Case SS or CV Blades

W

wws

Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Messages
53
I have recently started collecting slipjoint knives. Most of my knives are Case. I have only been purchasing knives with CV blades. If the knife is another brand I look for carbon steel.
Am I doing myself a disservice by not considering stainless steel models? Every time I see a knife on the auction site and it's stainless I seem to just pass over it.

Does anyone feel the same way as I do?

Thanks for your comments.
 
You'll miss a lot of good knives if you leave SS knives out of your collection IMO.

But it's your collection, so buy what makes you happy. :thumbup:

Welcome to Bladeforums.
 
The biggest limitation with the CV knives is, if you're dedicated to collecting Case, the overwhelming majority of their line is stainless. You'll be limiting yourself to just a few styles & patterns, some of which are limited runs anyway. If you see a style or pattern you like, don't bypass it simply on the basis of the steel. The Case Tru-Sharp is pretty good steel; there's a reason they've made so many knives with it, for so many years (decades). The stainless might be just a tiny bit harder to sharpen (burrs & wire edges are a little more stubborn). And because of that, some will say it doesn't take an edge or hold it as well. But, I've found that not to be the case. The vast majority of my Case favorites are stainless; nothing to do with a steel preference, I buy for the sake of the pattern or style. They sharpen up just fine (excellently, in fact), and perform very well.
 
I personally think that Case produces 90% of their knives in Tru Sharp Stainless just to satisfy collectors who aren't going to use the knife, but rather just have it sit behind glass. The way I look at it is, if you want a knife to carry, and use, get carbon steel. If you just want something pretty to admire, stainless is probably better, just because you don't have to worry about it rusting or anything like that.
 
wws said:
I have recently started collecting slipjoint knives. Most of my knives are Case. I have only been purchasing knives with CV blades. If the knife is another brand I look for carbon steel.
Am I doing myself a disservice by not considering stainless steel models? Every time I see a knife on the auction site and it's stainless I seem to just pass over it.

Does anyone feel the same way as I do?

Thanks for your comments.
Click to expand...

Depends on why I want the knife, the alloy in question, and the maker.

For Case knives that I intend to use myself, I tend towards CV.
If the Case knife is for a gift to a non-knife person, Tru-Sharp is what I seek.

Buck only offers stainless, and I like their 420HC. So I will buy those in a heartbeat.

GEC, I love their 440C, but they don't make many of those, so 1095 works.

Queen, don't care for their 420HC. D2 is OK. 1095 is a rarity, but is my preference.

Canal Street, 14-4CrMo (Latrobe version of 154CM) is outstanding, but they don't make many. 440C I've not tried, but it's on my list.
 
i have a few Case's in CV, and i had 2 (one now) in SS. for me is doesn't make much of a difference. if i use my knife heavy i would most likely have to strop the knife afterwards regardless of what steel, likewise if i use my knife lightly i could barely tell the difference in edge retention over the time span. i prefer SS for food tho, the carbon blade tends to smell metallic and leaves a funky taste in the food. sometimes the black patina gets in the food and needs to be wiped off. seems like CV does that more so than 1095.
 
It depends on why you collect knives. I agree w/ southernguitarist for the most part.
Tru Sharp has actually turned me against SS for quite a while and very nearly turned me away from Case. I suppose it's good stuff but I've been driven to the point of questioning my sharpening ability. Not to say that I have not been able to sharpen it but that it's a real PITA imo and it doesn't seem to hold the edge long enough for my likes.
For daily use I would pick something else. I've been very pleased with CV. I would rather overlook a pattern (and scale material) in Tru Sharp than put up with the drudgery of trying to like a blade that doesn't perform. That's just my preferance. I gather that older SS Case knives may have been built with 440a. Not bad at all if you ask me. I could be wrong but the grind seems to have changed over time as well. Regardless, collect what you like and enjoy the fun.
 
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matt1987 said:
i have a few Case's in CV, and i had 2 (one now) in SS. for me is doesn't make much of a difference. if i use my knife heavy i would most likely have to strop the knife afterwards regardless of what steel, likewise if i use my knife lightly i could barely tell the difference in edge retention over the time span. i prefer SS for food tho, the carbon blade tends to smell metallic and leaves a funky taste in the food. sometimes the black patina gets in the food and needs to be wiped off. seems like CV does that more so than 1095.
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.I dont mind a little extra iron in my grub.( : CV and 1095 are thought to be the same.
 
My experience has been that the case stainless is a little harder than their cv to sharpen initially, but once I have my angle it is easy to touch up like cv. It sharpens easier than stainless knives from other makers and holds it's edge a little longer than my cv case knives-which sharpen pretty easy too and hold an edge similar to my schrade 1095 bladed pocket knives. I travel a lot for work, and some of the more humid areas I appreciate the true sharp. I like the cv most anywhere where general cutting comes into play though (except maybe creek fishing).
My most recent is a red pocket worn peanut with true sharp blades and it gets as sharp as the cv especially with such thin blades-loving it.
 
I also find that Case's Tru-Sharp takes and holds a better edge than their CV.

I have, use, and enjoy knives in both steels.
 
It wouldn't bother me to use their Tru Sharp, I'm not very picky about my steels. However, the CV is no doubt better and is my choice of steel in a user.... and patinas are cool. Anyone know if you can send a stainless steel knife back to Case and ask them to reblade it with CV blades? I don't think I would because it may sound like i'm telling them that their stainless isn't good enough for me but on the other hand i've always dreamed for some of the scales that they have, such as turquoise and rough black, with CV.
 
The more times I've sharpened Tru-Sharp blades, the more I notice it's tendency to form very stubborn wire edges. I'm becoming more and more convinced, that the perception of the Tru-Sharp edges being 'too soft' or rolling easily, is due primarily to the remaining wire edges on the blades (which DO roll), and not due to the weakness of the steel itself. Unfortunately, a lot of Case Tru-Sharp blades have come straight from the factory with these stubborn wire edges still on them. For someone who's just looking to have a sharp knife from the get-go, especially if they're not comfortable with doing their own re-sharpening (including burr/wire removal), this obviously perpetuates the 'weak' perception of the steel. Every Tru-Sharp blade that I've made sure to completely remove the wire from, has not had any further issues with rolled edges, or edge-holding, as compared to CV or any other mid-grade production knife steel.

Edit:
There's a similar 'weak' perception, in the eyes of some, about other steels which behave the same way. VG-10 and ATS-34 have both frustrated me for the same reason (very stubborn wire edges), UNTIL the wire edge is properly removed. Then, all-of-a-sudden, they're transformed into great cutters.
 
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For all of the above reasons, most stainless steels behave better for me with a slightly more obtuse edge angle-- say 20 degrees per side instead of 15. I think this makes the wire edge easier to remove.
 
I agree with Jeff. Adjust your angle for the steel. I used to be picky as hell about steel. But honestly, I rarely find myself in a situation where CV v. SS matters. Knife nuts like us take pride in hair poppin edges and spend hours/days getting them that sharp. But seriously....I knife doesn't have to have a mirror edge to cut stuff and the edge doesn't have to hold for a month. Touch it up now and then and take care of the blade and the rest of the knife and it will cut 99.97% of the stuff you need it to cut. Just my opinion
 
cnas122 said:
I agree with Jeff. Adjust your angle for the steel. I used to be picky as hell about steel. But honestly, I rarely find myself in a situation where CV v. SS matters. Knife nuts like us take pride in hair poppin edges and spend hours/days getting them that sharp. But seriously....I knife doesn't have to have a mirror edge to cut stuff and the edge doesn't have to hold for a month. Touch it up now and then and take care of the blade and the rest of the knife and it will cut 99.97% of the stuff you need it to cut. Just my opinion
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There ya go... Well said. I think that would hold true for most of us here, if we were honest with ourselves.
 
wws said:
I have recently started collecting slipjoint knives. Most of my knives are Case. I have only been purchasing knives with CV blades. If the knife is another brand I look for carbon steel.
Am I doing myself a disservice by not considering stainless steel models? Every time I see a knife on the auction site and it's stainless I seem to just pass over it.

Does anyone feel the same way as I do?


Thanks for your comments.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way and love the CV.

About the only time I'll buy stainless, is with a custom slip joint. But it has to be the right knife. :)
 
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