Granted, today's Case knives might not be the quality that we saw back in the 1970's... but neither are they something to sneeze at. At least sometimes. The small saddlehorn knife shown is a good example of what Case can product when it's firing on all cylinders.

* The blades are perfectly centered.

* The blades have an immaculate polish to them. Only Case... at least as far as I've seen... really puts such an incredible polish on their steel.

* The blades are OUTRAGEOUSLY sharp! This is something that tends to be a little "hit and miss" with Case. I've experienced "very sharp" and "just kind of sharp". This one is a winner.

* There is a nice half-stop when opening and closing the blade... and the location provides a tangible confirmation.

* The jigged bone scales are an awesome blue that I am particularly fond of. Case really provides collectors with a nice range of colors!

* The bolsters and handlebacks are wonderfully polished. Just beautiful!

Again, Case really can produce some well-made knives when it wants to. Now... if it would only "want to" more often.