Is Case what they used to be?

I'm no expert either, far from it in fact.
I have a buck 105 pathfinder. I've used it for decades now.
For skinning, I always wanted a buck 103.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293207464864

+1 on the Buck 103. I never wanted one, but took one in trade for building a BP derringer kit for friend over 30 years ago. If I had to unzip an elk and had to pick just one knife for the job, it's a tie between this one and my Green River beef skinner.

People collect Case knives more than they use them in my experience. There are better knives for the same money. Unfortunately all the good US competitors (Schrade, Queen, Camillus) have gone bankrupt. Some have been bought and had their production sent to China but you should avoid them.

If I wanted a new traditional pattern slipjoint knife these days I would buy a Buck. Or John Primble if I wanted to spend a few more dollars. They claim to still be made in USA but I don’t know by whom.

EDIT: Bear & Son say they still make 100% of their knives in the USA. They make several traditional pattern knives. I have a peanut and it’s a perfectly good knife. I may have to buy a couple more just to support them.

I do agree a lot own Case to collect. In fact in my county, there's a hardware store thats a Case Master Dealer. You walk in and about half the place is like a museum for Case knives that are for sale. Different cases with different themes. I have a handful of Case Knives. I dont carry them but I like them. Honestly if you're a knife person id say owning a couple is a requirement.

I am a Buck person, I know quite a few ppl on the Buck forums that use 119s for skinning on hunts. Buck does make a skinning kit that comes with a skinner and a gut hook style knife.

Buck omni hunter is by far my favorite hunting blade. So much so that I’m having James Davis from county line forge (forged in fire competitor) make me a Damascus blade in the same pattern.

When I got married just a few years ago I bought my groomsmen a case medium stockman with turquoise scales. I bought those knives due to quality and fact that they are an investment for collectors. They can be used every day but I expect them to be used as special occasion carry.

CASE sent me a new replacement Medium Stockman and the blades had rub marks and scratches. I have bought several vintage USA knives listed on All About Pocket Knives Make an offer I'm sure sellers need the business.

I collected and sold Case knives until my divorce 10 years ago, when I sold my collection, about 400 knives. They are still making good knives. But they are selling to the collector and are priced accordingly. Evil bay has the best prices, usually about 10% over dealer cost, the time I checked. For the collector they are a good investment, but the knife has to be in unused condition, never carried, unsharpened, with box & paper.

For an EDC, they are a good knife, but are pricey. There are better values in other brands. Some of the Chinese knives are good, but you have to know what steels are the best, and which ones to avoid. My most carried knife is a Kershaw.

Case still makes good knives. Their slipjoint designs are classic and not too popular with most users who expect a pocket clip, so Case's buyers are probably more collectors. The quality of the knives is as good as it has ever been. They don't use the super steels and most of their designs are old fashioned -- brass liners, bone handles, nickeled bolsters. Their Chome-Vanadium knives are very easy to get really sharp, but they will discolor if you even look at them wrong. Their stainless doesn't seem as easy to sharpen or to take as good an edge but it's not bad and pretty carefree. Definitely don't expect S35V type performance from either. Case is generally known for their small slipjoint pocket knives like the Stockman, Peanut, Trapper. They make other knives but they're atypical of the brand. The typical Case pocketknife is small for skinning deer. It's more of an everyday carry knife where you'll use the pen blade the most. It's more akin to a Swiss Army knife than something that you'd use to dress big game. They would work well on small game like birds, squirrels, rabbits. For big game, I would suggest a 3.5" to 4" fixed blade. Get two or three of them and you can always have a sharp one when one starts to dull. I'd rather have a few sharp fixed blade paring knives to dress game than one super steel thing.

They are better known for their bone handled pocket knives than fixed blades. You can do better.

There are about a bazillion choices out there and so much of it is personal preference. For hunting I still prefer a folding knife, but there are some good fixed blades. The type of steel is very important and something beginners never consider. Buck makes some good knives, but use 420 HC steel in most of them. It is a decent steel, but not my favorite

I've become quite fond of S30V steel, but there are other good ones. I really hesitate to recommend something specific since it is so personal. Hunting season is at least 3 months away. Don't be in a hurry, learn as much as you can and get out to someplace and actually handle some knives.

Here is a good article describing some of the different steels and their properties.

https://knifeinformer.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/

You tube is an excellent resource. Just about any knife made has been reviewed on youtube

This is one of dozens of examples. And one of my favorite Buck knives. Good steel and a quality handle material under $70.

https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Knives-...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I carry a Case Doctor's Knife every day as well as a proper EDC knife. Case makes great made in the USA knives, and they do make hunting knives as well, but all I've ever had were of the folder pocket variety. For great fixed-blade hunting knives, made in the USA, I've almost always used a Buck. Note: not all Bucks are made in the USA, and Bucks are a little less spendy than Case. Both are excellent.

This is a good one at a reasonable price.

Arkansas Paul said:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020559493?pid=485187

Click to expand...

I have an ESEE folder that is a beast, and I've got my eye on an Ontario.

rust collector said:

My favorite hunting knife is the Esee Nesmuk, but Ontario makes some nice ones too (eg TAK 1).

Click to expand...

Me too. (Kershaw and ZT).

Jesse Heywood said:

My most carried knife is a Kershaw.

Click to expand...

Just as a side note, not to try to sway @Arkansas Paul from a fixed blade, but I have pretty much switched to a folder for my hunting knife. My usual hunting clothes are bibs and coat. That means no belt. A folder with pocket clip goes in a pocket.
I do keep my fixed blade Buck zip-tied to the shoulder strap of my safety harness.

I carried Case and Schrade knives for a lot of years. In a fit of nostalgia, I asked for a caramel jigged bone trapper for my birthday. It's nice, but I wish it was not the stainless. I like the look of carbon blade with patina and I do think they are a bit easier to sharpen. Still good knives, about like always.

If you want a US made slip joint knife Case is the way to go. I also have a Buck slip joint that cost $20 and is very well made but is Chinese. If you don't specifically want a traditional-style like a slip joint then skip all of these and buy a pocket knife that locks open.

This is the only Case knife I still have, a three blade Stockman, that I picked up over 40 years ago. Thought it was too nice to ever take it out and use it; besides I had a lot less expensive pocket knives for every day use.

Great Eastern Cutlery makes the best US production traditionals, in my opinion.

Madcap_Magician said:

Great Eastern Cutlery makes the best US production traditionals, in my opinion.

Click to expand...

I fully agree. As a knife knut more than a gun guy, I find the current Case knives lacking. Blade rub, poor scale fit, blade play. Don't get me wrong, i like my Case knives. They make a nice $40-60 gift for fathers day. However, I think that the Chinese made Rough Riders are generally at above their level of fit and finish (if you can pick through them) at the cost of only being available in stainless over carbon steel.

The GEC brand is, imho, what a tradional knife should be. Impeccable fit and finish, good steel, pinned (not glued) shield. I got a Beer Scout 3 or 4 years ago, and its one of my favorite knives.

As for a hunting fixed blade, I wouldn't consider Case within my top 5. Not a bad choice, but there knives out there that will probably do the job better or cost less...or both.

Fiv3r said:

I fully agree. As a knife knut more than a gun guy, I find the current Case knives lacking. Blade rub, poor scale fit, blade play. Don't get me wrong, i like my Case knives. They make a nice $40-60 gift for fathers day. However, I think that the Chinese made Rough Riders are generally at above their level of fit and finish (if you can pick through them) at the cost of only being available in stainless over carbon steel.

The GEC brand is, imho, what a tradional knife should be. Impeccable fit and finish, good steel, pinned (not glued) shield. I got a Beer Scout 3 or 4 years ago, and its one of my favorite knives.

As for a hunting fixed blade, I wouldn't consider Case within my top 5. Not a bad choice, but there knives out there that will probably do the job better or cost less...or both.

Click to expand...

I am definitely more of a knife person than a gun person now as well. I'm not hugely into traditionals myself, but you can also get a respectably good traditional knife by going through Buck's custom shop, which will allow you to upgrade to S30V or S35VN as a blade choice for a lot of models and gives you some attractive handle options. Lionsteel out of Italy is also making some traditional-pattern knives in modern materials - M390, micarta, titanium, etc.

A sharp finger was my first hunting knife, because I found that old beat up knife on the road. It’s been the best knife I have ever had, and I would certainly not hesitate to buy another or recommend it to anybody. Brand name and place of manufacture are a concern, but less so than design

Another American made option.