Old timer
Russlock
I also regularly carry a Swiss army tinker.
Old timer
Russlock
I also regularly carry a Swiss army tinker.
Ordered it off Amazon. Synthetic terra cotta color scales. Really a nice light brown with a warm, orange undertone that sets off the brass nicely, with some "swirl" pattern evoking wood grain, kinda. It was also the cheapest one on the site. Pretty little thing and it's just right. It balances just between the index and middle fingers, a little bit toward index, which makes it "float" in my hand, just like my best kitchen knives.Originally Posted by blues
It is a manufactured product, though. Plenty of imperfections, some that were surprising and would be extremely annoying if I didn't plan to just start putting patina on it immediately. Most prominent, the brand inset was polished so much that the oval isn't all there. (Anyone have knowledge of Case considering something like that a defect that warrants replacement?) I generally keep car keys in the same pocket it rides in and there are already marks on it from that.
I noticed it had dark black goo around the pivot, and green thread fragments jammed into cracks, seemingly bits torn off a polishing wheel or industrial rag. Decided I should clean that out so the abrasives don't continue cutting. Either I wasn't paying as much attention before I cleaned it as I did after, or it seemed to lose a bit of smoothness when unlocking.
Googled "case knives factory lube" and found this post: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/.../#post-7935511
That actually kinda makes sense to me. Kinda like the copper goo (a.k.a. anti-seize) Glock ships on the rails, that is said to final polish them; leave it on for the first several hundred rounds to achieve a level of smoothness on the slide that will never otherwise be reached. Is that something the knife dorks know about? Any idea what grit of Clover paste one would want to put back in to re-establish that process? 800? 1200?I had a theory about this dark looking lubricant, which maybe off the wall but here goes.
I had noticed this only over the last few years on new knives at least between GEC, Canal Street Cutlery and Case that they are using Carborundum/Lapping powder mixed with oil, which would have a lapping effect on the blade tangs to help them work in when opening and closing the blades. I've only noticed this lubricant on the joint area and not on any other part of the knife.
Dang it, I can see the top of the rabbit hole from here...
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Not another dime.
It should serve perfectly well as an EDC / user, but if you aren't satisfied, amazon would take it back without batting an eye and replace it...and Case would probably take care of you as well though it would be faster to just get it done via amazon.
Hope you'll enjoy it...but definitely don't get too close to the edge. The hole is deep...
There's nothing civil about this war.
So... I exchanged it through Amazon. The new one arrived this morning. Even worse, by a lot. Multiple quality problems. But at least they didn't polish it so much the logo is worn off...or enough to remove all the tool marks from the scales, or enough to make the surface of the scales level with the ends of the pins. There are big gaps between the scales and inner plates, and the blade is angled so badly it almost touches the side of the slot when closed.
It's almost like someone got hold of a pile of factory seconds that were never meant to go out the door and is selling them as good product. I think this time, I'll take it up with Case directly, just to do my part in closing the "voice of the customer" loop.
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Not another dime.
I have found it hard to get away from using a Victorinox Tinker as an EDC knife. Been carrying one 35 years or so because they fit the needs.
Those grips are old school Eagle Secret Service Boot grips. I have a pair floating around here in a slightly lighter color, but otherwise identical. In that picture they are on a post-'66 D-Frame and were made back when Eagle made the bottom of the grip flush with the grip frame. Now the ESS grips extend slightly below the frame. They are a fine grip for concealment, they suck balls for shooting.
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RE: classic blade - I still use a Case Mid-Folding Hunter as my "classic" folder. It's classic with a modern twist, of being a one-hand opener and having a little liner locking tab, in addition to the spring back. I would look at the brand new Case Tony Bose Tribal Lock line <$125 with Tony Bose design influence.
@RevolverRob
Rob, in case you missed it, this is the reply from my good friend who did the work and formerly owned his own gunsmith business...
I don't think there's anything he doesn't know about the firearms or knives he has built or worked on...
I racked my brain last night on the grips and I THINK they are Eagle finger groove grips that I modified. I cut them even shorter , right up to the bottom of the frame. Being a third series (1973 to 1986) the grip frame is not full length. I also had to deepen the clearance cut for the speed loaders I used at the time. As a side note this revolver was originally nickel plated. I wore it up against my skin in my waist band. The nickel had frosted on that side . I then bead blasted the entire revolver and applied a baked on matte black firearm finish, bobbed and checkered the hammer and installed the grips. I have a Wisconsin ccw and to this day the Colt rides along. I have owned it since 1984. Probably way more info than you wanted! Lol
Last edited by blues; 08-01-2019 at 01:25 PM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Right, they are Eagle grips. And either cut down or old school production Secret Service, doesn’t matter too much, neither are available from the factory! And they definitely have to be relieved for speed loaders.
Here is my pair on my 1970 Vintage Colt Cobra, I just dug them out and mounted them. Pictured with the aforementioned Case Mid-Folding hunter. You can see I crudely relieved these for speed loaders about 15 years ago, using a razor sharp Barlow, then torched the exposed wood to give it some kind of finish. I looked on the back, they are marked “Eagle Grip Industries CDF” on one panel and “CDF SS” on another. CDF I assume is Colt D Frame and SS is likely Secret Service.
ETA: I also see that Ken spent considerable time fitting the grips. Colt D-Frames are sort of notorious for poor grip fit, due to not so good QC on frame dimensions. You can see on my gun that the back of the grip panel ends long before the back of the frame. This isn't Eagle's fault, it's Colt's. This did prompt me to go ahead and do something I had been meaning to do for awhile, break out a stone grinding wheel and reshape the back of the frame, rounding it and reducing it to match other grips better, in addition to these Eagles.
Last edited by RevolverRob; 08-01-2019 at 02:11 PM.
Just printed the return label for the second one. Amazon didn't offer an exchange/replacement this time.
It's a shame, because I really do like the little thing.
Last night, I drove to Bass Pro to look at their Buck inventory. I think a 501 or 503 would be just right. They didn't have a 503 there; spent some time looking at the 501s through the blister pack. They were all notably inconsistent in ways that would bug me. Other Buck knives of similar construction had similar issues. I believe it's an inherent consequence of the hand finishing that their manufacturing process relies on. Irregular hand finishing is something I kinda expect when I'm paying Harbor Freight prices, but I'm not down when I'm paying American-made prices for American-made goods that have a reputation of quality.
So the plan is just check inventory any time I'm at a place that has stock of Buck or Case. When I eventually find a 501, 503 or Mini Copperlock that looks like everybody was paying attention when assembling and finishing it, I'll buy it. The revolver plan.
In the mean time, the little promo knife that started the whole thing is in my pocket, and I actually like it better than the sub-$40 Buck/Gerber/etc. options. I'm pretty sure I paid nothing for it back in the day, so I'm a lot more content with it for the time being.
At least now my little terrier brain can let go of this bone for awhile...
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Not another dime.
GEC anything would be a great choice.
Another classic, albeit not nearly as "traditional", is a Victorinox SAK. An EDC favorite of mine, possibly the knife I have and use more than any other, is an Alox Cadet. They fit perfectly in the watch pocket of most jeans. Regardless of what folder I pick for random daily enjoyment, I almost always have a Cadet.
Last edited by StraitR; 08-12-2019 at 09:22 PM.
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