Renowned Texas Knife Craftsman Bill Ruple Joins Case Team
Oct. 4 to 5 at Salt Palace Convention Center
Today, Case is at Blade Show West 2024 in Salt Lake City to showcase new Case products and special features including the brand’s first collaboration with renowned, Texas-based custom knife craftsman Bill Ruple and an exciting new Crossroads line that blends traditional Case patterns with modern features and a precision build.
Ruple joins the Case team at the Salt Palace Convention Center to meet and greet Case fans, knife enthusiasts and media and introduce them to the highly anticipated Bill Ruple x Case Axe Handle™ Collection which recently launched.
Known for custom-made pocket knives handcrafted in his Pleasanton, Texas workshop, Ruple is widely recognized for his extraordinary talent and dedication to the craft of traditional knife making, and his signature style continues to reflect the precision and artistry of the brand that most inspired him.
“As a lifelong fan of Case knives, I’m honored and excited to present the new collection in Salt Lake City and talk to everyone at Blade Show West,” said Ruple. “The first knife I ever owned was a Case slipjoint my dad gave me when I was a kid, so this partnership is special to me.”
At the Salt Lake BLADE Show, Case will also unveil the XR Sod Buster® Jr. (link TBD), the first in a collection of new knives scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter under the Case Crossroads (“XR”) banner. The new XR Sod Buster Jr. remakes the traditional Case ’37 Sod Buster® Jr in its original frame with modern features and a precision build. Premium features include end-to-end handle materials like burlap laminate, G-10 and laminated wood, and a stonewashed S35VN stainless steel Skinner blade. The design is screwed together to reinforce the knife's integrity and performance over time.
Case is also debuting an all-new, in-house image deco treatment we call Case® Color Infusion (link TBD). Case “CI” pairs knife decorating techniques with our advanced manufacturing technology to print a superior “4-plus” color image on a Case knife that’s incredibly durable and infinitely customizable. Throughout our history, Case has offered knife deco options that ranged from simple metal and bone engraving, traditional pad printing and color filling to more complex laser engraving. Case CI provides the highest level of image quality ever offered by Case.
2024’s BLADE Show West will also feature our new Bridgeline series of everyday capable (EDC) knives, including the LonghouseTM and HighbanksTM models. The screwed-together designs are precision crafted with aluminum frames and bolsters for durability while minimizing weight. Both knives feature tough, luxury composite and wood handle materials like Micarta® and rosewood, with premium CPM20CV blades for excellent edge retention and rust prevention, plus a ball bearing pivot and a steel deep-carry pocket clip for convenience and easy opening. Like the Case Marilla and Kinzua EDC models, the Longhouse and Highbanks designs are named in honor of popular outdoor recreation areas and landmarks near the Case factory in Bradford, Pa., the brand's home since 1905.
“We’re celebrating 135 years of legendary craftsmanship for the Case brand in 2024, and we’re especially proud to bring our newest examples of American-made quality and innovation to Blade Show West in Salt Lake City,” said Brent Tyler, Vice President of Global Marketing at Case. “From the new Bridgeline EDC series and Crossroads knives to the extraordinary Bill Ruple Collection and the breakthrough technology of Case CI, this will be one of our most exciting shows of the year.”