W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery: A Legendary Knife Maker
by John C. Krull
Gun Week Production Manager
It has been 3 years now since my trip to the W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company (PO Box 4000, Owens Way, Dept. GWK, Bradford, PA 16701; phone: 814-368-4123; on-line: www.wrcase.com) factory. I still remember the trip through the hills and valleys of the Southern Tier of Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania on my Harley. I had a dream years ago to retire by the time I was 40. At that time, I fantasized that I would just go cross country and see how candles were made, ammunition is produced, how knives are crafted and how everything else is produced for us. There is so much to see in this country that there just isn’t the time to do it all. Well, I haven’t realized that dream, but sometimes, bits of it do come true.
I developed a great respect for the craftsmen and women at the Case knife factory on that day. I was allowed to work on the line and to make my own knife, which gave me an insight as to the skill that was involved with the hand crafting that went into the production of each Case knife. I remember being told, and, I think it is also in the book Case, The First Hundred Years, that each knife goes through 160 steps to completion. This includes all the steps of stamping, grinding, heat treating and assembling each knife.
To the best of my knowledge Case is the oldest knife company still in production. The company actually started up in 1889 and has been producing quality cutlery for the last 118 years. If you come across any of the really old literature or packaging for the early products of Case you might see an older distinguished-looking gentleman with the words “established 1847” inscribed, or “since 1847.” This was actually the birth year of William Russell Case, the eldest son of Job Case. That gentleman was Job R Case, who was born in 1821 but who really never made knives.
Case has a whole history that I just don’t have time to write about in the limited space that I have here. If you want to learn more about the Case company try obtaining a copy of the book I mentioned. Back just a couple of years ago it was still available on-line through Barnes and Noble.
Just a couple of months ago at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Orlando, FL, I spent some time with the people at the Case booth. I had spoken on the phone with Fred Feightner many times, but until now, we had never met. Feightner holds the position of marketing coordinator. I walked into the booth and asked the first person I saw if John Sullivan was around, and it turned out that this person I was asking was Feightner. While Sullivan was in a meeting at the time, Feightner was able to show me around their booth.
For anybody who has never been to a SHOT Show it is impossible to imagine the expanse of the area taken up by the booths and the size of them. Case’s booth has a display area of I would guess 20 feet by 40 feet with additional area taken up with a small pre-fabricated office area for meetings with distributors and Case dealers. The perimeter of the Case booth is taken up by display case upon display case of mostly items that are currently in their catalog but there are also displays of knives of yesteryear. All in all it makes for a very impressive display.
Feightner took me around the whole perimeter and at each case he described to me what was in it. My one question was “how do you remember all this information with their being so many different variants.” He said something like, you just remember it all.
When I asked how many items are presently in the catalog, Feightner answered 280. Now I’m not sure if each of those is a knife or if he was including the steak knives, the display cases and the hats, but I’ll tell you that their retail price sheet is 9 pages long. Case has an impressive product lineup.
Case Reception
That evening I went to a reception put on by the Case Company that I have had the great fortune to be invited to for the last several years. To me, this is one of the highlights of the SHOT Show. Not only is the food and drink exceptional, the company is a combination of knife dealers, company reps, writers, renowned knife designers, and members of the Case family. By family, I mean the people who are employed by Case. I have found over the years that Case is a family entity in its own right. The attendants couldn’t be of a nicer group of individuals who I am proud to be allowed to join.
That evening a gun store owner from Texas, who sells knives along with firearms sat next to me. I asked him several questions about what sells best—both gun-wise and knife-wise. Something that he has observed over the years is that when someone comes in looking for a knife and if they are over 40, you direct them to the Case knife display. If they are under 40-years of age you direct them to the product from the younger knife companies with the pocket clips on them. This seemed to me to be a very knowledgeable observation on his part.
That night, also seated at the table was A.G. Russell, who sat across from me with others from his company. So, the conversation was truly enjoyable. I have several of his knives and my daughter likes to collect his catalogs.
What’s New
So what is new from Case for 2007? Where do I start? I’m going to use the words of the catalog to describe each of these knives because I figure a lot of time and thought has gone into them and how better to compliment Case than by using their own words.
The first knife to catch my eye in the catalog is the Black Bone Medium Stockman ($69.95). This Rogers Jigged Black Bone Family of knives features the red oval Case logo. There are 10 patterns, from the Sowbelly to the Folding Hunter, which means that there is a knife in this family to fit both your needs and your taste.
Case has the Pocket Worn family of knives. These are knives on which just a little more time has been spent in hand-finishing. This makes them feel like they have been in your pocket forever and they just feel right. The Pocket Worn knives come in Old Red Bone, Caribbean Blue and Harvest Orange colors. The Pocket Worn Medium Stockman ($71.95) is the one I would choose.
Also new this year is the William Russell Case family of blades. He was the father of the company’s founder, the company namesake and first company president. Simply put, he was one of the pioneers in American cutlery. On the 160th anniversary of his birth, Case honors W.R. Case with this new family of knives featuring the master-blade tech- printed with his image, exclusive WRC coat of arms shield, and W.R. Case blade tang stamp. Traditional craftsmanship and timeless appeal make this the perfect gift. My favorite is the Whittler ($89.95).
The Tangerine family is an eye catcher. These attractive new knives feature Rogers Corncob jigger genuine bone handles and the exclusive Case arrowhead shield. But, the first thing you notice is the color. The bold tangerine color really makes these knives stand out. Whether you’re a hiker, a mountain biker, or just a channel-surfer, this fun and casual knife is the one you’ll want. The Baby Doc ($67.95) features a spear blade along with a spatula blade. I’m going to have to look up the function of the spatula blade, because I’m really not sure of its use.
Brown Barnboard
The Brown Barnboard family includes several functional and beautiful knives. A knife, while it can be a thing of beauty, is basically just a tool. To do a job and do it well, you need to have the right tools, and you can’t be afraid of a little hard work. The Brown Barnboard knives are like that. Genuine bone handles feature the barnboard jigging pattern, giving them a weathered look—durable and authentic, like an old barn. With Tru-sharp™ surgical steel blades, these knives are ready for a full day’s work. Check out the Equestrian’s knife ($75.95).
The last knife that I intend to feature in this article is not a new item but one that I own and can therefore attest to its usefulness. This being the bone XX-Changer ($155.95). The XX-Changers come with four interchangeable blades which can include a saw blade or a gut-hook blade. You choose and “Xchange” for the blade that you need for any given task. It comes with a leather belt case which holds the knife and the extra blades.
So much for a little history on the W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company, along with a brief showing of the new items in the catalog for 2007. There’s lots more that Case offers, so go online and check them out, or get a hold of a copy of their catalog. You can never go wrong with giving that special person in your life a Case knife as a present. While Case knives are not inexpensive, remember you get what you pay for, and quality always costs a little more.
Remember when contacting Case to tell them that John at Gun Week sent you.
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