Case or Buck stockman

[HuntBomb]

The Buck slipjoints are sturdy, but just look plain ugly to me.
Case has stepped up their game lately and offer much more variety and their CV blades are sweet.
The Case stockman with punch is about as handy as it gets IMO.
They are both very affordable, so i agree with the idea of buying both.

 

[Stich2442]

What is this nonsense about rugged Swinden key construction?

Knives with that construction loosen up and cannot be fixed without major work.

The more recent Taylor Schrades do not have this fault, and are great knives if you lose your prejudices long enough to give them a chance.

I had several of the post 1960 era made in New York Schrades loosen up on me, and was reluctant to even try the newer ones assuming that they had continued to use the Swinden Key system. When I discovered that they have not done that, and tried some of the new ones, I got a pleasant surprise.

If you want a knife to actually use, Taylor Schrades are good ones

No prejudices, I have tried Taylor made Schrade and they use the absolutely worst steel, would hold a edge for maybe one or two cuts then dull, the construction was very solid, very well made, but if the wind blew it would go dull, I need a knife to cut.
Pete

 

[pinnah]

What is this nonsense about rugged Swinden key construction?

That has been my experience as well. Love my Ulster campers (I believe Schrade got the Swinden key when they acquired Ulster, no?) but they do all wobble. They hold together, mind you. But they sure do wobble.

IIRC, this is why Buck moved the outsourcing of their 300 line from Schrade to Camillus. Buck's warranty combined with the costly repairs procedures of the Swinden cost them too much. Camillus used the easier to repair peened pin. That's my understanding anyhow. Somebody correct if I got that wrong.

 

[Bob W]

Any knife can loosen up over time, that's true.

What is this nonsense about rugged Swinden key construction?

In my experience they are less likely to loosen with normal use. Furthermore, they're less likely to be "pre-loosened" from the factory.
Harder to repair? Undoubtedly.

That's my experience.

The more recent Taylor Schrades do not have this fault, and are great knives if you lose your prejudices long enough to give them a chance.

The steel is low-grade stainless, a piss-poor replacement for Schrade's original 1095 carbon steel.
I only have a couple of Taylor-Schrades, received as gifts. The nicest thing I can say about them, they aren't any worse than the Irish Imperial knives.

--------------------

Here's a good topic about Swinden Key including take-apart pictures, in case anyone is unfamiliar. I had to look at it myself for a refresher.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/465585-Swinden-Key-in-77OT?p=4499015#post4499015

FYI, not all Old Timer knives were made with the Swinden key construction method. In fact there's been evidence come to light that a few vintage Old Timers were actually sub-contracted to Camillus for production.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Most of Case's blades are a thin, full-height hollow grind, though some exceptions do exist. The Tony Bose-designed knives (regular production), such as the '39 pattern sowbelly, are flat grinds, and the large sod buster is also a flat grind (the small soddie is hollow-ground). The '75, '18, '32, '44 and '47 pattern current-production stockman knives are all hollow grinds. Buck uses sort of a combination saber/hollow grind, meaning the hollow doesn't extend as high on the blade. In either example, hollow grinds make for fantastic slicing and easy sharpening.

Case's factory edge on the stainless blades is pretty toothy, and often comes out of the box with some pretty big burrs on the edge, but both issues can be eased very quickly by 'stropping' on some medium/fine grit (400 or higher) wet/dry sandpaper. This has become my favorite means for maintaining the edges on these blades; they really respond well to it.


David

 

[thawk]

I'm all over stockdogs recommendation. If you are prudent, and look on Ebay, if that is something you would consider, you could pick up both in lightly used condition for a fair price. Heck grab an old Schrade USA 8OT too. I'd veer wide of the Taylor replicas with a Schrade stamp.

 

[300Bucks]

I cannot testify in this proceeding. I have no experience with Mr. Case. I have met old Mr. Schrade and for a short time enjoyed his company early in my life.

Since you say you are going to use it in a tough environment, buy the one on sale and use it up. Then get the other if the first one wasn't totally satisfactory.
Sorta like many Hollywood marriages.....

300Bucks

 

[piker69]

case is prettier, but will also show wear quickly if in your pocket regularly. bucks seem to hold their looks better. can't really lose with either. both great knives. if you go buck, make sure it is USA, they now make some cheap Chinese models.

 

[Curtis_Lowe]

Case's factory edge on the stainless blades is pretty toothy, and often comes out of the box with some pretty big burrs on the edge, but both issues can be eased very quickly by 'stropping' on some medium/fine grit (400 or higher) wet/dry sandpaper. This has become my favorite means for maintaining the edges on these blades; they really respond well to it.


David

Besides the wire edge/burr, Case knives have some of the best factory edges. With all the appalling factory edges out there, it's quite a relief to get a knife without a wavy and uneven edge. It cuts down on time and frustration when resharpening.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Besides the wire edge/burr, Case knives have some of the best factory edges. With all the appalling factory edges out there, it's quite a relief to get a knife without a wavy and uneven edge. It cuts down on time and frustration when resharpening.

Case seemed to markedly improve their edge grinds (going more acute) in the post-2000 years. Buck did this as well, in the same time frame, with their 'Edge2000' grind. With a few exceptions, I avoided Case in the '90s in particular, because I was disappointed with their more 'blunt' edge angles at the time. And in spite of the burrs, most of those I've purchased came with some wicked-aggressive edges on them. The nastiest 'bite' ever inflicted upon my fingers was from the secondary clip blade on a 5-blade Case Sowbelly (T.B. 6539 SS; pic below), as I attempted to extricate it from it's display tin (not fond of those). Blade snapped shut on the tips of my index and middle fingers, and very neatly clipped a 1/4" flap of skin from each of them, directly forward of my fingernails. VERY STRONG springs, too, I discovered.

The good 'foundation' geometry of the edges is what makes maintaining them very simple.



David

 

[338375]

case, I do have a few slipjoints, 2 cases and 2 bucks , the bucks are cheap pieces of crap, the case knives are a lot beter quality, there's a reason they are the most collected knife in the world...

Cheap pieces of c... ? Seriously ?

I don't think having two knives from each maker, gives you enough experience with either, to make a statement like that. Besides, that couldn't be further from the truth.

I have owned a fairly substantial number of Case knives. Most of them being older from the 60's - 70's. I love Case knives, and some of them are beautiful and very nicely made. That said, I have also owned some that were not as nice as they should have been. Any company can have some slip through the cracks, that are lacking.

I would agree that Bucks don't have the same eye appeal as the Case knives though. As far as Case being the most collected knife in the world, there is another possible reason for that. Not only are the older knives highly sought after, but Case also markets a huge portion of their current lineup, to collectors.
Look at all the different knives they offer, with various scale designs and logos. Most are not what users are looking for...

The original Schrades have quite a following as well. IMHO, they are similar to Bucks. They don't have the eye appeal, but are very well made knives, and the 1095 steel works very nicely.

Last Christmas my son got me a new Buck 301. It is a nice knife, and I really like it. They are priced well too IMO, and it even came with a decent leather pocket sheath. How many production knives offer that, at the price point of a Buck ?

Not only will the Buck hold an edge longer, but the three spring design provides for blades that come straight out of the knife, instead of at an angle. This makes them easier to use for straight cuts. While some of the Case stockman knives are 3-spring, most are two spring.

I like the Buck three spring stockman. It helps eliminate blade rub when opening and closing, and I have big hands, and like the feel of the knife being a little wider

 

[mnblade]

Boker.

... unless you're set on American-made ... for the same money or less Boker is a more consistent quality.

I'm seeing a lot of really impressive Boker stockmans on that big auction site lately, in the 3.5" range. I'm sorely tempted myself.

-- Mark

 

[Firestrike]

Case seems to be the Ferrari of the stockman style knives, I however have no need of a car that I am afraid to ding and dent up. The Buck knife is the off road vehicle of the two one you know is going to get beat up but you will sure as hell have fun doing so.

Oh and you can probably get two Bucks for the price of a Case.

 

[TRLM64]

Wow really great feedback. I did the best thing I could think of and just went with both and will test them out over time. Thanks again for all the good comments!

 

[eisman]

I don't think the price is an issue. My problem with the Buck knives is that they're not as nice to carry. I have several; they stay where they belong; on the desk, in the tool box, etc. A slimmer, smoother, slicker knife goes in my pocket.

My option would be to pick up a 20 year old Frank Buster "Fight'n Rooster" and carry that. Much more knife than Case or Buck make today. And since I just bought a nice 3.75" inch stockman for $55 a heck of a lot better deal too.

 

[338375]

Wow really great feedback. I did the best thing I could think of and just went with both and will test them out over time. Thanks again for all the good comments!

That is the best way to decided. It's good to get input from others, but the only thing that truly matters, is that you are happy with it.

 

[Peter Parker]

I'm partial to...

 

[mnblade]

If you like carbon steel and a punch/awl on your stockman, don't forget about Case's yellow-handled #054 / 3318PU model. New ones are not pricey at all on that big auction site.

-- Mark

 

[sunnyd]

I'm all over stockdogs recommendation. If you are prudent, and look on Ebay, if that is something you would consider, you could pick up both in lightly used condition for a fair price. Heck grab an old Schrade USA 8OT too. I'd veer wide of the Taylor replicas with a Schrade stamp.

This is exactly my SOP and my sincere recommendation as well.. :thumbup:

 

[zippofan]

Wow really great feedback. I did the best thing I could think of and just went with both and will test them out over time. Thanks again for all the good comments!

Now that's the spirit!

I'll confess to being biased towards Case because I came from collecting Zippo lighters, and my first introduction to Case knives was through Zippo. I bought a few Buck's over the past year and have been very satisfied with them for the price paid (except for one semi-custom that is back at Buck again, but that's another story).

They're different knives, both great in their own right though each has fans and detractors. I also like Boker's and Utica's stockmans, at their respective prices they are both great users. Fit and finish on all my Boker's has been first rate too.

Enjoy your new knives when they come!