Case knives, things have changed since I had one.

burf151

burf151

Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
370
Hi, this is my first time over here in the traditional forum. Going through my knives I found my red bone Case trapper. When I was growing up, all I had were Case slipjoints, and finding that one kinda made me a little nostalgic. I have decided to buy a couple of slipjoint knives in some of my favorite patterns, but I have some questions for the knowledgeable folks here. Does Case still offer carbon steel blades? All of the knives I looked at on the Case website were stainless. Also, are any available with smooth bone handles? My favorite (long since lost) was my peanut in appaloosa smooth bone. How is Case quality these days? The last new one I have gotten must have been about 15 years ago. Fit and finish on that one was a little iffy. If you have any other brands to reccomend I'd love to hear about them. Thanks in advance for your help in bringing me back up to speed on the traditional pocketknives!
 
I was a big fan of Cases amber bone series, but I really don't like their "Tru Sharp" stainless. Their CV is very sharp, and a very good steel. If you can find any Case with CV steel, go for it.
 
Case still does make carbon steel (chrome vanadium) bladed knives. However, the selection is a bit limited.

I'll let the others bring you up to speed on quality and individual models available.

Welcome to our corner of the forums.
 
I was able to pick up one in stag a couple months ago, and have seen the yellow handled ones advertised in SMKW. You might be able to get some old ones on eBay.
 
Just got a Case Red Jigged Bone peanut with carbon steel blades a couple weeks ago, burf! It is sharp and gets sharper, walks and talks nicely, and just feels really good in your hand. I roll it around in my fingers (closed!) while waiting for the bus.

That may be odd, but the whole knife so smooth that its soothing. I.e., excellent fit and finish.

Go get yourself one!

casepeanut.jpg
 
I too have been looking for a specific Case in carbon steel but I'm outa luck. Case's carbon steel is CV(chrome vanadium) and they offer this steel on all the knives in the red bone and yellow handled lines. You will only be able to get the smaller patterns(i.e. peanut, etc.) in either red bone or yellow handle.

You can however get some of the larger patterns( i.e. small texas jack, medium stockman, etc.) in CV in the amber bone, 6.5 bone stag, and possibly some other patterns, but I'm not really interested in finding all of them.

I would suggest that you go to CASE's website, find the pattern you want, and browse through the handle materials to see which handle materials have your pattern in CV. Just be sure to click on all of the pattern you want on the right hand side, because for example there may be 3 medium stockmans in amber bone, one is SS and the other is CV and the other might be CV with a different blade on it, etc.

BTW: the pattern I have been desireing was an amber bone peanut, but like I said the smaller patterns only come in red bone or synthetic yellow. So, I'm sh** outa luck, but I think I can live with a red bone, as they are kinda growing on me, they just aren't as natural looking as I'd like, I'm kind of a traditionalist. I did consider the small texas jack in amber bone, but I think it would be too big for me to comfortably carry on a daily basis.

marcinek: thanks for posting that pic! looks great, I think I'll end up getting one since I can't get one in amber bone. Do yiou have any other pics? maybe one of you holding it in your hand? Anyways, great looking knife, I'm glad you like it.
 
Thanks, Stingray! I have no other pics, but it is in my pocket right now. It's 2.75 in long, a little more than .25 in wide, the clip blade is 2 in from choil to tip, the pen blade is 1.25 from choil to tip.

It is small, but, as discussed in other threads, TheDoggyGuru skinned a gator with his peanut (I think he used the pen blade! And, gasp, Tru Sharp!).

Jackknife's father's Brown Bone Case Peanut has acheived mythical status around here!

I used mine yesterday..I was at a family member's for dinner...I cut off a bit of jalapeno to see how hot it was. The peanut went through the pepper like it wasn't there and nobody even batted an eye that I had "pulled a knife."

Nice knives.
 
burf151 said:
Hi, this is my first time over here in the traditional forum. Going through my knives I found my red bone Case trapper. When I was growing up, all I had were Case slipjoints, and finding that one kinda made me a little nostalgic. I have decided to buy a couple of slipjoint knives in some of my favorite patterns, but I have some questions for the knowledgeable folks here. Does Case still offer carbon steel blades? All of the knives I looked at on the Case website were stainless. Also, are any available with smooth bone handles? My favorite (long since lost) was my peanut in appaloosa smooth bone. How is Case quality these days? The last new one I have gotten must have been about 15 years ago. Fit and finish on that one was a little iffy. If you have any other brands to reccomend I'd love to hear about them. Thanks in advance for your help in bringing me back up to speed on the traditional pocketknives!
Click to expand...

Hello burf, welcome to the forum the other guys call folksy.

Case still does make their CV carbon steel, and its pretty good stuff. I've bought a couple of Case knives over the last few years and I've been pleased with the quality. Last summer I used a yellow handle CV peanut to clean panfish that my grandson and I cought on cane poles. I ended up giving him the peanut, but I missed it so I bought another just like it. A bit later I saw a very nice bone stag peanut with the stainless tru sharp, and I bought it as my Sunday-go-to-meeting knife. Both knives came very sharp out of the box and had exellent fit and finish. The stainless is not bad stuff, and in normal day to day use I don't think you will see alot of difference in edge holding unless you slice alot of cardboard or hemp like in cutting tests. I've since carried the bone stag tru sharp as an edc on a regular basis. I think the worry over the stainless is over done. And over all Case quality seems to be generally good.

But what rings the bell for me is the personel service you can get from Case. There was a very nice lady named Shirley in customer service and I hope she's still there.

But maybe one of these days I may just have to bite on the damascus peanut. I love peanuts.
 
Purchased two Case knives of late. A Sodbuster in yellow derlin and CV steel, and a Saddlehorn in SS. Both came sharp out of the box, and great F & F. Buy in confidence. You will not be disappointed. Take a look here:
http://www.cumberlandknifeworks.com/

Bill is a great guy to deal with. Good luck and welcome:thumbup: :)
 
In the new SMKW catalog they are now carrying Red Appaloosa's in Tru Sharp. No Peanut but the small swell center Jack looks great. I'll have to get one of those.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
I was a big fan of Cases amber bone series, but I really don't like their "Tru Sharp" stainless. Their CV is very sharp, and a very good steel. If you can find any Case with CV steel, go for it.
Click to expand...

I was poking around this forum a few weeks ago when I was thinking about buying a traditional folder instead of another tactical or SAK. I specifically asked about the quality of the SS used in the majority of the Case line, but I don't think I got any feedback.

That being said, there were a couple of handle materials I really fell in love with while looking - specifically the mop, leopard, india stag, and upcoming snakewoods all look awesome.

I left those nicer handles for another time (maybe get the CV steel in one of those down the road) and just ordered a medium stockman in Caribbean Blue and SS. Inexpensive compared to the rest, so I won't feel guilty about EDC'ing this one.

You know the Queens with Abalone handles look awesome as well, but we were talking about steel, weren't we?
 
Kc2kth, the knife that is my usual EDC is a recent manufacture Case mini-trapper in Tru-Sharp. It came ripping sharp from the the box, as have most of my other Cases over the last year. It's held its edge well with a little stropping here and there on bare leather. It has lost a little of its scary sharp edge, but is still quite the cutter. I will eventually get around to needing to stone it a little, but not quite yet.

I believe the steel and the steel mix that Case has used for Tru-sharp over the years has changed some. Other issues can be the heat treat and blade geometries. Queen is a good example of great steel and too thick and less than optimal edges.

Like the saying goes, your mileage may vary. Some just don't like stainless at all and there's nothing wrong with them or that. Some like their blades to stay shiney and don't like CV/Carbon. That's fine too. Some of us have given up caring much one way or the other as long as the knife is good and the blades have a good edge, hold it reasonably, and can be resharpened without a day devoted to doing so. For general use by the general populace, current Tru-sharp will work fine for EDC. But, do yourself a favor and get a nice little Case in CV, if just a yellow handle Sod Buster Jr. (Great choice btw) and some apples and other fruits. Then peel and snack away and watch the patina develop on the blade. A little wipe of mineral oil now and then, with the occasional cleaning of the inside and lightly oiling the joints.

Btw, a medium stockman in Caribbean Blue and SS sounds like a very nice knife for daily carry, regardless of price.
 
I've truthfully never had a Case. I've owned alot of slipjoints over the years, Schrade, Buck, Camillus, and Queen. I've read alot of good about Case and would also recommend Queen as well.
 
Over the past year I've gotten three new yellow Case slipjoints: a Sodbuster in Tru-Sharp, a Sodbuster in CV, and a Penknife in CV. The fit and finish is excellent in all three.

Richard
 
I go for CASE.

All the CASE knives I have bought and the one I was very kindly given by a fellow forum member are SS and I find it a fine and practical everyday steel.

I recently carried a Mini-Trapper in Apple Green scales with Wharncliffe blade on a month tour of Europe. A very fine and useful EDC for food prep, tackling meat in restaurants with woeful cutlery and general tasks.The Wharncliffe is a particularly useful blade and the knife's size seems right for me,not too bulky. The colour of the scales is frankly garish (OK if you don't drop it in the green grass!)but all the current CASE Mini Trappers in Wharncliffe come in eye-popping hues....

As for CASE quality, I find it impeccable, seven knives out of seven are very good. Older models from 15-25 years ago may have been more questionable perhaps but not today's offerings in my experience. No gaps anywhere, rough edges or weak snap. I bought a Schatt& Morgan Premier English Jack recently, a very unusual pattern and attractive scales but plenty of gaps when you hold it up to the light and I've had an issue or two with other Queen products (still handsome knives though) CASE seems very dependable and offers a huge range, so fill up on authenticity at reasonable cost!
 
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