3 Backspring Stockman

[jth250]

Hey, I got a new Case Stockman and noticed that it has 3 backsprings instead of 2 like the older ones had. I was wondering if there any advantages or disadvantages with the 3 backsprings. Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[Sonnemann]

Blades can be straight and not krinked to fit.

 

[knarfeng]

Blades can be straight and not krinked to fit.

What Steve said.
The advantage of that is that when you open any blade, it does not come out at an angle, but straight. This makes it easier to make controlled cuts.

I think a second, lesser advantage is that you don't get so much blade rub. (I personally don't get bothered by blade rub, but some folks do.)

 

[richstag]

Excessive blade crinking can actually keep you from being able to lay the entire edge from choil to belly (or choil to tip on wharncliff) and have the entire edge make contact on a flat bench stone.

My favorite stockman was a Buck Colt and it had three springs.

Some prefer 2 springs for a more compact and sleek knife.

I agree also with everything mentioned.

 

[Bigfattyt]

As a child, the blade crinking on my Old Timer drove me nuts! I was trying to bend them straight with my hands, before I realized that they were crooked for a reason!

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Biggest advantage is the 'straight' blades. Usually the sheepfoot is crinked, on other 2-spring stockman designs. As mentioned, sometimes that creates difficulties in laying the crinked blade flat against a stone. That's sort of a double-whammy on the sheepfoot, because to sharpen that straight edge properly, it really needs to lay flush on the stone. Any bend (crink) in the blade will make for an uneven and very unattractive bevel left, after sharpening.

Straighter blades might be less likely to rub against one another, but it's not guaranteed. My 3-spring '47 pattern from Case still experiences a little bit of rub, because the blades are still very close together. Usually, just the little bit of lateral deflection from pressing the nail nick is enough to make it rub a little bit.