Have Case knives lost their edge??

[northwoodneil]

I recently bought a Case 2 knife fixed blade set. The set comes with a small finn (3" blade) and a hunter (5" blade) in the same sheath. I've had a set since the 70's and got my son a set in the 90's. My granddaughter is hunting with us again this year for the second time so I thought I would get her a set. The hunter knife is perfect, solid and sharp. The finn on the other hand is dull and the pommel slightly loose. Is it to much to expect in this day and age that a knife that was so good for so many years is now just another knife? Case customer service has been good and will stand behind their product but I'll never get the knife shipped out to PA and back by deer season. It's too bad Case let a knife like this slip out of their factory. Has anyone else had any problems with new Case knives or did I just get a lemon?

[Ranger99]

I haven't bought a new Case product
in some years. Maybe early 2000's.
It's nice and sharp, but not nearly so
as the older ones I have.
JMHO-  I think they started concentrating
on the collector's market some time
back instead of the user's market.
Quite a few of them get put away in
drawers and cabinets and never get
brought out for use, only for viewing
and when headed for another collector's
hands.
My oldest is one an old mechanic and
friend gave me back in the early 80's
that dates to the early 60's. One blade
is half sharpened away, and the other
about 1/4 worn away compared to my
newer one. It still very usable and sharp.

[Graybeard]

I haven't bought a new Case in a long time. The last ones I got tho were nice and sharp and well made with no issues.

I have one of those small fixed blade knives that I think is same as the one you are talking about. Best as I can recall I bought it when I was a teenager. I'm 75 so have had it a day or three.

I used to carry it on all hunting trips but especially squirrel hunting. The old sheath for it got to where the snap wasn't as tight as it should be and I lost that knife on a hunting trip.

I went back following my trail just as exactly as possible and luckily actually found the knife where it had dropped out. I haven't carried it on a belt since. I have carried it inside of a back pack since but never again on the belt. I no longer hunt so it just sits these days. It sure has gutted out and skinned a lot of small game over the years.

[northwoodneil]

I really like my Case knives and they have always served me well over the years. I guess when you only buy a set every 25 years or so there's going to be a few changes. I think the knives will be fine in the end and Cases customer service is great. I can't say "still" great because I've never had a reason to contact them in the last 50 years. 

[Doublebass73]

I bought a new Case Stockman about 8 years ago and it was good out of the box. No issues since, have gutted some squirrels with it.

[Dee]

I only buy carbon steel knives, and at the present I carry a yellow handle lock blade Case.
It has a thumb assist, and takes a razor edge.

[Doublebass73]

I prefer carbon steel as well, I only have a couple stainless knives now.

[ironglow]

.
  Mark me down as a carbon fan also.  Sorry, but I don't think Case has made a sharp knife for 15-20 years!
   Some are worse than others.. I once had a long bladed folder called a "Farmer's knife (forgot number), that simply would NOT take an edge.
     I could have driven to the Case factory (about 25 miles) and they may have replaced the blade, but i didn't bother before giving it away.

  Some of you may have known, along with blacksmithing, I enjoyed dealing in cutlery

   When I forge a knife, i usually use repurposed 1085 or 95 steel..  My grandson has claimed the love of carbon steel from me...but leans toward 5160.

  some of you may have known, years ago..along with blacksmithing, I carried a sideline in cutlery.

  Here's a hint for very reasonably priced carbon steel blades, which have a very keen edge..

  1)  Folder.. Try an Opinel, mde in the French Alps, i believe you could shave with one when you receive it.  Easy to keep like that too. The stainless barrel turns to lock the blade.
   https://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Blade-Folding-Knife/dp/B002SCUO04

  2) Straight knife..Try Mora brand..great carbon steel in a Swedish made knife.  Very reasonable and very good, my regular carry hunting knife is a Mora carbon.  Sharp when you get it and easy to keep sharp !

  https://ragweedforgestore.com/collections/mora-1
 
 

[BUGEYE]

I carry Shrade.
I'm giving a nephew 2 Shrades for CHRISTmas that I've had since Shrades were USA made.
One of them have dressed 4 deer and many squirrels and rabbits.

Sadly, they are now made in China.

[Ranger99]

.
  Mark me down as a carbon fan also.  Sorry, but I don't think Case has made a sharp knife for 15-20 years!
   Some are worse than others.. I once had a long bladed folder called a "Farmer's knife (forgot number), that simply would NOT take an edge.
     I could have driven to the Case factory (about 25 miles) and they may have replaced the blade, but i didn't bother before giving it away.

  Some of you may have known, along with blacksmithing, I enjoyed dealing in cutlery

   When I forge a knife, i usually use repurposed 1085 or 95 steel..  My grandson has claimed the love of carbon steel from me...but leans toward 5160.

  some of you may have known, years ago..along with blacksmithing, I carried a sideline in cutlery.

  Here's a hint for very reasonably priced carbon steel blades, which have a very keen edge..

  1)  Folder.. Try an Opinel, mde in the French Alps, i believe you could shave with one when you receive it.  Easy to keep like that too. The stainless barrel turns to lock the blade.
   https://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Blade-Folding-Knife/dp/B002SCUO04

  2) Straight knife..Try Mora brand..great carbon steel in a Swedish made knife.  Very reasonable and very good, my regular carry hunting knife is a Mora carbon.  Sharp when you get it and easy to keep sharp !

  https://ragweedforgestore.com/collections/mora-1
 

Don't forget all the sodbuster pattern carbon folders
available
I have a few mora , but they're mostly all too small
blade wise

[ironglow]

I carry Shrade.
I'm giving a nephew 2 Shrades for CHRISTmas that I've had since Shrades were USA made.
One of them have dressed 4 deer and many squirrels and rabbits.

Sadly, they are now made in China.

   The original Ellenville Schrades were excellent.   Although they are now made in China, they are still a cut above most Chinese brands.
 
    An Interesting story...  One summer evening a few years ago, after Schrade was sold to the Chinese..the wife and I were sitting with my son & his wife, on the front porch of my son's house, which fronts on the state highway. 

    Two flatbed 18-wheelers went by, carrying what I could see was knife making machinery.  So I asked Bob, a fellow elder in our church, and the man who runs Ontario Knife, about 4 miles south of us, if they were headed to Ontario.  He answered in the affirmative, so Ontario is using some of Schrade's old machinery..

[ironglow]

.
  Mark me down as a carbon fan also.  Sorry, but I don't think Case has made a sharp knife for 15-20 years!
   Some are worse than others.. I once had a long bladed folder called a "Farmer's knife (forgot number), that simply would NOT take an edge.
     I could have driven to the Case factory (about 25 miles) and they may have replaced the blade, but i didn't bother before giving it away.

  Some of you may have known, along with blacksmithing, I enjoyed dealing in cutlery

   When I forge a knife, i usually use repurposed 1085 or 95 steel..  My grandson has claimed the love of carbon steel from me...but leans toward 5160.

  some of you may have known, years ago..along with blacksmithing, I carried a sideline in cutlery.

  Here's a hint for very reasonably priced carbon steel blades, which have a very keen edge..

  1)  Folder.. Try an Opinel, mde in the French Alps, i believe you could shave with one when you receive it.  Easy to keep like that too. The stainless barrel turns to lock the blade.
   https://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Blade-Folding-Knife/dp/B002SCUO04

  2) Straight knife..Try Mora brand..great carbon steel in a Swedish made knife.  Very reasonable and very good, my regular carry hunting knife is a Mora carbon.  Sharp when you get it and easy to keep sharp !

  https://ragweedforgestore.com/collections/mora-1
 

Don't forget all the sodbuster pattern carbon folders
available
I have a few mora , but they're mostly all too small
blade wise

 
 

I carry Shrade.
I'm giving a nephew 2 Shrades for CHRISTmas that I've had since Shrades were USA made.
One of them have dressed 4 deer and many squirrels and rabbits.

Sadly, they are now made in China.

   The original Ellenville Schrades were excellent.   Although they are now made in China, they are still a cut above most Chinese brands.
 
    An Interesting story...  One summer evening a few years ago, after Schrade was sold to the Chinese..the wife and I were sitting with my son & his wife, on the front porch of my son's house, which fronts on the state highway. 

    Two flatbed 18-wheelers went by, carrying what I could see was knife making machinery.  So I asked Bob, a fellow elder in our church, and the man who runs Ontario Knife, about 4 miles south of us, if they were headed to Ontario.  He answered in the affirmative, so Ontario is using some of Schrade's old machinery..

[ironglow]

.
  Mark me down as a carbon fan also.  Sorry, but I don't think Case has made a sharp knife for 15-20 years!
   Some are worse than others.. I once had a long bladed folder called a "Farmer's knife (forgot number), that simply would NOT take an edge.
     I could have driven to the Case factory (about 25 miles) and they may have replaced the blade, but i didn't bother before giving it away.

  Some of you may have known, along with blacksmithing, I enjoyed dealing in cutlery

   When I forge a knife, i usually use repurposed 1085 or 95 steel..  My grandson has claimed the love of carbon steel from me...but leans toward 5160.

  some of you may have known, years ago..along with blacksmithing, I carried a sideline in cutlery.

  Here's a hint for very reasonably priced carbon steel blades, which have a very keen edge..

  1)  Folder.. Try an Opinel, mde in the French Alps, i believe you could shave with one when you receive it.  Easy to keep like that too. The stainless barrel turns to lock the blade.
   https://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Blade-Folding-Knife/dp/B002SCUO04

  2) Straight knife..Try Mora brand..great carbon steel in a Swedish made knife.  Very reasonable and very good, my regular carry hunting knife is a Mora carbon.  Sharp when you get it and easy to keep sharp !

  https://ragweedforgestore.com/collections/mora-1
 

Don't forget all the sodbuster pattern carbon folders
available
I have a few mora , but they're mostly all too small
blade wise

   Oh yes, the great old sodbusters ! Hard to find anymore,and when you do, they will cost you.

  Back inthe 1990s, I sold many of the Kissing Crane sodbusters, by Robert Klass.  Particularly liked, was the wooden handled models, called the "Brown Mule".  Schlieper still makes a sodbuster, but again, they are costly !

   Case of course, makes one, ..but not for me.

  https://www.americanedgeknives.com/german-eye-brand-sodbuster-jr-yellow-handle-satin-blade-99jry/

   Here's a great buy, comparatively, from Great Eastern, Titusville, PA...

  https://www.collectorknives.net/shop/great-eastern-cutlery/farm-field/great-eastern-cutlery-bullnose-sodbuster-farm-and-field-orange-delrin-715118/

  BTW; Titusville is the site of the first oil well in the country..perhaps in the world.  There is a museum there, and a replica of the first derrick.  As I recall it was drilled by a man named Col Drake .

[Ranger99]

I have several each of the kissing crane
and b mule and eye brand from back when
I used to have an excess of money in the
80's.   I'd have to say I'd pick the eye brand
if I had to choose a favorite.
I couldn't buy any of them now. The eye
brand sodbusters are about $99.00 the
last I heard. The stockman and trappers
are probably astronomical. I had yellow
and stag both. I still have the yellows
but most of the stags are gone

[Dee]

I've got a yellow Eye Brand Sodbuster laying on my TV stand right now. Takes an amazing edge, and like EDC Case the patina suits my taste.

[teamnelson]

My wife just bought me a new Case Mini Trapper chestnut bone CV, I wanted the CV. And it’s the sharpest out of the box knife I’ve bought in a while. Recently bought my son one of their Doctors Knifes for his white coat ceremony, and that came scalpel sharp. Guess maybe it depends. I’ll be giving the grand boys wooden Case trappers for their 5th birthdays so they can learn and show their Dad good knife etiquette before they get a real one.

[Ranger99]

I've got a yellow Eye Brand Sodbuster laying on my TV stand right now. Takes an amazing edge, and like EDC Case the patina suits my taste.

Yeah,  that Eye brand will cost you nearly
a C note to replace now

I wish I'd bought em by the dozens
back then

[Dee]

I've got a nephew that considers himself a knife guru that says Eye Brand Knives are cheap.
I think their one of the better knives..

[ironglow]

I've got a nephew that considers himself a knife guru that says Eye Brand Knives are cheap.
I think their one of the better knives..

  As I said previously, I used to deal a bit in retailing cutlery, and I say, ..Eye brand knives are top line !

[ironglow]

.
  Here's what sharp should look like!  My grandson, demonstrating one of his custom forged blades, carbon, 5160.

   https://www.facebook.com/jon.andrews.52056/videos/523208505410389

  " It will cut !"

[northwoodneil]

Yup, that's sharp!!! Case took care of me on that knife, I sent it in and a knife came back that was tight and fairly sharp. I don't if it's the same knife or a replacement.

[Dee]

How many of you guys ever seen this Case fixed blade? I bought it years ago in a knife shop in Missouri
I've never been able to find any information on it other than it was a one time short run for Case, and the knives came with no Case shield in the handle, just the cutout for it.
The quality sheath came in the Case box with it, and the model is a DE17506, and the steel is 440C.
The shop only had one, and it weren't cheap.

[ironglow]

.
  I don't recall that model knife..it must be quite rare, and well worth hanging onto and keeping unused.

[Dee]

I sharpened it years ago, and it has a razor edge, even made a couple a different style sheaths for it, but have never used it.
The knife is one solid piece of 440C, and I can't remember what kind of wood the scales are made of.
It fits my hand like no other knife, but I just can't find anything on the year it was made, or how many.