Boker Sodbuster...How Does It Compare to Case

C

Coonskinner

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Mar 28, 2001
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I notice that Boker is putting out some sodbusters made in Argentina with carbon steel blades.

Has anyone tried these? If so, how do they compare with the Case CV?
 
Fit and finish is not quite up to the standard of the Case but still pretty good.

The handles are flatter, not as round and warm in the hand.

The steel is good and cuts well. I sent one to Chris (Orca) and he should be able to fill you in on its performance.
 
I've been using one for a while. Carbon sharpens up quick, takes a nice clean edge, holds it a good length of time. Mine had a bit of blade wobble, but a few taps with a pein hammer put that to bed, and now it's one of my favorite carry pieces.
 
Steel: simple answer - Boker's steel compares fairly well with Case's CV.
Overall: Inexpensive, well made, and not so well finished that you'd be afraid to mark it up a little.

I have several Case slipjoints in CV, with 20deg. edges on most. The Case CV takes a finer edge than the Boker and holds the edge a little longer; at 20deg., the Boker takes a 'toothier' edge. They'll both slice through paper easily, and the cuts look just as clean, but the I can feel a little more resistance when cutting with the Boker. The Boker seems to cut rope and fibrous materials a little easier than the Case, but like I said, it will dull a little sooner. Case CV, when sharpened right, cuts like a laser. (I know, I'm preaching to the choir here.)

Here's the one Smoky - er, Elliott ( ;) ) sent to me (along with my son's Case jr.):

DSCN03181.jpg


Other comparisons: The Boker is "boxy", the handle lines & angles are more acute than the Case, which is more rounded. The Boker is great with gloves (ie :yardwork) as the handle sits very firmly in your hand and does NOT move side to side. (The Case tends to 'roll' a little, so I like it better without gloves.) I softened the Bokers' handle profile down a little with emery cloth, so my wife could use it more comfortably without gloves.

The Boker is 4-5/8" long closed, so it's not really pocketable, unless you wear overalls; it does fit perfectly in a Buck 110-sized sheath, so that's an option.

thx - cpr
 
I have to pretty much agree with everything orca said about the handle. Mine has a small gap between the pivot and the scale on one side. It doesn't affect the function of the knife in any way and it has a good snap when opened. It carries well in jeans, but it's a little big for slacks. If you're looking for a large yellow handled soddie with carbon steel it's a good choice. If you want a smaller knife a Case jr will probably have a better fit and finish. Here's a couple more pics for size reference. They're not the best quality, but it gives you an idea of how big the handle actually is.

Shown with an Imperial barlow and a Camillus whittler.
DSCF0011.jpg


DSCF0008.jpg
 
Check [post=7546757]my latest post[/post] in the "Yeller handles" thread.

There's a picture there that has both Böker and Case sodbusters.

Why, here it is now!
2008_0322-Knife020.jpg



There's a picture set of the patina I induced on a large Case sodbuster. You'll notice that the patina is a satin-smooth gray color.

In the group picture you will see the patina on the Böker is a matte black.

The CV steel develops a smoother gray patina over time as well (I have an old beater Sod Buster Jr in CV that's got that aged gray tone).

The Böker blackened up quickly in kitchen work, and went really black when I did the juice treatment.

The Böker's edge was excellent out of the box, just as the Case edge was, too. The fit & finish on the Case is better. The Böker fit & finish has more of a "working man" feel.

The Böker handles are slightly more "grippy" than the Case (the Case scales are a lot smoother and shiny).

I'm happy with both of them.

However, if you want a large yellow-handled sodbuster, you'll be getting the Böker, since Case has discontinued the large yellow/CV pattern, with only the Jr. (CV & stainless) in current production.

 
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One thing I forgot to mention - the Case scales are Delrin, I believe, and the Boker scales are polypropylene. To me, there's a distinct difference in how the different materials feel in hand, and the Boker's don't polish as well. (I polish down the edges on a lot of my slipjoints, as I whittle quite a bit.)

Arfin - Great Pic! :thumbup:

thx - cpr
 
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