Where to buy legitimate Case knives?

H

Hawk1

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Mar 22, 2018
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I have been an amateur collector for 30 years and would like to add a few case tested knives to my collection. When i look at ebay they all seem fake or problematic. Many seem to cheap at 50 or 60 dollars. I have two i bought from Jim Sargent 20 years ago that are worn but are legitimate and i can tell it.
Am I missing something or do most look that way to you too?
Were can I go except ebay? I miss the knife lists of years ago.
 
Hawk1 said:
I have been an amateur collector for 30 years and would like to add a few case tested knives to my collection. When i look at ebay they all seem fake or problematic. Many seem to cheap at 50 or 60 dollars. I have two i bought from Jim Sargent 20 years ago that are worn but are legitimate and i can tell it.
Am I missing something or do most look that way to you too?
Were can I go except ebay? I miss the knife lists of years ago.
Click to expand...
dlttrading.com is an excellent dealer. Plenty of others too. Blade magazine often has a list of good dealers called "where to net 'em". I got a Case Sodbuster not long ago for about $20 from dlttrading. I avoid ebay like the plague, especially for production knives.
 
Are you looking for new current production case knives ?
If so you theyllt carry them at your local hardware store.
 
Try to get one with cv steel. CV holds a better edge longer than other steels that Case uses now. CollectorKnives.net has a good selection of Case.
 
pretty much any reputable dealer. Be careful of amazon. Since you can so easily return stuff be careful that is isn't a swapout.
 
I generally buy my Case branded knives in person at a particular knife store in East Tennessee that carries most of their line. They also produce a catalog. I like to look at and handle several of the same knife if I am interested before I choose. You pay a little more, but to me it's worth it to walk out the door satisfied.
 
Try to handle in person, as Case’s QC is spotty. They carry them at my local tractor supply. When I go in to buy grain I always like seeing what they’ve got. Looking at knives in the cases of feed stores has delighted me since I was a little kid, so I’m happy to still indulge.
 
I frequent eBay and have never noticed a case knife that stood out as a fake. I know it has been reported a couple times, but I think it is a rare occurrence.

If you see any that you suspect is a fake, can you post a link or photo? I'd be interested.
 
Lots of legitimate dealers on eBay. It's not hard to find them and if you use discretion you can often get great deals there. I have bought many knives off eBay and never received a fake.
 
I would like to add a few Case tested (1920-40). There are several on eBay but i guess I just dont trust it.
I have started looking at the links provided here. The prices seem a little higher but that seems the best way to go to me. The best knife i have is a Case XX 6488 with red bone handles. It is slightly used with no blade wear and great snap. A guy in college gave it to me because he owed me $20. I enjoyed carrying it until I was told it's age. Thats really how I got started.
Thanks for all the replies.
Hawk
 
The classic "snap" is what's missing from modern Case knives. I used to love looking at them at the local hardware store when I was a kid. Loved the smell of the oil they used..... days gone by. Now the oil is probably "toxic".
 
jc57 said:
http://www.wrcase.com/dealer/

Tons of Case dealers all over.

Here's a tip, though, and not just because he is a dealer here- check Collector Knives first: https://www.collectorknives.net/product-category/case-knives/

His prices are usually hard to beat and his customer service is impossible to beat.
Click to expand...

After reading this I gave them a try. Top-notch service. Ordered on Sunday, knife and some accessories were in the USPS system by 9:00 AM Monday, delivered to my mailbox about 10:30 AM Wednesday. Excellent website, easy to navigate and order.
 
Case knives don't really get faked. Not modern ones, anyway. The ones you need to be wary of are the really old ones that look like they're brand new, or even shinier than brand new. A "cleaned" knife doesn't necessarily mean pivots flushed with soap and water and WD-40. When you see a super, super shiny knife from several decades ago, it's more than possible that abrasives were used to remove patina and rust and then polished to look pretty, shiny, and appealing to potential buyers. And some times such a knife will be "cleaned" so much that the tang stamps are nearly gone, or visibly different (worn away on one side, but deeply stamped on the other). Rarely, such stamps might be faked. The original gets worn/cleaned off, and a stamp for an older area is added. Or they'll deepen a faded stamp.

So again, it's extremely unlikely that you'll actually come across an actual "fake" Case knife. However, misrepresented ones are common pitfalls to keep an eye out for and avoid. Or at least keep it in mind when accepting a price.
 
Hawk1 said:
I would like to add a few Case tested (1920-40). There are several on eBay but i guess I just dont trust it.
I have started looking at the links provided here. The prices seem a little higher but that seems the best way to go to me. The best knife i have is a Case XX 6488 with red bone handles. It is slightly used with no blade wear and great snap. A guy in college gave it to me because he owed me $20. I enjoyed carrying it until I was told it's age. Thats really how I got started.
Thanks for all the replies.
Hawk
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I posted a message on your profile page.
 
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