Case: Swayback Jack..Single Blade vs Two Blade vs Peanut...for EDC

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dan oliver

Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
166
My Friends, I just received from Roger a pocket worn, single blade Case Swayback SS Jack. I also own a two blade damascus / stag version and a yellow CV Peanut. I wear a suit to work daily. The new Jack is the clear winner for EDC for me. It is much lighter and thinner than the two blade version. The handle is much more hand filling and therefore more comfortable than the tiny Peanut handle. So for me, the choice is now easy. What are your thoughts? Thank you.
 
Well, I can't really say because I don't have a Swayback Gent. I have the other two and have been looking pretty hard at the Gent these last few days.

You have just about talked me into getting one. Your comments are most of the reasons why I want one.
 
Having used both, I have a preference to the peanut.

Both are great knives, will do most anything a small pocket knife will do.

Both are eye pleasing artifacts with style and grace.

But...

My heavy bias for the peanut is not when it's open, but because of the small package when it's closed. Both have almost the same length cutting edge, but closed the peanut makes a more forgetable package in the pocket. I tend to carry a lot of stuff in my pockets. Habit from bringing up three children and now having three grandchilden. While cutting edge is close on the two knives, the peanut is simply a smaller knife when closed. And it's an unfortunate fact as much as we'd like to fondle and admire our pocket knives, they are carried in the pocket 99% of the time unneeded until that 1% of the time we have to cut something. Carried much, used little. YMMV.

In the last 6 months since Jamie gifted me the damascus peanut, and I've committed to it being 'my' knife, I have not found it lacking. I like the fact that it disappears in a pocket until needed. It's smaller and lighter than the SB, but can do the same job if careful. I like that.

Carl.
 
dan oliver said:
The handle is much more hand filling and therefore more comfortable than the tiny Peanut handle. So for me, the choice is now easy.
Click to expand...

That pretty much covers it for me too. Additionally, one reaches a point where functionality is so similar that it comes down to aesthetics and which knife fires off the pleasure neurons in your brain. For Mr. Carl, its the Peanut, and for him the genesis of that love affair goes way back. For others its different. I prefer the larger size of the SBJ - though it is still fairly small - as it gives me something to hold on to.
 
I love the look and pocketability of the baby butter bean, but like the peanut, I find the handle too small when in use. The sway back jack and is just rite for me to use. I cary a sway back gent for my Sunday knife in a back pocket of all things!;)
 
I really like the size, and feel of the SBJ handle. It fits the hand well for such a small knife.
My CV chesnut bone Case is one of my favorite Case knives, but I carry my Menefee single blade SBJ(small) a bit more.
 
It's the nut for me. I had a Case chestnut bone swayback jack, and it was one of the nicest knives I've ever owned, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get used to it. I found the handle the be uncomfortable and akward, and I find a clip point main blade much more useful.
 
I really like my Case Stag/Damascus Peanut.It's the only pocket knife I carry.I still like a Vic Huntsman/Climber or Swiss Spirit X on my belt though.
 
I really like peanuts, but the larger Swayback fits my hand better, and I like having the straight edge of the wharncliff blade. It depends on the day.
 
I really like the swayback gent. I know it's the same size blade as a peanut, but it fits my hand much better. The peanut just doesn't feel like enough to grab onto.
 
dan oliver said:
The new Jack is the clear winner for EDC for me. It is much lighter and thinner than the two blade version. The handle is much more hand filling and therefore more comfortable than the tiny Peanut handle. So for me, the choice is now easy.
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more.
 
Before I throw in my two cents, I have to admit that I've never handled any of those, and my opinion is only based on thoughts.
But, if I had to choose 'blindly', I would definitely pick the Swayback Gent, essentially for the handle. Both clip and wharncliff are pretty good choices of blade shape for EDC (generally, I prefer the clip for 'clean' tasks and the wharncliff for 'dirty' tasks, but I like both). But the slightly longer handle, and its shape, would fit my hand better. And I would prefer a single blade, just cause it's what I've always used, and I would save some weight too.
Of course, it's a very personal choice. Other than that, I assume there's no real difference between the two knives (same factory, steel, and so on).
Fausto
:cool:
 
I have the Swayback Gent and (already:eek::D) 3 Peanuts and I prefer the Peanut.

How much I like a single blade slippie, TruSharp and my Spyderco pocketstone don't get along very well:grumpy:

And I just love the slicing ability of the thin carbon steel clippoint of my Peanut:thumbup:
 
Yes, pocket knives spend most of their time in pockets. Do I carry them to fill my pockets? Personally I carry them to use. For decades I could have lightened my carpenter’s bags by carrying a 13 oz. hammer. I never did. A 20 oz. hammer works better. My bottom line for any tool isn’t how easy to carry it is. My bottom line is always, “Does it work?”

For splinter picking, I love my Jr. Stockman. That’s my equivalent of the peanut. Precision work doesn’t need a big handle. Heavier work does. If I have to break down a bunch of cardboard, if I have to gather wood and cut brush to make a shelter, I prefer at least a 3 ½” handle size. If life guaranteed that I’d only ever have to open envelopes, just a Jr. Stockman would be fine.

If I had to pick between the two I’d carry the swayback jack. This is an easy choice because the Case SBJ is such a beauty. It feels good in my hand to boot.
 
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