- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 693
Howdy Y’all,
So, I recently started a new job working at the local feed store. I work mainly in the warehouse, loading feed and such, and I like it so far. It’s a different type of work than anything I’ve done in quite a while, and, being a knife knut, I got to thinking, before I even started the job, about what type of traditional cutlery would be best suited to the tasks at hand.
None of the traditionals I owned seemed quite right for the job. They were either too small, too heavy, or too nice for warehouse work. Of course, I could have just used a utility knife for a while, but what would be the fun in that? I finally decided to use a little Christmas money on a full size Case yellow Sodbuster in CV.
Here she is brand new:
And today, after five weeks of use:
I must say, this knife has proven to be an excellent choice. I carry it vertically in the back right pocket of my Carhartts, beside a folded bandanna. It’s comfortable and easy to get to, and it’s very well suited to the various cutting tasks I encounter. I especially like that I can get it out quickly, even with gloves on. When you’re out back in the shade, loading a few tons of feed and minerals on a flatbed when it’s 30 degrees and windy, you will need your knife, but you will also need gloves if you want to have any feeling left in your hands when you’re done.
I also like the fact that I only have about $30 in this knife. I don’t abuse it, by any means, but I also don’t have any time to mollycoddle it. It gets set down on any number of surfaces, accidentally dropped on concrete, loaned to coworkers, etc., and I know that if I manage to do something really stupid, like run over it with the forklift, I’m not out that much money, and it is easily replaced. It’s also really easy to find when you drop it in the hay trailer!
The FF on this knife has a kind of “ugly duckling” quality to it. The grind on the delrin handles is far from symmetrical, and it had a pretty decent chip in the blade edge at first where it was hitting the back spring. But, the chip sharpened right out, and the handles feel fine in use. The snap is great, and the knife just feels super-solid. The spring is strong enough that I feel comfortable in heavy cutting tasks without a lock, but not so heavy as to be hard to open.
The other day, my manager and I were unloading some new corral panels. They come banded together with those really heavy plastic bands. My manager grabbed a pair of tin snips off the forklift to cut them, but they just kind of slid on the plastic without cutting. He looked at them and said, “What the heck?!” I pulled out the sodbuster, and, BAM! It went right through. I ended up cutting all the bands off the whole load of freight that morning, because I had the only cutting tool within arms’ reach that would handle them. The knife was getting a little dull by the end, but four or five quick passes on a cheap AlOx pocket stone during lunch break, followed by a few stropping passes on my pants leg, had it right back to hair-popping sharp. I really love the CV for that.
Even with a forced patina, I have still had some rust spotting from being in my pocket on particularly sweaty days. (It only happens on the mark side of the blade, which is the side against my body in my pocket.) After rubbing the spots off with a Super Eraser, I recently wrapped the blade up in a vinegar-soaked paper towel for a few hours before bed to darken the patina a bit more. That seems to have done the trick, and as long as I wipe it off anytime I use it, and before putting it away for the night, it seems to be resisting rust just fine. I don’t mind the extra bit of maintenance, because I much prefer carbon steel.
All in all, this soddie has proven itself right at home in the farm store. I still keep my Case Small Texas Jack in my front pocket for more delicate cutting tasks, or for peeling an orange at lunch, but the sodbuster does most of the work in the warehouse. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a solid, dependable knife on a budget.
Thanks for reading!
TH
So, I recently started a new job working at the local feed store. I work mainly in the warehouse, loading feed and such, and I like it so far. It’s a different type of work than anything I’ve done in quite a while, and, being a knife knut, I got to thinking, before I even started the job, about what type of traditional cutlery would be best suited to the tasks at hand.
None of the traditionals I owned seemed quite right for the job. They were either too small, too heavy, or too nice for warehouse work. Of course, I could have just used a utility knife for a while, but what would be the fun in that? I finally decided to use a little Christmas money on a full size Case yellow Sodbuster in CV.
Here she is brand new:
And today, after five weeks of use:
I must say, this knife has proven to be an excellent choice. I carry it vertically in the back right pocket of my Carhartts, beside a folded bandanna. It’s comfortable and easy to get to, and it’s very well suited to the various cutting tasks I encounter. I especially like that I can get it out quickly, even with gloves on. When you’re out back in the shade, loading a few tons of feed and minerals on a flatbed when it’s 30 degrees and windy, you will need your knife, but you will also need gloves if you want to have any feeling left in your hands when you’re done.
I also like the fact that I only have about $30 in this knife. I don’t abuse it, by any means, but I also don’t have any time to mollycoddle it. It gets set down on any number of surfaces, accidentally dropped on concrete, loaned to coworkers, etc., and I know that if I manage to do something really stupid, like run over it with the forklift, I’m not out that much money, and it is easily replaced. It’s also really easy to find when you drop it in the hay trailer!
The FF on this knife has a kind of “ugly duckling” quality to it. The grind on the delrin handles is far from symmetrical, and it had a pretty decent chip in the blade edge at first where it was hitting the back spring. But, the chip sharpened right out, and the handles feel fine in use. The snap is great, and the knife just feels super-solid. The spring is strong enough that I feel comfortable in heavy cutting tasks without a lock, but not so heavy as to be hard to open.
The other day, my manager and I were unloading some new corral panels. They come banded together with those really heavy plastic bands. My manager grabbed a pair of tin snips off the forklift to cut them, but they just kind of slid on the plastic without cutting. He looked at them and said, “What the heck?!” I pulled out the sodbuster, and, BAM! It went right through. I ended up cutting all the bands off the whole load of freight that morning, because I had the only cutting tool within arms’ reach that would handle them. The knife was getting a little dull by the end, but four or five quick passes on a cheap AlOx pocket stone during lunch break, followed by a few stropping passes on my pants leg, had it right back to hair-popping sharp. I really love the CV for that.
Even with a forced patina, I have still had some rust spotting from being in my pocket on particularly sweaty days. (It only happens on the mark side of the blade, which is the side against my body in my pocket.) After rubbing the spots off with a Super Eraser, I recently wrapped the blade up in a vinegar-soaked paper towel for a few hours before bed to darken the patina a bit more. That seems to have done the trick, and as long as I wipe it off anytime I use it, and before putting it away for the night, it seems to be resisting rust just fine. I don’t mind the extra bit of maintenance, because I much prefer carbon steel.
All in all, this soddie has proven itself right at home in the farm store. I still keep my Case Small Texas Jack in my front pocket for more delicate cutting tasks, or for peeling an orange at lunch, but the sodbuster does most of the work in the warehouse. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a solid, dependable knife on a budget.
Thanks for reading!
TH
I love a Case sodbuster and I love knife pictures so I hope you don't mind a few more in your thread.
