Case's Tru-Sharp vs. CV

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Prospect708

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May 9, 2015
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I know there's a lot of threads comparing these two but in many threads people say they just got a SS Case and they want to try it out a little more. I'm curious as to which people prefer and why. I'm contemplating a Medium Stockman and I can't decide on SS or CV. I'm undecided because I like the easy of maintenance with the SS and you don't get the metal smell or taste when cutting fruit. I still enjoy the thought of the CV retaining its edge longer. What do y'all think?


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I've used both for many years now. I don't have any complaints with either steel. If you like a blade to get patina go with CV if you don't want rust worries go with SS. In every day use i can't really tell a difference in how they cut. If I had to pick one I'd say maybe the CV holds an edge a bit longer.

-Greg
 
Case IDs their 'CV' steel as basically 1095 with a little bit of chromium and vanadium added. Their 'Tru-Sharp' stainless has been 420HC.

They both are capable of taking equally fine edges all the way to hair-popping/hair-whittling sharpness, using the same methods and tools; anything from Arkansas stones and beyond, up to diamond hones. The biggest difference in sharpening them, is making sure the burrs are fully cleaned up on the stainless (Tru-Sharp) blades; they're a little more prone to holding onto burrs, and it takes a little more care & finesse to minimize them and remove them. A very light finishing touch on the hones to minimize and get rid of the largest portion of the burr, and some stropping on leather with green compound to clean up the rest, is what has worked well for me. Once finished up, they're almost indistinguishable from one another in typical non-abusive EDC uses. Not adequately removing the burrs is, I think, responsible for many of the negative opinions of Case's stainless blades, as the burrs left behind will fold quickly and leave the impression the edge has dulled much too easily. I was originally skeptical of these blades, precisely due to this issue; then I finally figured out what to do about it, and my opinion of the Tru-Sharp blades turned around for the better. If the burrs are taken care of properly, the stainless holds up quite well as compared to the CV blades.

I've noticed most of the dulling on the edges of my Case knives is more related to abrasive wear (edge dulling or rounding by abrasion), and not edge-rolling or chipping. This means the potential difference in edge-holding between the two steels is less about RC hardness (which affects rolling/chipping behavior), and more about the lack of significant hard carbides, i.e., wear-resistance, in either of the steels. Neither of them are very wear-resistant, so that's why I view them almost identically in terms of how they perform in typical uses. I touch them both up with relatively equal frequency. They will wear; but, once the edge geometry has been set up in good form, either is extremely easy to resharpen and get along with.


David
 
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What he said
Obsessed with Edges said:
Case IDs their 'CV' steel as basically 1095 with a little bit of chromium and vanadium added. Their 'Tru-Sharp' stainless has been 420HC.

They both are capable of taking equally fine edges all the way to hair-popping/hair-whittling sharpness, using the same methods and tools; anything from Arkansas stones and beyond, up to diamond hones. The biggest difference in sharpening them, is making sure the burrs are fully cleaned up on the stainless (Tru-Sharp) blades; they're a little more prone to holding onto burrs, and it takes a little more care & finesse to minimize them and remove them. A very light finishing touch on the hones to minimize and get rid of the largest portion of the burr, and some stropping on leather with green compound to clean up the rest, is what has worked well for me. Once finished up, they're almost indistinguishable from one another in typical non-abusive EDC uses. Not adequately removing the burrs is, I think, responsible for many of the negative opinions of Case's stainless blades, as the burrs left behind will fold quickly and leave the impression the edge has dulled much too easily. If the burrs are taken care of properly, the stainless holds up quite well as compared to the CV blades.

I've noticed most of the dulling on the edges of my Case knives is more related to abrasive wear (edge dulling or rounding by abrasion), and not edge-rolling or chipping. This means the potential difference in edge-holding between the two steels is less about RC hardness (which affects rolling/chipping behavior), and more about the lack of significant hard carbides, i.e., wear-resistance, in either of the steels. Neither of them are very wear-resistant, so that's why I view them almost identically in terms of how they perform in typical uses. I touch them both up with relatively equal frequency. They will wear; but, once the edge geometry has been set up in good form, either is extremely easy to resharpen and get along with.


David
Click to expand...
 
You're splitting hairs. Both will serve you equally as well as outlined by Obsessed with Edges. :)
 
Prospect708 said:
I know there's a lot of threads comparing these two but in many threads people say they just got a SS Case and they want to try it out a little more. I'm curious as to which people prefer and why. I'm contemplating a Medium Stockman and I can't decide on SS or CV. I'm undecided because I like the easy of maintenance with the SS and you don't get the metal smell or taste when cutting fruit. I still enjoy the thought of the CV retaining its edge longer. What do y'all think?


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Click to expand...

I have the same desires as yours. I am much happier with the SS. As OwE says, there is little difference in performance, & if you don't feel you are getting a sharp edge, pay attention to burr removal.
 
If you see most of my post I almost always Carry a carbon steel blade, nevertheless I have a case tru sharp steel 61048 which I almost always use for food on a cutting board or in hand(fruit,cheese,etc). The thing is that it was sharpened very nicely the first time with regrind on carborundum stone and then soft and hard Arkansas and it is amizingly good a lot more than I expected due to the bad reviews all round.
Anyway it's a wise move to believe David's(Owe) experience, I'm with him on that one.
Once properly sharpened is a good blade steel.
To end up my contribution I must say that for a user I prefer CV because it ages better as in patina versus scratches, but it is my take on this, purely a personal opinion.
Mateo
 
No noticeable difference in edge retention. CV, like carbon steel in general, is easier to sharpen, less prone to making a stubborn burr. I use both without reservations, but I'd like to see CV made an option in more lines.
 
The CV is my preference, but I got a medium stockman in stainless, not polished but still showing grind marks. The effect is a kind of satin finish that doesn't show fingerprints like the polished blades. So far, so good.
 
I like the look of CV, but the stainless is very good. It will get sharp, and hold its edge pretty well. Really it comes down to whether or not you like the look of one of the other, or expect to use it with food or around a lot of water. Functionally they seem pretty close to me, though I have more experience with CV.
 
So what angle do y'all sharpen your Tru-Sharp to on these knives? I think from the factory they recommend 15*


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Don't let "carbon is easier to sharpen" skew you, either - TruSharp is a breeze to sharpen and it gets just as sharp. I have had several Case knives in TruSharp and thought it was just fine. I like patina but not rust, so when I have the option I pick stainless every time I can.

The Case hollow grind is so thin that I put the cutting edge on my Sodbuster Jr. At 20 dps with a 25 dps micro bevel.
 
I'm rather confused about some of the responses. My Sodbuster in TruSharp takes an incredibly sharp edge very easily but also dulls incredibly easily. I once had it dull from hair popping to blunt cutting open a thick cardboard envelope, it wouldn't cut into an apple afterwards. I carried it every day for 6 months and that was my experience throughout. It's really easy to strop back to very sharp but it doesn't hold it there at all from my experience.
 
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Pomsbz said:
I'm rather confused about some of the responses. My Sodbuster in TruSharp takes an incredibly sharp edge very easily but also dulls incredibly easily. I once had it dull from hair popping to blunt cutting open a thick cardboard envelope. I carried it every day for 6 months and that was my experience throughout. It's really easy to strop back to very sharp but it doesn't hold it there at all from my experience.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the edge on your Sodbuster has been sharpened at too acute an angle for cutting cardboard, bending from the force, which then straightens out again when stropped.
 
Pomsbz said:
I'm rather confused about some of the responses. My Sodbuster in TruSharp takes an incredibly sharp edge very easily but also dulls incredibly easily. I once had it dull from hair popping to blunt cutting open a thick cardboard envelope, it wouldn't cut into an apple afterwards. I carried it every day for 6 months and that was my experience throughout. It's really easy to strop back to very sharp but it doesn't hold it there at all from my experience.
Click to expand...
That my friend is a typical burr behaviour, it gets really sharp but there is a burr that gets folded over as soon as you cut anything but hair.
A few Very light passes at a slightly higher angle (I like to do it with stone in hand) until you're able to slice cleanly thin paper(phone book, magazine,etc)
Hope it helps
Mateo
 
Jeff_R said:
Sounds like the edge on your Sodbuster has been sharpened at too acute an angle for cutting cardboard, bending from the force, which then straightens out again when stropped.
Click to expand...

Likely so. I sharpen Tru-sharp at no more acute than 20° per side. And to my mind, it's actually better at the traditional angle of 22 1/2°. At the wider angle there is more steel supporting the edge, so it is not so likely to bend.

Edited to add:
Custom maker Phil Wilson, who specializes in knives with exotic alloy blades and extreme edge holding, says that the way most knives dull is the edge deforms, not wears away. This is especially true for softer blades such as Case Tru-Sharp.
 
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I have both, carry both, like both. I can sharpen both about equally well. I usually go 20 dps. I use Norton combo India, hard/soft Arkansas, Spyderco Sharpmaker, leather strop with green compound depending on what is needed.

In general I prefer the stainless. Less maintenance in a user knife. I don't particularly like the look of patina and tend to polish it off when doing general knife care. I have not yet had a CV knife visibly rust but a few have developed small pits.
 
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