W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company was awarded the Investor/Collector Knife of the Year Award for its collectible knife series, the Case Family Brands Encyclopedia Set, at the Blade Show in Atlanta, GA on June 4, 2004.
The seven-volume set chronicles the various cutlery companies owned by Case family members for well over a century. Fifty-eight knives make up each seven-volume collectible set; each one handcrafted with a unique pattern, a special shield, and engraved with a common serial number throughout the series. The knives are housed in leather bound boxes made to look like actual encyclopedia volumes. Each volume includes stories and original artwork dedicated to the history of the company.
"For the collector, the Case Family Brands Encyclopedia Set is the ultimate representation of more than 100 years of knife making heritage," said Tom Arrowsmith, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Case Company. He adds that the set was developed to recount the fascinating history of the Case Brothers, their families, and their contributions to the industry.
There are seven books, including: Case Brothers Cutlery Company, Cattaraugus Cutlery Company, C. Platt's Sons Cutlery Company, Crandall Cutlery Company/Little Valley Knife Association, John D. Case/Kane Cutlery Company/ Case Manufacturing Company, Kinfolks Inc./ Standard Knife Company and the W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company.
Only 350, seven-volume sets made.