Case vs Swiss

[wingriderz]

I rotate my carry knifes every week or so. Lock blade right rear pocket and some kind of slip joint right front. I have had the case bug in last few years and really like them. I have had a swiss army that was given to me before retireing . Its about 13 years old. I have the swiss in pocket this week. I am not hard on any of my knifes. I would have to say I think the Swiss is a bit better blade than the Cases I have . The fit and finish goes to case every time. Whats the groups thoughts on this.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I own several hundred knives including Case and SA.
But when the dust settles, the Dog is done, the Fat Lady sings, Great Eastern fan here. Carrying one right now.

 

[6string]

Hi,
This is my first reply in the knives section.
Have you ever looked at the Hubertus knives from Germany?
Great steel with many scale options. Everything from lockbacks, to multi-blades, to hunting knives, to switchers.
Very stylish designs, too.
Great for the aficionado who uses, and appreciates, a fine knife.

Sorry for drifting off from your question a bit, but for the two brands you like, the Hubertus seems to combine many elements of both.

Best Regards,
Jim

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Hi,
This is my first reply in the knives section.
Have you ever looked at the Hubertus knives from Germany?
Great steel with many scale options. Everything from lockbacks, to multi-blades, to hunting knives, to switchers.
Very stylish designs, too.
Great for the aficionado who uses, and appreciates, a fine knife.

Sorry for drifting off from your question a bit, but for the two brands you like, the Hubertus seems to combine many elements of both.

Best Regards,
Jim

Have owned several Hubertus'. Never actually used them, sold them.
Do you carry one?
Which one?

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Great sentimental attachment to Case here, but every SAK I ever had (gave away a few) came with a better edge and held an edge better. And they're stainless. And strong (survive improper use for prying). OTOH, Case had a little greater variety of blade shapes, which was occasionally important.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I always have had a bad habit of carrying a pocket knife just long enough to know how much I like it before it gets lost. :-( There have been dozens over they years that I have really missed. I've learned not to get too attached.
These days I keep a buisnessman Victorinox on the keychain and something easy to replace ( generally Gerber or Walmart ) clipped tp the pocket. These later, I usually buy 2-3 at a time.

 

[Drm50]

I am not a big collector but a big user. Always was a Case fan. I have been
very disappointed with Case blades in SS. I only buy the carbon steel models. Case isn't the only one either. Everyone I know that uses a pocket knife as a daily tool has no use for Case or any other SS knife. As far as
Swiss Army knives they aren't that popular because of bulk but some how everyone has one. Blades may be better than Case, but still SS. I go by, if it don't rust, don't trust.

 

[Mule Packer]

This is the only Swiss Army knife I have. My grandmother brought it back from Switzerland in the early 1950's and gave it to my dad. He gave it to me when I was around ten...about 1958.

I don't own one of the modern ones, so I really can't give an honest opinion about them.

I do, however, own several Case knives.

Since the Zippo lighter company took Case over in 1993, the quality of Case knives has improved significantly. From what I understand, they brought some of the old Case metallurgists out of retirement in order to bring the quality of Case knives back to where they once were. The Case knives of the 50's and 60's were top notch. It wasn't until the 80's when their quality started to slip.

I really like the quality of Case steel, particularly their chrome vanadium (high carbon) blades. Their stainless blades (what they refer to as "surgical stainless") are very good, too, although they take a little longer to sharpen.

Now, remember, the only SAK I have to compare the Case knives to is the one that my dad gave me. Between that one and the Case knives that I own, the Case knives win hands down. Better steel, better edge retention, easier to sharpen, etc.

Of course, that's just my two cents worth.

 

[Ribwizzard]

Case copperlocks, other than that I go with spyderco paramilitary 2 ( best EDC knife )

 

[Drm50]

I think the knife companies like Case are catering to collectors instead of
worrying about blades. The only reason they have carbon steel line is for
guys that actually use them. I have a buddy that has a few hundred case
knives in his collection. He would faint if he had to use one and put a mark on it. If you made him cough up his carry knife you can bet it will be one of those late night TV type.

 

[white cloud]

I usually carry some type of Spyderco clipped to my pants pocket and SAK in the other pocket. This combination takes care of most all my cutting needs. That said, I really like the traditional look of the Case. The problem is the Case isn't as handy to deploy as the Spyderco and lacks the tools of the SAK. So I am taking my Case $$s and buying reloading components as I think it might a good to stock up.

 

[gnystrom]

Benchmade 943 in my right front pocket,
Tiny Swiss army clipped to a tiny flashlight in the watch pocket of my jeans,
Swiss Tinker in my left front pocket.

All of them get used but the Tinker with its various tools offers me the ability to repair a lot of things a regular blade cannot begin to handle.

 

[diyj98]

I think the knife companies like Case are catering to collectors instead of
worrying about blades. The only reason they have carbon steel line is for
guys that actually use them. I have a buddy that has a few hundred case
knives in his collection. He would faint if he had to use one and put a mark on it. If you made him cough up his carry knife you can bet it will be one of those late night TV type.

I agree. I love Case knives, but to collect and look at. I just sold off Case knives I'd been collecting for several years just because my interests have changed. For daily use I prefer a $10 to $15 lockblade mainly because I tend to lose my carry knives.

 

[kwselke]

I just put my Case Copperlock SS and my Mini Copperlock CV in rotation this week. I put a 15 degree per side edge on each this weekend, both are shaving sharp. It's my understanding that Case's CV steel is currently an alloy of 1085 with a touch of chrome and vanadium tossed in. Their SS blade steel is supposedly 420HC. It's also my understanding that Case does not heat treat their steels as hard as some manufactures do similar blade steels, in order for the blades to be easy to sharpen with basic sharpening tools. I have not had a problem with either steel, but do find they require touch up sharpening far more frequently than say Buck's standard 420HC.

I have little experience with Swiss Army knives, but a quick search showed that Victorinox uses 1.4110 stainless for their SA blade. I do have a bit of experience with 1.4110 stainless and feel it equal to or a bit better than Buck's 420HC.

Which of the three steels is better, depends how better is defined. They are good reasonably priced blades. They are not high dollar powder metallurgy tool steels, or even 440C. I'll add that I have diamond and ceramic sharpeners and have little problem sharpening most any steel. I think my Case bone handle knives are beautiful. Much classier than Swiss Army in my mind.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I never have compared my knives like that. I buy knives that I like, or they are occasionally gifts. I carried this blue SAK every day for decades but the rest are either in storage presently. This one that I routinely carried is soaking in 3-in-1 oil to get rid of the soot from last year's fire. It's probably good to go but I have been lazy and have not checked. I believe the other knife in this picture survived and is in storage:

I adore Case rooster knives and after the fire this was the survivor:

These SAKs and the others survived the fire:

I should dig those out and carry them now that I am thinking about it. I do have knives with me, always, but I need a SAK back in my pocket!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

For my 13th birthday, my brother gave me a Case XX. I daily carried it for years! But I was in Nogales on the Mexican side of the boarder in January 1974 for my 18th birthday. I was in a government Duty Free shop. I was looking at a SAK with a serrated main blade. I ended up cutting the back of my thumb while closing the blades. It was so sharp it just went deep in a hurry. I pulled my bandana and wrapped my thumb the pulled my wallet to pay. The senora that was waiting on me wanted to get me a knife that hadn't been bled on. I insisted that I must have that specific knife, because we are bound together by my blood! About 20 years ago I semi-retired that knife. I only carry it to weddings, funerals and on camping trips!

I gave my wife a SAK for a wedding gift, she had it for years, but her purse was stolen and I was heart broken, but she told me that she had semi-retired it when I did mine and carried a different SAK for EDC. That Spring I gave her the monster SAK with like 104 functions and in a hip pouch. She only carries it for camping trips!

The wedding gift? She gave it to our only daughter as a wedding present. Guess how often she carries it: Weddings, Funerals, Camping AND to the hospital when she has her triplet sons!

Good knives are for EDC! Very Special Knives, are for Very Special Occasions.

My EDC are a 1990's SAK Tinkerer and an Emerson/Kershaw CQC-4KXL 6055 (and a model 49 no dash)

Ivan

 

[Donn]

I've been a SAK fan almost 50 years, an Evo 11's riding in my pocket right now. Was late to the party regarding Case. Have a half dozen or so, like them fine.That said, I continue carrying the SAK. As mentioned elsewhere, the tools make the difference.

 

[double-dipper]

I have one Case knife it came with a Leupold scope I bought about 10 years ago stag handle and laser marked Leupold . I carry an $17.00 Old Timer now, but have carried about everything made. I will usually loose them or donate them to the TSA agents at the airport. so I only buy knifes under $20.00

 

[EdinDenver]

I have a Case knife that I've carried for at least 5 years in my right front pocket. Call it "Grandpa's Knife" if you want but it's pretty much a fixture and habit. I lost it once about two years ago - fell out of my pocket while doing work on a rental property about 3 hours from home. Was bummed when I got home and realized it wasn't there. Went out the next morning to finish that work and found it laying in the front lawn. What a relief.

I've also carried a Spyderco Police model for a long time before it disappeared....but lately, if I want a clip-on to go with me, I take a Boker. I really like it - wood handle (photo isn't the greatest) so it's a bit fancy but it came very sharp and it keeps a great edge - this one is a few years old as well.

If I want something with a bunch of tools, I have a Leatherman that I bought about 26 years ago that I'll take - it usually goes with me when dayhiking/backpacking/camping, etc....

....but the Case is always in my right front pocket.

 

[MRB1]

I carry a Case - for many years. Case must have a problem with their QC, because if you want one without obvious defects, you have to go through the dealer's stock to find one that comes close to being what used to be normal quality. Also like Swiss, but why they still put the corkscrew in most of them is strange.