Case's new 154CM trapper

mnblade

mnblade

Joined
Feb 7, 2000
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Case's sweet new mini trapper with caplifter is getting some well-deserved love around here.

But am I the only one mighty impressed with their new full-sized trapper with Burnt Amber Bone handles and satin-finished blades from premium (154CM) steel!?

WOW this knife looks impressive. :thumbup:





And it's not a Bose collaboration, just a new offering in the Case product line.

At various online sellers, the price is around $90, putting this one in the same category as a GEC. Could this be a sign that Case will be offering more premium products targeted to the same knife knuts who buy Great Easterns?

The ApostleP has a review of it on YouTube:

[video=youtube;SLXxDfpf-vk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXxDfpf-vk[/video]

Whatta ya think, guys? Personally, if they made a mini trapper like this, I might be tempted to click "buy." As is, I'm mighty tempted.

-- Mark
 
Good idea for a topic. I mentioned it in another topic but it is deserving of its own subject. I agree that it looks really good. Trappers are popular knives but I'd be much more interested in other patterns so I hope they expand the use 154cm. I'm tempted to pick one up anyway... but I've bought a lot of knives recently...

Case used "exotic steels" (iirc that's what they called some of those knives) in the past (in addition to the collaboration knives). One example is the Cattaraugus knives. Some of those didn't sell well but the MSRP was much higher and they had sort of obnoxious color for the bone covers. The covers on this knife looks good and the price is MUCH more reasonable... I think less than half the price of the earlier knives.
 
That pattern isn't my cup of tea unfortunately. If they come out with some more patterns in 154CM and nice bone I'm definitely interested. I really like 154CM.
 
Same with me, would like to see this appear on a stockman or texas jack. Love 154cm and it is at a good price point. Hopefully they recapture that quality feel of my case knives from the 70s.
Peregrin said:
That pattern isn't my cup of tea unfortunately. If they come out with some more patterns in 154CM and nice bone I'm definitely interested. I really like 154CM.
Click to expand...
 
154cm? that might sway me back to Case if they continue along those lines :)

Love to see them bring that to the Teardrop folders!
G2
 
Yah, almost anything but a trapper would be tempting. Problem is , trappers are their biggest seller I believe (certainly could be wrong though). Fingers crossed this sells well and they do one of their 4 or 8 different pattern groups of them.
Thanks, Neal
 
Peregrin said:
That pattern isn't my cup of tea unfortunately. If they come out with some more patterns in 154CM and nice bone I'm definitely interested. I really like 154CM.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping there maybe more to come in other patterns also. Does Case ever use half stops ?
Tom
 
skyhorse said:
I'm hoping there maybe more to come in other patterns also. Does Case ever use half stops ?
Tom
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure all the Bose collaborations do. It's a mixed bag other then that.
If you have your eye on something, and it's not part of the description ask here, someone is sure to know.
 
Most of the Case Bose have 1/2 stops, but I have a Case Bose Yukon Jack that does not.
 
mnblade said:
At various online sellers, the price is around $90, putting this one in the same category as a GEC. Could this be a sign that Case will be offering more premium products targeted to the same knife knuts who buy Great Easterns?
Click to expand...

Case's exotic steel has been around a long time. I don't think it has anything at all to do with GEC. GEC hasn't been around for very long. If it is competition with another company it would be competition with Queen.

I know they've made a barlow, Seahorse whittler, muskrat, backpocket, and a few other regular production knives with either 154cm or ATS-34. There are others as well but I don't remember. If I recall correctly, the prices were sky high when they first started using "exotic steel".
 
skyhorse said:
I'm hoping there maybe more to come in other patterns also. Does Case ever use half stops ?
Tom
Click to expand...

Both of my Mini Trappers and all of my Peanuts have half stops. My Texas Toothpick, Mini Copperhead, Medium Stockman, Sodbuster, Sodbuster Jr., and Baby Butterbean do not have half stops.
 
Just to show how totally (and embarrassingly) clueless I am about types of blade steel, when I read the title of this thread I thought, "That's GOT to be a typo. 154 cm is 5 feet long!" :o

- GT
 
Now that would be quite the knife:D I think they generally only make 'em that big for signboards, but I could be wrong-there is that ridiculously big opinel.
Neal
Ps ...umm, no offense G2😎
 
supratentorial said:
Case's exotic steel has been around a long time. I don't think it has anything at all to do with GEC. GEC hasn't been around for very long.
Click to expand...

That GEC hasn't been around all that long and is making the "noise" they are in the knife world, is the point. There's no way Case is ignorant of their success.

In a (maybe not) related development, Mark Paup was named the new President and CEO of Case as of April this year. Here's a cool interview with him. In it, Paup says:

"We have to reinvest in this company, in this brand. So, $30 million in improving efficiencies.

"It’s all about remaining relevant and being competitive. That’s the other challenge we have is making sure we’re competitive with price, and there’s a lot of competition out there, and it takes a lot of discipline, and sometimes you have to challenge the status quo within your organization. In a small town there’s a lot of hard habits and a lot of paradigms to break down. There’s a strong culture there and you don’t want to lose that, but you have to be a realist.

"... We've basically reorganized that entire plant to maximize ... our performance and how we serve customers. So, we’ve put a lot of people through a lot of change, and there’s been a lot of heartburn, but it’s all about making sure we’re positioned for the next 125 years."

Something's in the air at Case.

-- Mark
 
supratentorial said:
Case's exotic steel has been around a long time. I don't think it has anything at all to do with GEC. GEC hasn't been around for very long. If it is competition with another company it would be competition with Queen.

I know they've made a barlow, Seahorse whittler, muskrat, backpocket, and a few other regular production knives with either 154cm or ATS-34. There are others as well but I don't remember. If I recall correctly, the prices were sky high when they first started using "exotic steel".
Click to expand...

I agree. Case has used ATS34, 154CM, BG42 and Damascus before there ever was a GEC (IIRC :)).

Queen started using premium stainless before there was a GEC as well. GEC use of 440C harkens back to the old days when "Queen Steel" was actually 440C.
 
Wurrwulf said:
Both of my Mini Trappers and all of my Peanuts have half stops. My Texas Toothpick, Mini Copperhead, Medium Stockman, Sodbuster, Sodbuster Jr., and Baby Butterbean do not have half stops.
Click to expand...

Did some searching some months ago and found these notes (I have to apologize to the author as I don't remember where I got them from):
'005 / '005 1/2 / '005RAZ - Barlow/Razor
'07 / '07W - Mini Trapper
'009 / '009 1/2 / '009RAZ - Barlow/Razor
'011 - Hawkbill
'052 - Medium Congress
'117 - Sway Back Gent/Jack
'15 - Small Gunstock
'156 - Tuxedo
'20 - Peanut
'43 - Grand Daddy Barlow
'49 - Copperhead
'546 / '546 1/2 - Back Pocket/Panama Trapper
 
At the current prices, I'd like to see CPM154/CPMS35VN go to the Bose annual collaboration line. I liked the 154CM made Bose regular collaboration available on a dealer exclusive from the Case [non-vague hint of non-BF dealer removed.]

I'd like to see how well these sell, I think that Case would make a great choice offering a few patterns with 154CM blades. This will cause a mad rush, and will flood the secondary market. But just seeing the fit and finish that will go along with these 154CM blades will be great. While I do not believe it will be of the same quality as the Bose annuals (for at least a third or more of the price, I don't expect it to be), I am excited to see the results.
 
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