Case Swayback jack with red chestnut bone, CV blades.

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Spongebobby

Joined
Oct 11, 2010
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I'm really thinking about getting one of these for my EDC Slipjoint. I was wondering what you guys thought about their quality, if it will truly last me a lifetime? What kinda warranty does it have? This would gut a lot of fish, is it okay to get a little water on the bone? Are the new cases put together well? Any side to side wobble? What's the best way to sharpen the CV, sandpaper? Thanks for any and all questions answered and comments about the knife.
 
I don't own one, and haven't handled one either, but everyone seems to really like the Swayback Jack. I've heard the overrall fit and finish is great, and that it would definately last a lifetime. As far as Case's warranty is concerned, it is exceptional, and if something happens to be wrong with your knife, they will make it right. When sharpening CV steel, I just use a regular Arkansas stone, and then use a ceramic rod. This method seems to work just fine. Sometimes if I'm lazy I will use my Sharpmaker and that works great to. I've never used sandpaper to sharpen a blade, so I can't answer that question. Also, getting the bone wet shouldn't matter, and I definately wouldn't worry about it. The new Case knives can sometimes be hit or miss with quality, but the Swayback has seemed to be very consistent. I say go for it :D
 
There are a lot of pics and reviews here of the exact knife. I don't think I've ever read anything negative about that model.
I'm a devoted old red bone fan, but IMHO the Chestnut scales are the nicest Case has offered in years. There is always a chance to get one with issues, but for some reason, the SBJ's don't have the F&F issues. Not sure if its because of newer tooling for th epattern or what the reason is
 
I have both the chestnut bone CV, and the stag damascus Swayback Jack. Both of these knives are very well put together, the fit and finish is superb. The Damascus SBJ fights with my yellow CV peanut for pocket time though.
 
I have 4 of the Case SBJs and they have been, without exception, as nice a knife as you could want. Not a problem with any of them. This includes the Chestnut bone CV jack, 1 ss jack, 1 damascus jack and 1 damascus gent. I'd say go for it!
 
Spongebobby said:
I'm really thinking about getting one of these for my EDC Slipjoint. I was wondering what you guys thought about their quality, if it will truly last me a lifetime? What kinda warranty does it have? This would gut a lot of fish, is it okay to get a little water on the bone? Are the new cases put together well? Any side to side wobble? What's the best way to sharpen the CV, sandpaper? Thanks for any and all questions answered and comments about the knife.
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e-mail sent
 
Spongebobby said:
I'm really thinking about getting one of these for my EDC Slipjoint. ... This would gut a lot of fish, is it okay to get a little water on the bone?
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Yes. You wouldn't want to keep your knife submerged over night, but reasonable exposure to water isn't a problem in the least.

-- Mark
 
After several months of reading the postive reviews here at Bladeforums, I got one myself last week--it is a wonderful knife!
 
I already have a peanut and coffin jack with chestnut bone scales, I might pick one up in cayenne bone, but I have been eyeing up the chestnut bone swayback jack. I think I'll go for the jack and gent models.
 
Spongebobby said:
What's the best way to sharpen the CV, sandpaper?
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Case CV is easy to shapen. For most of my knives I carry a cut down eze-lap model L in my wallet. It's 600 grit, and it puts a very nice edge on my pocket knives as well as a coffee mug bottom. A little stropping on the back of my belt and it's shaving sharp.

Water will not harm your knife hamdles at all. When mine get cruddy, I use a toothbrush and some dish detergent and running warm water from the kitchen tap to clean it out. Dry and put a little oil in the joint and you're done. Bone is some pretty durable stuff.

Carl.
 
You would be hard pressed to find a Case pattern that is more consistantly near perfect than the Swayback Jack and Gent. I have the chestnut CV that you asked about and is has a fit and finnish that would surpass all but the finest custom makers, it's just a beautifull knife. I have several others and just today I bought a gent in orange flame that is probably the wildest color I have ever seen on a Case knife. This one has perfect blade centering, perfect finish and an almost imperceptable back spring match up at half stop and none at full open and close! The only thing I wish Case would do is bring their CV to a little harder temper, other than that I love the CV.
 
It is a really nice knife, my only problem is warming up to the warncliff blade in my edc use. It is great for opening boxes, envelopes, cutting papers etc. Things that I do not do a lot so I tend to go towards a blade with more belly, peanut or texas jack at the moment. But fit and finish is great, the handle has a nice texture to it. The CV does get a nice patina and is easy to sharpen to a very fine edge. It should be in your collection. =) with some caveat as to its edc usefullness for me.
 
For food prep and game I found the warnie blade to be a bit of a compromise, and sometimes a wee bit awkward. For skinning or gutting, a blade with some sweep to the belly will work better, and for food use, I noticed it was too flat. I looked at both my chefs knives, a 7 inch and 10 inch, and both had some rocker to the blade for slicing on a cutting board. The wharncliff is just too flat for food use.

But it does excel at opening boxes and mail, and in the air cutting like rope and twine.

Carl.
 
I agree with Jackknife here, I find it to flat too. But non the less a great knife wich feels good in the hand
 
I got lucky and worked out a trade for one in chestnut bone. It's just a neat little knife. Mine is put together very well and took a edge pretty easy. I tend to carry it at work so it doesn't see a lot of hard use.
 
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