Case CV

Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
536
Have been pondering about adding a Case to my EDC rotation. Not sure whether it will be a small secondary knife (Baby Butterbean or Peanut) or an EDC in its own right, probably a Canoe.
I have never heard anything good about their stainless steel though read posts here saying their chrome vanadium is OK. The only ones I can find in CV are the yellow handled ones and Amber Bone - is this it for CV? I would have thought if it is better than their stainless it would be used much more. Is the stainless steel on the older models any better? If so how far back would I need to go to get a decent knife or should I look to Hen and Rooster or another brand? Thanks
 
Hi,

As far as I know, the two scale options you listed are the only ones in C-V steel. I think it's not used more because it looks horrible when it scratches, and stains a deep black once the plating is broken:(.

I think They've always used the same Stainless through the years. Queen was probably the first to use a high quality SS in their knives(440C). Older Robeson's used better quality stainless too, I think:).



HTH:D:).
 
If you watch ebay you can find some older Cases in carbon steel, but you pay more for them.

I think Case uses mostly stainless because their main market is the collector market, and for a collector, corrosion resistance is far more important than edge holding.

Their CV is pretty decent steel, comparable to 1095 IMO.
 
Case CV steel has been pretty good for me so far. I have a bone trapper, yellow stockman and yellow copperlock in CV, and all are nice knives. I think it develops a nice patina. It does tend to pit more than 1095, but that could just be carelessness on my part, too.

Case does have many nice patterns to choose from. Their stainless isn't as good as Buck or Uncle Henry, but it is usable. I have a peanut that is one of my sharpest knives. Doesn't hold as long as some, but while its sharp, it's sharp!

As far as fit and finish, if you can hand pick a Case, you can find a really nice one. Fit is better on an Old Timer or Buck, but their finish seems to be really nice. And their peanuts have nice half-stops on both blades, a nice feature. You just have to work to get a pointy tip on them, unless you get the brown plastic handled ones.
 
It has long been a complaint of mine that they don't offer the CV in more models. I mean a whittler needs the CV if you are going to whittle with it. Most Case collectors don't use their knives I guess.
 
As far as the newer models I think the only ones you'll find are in the yellow delrin, but the older ones, many of them were cv. The edge holding characteristics of the cv are well worth the fact there not stainless. I use to have an older yeloow trapper in cv that held an awesome edge, and sharpened fairly easily!!! If you want a workhorse get a blade in cv!!!!!!! It does develope a patina, which I think looks pretty good over time. You can also use rennasainsse wax to help keep the blade stain free, ot tuf-glide. As long as you take care of it you can pretty much cut the corrosion down to almost nothing! it will need regular attention to do this though.

hope this helps some!
 
I have a newer Case sowbelly, SS blades of course. Yes, its cheap Steel, and the Heat treat is on the soft side, but nonetheless I have found it to be a good knife. It just requires a different mind set. Number one, You will wear the blades out sharpening them, eventually. Number two, forget about a delicately polished razor edge. ;) Use a coarse stone to raise a burr, and then strop the burr off and go. Use a butchers steel daily to resharpen. The steel is plenty tough, and will get quite sharp, it's just not hard enough to hold an edge under real use. But the blades will hold up. With pocket knives that are actually used in the real world, factory floor, garage, farm, there is always a tndency to snap blades. I love the sowbelly pattern, although the quality overall is nothing to write home about. I would like to find a better quality one a little bigger, say 4" over all.
PS I find the Case CV steel to only so so, while better somewhat than the cheesey SS, its still not all that good. It will get sharp, and does hold an edge better than the SS.
 
I tried some Case CV a couple years ago. I wasn't too impressed with it. It would develop a very pesky wire that was hard to get rid of. Once I got rid of the wire edge and used the knife a bit, the knife lost its edge quickly. The CV was VERY soft. The CV I got wasn't even in the same league as Old Timer 1095.
 
Thats interesting!! I use to have a yellow trapper in cv and never had a problem the steel!!!
 
i remember reading somewhere, on Knifeforums I think, where a representative from Case wrote that ease of sharpening was one of their big goals.

They said that many of their customers commented favorably on the ease of resharpening.
 
I have used a case yellow handled trapper with cv steel for about a year now and have enjoyed it. I like the patina and have no trouble maintaining a good edge. I also carry a case canoe with cv steel that I keep clean and it does take some care to keep it that way. Is it just me or does the older case knives take a different colored patina, almost a brown/gray instead of a black?



Dean
 
I had an old one that turned a blue, brownish, black, yellowish color. I found that with jewelers rouge and a dremel and buffing wheel took it right off. Now if that color had been there a long time Im sure it would have been much more work.
 
Just as information.... Lowe's Home Improvement stores are clearing out older models of Case inventory and have some great deals if you catch them.

Yellow Copperlock $19.11 (CV).
Various Baby Butterbeans $14-$16
Lowe's Blue Copperlock W/Wharncliffe and pen blades $15.05

Not Affiliated, yada,yada,yada... Just a heads up.

El Lobo
 
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