AFAustin
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,488
For the last year or two, I’ve had a Copperlock dilemma. I like Case knives and I’ve long been a fan of the Copperlock pattern, but with some reservations. I don’t like the exaggerated clip with the high ridge on the spine, as I think it breaks the clean lines of the knife and is disproportionate to the blade’s narrow waist. In other words I’d prefer a more streamlined look. And recently there’s been a second issue.
But other than that, there’s a lot to like: long pull; beautiful swedge; the blade, especially the last 1/3 toward the tip, is ground thin---perfect for slicing. And the Copperlock, and its little brother the Mini Copperlock, often feature some very nice bone.
The Copperlock has an interesting history, and it’s summarized by a Case historian as quoted in a post (#4) by Modoc ED a while back: Case Copperlock | BladeForums.com
Up until recently, my only issue has been the blade shape. So a while back, I did some outpatient surgery on my Copperlock (goldenrod jigged bone) and Mini Copperlock (smooth chestnut bone) and “de-humped” the clip blade.
I never took any “before” pics, but here’s what the Copperlock and Mini Copperlock look like in stock form, courtesy of my friend analoghog (Mike):
And here’s what my original two look like post-surgery:
So I was happy with my modded Copperlock pair. But then I had the chance to acquire another pair, a full size Copperlock in purple appaloosa bone and a Mini in olive jigged bone with threaded bolsters. I really liked the knives except for two things: my usual complaint about the blade shape, and a new one---the sharp and uncomfortable front bolsters.
Initially I wondered if these two knives were of a more recent vintage than my original pair, and perhaps Case had lately started making the Copperlock bolsters protrude more and with a sharper edge. In fact, the smooth chestnut Mini Copperlock is a 2012 model while the olive green one is 2017. But with the full size Copperlocks, the goldenrod is 2013 and the purple appaloosa is from 1998. So I guess the bolster shape is just an unpredictable feature from year-to-year and knife-to-knife.
Here’s a couple of pics showing the (stock) bolsters on my previous pair next to the sharper and more protruding ones on my new acquisitions. If the difference doesn’t appear huge, I can assure you there’s a big difference in how they feel in hand---my hand at least.
And here was my dilemma: the new pair were too uncomfortable to carry and use---but I liked them too much to sell. And I didn’t entirely trust myself to attempt another mod as I’m a complete amateur and this pair was just too nice to mess up.
So there they sat, and for way too long, until it finally sunk in: What good are they if I’m not going to use them? I decided to take the plunge.
Once again, I have no “before” pics. So please refer to the pics above from Mike which are a good representation of the stock blade shape which these had.
And here’s the result:
As you can see, this mod produced a different blade shape than my earlier one: a slightly fuller blade and a slightly stouter and less acute tip. But, as in the previous mod, the “hump” on the spine is gone.
This time, I also addressed the sharp front bolsters. With the sharp edges taken down, when the knives are closed the tang is not 100% covered. But almost, and in any event the tangs are rounded, as is typical with Case knives (and which I much prefer), so there’s no pocket snagging at all.
It has always interested me how a small tweak or two to a knife can greatly change how I feel about it. These most recent mods are no exception.
I realize that any modifications to the classic Copperlock pattern may be heresy to its many fans. But my take is simple---I now actually enjoy carrying and using these nice blades. After all, isn’t that the whole point?
Thanks for taking a look,
Andrew
But other than that, there’s a lot to like: long pull; beautiful swedge; the blade, especially the last 1/3 toward the tip, is ground thin---perfect for slicing. And the Copperlock, and its little brother the Mini Copperlock, often feature some very nice bone.
The Copperlock has an interesting history, and it’s summarized by a Case historian as quoted in a post (#4) by Modoc ED a while back: Case Copperlock | BladeForums.com
Up until recently, my only issue has been the blade shape. So a while back, I did some outpatient surgery on my Copperlock (goldenrod jigged bone) and Mini Copperlock (smooth chestnut bone) and “de-humped” the clip blade.
I never took any “before” pics, but here’s what the Copperlock and Mini Copperlock look like in stock form, courtesy of my friend analoghog (Mike):
And here’s what my original two look like post-surgery:
So I was happy with my modded Copperlock pair. But then I had the chance to acquire another pair, a full size Copperlock in purple appaloosa bone and a Mini in olive jigged bone with threaded bolsters. I really liked the knives except for two things: my usual complaint about the blade shape, and a new one---the sharp and uncomfortable front bolsters.
Initially I wondered if these two knives were of a more recent vintage than my original pair, and perhaps Case had lately started making the Copperlock bolsters protrude more and with a sharper edge. In fact, the smooth chestnut Mini Copperlock is a 2012 model while the olive green one is 2017. But with the full size Copperlocks, the goldenrod is 2013 and the purple appaloosa is from 1998. So I guess the bolster shape is just an unpredictable feature from year-to-year and knife-to-knife.
Here’s a couple of pics showing the (stock) bolsters on my previous pair next to the sharper and more protruding ones on my new acquisitions. If the difference doesn’t appear huge, I can assure you there’s a big difference in how they feel in hand---my hand at least.
And here was my dilemma: the new pair were too uncomfortable to carry and use---but I liked them too much to sell. And I didn’t entirely trust myself to attempt another mod as I’m a complete amateur and this pair was just too nice to mess up.
So there they sat, and for way too long, until it finally sunk in: What good are they if I’m not going to use them? I decided to take the plunge.
Once again, I have no “before” pics. So please refer to the pics above from Mike which are a good representation of the stock blade shape which these had.
And here’s the result:
As you can see, this mod produced a different blade shape than my earlier one: a slightly fuller blade and a slightly stouter and less acute tip. But, as in the previous mod, the “hump” on the spine is gone.
This time, I also addressed the sharp front bolsters. With the sharp edges taken down, when the knives are closed the tang is not 100% covered. But almost, and in any event the tangs are rounded, as is typical with Case knives (and which I much prefer), so there’s no pocket snagging at all.
It has always interested me how a small tweak or two to a knife can greatly change how I feel about it. These most recent mods are no exception.
I realize that any modifications to the classic Copperlock pattern may be heresy to its many fans. But my take is simple---I now actually enjoy carrying and using these nice blades. After all, isn’t that the whole point?
Thanks for taking a look,
Andrew
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