case bowie

[squinty]

For better or worse, whenever I hear "Bowie knife" the blade shape that pops into my head is this:

But a quick google search won't tell me what kind of steel it is, and I don't know the quality of current case products. So I'm asking for opinions: Is this a durable, useable knife or a wall hanger? Worth the $125-$140 retailers want for it?

 

[cutter17]

Not a bad image at all to pop into one's mind! As far as steel, I think Case uses something along the lines of 420/440 steel. For display the Case is excellent, for use I would look elsewhere. Not that a Case wouldn't be able to do some of the things you might use it for, just that the blade is a little thin, if I remember correctly.

 

[yablanowitz]

It may be thin, but it out-chopped my Spyderco/Hossum Forester by a very wide margin on my seasoned locust test log. Mine isn't exactly current production, though. I've had it for about twenty years.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

For better or worse, whenever I hear "Bowie knife" the blade shape that pops into my head is this:

But a quick google search won't tell me what kind of steel it is, and I don't know the quality of current case products. So I'm asking for opinions: Is this a durable, useable knife or a wall hanger? Worth the $125-$140 retailers want for it?

I suspect most who buy these do so for display/collecting. Case uses a stainless steel called 'Tru-Sharp Surgical Stainless' in the vast majority of their standard line (including this bowie). As previously mentioned, it's comparable to something like 420HC. Case doesn't heat treat it as high as others (Buck uses 420HC too, with excellent results, treated to around 58RC I think). Case treats it to mid-50s on the RC scale. On the upside, this steel does take a very good edge, is relatively easy to get it there when sharpening, and is then very easy to maintain the edge. But it is relatively soft, so it'll be a little more prone to edge rolling and will likely need more frequent touch-ups, if used heavily.