Case vs. Queen

UFMetalEng

UFMetalEng

Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
67
I'm about to buy my first slip joint and I have narrowed it down to a canoe model, I'm looking at a couple models but I find I like the looks of the case better than the queen models but I'm unsure if I should get D2 rather than tru-sharp.
 
D2 will hold an edge waaaaaaaaay longer than Tru-Sharp stainless steel.

D2 will also be harder to resharpen, but it's still worth it.

If your worried about stain resistance, even though D2 is considered a carbon steel, it will resist rust almost as good as stainless.
 
I have no experience with Case Tru-Sharp but I have heard it is 420HC or similar to it. 420HC is pretty easy to sharpen on standard ceramic sharpeners. Personally, I like 420HC. It is simple to maintain and most 420HC knives are rather inexpensive. It is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as steel snobery goes but it will cut what needs to be cut.

I have several Queen D2 knives and all of them came with less than razor sharp edges. They are quite challenging to reprofile and sharpen even with coarse stones or diamonds. But once the edge is thinned out it only needs an occasional honing on ceramic to maintain it. However I really like Queen knives and have accepted the fact that they will need some work out of the box.

Oh, and I love my Queen D2 canoe in birdseye maple.
 
UFMetalEng,
I cannot add anything significant to either of the above two fine posts except to ask you a question. Have you considered a Case Canoe in CV instead of Tru-Sharp? CV is a hi-carbon steel that some here(myself included) prefer to Tru-Sharp.

BTW, You are in my old stomping grounds. I used to live in a home on 39th Ave on 75 acres back in the 1970's well before they started sub-dividing..:rolleyes:

Go Gators!.. :thumbup:
 
I have several Canoes of both types, and by far my favorite model is the Queen City 1095 version. I have one in red jigged bone and one in green bone.

I have a fairly new Case in CV as well, and there is nothing wrong with it, but I prefer the red queen 1095 because it's so pretty.
 
sunnyd,

it's always nice to meet another member of the gator nation.. to answer your question the only reason i was looking at the tru-sharp was because there is a limited edition one that caught my eye. It's my favorite looking out of all the others I looked at but I'm trying to see if I can justify buying it because of the difference in blade materials
 
The only way to tell which steel you prefer is to test fly um both. Then you can post your results.

Dave
 
UFMetalEng said:
sunnyd,

it's always nice to meet another member of the gator nation.. to answer your question the only reason i was looking at the tru-sharp was because there is a limited edition one that caught my eye. It's my favorite looking out of all the others I looked at but I'm trying to see if I can justify buying it because of the difference in blade materials
Click to expand...

Ahh Haa, I understand completely now.. The LE's have gotten me more than just a few times myself with their beautiful, exotic and unique colors of bone scales. Case makes such purrrdy stuff. I am with stevekt when he describes true-sharp's attributes.

Perhaps after you pull the trigger on her, you could post a photograph or two?.
 
i started out buying Queens for the D2 steel, but became discouraged by lousy edge grind and occasional weak spring and blade play. so switced to Case in both Tru Sharp and CV. all 10 Case knives have arrived sharp and with no problems. as for cutting; 99% of the cutting i'm ever going to do will be easily done by either of Case steels. i was a steel snob but experience has shown otherwise. Tru Sharp and Case CV are both very usable steels.
 
P.S. my Case seahorse whittler in CV is one of my very favorite pocket carry knives. super cutter and feels great in the hand.
 
What Mr. Proctor said is exactly how I feel.

I reprofiled 4 Queen/Schatt and Morgan blades. Took about an hour a piece. Real PITA. Love the knives...hate the edge.

I bought my first case, true-sharp. It shaved hair out of the box. Been using it regularly, it holds an edge as good as anyone would need. Fit and Finish is better than Queen more like their premium line Schatt and Morgan, but half the price of the S&M. Bought 2 case cv, shaved hair out of the box. Have held up like any 1095 blade.

D2 from queen will pit and rust, where tru-sharp is a better stainless and case cv won't pit as much as queen D2.
 
Zip7 said:
I have several Canoes of both types, and by far my favorite model is the Queen City 1095 version. I have one in red jigged bone and one in green bone.

I have a fairly new Case in CV as well, and there is nothing wrong with it, but I prefer the red queen 1095 because it's so pretty.
Click to expand...

I agree entirely. I also prefer the Queen City ones in 1095 carbon. They are nice and affordable too.
 
I just ordered a couple Case Trappers in CV (Chrome Vanadium). I read in the Steel FAQ that Case CV is 0170-6/50100-B (50100 with vanadium added). That's an excellent cutlery steel.
 
ras said:
I just ordered a couple Case Trappers in CV (Chrome Vanadium). I read in the Steel FAQ that Case CV is 0170-6/50100-B (50100 with vanadium added). That's an excellent cutlery steel.
Click to expand...

This seems to be a highly debated "fact".

I've heard that alleged by some proponents and denied as vehemently by others. Frankly, I wish I did know the truth one way or another.

Anybody have a definitive answer?

I'll shoot an email over to Tony Bose in case he may know from his dealings directly with Case.
 
brownshoe said:
I bought my first case, true-sharp. It shaved hair out of the box. Been using it regularly, it holds an edge as good as anyone would need. Fit and Finish is better than Queen more like their premium line Schatt and Morgan, but half the price of the S&M. Bought 2 case cv, shaved hair out of the box. Have held up like any 1095 blade.
Click to expand...

Let me tell you, I've come around on Case. As a kid in the 70s and 80s I had countless Case knives from that era and, more often than not, was very underwhelmed - mainly with fit/finish issues. Fastforward to the past few months ..... I've received two Case knives recently that have been made post 2004. Both had very very good fit and finish and both had really good factory edges. For a user knife, I'd rather have a very recent Case than anything they've made since 1970 - they're that good.

It's heartening to see an American company improving their product and expanding their offerings as a way to meet the challenge from China, rather than just throwing in the towel.
 
On steels, I see each of the four majors differently.

D2. Tough as nails (surprising considering it's RC 59-60), nearly stainless. Used a Queen utility #11 for two yars at work, lots of corrosives around, and never got so much as a patina. Holds an edge excellently well and cuts very well, particularly when convexed. Hard to initially sharpen, but easy to maintain when you get it there.

Case Tru-Sharp. Easy to sharpen and purely stainless. Toughness is very high, owing to the low hardness (55-57). Edge can roll easily if the edge is too thin, reducing its cutting performance. Still acceptable if convexed and polished.

CV. I'd say it is 0176C. I've sharpened some Beckers and the like that are known to be and it behaves the same. Classic carbon steel, easily forms a patina. Touch harder to sharpen than 1095 at the same hardness, but just as good a user. Cuts great, takes a thin edge, holds it pretty well. Made to be convexed.

1095. Old reliable. Sharpens quick, takes a fine edge, holds it well. Stains easily, tendency to pit if used in corrosive environments.

So what would I take?

For edgeholding, it's D2. Stain resistance, Tru-Sharp. Ability to take a fine edge and hold it well? 1095 or CV.
 
I recently bought a sodbuster jr. in tru-sharp. I wanted cv to match a trapper I had, but all they had was ss. I never would have known that the tru-sharp was inferior to the cv if I had not read some of the posts here. I have been using the knife daily for about a week and the knife is still very sharp. By the way, this knife easily had one of the sharpest factory edges on it I have received. I have not had to sharpen it yet, so I cannot comment on the ease of resharpening. Needless to say, I could not be happier with the tru-sharp.
 
I carry a canoe pattern pretty near daily.....and it's not a knife that I generally subject to a lot of "heavy" use; it isn't what I would reach for if I was to go on a "cardboard cuttin' jag", prepare a five course meal. or trim the hedges. String, an envelope, some fruit, and the odd seam along a cardboard box is what typically will meet the blade throughout a typical day. So...for my needs...if I was enamored with the looks of a Case Tru-Sharp, I wouldn't hesitate to welcome it into the "fold". I find that Case does a fine job of sending out most of their current production factory, stainless knives with a sharp, serviceable edge.

But, I do like carbon steel for the easy way in which it takes an edge....and since I have been using Arkansas stones for over 50 years now, I can get 1095/CV razor sharp. If I was to tote a blade along for dressing game, no doubt I would reach for something in carbon steel.

I'm havin' a heck of time re-profiling and putting a decent edge on a D2 Queen Teardrop I recently acquired. I don't own any diamond stones....and I am about ready to buy one...or give up the knife. I like the way D2 holds an edge...but brother, at my age I find it almost too much work to get a dull edge up to speed !

- Regards
 
stdwdh16 said:
I recently bought a sodbuster jr. in tru-sharp... By the way, this knife easily had one of the sharpest factory edges on it I have received.
Click to expand...

Same was true with the CV Sodbuster Jr. I got a week or 10 days ago.

It had a pretty large burr that needed to be removed, but once done and with a very light touch-up on a very fine hone, it was a screamer!
 
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