W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company, an American manufacturer of premium quality knives, proudly celebrates 125 years of award-winning hand-craftsmanship, small-town heritage and time-honored tradition. The company’s rich history began in 1889 when the four Case Brothers began fashioning knives and selling them along a wagon trail in Upstate New York and has included such ledgendary case knives like the V-42 stilleto made famous by the the First U.S. Special Forces and the M-1 survival knife that accompanied astronauts on the all Gemini and Apollo missions. Case products range from the classic patterns like the Case Trapper, and Stockman that are meant for everyday use to collectables sets. 

The company’s commitment to American hand-crafting is part of a work ethic that resonates with the countless hard-working Americans who have made giving Case knives part of a family tradition that spans generations. “The 125th Anniversary milestone is proof of this company’s resilience and we look forward to celebrating a new era at Case Cutlery with Case collectors, fans and employees,” said John Sullivan, Director of Marketing, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company. “We’ve prevailed for 125 years, through times where much of the knife industry was in a state of flux. We’re proud to be one of the nation’s leading manufacturers and are fully committed to retaining our brand’s position as the frontrunner in traditional, hand-crafted knives.”

To further this commitment, Case Cutlery’s parent company, Zippo Manufacturing Company, is investing nearly $10 million toward renovating their Bradford, Pa., factory. The renovations, which are currently underway and expected to finish by the end of 2015, include a complete remodeling of the Case Cutlery factory that was originally constructed in 1975, including new equipment and floor configurations that will allow better efficiency, productivity and quality without affecting the hand-craftsmanship that goes into every Case knife. The company’s current location is its third manufacturing facility in Bradford since 1905.

With a refurbished outlook on the future, Case looks towards an increased ability to revive classic styles and create new designs. Case is planning to roll out a World War II V-42 Stiletto reproduction model in 2015, an idea that’s been highly anticipated by America’s servicemen and women as well as Case collectors. Case knives and the American military have gone hand-in-hand for decades, as far back as World War I, when the U.S. government called on Case to make military knives for American servicemen and women. Later, during World War II, Case manufactured the first-ever V-42 Stiletto, issued to the legendary First Special Service Force (1st SSF, aka Devil’s Brigade).

Logo courtesy W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company