Case CV vs Trusharp SS

CL01

CL01

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Apr 19, 2007
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OK, so I just got a Case Swayback Jack CV in Chestnut bone. It has a Wharncliffe main blade, so I thought it'd be interesting to compare it to a Seahorse Whittler that I have in SS.

Now, since they're not the same knives, I guess it won't mean that much in that the Whittler's Wharny is thicker & a littler longer. Their edges are about the same, though, but the SBJ's Wharny is thinner.

Anyways, this was very informal, but I cut paper & light cardboard multiple times to see how long they held their edge. Basically, I kept cutting until it started ripping (Or not cutting cleanly). Not very formal, I know, but a good way for me to guage EDU.

I've read how they're very close, but I found the CV to hold its edge noticably longer. Both are very easy to sharpen, that's for sure, so it really isn't a big deal, but I was curious.

I still like the Seahorse Whittlers stout Wharny blade, though. However, the SBJ's thinner Wharny was a heck of a slicer. I will admit this would've been been better had I used a SBJ in CV & SS, but I don't have one of each on hand.

I did try to get a friend's Case mini-Trapper SS to compare to my mini-Trapper CV, but he wasn't terribly fair on trading, so this will have to do.

Obviously, this was very subjective, but I did enjoy spending yesterday carrying around both knives & making multiple cuts of everything I could find, lol.
 
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It's always nice to experiment with knives a bit. I did a similar test to yours, using a CV sodbuster jr. and a SS sodbuster jr. To be honest, I didn't really notice much of a difference between the two. Perhaps I'm not very picky when it comes to steels, or perhaps the angles weren't the same, but it appeared as though they were pretty similar in use.
 
CL01,

Over the years, I have played around doing the same thing and pretty much came to the same conclusion. Nothing wrong with the SS versions, but in my "experimenting" the CV versions hold an edge quite a bit longer. I also notice when sharpening on the same stone that the SS versions develop a burr a lot faster, so my little mind is thinking that the CV might be a tad harder. (I got not proof of that, but that is my story and I'm stickin' to it, until I do something to change my mind. ;))
I also can sharpen the CV's at a smaller angle than the stainless and still get a edge that will outlast the stainless.

Nice choice on the CV swayjack. I love that little knife and would even like to see them make one a little bigger. Been carrying and using mine on and off for about 3 or 4 months now and still am impressed with it.
 
I want one of those CV Swaybacks. Most of you guys have a lot more experience with the two steels than I do, but I haven't really noticed much difference in performance between them. I prefer the CV cause it gets a nice patina:D:thumbup:.
 
In side-by-side manila rope cutting tests, with both sharpened to the same angle, CV held an edge a bit better than Tru-Sharp. I think the difference in performance was enough that I would expect to see the difference in daily use.
 
Sometime back I did a sort of test, with both the CV and true sharp. It took more cutting than one would do in a usual day to tell the difference. I was using corigated cardboard sheets cut to the same size with a Stanley utility knife. It took something like 50 cuts or more to start telling the difference between the two.

I have a true sharp bone stag peanut, and my other two peanuts are a yella CV and a chestnut CV. I alternate carry, depending on how I feel. One day I like the bone stag, the next day I may carry the yeller boy. In most day to day use, I can't tell the difference. But then as a retired gentleman of leasure, (another way of saying front porch loafer) maybe my days ain't as busy as in the machine shop. ;)

Thier both good.
 
They are both good. I'm certainly not complaining about nor knocking TruSharp. I was just curious how they compared & I'll admit that while I used similar blade shapes, they were different blades.

The Seahorse Whittler's Wharny is much thick, taller, & slightly longer. However, I also compared the Pen blades in both, which were closer. I still "felt" that the CV held its edge a little long.

I will admit I'm used to higher end steels, though. I have a Cannitler in D2 &, of course, my Case/Bose collab. in ATS-34.

I am really liking the SBJ CV, though, that's for sure.
 
I have found you can sharpen CV to a steeper angle without the edge rolling over when cutting a lot of cardboard. For me that is the ultimate test! Tru-sharp is 54-57 and CV I think could be 59. I am going to test them both at the shop Monday. I love Cases CV, one of my favorite steels. I really believe it is significantly harder than the true sharp. IMO :D
 
kodiak said:
I have found you can sharpen CV to a steeper angle without the edge rolling over when cutting a lot of cardboard. For me that is the ultimate test! Tru-sharp is 54-57 and CV I think could be 59. I am going to test them both at the shop Monday. I love Cases CV, one of my favorite steels. I really believe it is significantly harder than the true sharp. IMO :D
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When I tested a CV sodbuster, it was 54.
 
knarfeng said:
When I tested a CV sodbuster, it was 54.
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Mabee you got a bum blade..... then again, mabee you didn't. I don't doubt you for a second. I reprofile all of my knives to 30 deg. and the CV seems so much harder than the tru-sharp. It could be just me though!
 
I have slowly culled out my SS blades from my EDC rotation in favor of CV, 1095, and D2. Not that the SS had any glaring faults (in fact they were more than acceptable), I just thought the Carbon family had a performance edge and evolved in character with the onset of a nice patina.
 
knarfeng said:
When I tested a CV sodbuster, it was 54.
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RobbW said:
Maybe you tested the tang, which is annealed to accommodate the stresses of opening/closing.
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It is true that I tested the tang of the Case CV Soddie and got 54, so maybe it was annealed,
But when I tested a Queen soddie or a Camillus stockman, the tang read in the 40's.

I do not think an annealed tang should only drop by a couple of points from the edge hardness. So maybe the Case CV soddie is not annealed and 54 is a real number?
or maybe Case can limit the annealing to a small portion of the tang?

I don't have enough data yet. Eventually, I will.
 
I like the CV a little better. But I haven't been let down by my stainless Cheetah Cub. If there is an option I'll go with CV, if only because I like the look of patina. But if there's a pattern only available in stainless I won't boycott it. Frank
 
CV all the way! I have noticed that it takes and edge and holds on for dear life. I like cases trusharp best out of any other SS but i would stick with CV personally.
 
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