Click on thumbnails for larger image
Case knives factory tour
Case (R) hand crafted knives come from a long tradition
of only allowing the finest American hand built knives to be produced
& traces it's lineage back to the master craftsmen knifemakers of Sheffield in England.
W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. was started back in 1889 in upstate New York.
The Case family formed a cutlery dynasty
that would eventually own & operatemore than a dozen firms.
Of these firms, it is the one started by Russ Case, with the help of his father,
William Russell Case, that grew to dominate
& become the W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. that is so loved today.
Case knives are particularly famous for
their practise of "twice tempering & testing" their blades,
hence the famous "Tested XX" trademark.
Their factory is in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
In 1993 W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. became part
of another privately owned Bradford business, Zippo Manufacturing Company.
Click here for Paul's one-of-a-kind Case (R) knives
Falling in love with Case began with meeting Lisa & Phil, through a mutual friend,
on their honeymoon cruise around the South Pacific.
It was great to spend a day showing them a little of Christchurch.
While in Bradford (for Zippo's 75th anniversary celebrations)
Lisa gently seduced us into Case-mania
by inviting us to do a Case factory tour
followed by the rare honour of being allowed to assemble our own
Red Bone Chrome Vanadium Slimline Trappers - WOW!!!!!!
Photos courtesy of Lisa Boser
A special thanks to Mr Tom Arrowsmith, president of Case Cutlery, & Lisa for both their generous hospitality & taking time out of their already busy days to spend with us.
Thanks also to those who assisted in making our visit so magical -
Staci, Whitey, Toni , Rich & Ricky - it was a real pleasure!
Case's factory in Bradford, PA. Case moved their factory to Bradford in 1905.
With Phil Miller & Lisa Boser.
Lisa is head of the Case Collectors Club
With Whitey Peterson, our factory tour guide. Whitey's knowledge & passion for Case's knives was infectious!
Chinwagging!
Martine working on her knife
Martine's tutor,Rich Mascho, pointing out some of the finer details.
Martine checking her pride & joy's sharpness.
Paul at work
on his Trapper
Ricky Deitz highlighting an area that needs additional work.
2 ecstatic foreigners with their finished knives & their tutors. (& no the glasses are safety glasses, not a fashion statement!)
Paul's much loved every day use trapper
Case (R) knives
2007 Factory tour
"in all things be passionate"
