

 

[WValtakis]

I will say the 154cm in the Bose line holds an edge MUCH better than the standard Case stuff, and touches up easily.

 

[Markesharp]

I have had the Warncliff Trapper for seven years and I can't count the amount of panfish and wild game I've used it on. It stays sharp, is a pleasure to use and it's as close as you can get to an actual Tony Bose knife.
I miss that guy.

 

[Pàdruig]

B brownshoe , I am not entirely certain how to take your response and I'm half wondering if you bothered to read what I wrote with the context that I provided.

Well if you don't own any then you have no QC issues. I own 5 w/o QC issues, 4 bought sight unseen.

I made this pretty clear, a disclaimer (if you will) to the OP, acknowledging that I could not answer his questions based on hands on experience but that I could speak to why I do not own any Bose/Case collaboration knives as of yet. I'm happy that you have had great fortune when it comes to your own knives - unfortunately that is not the case for everyone, which is exactly what I was speaking to.

A lot of people can't really afford them, can't admit it, expect perfection at the price even though it's a hand assembled, hand finished factory knife made in large quantities and they love to complain. They look for and relish faults 'cause it gets them noticed here. Some "QC isssues" can only be noticed at high magnifications.

This is rather disparaging and is very presumptive. If it was directed at me, I take offense to that, if it was a generalization on your part, then we all should collectively take umbrage. You cannot broad brush knife collectors based on your own bias. Criticism can and should be warranted when necessary and usually can be rather constructive - whether the maker takes it in stride or it simply serves to educate fellow collectors.

If the Bose/Case collabs were perfect every time, we wouldn't be having this conversation. As it happens, they have misses and, in my opinion, it happens frequently enough that it gives me pause when considering shelling out several hundreds of dollars. It has nothing to do with whether or not I can afford it.

If there is a real problem Case will fix it. Case has done a repair to my AK hunter for free, even though the problem was my fault.

This is also something that I stated rather clearly. I have full confidence in Case's warranty work, they have a good reputation in that regard for a reason. Regardless, it is still a considerable inconvenience to the knife user and collector should they have to return their knife right after receiving it.

 

[kamagong]

A lot of people can't really afford them, can't admit it, expect perfection at the price even though it's a hand assembled, hand finished factory knife made in large quantities and they love to complain. They look for and relish faults 'cause it gets them noticed here. Some "QC isssues" can only be noticed at high magnifications.

I don't expect perfection in the Case/Bose collabs, I wouldn't expect it in a knife made by Tony on his best day. But those QC issues aren't just figments of our collective imagination.

Take a look at the nail nick on the wharncliffe blade of this WT. Notice anything off? It's not as crisp as it should be, especially when you compare it to the nail nick on the clip blade. Each and every picture of a Case/Bose WT I've seen posted has this same flaw. It's something I can live with, but that nail nick is absolutely a QC fail.

 

[pmek5]

I don’t usually spend this much on knife, but I always loved the looks of this knife & the fact it was a whittler. I was fortunate I guess in getting one with no issues. Tony made this very difficult pattern by hand, and then had Case replicate each part to very tight tolerances. This thing locks up like a vault. Liners have milled in bushings so there is no rub marks on the tangs. Little details like that make you appreciate the man behind the design. I know I will never own a Bose custom, but this is the next best thing for me.

 

[Will Power]

sitflyer Instead of the buffing wheel- it could compromise the jigging - try a loaded strop. I used it on a Norfolk and it toned down the very sharp relief of the shield. I believe B brownshoe is correct about the raised shield being intentional and it can be found on other knives including customs. But I don't care for the feel of it personally.

I also smoothed the edges of the bolsters which I found very uncomfortable, but again, it is likely a build strategy.

What I found less than stellar about the Norfolk was completely different coloured scales and even the jigging was different, I toyed with the idea of dye job but didn't want to risk it. The spring is not flush on open either and it certainly should be. I thought about returning it, but being in Europe slightly deterred me at the time and it would need a total rebuild and new scales. Being out of production was another factor.

So after sulking a fair while, I pulled myself together and smoothed down the raised shield a bit, polished and smoothed the bolsters and backspring and started carrying and using it regularly! The pocket wear enhanced things and now I enjoy the knife tremendously, and it is a little made but very historic pattern named after Norfolk St. Sheffield and an early Wharncliffe pattern.

Thanks, Will