Case XX blade steel?

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Aug 24, 1999
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Case says they make their traditional pocket knives either from "chrome vanadium" or "tru-sharp sugical steel."

Does anybody know what these steels actually are? Also, does anybody know how their blades (made today) compare with small blades by Buck, Schrade, Ka-Bar, etc?


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case tru sharp is 420 stainless,I don't know what they use for there carbon steel blades
 
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I remember reading somewhere that Kabar, Case and others typically use 50100 as 'carbon steel'.
 
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Danny at 888 Knives R Us is a resident expert on Case. Maybe he can shed some light. I will ask him to come in here and help us out.

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sdw

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I e-mailed Case awhile back asking the same thing.They wrote back saying that their stainless is 420 HC and their carbon steel is 1095.They call it crome vanadium but 1095 to the best of my knowledge has neither of these elements in it.They also said that their CV steel is the original steel used back in the begining of W.R. Case.
scott w
 

Chief

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I bought a Chrome Vanadium Case Stockman for my father in law and wanted it to be real sharp when I gave it to him so I worked it for quite a while on my Sharpmaker and it never got scary sharp. I can get CPM440V, M2, BG-42, or ATS-34 scary, but not the steel that Case uses today. I have an old Case my dad had that gets scary sharp easily, so I don't think it is the same stuff.
 
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Anybody else have trouble sharpening a Case?

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I don't want my children fed or clothed by the state, but I would prefer THAT to their being educated by the state.
 

sdw

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Mar 28, 1999
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I have a CV copperlock and it will get an agressive edge on my EZE-lap diamond stone.I like the edge it gets but I never tried it on my sharpmaker,they are a finer grit than my eze-lap.I can't quite remember my resoning then but when I bought it I was thinking that it was'nt the same as the original either.It sure gets a nice patina though,just like an old one.I never tried their stainless as a user,only for a collector.
Sounds like the CV , 1095 , Original Steel thing needs some more reserch.Anyone know the facts on this?
scott w
 
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The Case knives I own are all "Tru-sharp" stainless. I now only keep them in the collection, but for a while I used my Pocketworn Stockman for everything. It's very sharp and holds an edge very well, also resists corrosion with little maintenance.
The feeling I get from Case's 420HC seems different from the 420HC of Buck. They both seem to hold an edge and resist rust very well, but I've only had to resharpen the Bucks due to more use, and they resharpen easily. So perhaps the different feeling I get is more due to the finishes (Buck usually uses a satin finish, Case a sort of grainy mirror(?) polish.
Jim
 

888KNIVESRUS

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From what I have been told. The chrome vanadium is a coating on top of the 1095. Case has seen many changes over the years. All of their knives years ago were chrome vanadium 1095.
Then they went to Stainless because so many of their knives were made into sets and Commemorative Knives. These were realy made to be seen, not used.
Today they are bring back the steel that made them famous. Not all of their models today are Carbon but alot are. And to us who love a good caron steel blade this is great. If you have sharpened Stainless all the time it is different to go to carbon steel. Carbon requiers more attention than stainless steel.
I have yet to meet a Case knife that I can not get it "scary sharp". And that is Carbon and Stainless both. Chief, If you need that knife sharp send it to me. When you get it back you can shave with it.

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[This message has been edited by 888KNIVESRUS (edited 29 August 1999).]
 
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I've worked the edge on my REKAT UNK, which is 1095, into a scary sharp, razor type edge. It will shave like a champ, and slice your finger like a hot-knife through butter (yeah, I've tried it
redface.gif
frown.gif
). Had no problem getting it that sharp on a Sharpmaker. Nice blade, nice steel. I like 1095 much better than I would have thought. In spite of how this sounds, it's a plug for 1095, not REKAT (althought I'd be happy to advertise for REKAT as well
biggrin.gif
)

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