Case, surgical stainless steal...

T

Tuco

Joined
Jun 27, 2005
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12
Would someone please, tell me what kind of stainless this is...I'm clueless.

Thanks !!
 
This has been talked about here before. The term 'surgical stainless' is a generic term companies can use so they can get away with using one of several low end stainless cutlery steels. At least that is the summary I got fromt the last thread on this topic.

I believe when you see surgical steel on a blade that it is generally going to be made of 420HC or 440A or maybe a rare 440B steel but hardly ever the latter. I hope they are not stooping to using 420J2 but wouldn't begin to suggest or say that they haven't.

I believe I remember reading that some of the foreign steels that say 'surgical stainless' are AUS steel of some kind. I also vaquely recall 425 steel being mentioned but don't hold me to that one.
 
STR said:
This has been talked about here before. The term 'surgical stainless' is a generic term companies can use so they can get away with using one of several low end stainless cutlery steels. At least that is the summary I got fromt the last thread on this topic.

I believe when you see surgical steel on a blade that it is generally going to be made of 420HC or 440A or maybe a rare 440B steel but hardly ever the latter. I hope they are not stooping to using 420J2 but wouldn't begin to suggest or say that they haven't.

I believe I remember reading that some of the foreign steels that say 'surgical stainless' are AUS steel of some kind. I also vaquely recall 425 steel being mentioned but don't hold me to that one.[/QUOTE

Thanks,..STR, that helps ..sorry if this was a 'repost' ..its just that I have it hair popping sharp and.. its kinda nice. IMO
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After owning several Case "surgical stainless" knives, I sold them. They are poor performers & give Sandvik, which is a very good stainless steel a bad rap. :mad:
 
Humm, well thanks guys..thought I,had a good knife. again Thanks for the input.
 
Case tru-sharp is passable. Sharpen it a lot, it's fun. Don't know what you do with a knife, but it will do most household things and a good bit of more industrial work. Strop it on cardboard between uses and you're good to go.
 
..its just that I have it hair popping sharp and.. its kinda nice. IMO
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They can be brought up to be sharp enough to shave with that has never been disputed really. The problem is that they lose that shaving edge pretty much on the first cut and go down hill from there.

For someone like me that wood carves a nominal edge holder cuts hard wood for about ten minutes before I notice it is dragging and needing a few strops. This is the minimum performance I will except. Any typical Spyderco knife right out of the box will cut hard wood for 20 minutes and some up to about 30 minutes before needing a strop or two to bring the edge back to snuff. D2 steel is pretty much the same way and most of my 1095 and 52100 blades are up there with it also. About 30 to 35 minutes before the blade starts really dragging depending on the type of cuts, the type of wood and just generally speaking. On softer woods like pine or bass wood you can go for much longer between strops.

Many carvers will say that they only get about 15 to 20 minutes on hardwoods with a good blade and they feel the need to strop. And this is probably true if you are using a small carving knife blade with an inch and a half of useable edge or less. So what I'm referring to here is a folder blade with 2.5" or more of useable cutting edge on it. Some of the longer blades can go for quite a while because you just move to a different spot of the cutting edge to do some work before stropping the edge.

The Case Seahorse Whittler I used on occassion is a beautiful knife. I have carved with it and it does have that surgical stainless steel, or I guess Case also calls it "Tru-Sharp, and it sports that great main blade in that much loved Wharncliff blade shape we carvers just adore. It goes about 5 minutes maybe 7 carving hard woods and needs stropped. The smaller blades are pretty much not even going to last for more than a couple of cuts in hard wood and the whole useable edge is dulled beyond acceptable levels. The edge comes back just fine to shaving again after a few strops in most cases but it lasts about 5 to 7 minutes once again on main blade and quickly disappears on the smaller ones. I can push it further than this but the edge rolls, and it becomes damaged enough that just a few strops are no longer going to do the job to bring the edge back. I tried to give Case stainless the benefit of the doubt when I bought that Whittler. I really did. But these are my experiences with it truthfully. If Case used CV steel in this Whittler it would be in my pocket as a daily whittler and everyday user. But because it is stainless 'surgical' steel it is in my safe with a box full of other old knives I've deemed worthless.

So, in a nut shell summary this 'surgical steel' is simply unacceptable to me a for what I routinely do with my knives. It works for a lot of people though.

Anyway, that is the difference I see carving North American Hardwoods from steel to steel. In my experience a "good" steel will carve on a block of walnut for 30 minutes before the edge needs attention and then it will come right back to the edge it had when you started in about 4 strops maybe 5 per side. That is what I see in my high carbon carving knives in 1095 and 52100 steels and what I have seen in some of my D2 blades.

S30V seems to keep up well with these high carbon blades but the 440C blades I have go for about 20 minutes or so. Not quite as good but still very acceptable though.

Hope that helps.
 
Absolutely STR, I, obviously have a lot to learn...Thanks for info, big help.
 
I think most Case knives are made to look at and not use. That's why they are always coming out with different colored scales.

They do offer a limited number of slipjoints with good carbon steel blades.
 
STR summed up my experience. I have a Case whittler, not a seahorse, and it gets sharp but won't hold it. I have a Case med stockman in CV and it is a great whittling knife. I wish the made more patterns in CV, like a whittler or a congress. You can get some with the Delrin scales, which I don't like, and the Amber Bone line is limited in it's pattern selection. Tru Sharp will work for opening your mail, peeling fruit and other food prep and a whole lot of general knife work, but for serious hard work it is not very good.
 
Tuco,

If you like Case, I would suggest that you find an older (pre-1970's) one in decent but not collector shape. I picked up a Case Electrician's knife with the screwdriver modified into a wickedly pointy clip point blade and this is about the sharpest and best sharpening knife I own. The older Cases are hard to find for a good price but they can be found if one makes the effort. Good luck!
 
On a lighter note, my Grandpa & my Father swore by Case Knives but, these were the good old days when they did it right! Case nowadays is riding on their Rep. If they ever go back to using good steel I will buy them. :)
 
Well.. you guys, have been a big help.. I'm, really pleased to have found this site.
Thanks again !!!
 
Pogo, I have written Case and told them just that. I even posted on their forum saying that if they came out with a Case Seahorse Whittler in their famous CV steel that I think they would realize they have missed the boat when they see them outsell their new "Tru-Sharp" stainless.

Personally I'd love to see a Seahorse in CV steel even if just for a limited run. I would probably buy several just to have them.

To me there is nothing more satisfying than finding an old Case CV folder still in great shape but with that pocket worn look that only time can create. I grew up carrying one of those knives and will probably always look fondly on them just for the nostalgia if nothing else.
 
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