Unknown Case.. production knock off?

PickPocket

PickPocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've heard rumors that a very well known, and highly respected case maker, also made some inexpensive, production type cases for a time.

Just wondered if this would be an example of one? It could just be a total knock off. I cannot find any markings anywhere.

Your assistance is appreciated!
 

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Few more...

Just a few more to view...
 

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Run to the rooftop and shine that JB light into the nightsky and John will be here in a jiffy to chime in.
 
I have no idea who made that case. It looks like it is supposed to be a Ron Thomas knockoff just based on the lid snap.

I wonder what well known and highly respected case maker stands accused of this.

Can't think of many who have the ability to do this type of case. Us, It's George, Engles.

www.jbcases.com
 
Call Ron Thomas. I believe that case is an older one of his. I have a 1x1 in the same vinyl pattern.
 
PDX said:
Call Ron Thomas. I believe that case is an older one of his. I have a 1x1 in the same vinyl pattern.
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it is a ron thomas....i use to have one just like it.....
 

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That's good news!

So, I'm guessing it's one of the production models he made, any idea on value?
 
but but but you can't leave us hanging..... who is this well respected case maker you heard made knockoffs for a time????

That was an odd way to ask for a case identification.
 
I was going to say, if that's a knock off, it's worth great money. Very nice case.
 
Oh I got it. Duh I stoopid. The original poster was saying that Ron Thomas made It's George knockoffs for a time and was asking if this unmarked case is an example of such.

Since it's been identified as a Ron Thomas and since it's closely patterned after the It's George cases and since Ron worked with It's George for a time I would say that this mystery is solved. Yes, apparently Ron Thomas made some unmarked knockoffs of It's George and yes this is one of them.

Since then Ron graduated to making the Centennial style of case but it's not polite to call them Centennial knockoffs so we just say Ron Thomas cases. If they were made in China you could call them knockoffs..... :-)

I just call them all in the family.
 
Jb...

PickPocket said:
I've heard rumors that a very well known, and highly respected case maker, also made some inexpensive, production type cases for a time.

Just wondered if this would be an example of one? OR IF It could just be a total knock off. I cannot find any markings anywhere.

Your assistance is appreciated!
Click to expand...

(That's actually what I ment) I was told it was a Ron Thomas, but I hadn't seen one like it before, and only heard rumors that he made some in this fashion.

So I wanted to see if AZB could positively ID it as his work, or if it was a total fake all around.

Got my answers! Thanks AZB!! :grin:
 
PickPocket said:
(That's actually what I ment) I was told it was a Ron Thomas, but I hadn't seen one like it before, and only heard rumors that he made some in this fashion.

So I wanted to see if AZB could positively ID it as his work, or if it was a total fake all around.

Got my answers! Thanks AZB!! :grin:
Click to expand...

You have an early Ron Thomas. Once you said highly respected casemaker you totally eliminated any chance of this case being of Chinese origin.

JV
 
classiccues said:
You have an early Ron Thomas. Once you said highly respected casemaker you totally eliminated any chance of this case being of Chinese origin.

JV
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Yeah we wouldn't want any China-based case maker being accused of copying. None of them are "well respected" by the "big" dealers so they don't get the same free-pass like Mr. Thomas and others when it comes to making "knockoffs".

:-)

Maybe someday these "experts" will be honest enough to acknowledge the copying origins of the "well respected" cases makers that that they deal for. Even drug dealers are proud of the origins of their drugs but some case dealers don't like to talk about it. Very strange world we live in.
 
PickPocket said:
I've heard rumors that a very well known, and highly respected case maker, also made some inexpensive, production type cases for a time.

Just wondered if this would be an example of one? It could just be a total knock off. I cannot find any markings anywhere.

Your assistance is appreciated!
Click to expand...

I spoke to Ron this evening:
A- He never worked for Its George
B- He never made "production cases"
C- This is his early case and HE came up with the snap for the lid because he hated the latch.

JV
 
classiccues said:
I spoke to Ron this evening:
A- He never worked for Its George
B- He never made "production cases"
C- This is his early case and HE came up with the snap for the lid because he hated the latch.

JV
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A - not "for" - with. Ask him if he ever worked with Mike Roberts at any time in any capacity? Does he even know Mike personally? Ever spent any time at a show with Mike or been in Mike's shop?

B. - "production" is a relative term. When the cases are all the same exact construction and measurements then they are being produced in a systematic manner than only differs from an assembly line by scale and method.

C - the snap closure is a time honored method of closing cases and much cheaper and easier to install than latches. It also removes the need to put a big hunk of metal right on the front of an otherwise sleek case. Brilliant thought to use a snap like so many other case makers in other fields have done. I am sure that Mike Roberts was quite relieved to see that this Thomas case was not a 1:1 copy of his work but instead a revolutionary improvement.

All this dancing around rather than to simply admit that Ron flat out copied the It's George case???

Just be proud of it. Copied and "improved". That's how I do it when I copy someone, I try to improve on what they did and give them credit for the ideas I took.

Edited to add: Sorry for being a little snarky....touchy subject and not in the best of moods at the moment.
 
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