Case Peanut CV....I just don't see the attraction?

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dan oliver

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Just bought one....mail order. Why all the interest? Too small to be much help in any project I can think of. Seems like a toy; for trained youngsters. When I compare it to any Spyderco 2" blade, the difference in usefulness is quite noticeable. So....what say you...my friends?
 
Honestly, I love my Peanuts for all sorts of reasons. I have had a Spyderco or two in my time and I love those as well. Loving one does not necessarily mean you can't love the other. But, you may be one of those folks who just does not care for traditional knives, or at least Peanuts. That's ok, it's all good. I don't like fantasy knives or knives with odd designs that seem to serve no purpose.

Nobody here should need to convince you to love the Peanut. But if I were you, I might try this: Put the Spyderco away for two weeks and carry only the Peanut. If you need a knife, use the Peanut. (It is not a boxcutter BTW.) If after two weeks, you have not grown to love the Peanut, well then maybe it's just not for you. I think though that you might be surprised about what you think of it after two weeks of use. It can't hurt to try, right?
 
I've only recently started carrying a peanut myself, but my eyes have opened to its utility.
Contrary to the above poster, I've found that it makes an excellent boxcutter.
The one thing that I have noticed is vastly different is that the thin blade cuts better than, say the spyderco in your example, but you absolutely can't use it to lever or pry.
Once you carry it for a while, you'll get used to the slightly different cutting technique and you'll wonder how you lived without it.

I suggest you carry both for a couple of weeks (you will barely notice the peanut in your pocket) but try to uulse the peanut whenever possible.
I think you'll be as surprised as I was at how often you use it.
 
dan oliver said:
Just bought one....mail order. Why all the interest? Too small to be much help in any project I can think of. Seems like a toy; for trained youngsters. When I compare it to any Spyderco 2" blade, the difference in usefulness is quite noticeable. So....what say you...my friends?
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Judge the Peanut by its size do you.

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While I think they are certainly useful and practical they're just not (particularly) my cup of tea either. Fortunately, patterns abound and there is likely something for everyone.
(At least for those who are inclined to carry a traditional slipjoint or lockback.)
 
Peanuts fire off the pleasure neurons in some folks' brains. Maybe its because memories of dad, or maybe their brains are just wired that way. I don't think it can be said that a Peanut is objectively "better" than another popular style. Rather, it brings out a subjective feeling of pleasure in certain folks, whether its the fun of carrying something very small that still cuts "big", or because of the childhood memories it evokes, or for some other reason. Maybe its to get the most utility in the smallest package, which is something I can relate to.

For folks who are no so affected, they wonder what the big deal is. I like Peanuts just fine, but would rather have a little more handle to deal with - like a Sway Back Jack. But I understand why some guys love the Peanut.
 
dan oliver, do you have any other traditional slipjoints? The peanuts do not appeal to me but the number of other patterns out there is amazing.
 
dan oliver said:
Just bought one....mail order. Why all the interest? Too small to be much help in any project I can think of. Seems like a toy; for trained youngsters. When I compare it to any Spyderco 2" blade, the difference in usefulness is quite noticeable. So....what say you...my friends?
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Trained youngsters?

I just got done with some landscaping, and my peanut zipped open three bags of pine bark mulch, three bags of top soil, a plastic package of rubber washers for the hose bib, and sharpened a half dozen stakes for the guide lines that were jute twine, also cut with the peanut. I doubt any other 2 inch blade would have been that much better, as most things we really need to cut outside of a Walter Mitty day dream, don't really require that much blade. Having to stop what I'm doing to open my knife was a blessing in disguise today. It's hot, and I'm not exactly a spring chicken, and I needed the tiny break to admire something pretty. A little glimpse of nice jigged bone and raindrop pattern damascus blade was a nice mental break.

You're welcome to not like the peanut, but it's a far cry from a trained youngsters toy. It will open up a finger or anything else that gets in it's way like a surgeons scalpel.

Carl.
 
I just used mine to cut through a dozen woody rose stems, each well over 1/4" thick by placing my peanut blade on top of the bundle and see-sawing the blade back and forth.
Each stem was cleanly cut with no sign of crushing or splitting, and the blade will still shave arm hair.
It probably would have been harder to do with a larger blade, because larger blades are usually thicker, and a thicker blade will offer more resistance.
All that from a tiny package that goes unnoticed in my pocket.
What's not to like?
 
Incidentally, I agree with the nostalgia thing, specifically when it comes to CV.
A lot of people enjoy the patina that builds up on non stainless blades, and I suspect that this comes from seeing old knives and wanting something that will age along with them.
I think that explains the CV part of the equation.
 
Hi,

I'm not much of a fan of the Case Peanut either. They put the blades in backwards and I'm too lazy to turn the knife around. I prefer my Camillus Peanuts.

I do tend to carry either a medium Stockman or a Barlow these days as my hard working knives. But I do appreciate the Peanut. As is often said around here, the Peanut is the biggest little knife you can carry. Give your new Case a chance, you just might be impressed. And if it's still a bit small, check out some larger Jack knife patterns. It's a pleasing design no matter the size.

Dale
 
dan oliver said:
Just bought one....mail order. Why all the interest?
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Obviously it must have piqued your interest ..... you just bought one!

Keep an open mind, give it an honest try, and let us know what you think after carrying/using it for a while.
 
I'm a Spyderco guy myself but have gone a few days here and there with no other folder but a CV peanut. I can say it's no less a toy than any other knife. I once used mine to whittle away some fiber reinforced nylon on a pond filtration valve handle that needed more clearance. I'd been whittling at that handle for months, just trying different knives a little at a time because it was tough going.
The peanut worked as well as, if not better than any knife I tried and that includes a few different spydercos, some fixed blades, and a few other traditional folders.
Give it a real chance to see if it works for you or not.
 
The peanut is a real knife. Probably as much of a knife as any being made. It may not strike harmony with you or you with it however. I didn't even have an interest in them until I became a Bladeforum member and got active in this subforum. I won a peanut in a giveaway and it has been a turning point in my appreciation of small knives in general and peanuts in particular. If you don't like it, you can easily sell it or gift it to someone that appreciates them. Ed J
 
jamesbeat said:
...
Contrary to the above poster, I've found that it makes an excellent boxcutter.
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I should have been more specific. If one works in some type of environment where they are cutting boxes all day long, I think a boxcutter is a better choice. But yes, a few boxes is no match for any reasonably made Peanut.
 
Well....thank you one and all. Many good comments. I am particularly moved by the reference to "dad"...and "nostalgia". I was a trained youngster. More than 50 years ago my dad entrusted me with a Barlow knife that he used as a real work tool. He always had Barlow's in his many tool boxes. And later, his WWII USMC knife. Boys carried knives in those days, even to school. I have many slip-joints including a lovely, custom version. So, I'll heed the advice; keep an open mind and give it a good try. BTW....Happy 4th!
 
on_the_edge said:
I should have been more specific. If one works in some type of environment where they are cutting boxes all day long, I think a boxcutter is a better choice. But yes, a few boxes is no match for any reasonably made Peanut.
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Absolutely. A peanut certainly wouldn't be my first choice if I had a huge pile of boxes to cut up.
I think what I was trying to say was that I'm quickly learning that, although it's probably rarely the ideal tool for the job, a peanut can be pressed into service for most everyday cutting tasks and perform adequately.
A 'Jack of all trades' if you'll pardon the pun... :D
 
dan oliver said:
... When I compare it to any Spyderco 2" blade, the difference in usefulness is quite noticeable.
Click to expand...

I agree with this.
Compared to any Spyderco 2" blade, the difference in usefulness IS pretty noticeable. Not really much of a contest. Nothing the Spyderco can do that the Peanut can't, but with the added blade, the Peanut can actually do MORE then the Spyderco. It can keep cutting and cutting long after the Spyderco has gone dull, since you have TWO blades to work with.
This didn't convince you? LOL.
 
My favorite small pocket knife is a tiny toothpick, it is a little bigger, but the blade is 'much' longer

But I find a very small blade dulls too fast
I tried to use my case CV Peanut to cut cable ties
It just did not have the bite or size to do the work
And my preference is a bigger handle

But I love my S&M peanut in stag for a gentleman's knife
 
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