I recently learned that Case Knives came out with their first modern folding knives, the Kinzua and Marilla.
The Case Kinzua folding knife features a flipper opening mechanism, frame lock, 3.4″ long tanto-style blade made from S35VN, and an aluminum handle in blue, black, or red.
The Marilla is similar, but with drop point blade shape and G-10 inlay within its aluminum handle, also available in blue, black, or red..
I reviewed a Case Back Pocket knife nearly a decade ago, and although it was well-made, my use tapered off and I eventually gave it away.
Knife users are spoiled a bit today, myself included, favoring easy and quick one-handed opening knives. Most Case knives require two hands to open, due to their traditional styling and nail-nick-opening blades.
Thus, Case lost quite a bit of visibility with me over the years, until recently when I spotted the new knives. Judging from Case’s marketing materials, they launched the Kinzua and Marilla knives sometime around late-2021.
Flipper-opening knives are definitely a deviation for the iconic brand.
Neither model checks off a lot of boxes for me, mainly on account of their 3.4″ blade sizes, but they definitely have me looking more closely to see what Case will come out with next.
Like other Case knives, the Kinzua and Marilla are made in the USA.
User reviews so far seem to be mixed, but somewhat positive.
Price: $116 for the Kinzua, $136 for the Marilla
