Good old Case knives... love to hate em.

I own a number of Case stockman patterns (large and medium) in CV and stainless the oldest of which is a 1973 6392CV but don't have a humpback. I assume you really like your humpback. I might need to get one.
 
Vinifera said:
I own a number of Case stockman patterns (large and medium) in CV and stainless the oldest of which is a 1973 6392CV but don't have a humpback. I assume you really like your humpback. I might need to get one.
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I can't speak for Alan (although I know that he does really like his Humpback Stockman) but I have the same Rough Black version and it is my favorite Case knife to carry.

One of the Humpback Stockman's best features, in my opinion, is that it has a Spear main blade. Not really unusual for a Stockman pattern but not nearly as common as the Clip blade. I currently own three Humpback Stockmans and all of them have great walk and talk on all three blades.

The Humpbacks also come in Whittler and Half Whittler configurations with the Whittler sporting three backsprings. If you like the looks of the Humpbacks I'm sure you would be pleased if you got one in your hands.
 
You won't be disappointed. Here's a photo of my mine right after arriving. I'd never been a stockman fan. This one changed that.



Alan
 
Thanks for the info. I am more interested in the Stockman pattern than a Whittler but will investigate them all. The Spear blade is very interesting and is one of my favorite main blades. Thanks again for the information, it is much appreciated!
 
Am I that obvious Rick? Plus, there's that nice swedge on the spear blade.

Alan
 
Vinifera said:
Thanks for the info. I am more interested in the Stockman pattern than a Whittler but will investigate them all. The Spear blade is very interesting and is one of my favorite main blades. Thanks again for the information, it is much appreciated!
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You're welcome. Actually, for carrying purposes, I'm not a fan of any Whittler pattern that I can think of. Something about the two secondary blades at the same end just doesn't sit well with me. I don't why but I just can't seem to get used to that. I did own a Humpback Whittler several years ago but that was before I discovered my dislike for Whittlers in general for carrying purposes. I do own a couple of Whittler patterns that I like for reasons other than pocket carry.

joeradza said:
Am I that obvious Rick? Plus, there's that nice swedge on the spear blade.

Alan
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Well, I recon so. :)
 
That's me. What do you think of your namesake the railsplitter?
Oops my bad it's not a Case, sorry

Alan
 
And about the Case CV Trapper: my most scratched knife by far. When I have a project that requires a lot of cutting with a long blade (when a razorblade won't work) my Case Trapper is the knife I reach for.
 
One of my best cutting knives and just a cool carry, 1950's stag 5375. Full blades, great snap and got it for a song because of the pitted blades :p Wicked thin grinds, takes a crazy edge and the shield is pinned. Certainly something to be said for the classics...

imagejpg1_zps88d54657.jpg
 
Railsplitter said:
You're welcome. Actually, for carrying purposes, I'm not a fan of any Whittler pattern that I can think of. Something about the two secondary blades at the same end just doesn't sit well with me. I don't why but I just can't seem to get used to that. I did own a Humpback Whittler several years ago but that was before I discovered my dislike for Whittlers in general for carrying purposes. I do own a couple of Whittler patterns that I like for reasons other than pocket carry.
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Again thanks for the information. I just placed an order for the Humpback Stockman in Tested Red Barnboard.
 
Macchina said:
I like my hatchet edges thin and polished. Different strokes...

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Nice polish! Oh believe me, my hatchets will shave but they are still thick compared to my knives in regards to edge geometry. Otherwise it would be a single use hatchet :)
 
Hard to beat the thin full-height hollow grind pin the Sodbuster Jr. Also, the half whittler is an easy favorite - mine should be back from the repair shop tomorrow or Tuesday, and I'm more excited about that than the 440C 15's that are on their way to me.
 
In the last 3 years since going back to traditional pocket knives I've yet to find myself wishing I had anything other than my slip-joint for a task at hand - no crisis where I wished I had a one-hand opening capability, or any reason my Barlow or Stockman didn't perform marvelously as needed at the moment.
 
arizonaranchman said:
In the last 3 years since going back to traditional pocket knives I've yet to find myself wishing I had anything other than my slip-joint for a task at hand - no crisis where I wished I had a one-hand opening capability, or any reason my Barlow or Stockman didn't perform marvelously as needed at the moment.
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I have heard this from so many who have taken a step back, and it echoes in my own psyche as well. Looking at a knife as a cutting tool, and not some kind of fantasy worship item, the whole object of it is to cut. To separate solid matter into smaller pieces. For this mission a thin blade is always better. It's just the physical science of the thing.

We are living in an age of the office cubical worker. Less people in the U.S. at least, are living as close to the land as in our grandfathers time. Farmers, ranchers, working watermen, furniture makers, carpenters, house painters, printers, upholstery repair, shoemakers, are way less now than computer programers, office machine repair, office clerk, or any other job indoors at a desk. Yet, in our grandfathers era, they did not feel the need for the one hand opening, or thick blade capable of stabbing through a car door. They had them, the old "switchblade" goes back to the old days, was available in stores then. Schrade and other companies made one and even two blade knives with blades that opened with a push of a button. Yet…they were not the most popular of models. Why?

It seems like the working men of the past preferred a nice barlow, stockman, sodbuster, or simple clasp knife over the available one hand opening knives of the day. As a kid, I remember seeing switchblades for sale in stores that sold knives. Right out there in the open, as they were still legal then. Yet, very few of the grown men I knew bothered with them. Growing up, I knew a great many rough old cobs that were cronies of my grandfather, and none of them seemed to be bothered by carrying a knife that you needed to pull open a blade. These were working watermen who made a living on boats out on the Chesapeake Bay in all kinds of weather. They lived for hunting and fishing, and there were a few poachers among them. These men used a knife more in a day than most people now do in a week or even a month.

What they wanted from a knife was the ability to cut. That seemed to over ride anything else. They didn't seem to worry about the things that modern knife people seem to obsess over, like being on a ladder and needing to open a knife, or some other kind of rare instance where you need a narrow focus ability. The knife was a cutting tool. I still think of it that way. To me, the single most important thing abut a knife is how it cuts and functions in my day to day needs of separating pieces of matter. I'm an old sonofa…, yet in my long life of all kinds of outdoors functions, I've yet to encounter a quick draw situation with my pocket knife.
 
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jackknife said:
I have heard this from so many who have taken a step back, and it echoes in my own psyche as well. Looking at a knife as a cutting tool, and not some kind of fantasy worship item, the whole object of it is to cut. To separate solid matter into smaller pieces. For this mission a thin blade is always better. It's just the physical science of the thing.

We are living in an age of the office cubical worker. Less people in the U.S. at least, are living as close to the land as in our grandfathers time. Farmers, ranchers, working watermen, furniture makers, carpenters, house painters, printers, upholstery repair, shoemakers, are way less now than computer programers, office machine repair, office clerk, or any other job indoors at a desk. Yet, in our grandfathers era, they did not feel the need for the one hand opening, or thick blade capable of stabbing through a car door. They had them, the old "switchblade" goes back to the old days, was available in stores then. Schrade and other companies made one and even two blade knives with blades that opened with a push of a button. Yet…they were not the most popular of models. Why?

It seems like the working men of the past preferred a nice barlow, stockman, sodbuster, or simple clasp knife over the available one hand opening knives of the day. As a kid, I remember seeing switchblades for sale in stores that sold knives. Right out there in the open, as they were still legal then. Yet, very few of the grown men I knew bothered with them. Growing up, I knew a great many rough old cobs that were cronies of my grandfather, and none of them seemed to be bothered by crying a knife that you needed to pull open a blade. These were working watermen who made a living on boats out on the Chesapeake Bay in all kinds of weather. They lived for hunting and fishing, and there were a few poachers among them. These men used a knife more in a day than most people now do in a week or even a month.

What they wanted from a knife was the ability to cut. That seemed to over ride anything else. They didn't seem to worry about the things that modern knife people seem to absess over, like being on a ladder and needing to open a knife, or some other kind of rare instance where you need a narrow focus ability. The knife was a cutting tool. I still think of it that way. To me, the single most important thing abut a knife is how it cuts and functions in my day to day needs of separating pieces of matter. I'm an old sonofa…, yet in my long life of all kinds of outdoors functions, I've yet to encounter a quick draw situation with my pocket knife.
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I agree if it won't cut and stay sharp then I don't need it.
 
jackknife said:
I have heard this from so many who have taken a step back, and it echoes in my own psyche as well. Looking at a knife as a cutting tool, and not some kind of fantasy worship item, the whole object of it is to cut. To separate solid matter into smaller pieces. For this mission a thin blade is always better. It's just the physical science of the thing.

We are living in an age of the office cubical worker. Less people in the U.S. at least, are living as close to the land as in our grandfathers time. Farmers, ranchers, working watermen, furniture makers, carpenters, house painters, printers, upholstery repair, shoemakers, are way less now than computer programers, office machine repair, office clerk, or any other job indoors at a desk. Yet, in our grandfathers era, they did not feel the need for the one hand opening, or thick blade capable of stabbing through a car door. They had them, the old "switchblade" goes back to the old days, was available in stores then. Schrade and other companies made one and even two blade knives with blades that opened with a push of a button. Yet…they were not the most popular of models. Why?

It seems like the working men of the past preferred a nice barlow, stockman, sodbuster, or simple clasp knife over the available one hand opening knives of the day. As a kid, I remember seeing switchblades for sale in stores that sold knives. Right out there in the open, as they were still legal then. Yet, very few of the grown men I knew bothered with them. Growing up, I knew a great many rough old cobs that were cronies of my grandfather, and none of them seemed to be bothered by crying a knife that you needed to pull open a blade. These were working watermen who made a living on boats out on the Chesapeake Bay in all kinds of weather. They lived for hunting and fishing, and there were a few poachers among them. These men used a knife more in a day than most people now do in a week or even a month.

What they wanted from a knife was the ability to cut. That seemed to over ride anything else. They didn't seem to worry about the things that modern knife people seem to absess over, like being on a ladder and needing to open a knife, or some other kind of rare instance where you need a narrow focus ability. The knife was a cutting tool. I still think of it that way. To me, the single most important thing abut a knife is how it cuts and functions in my day to day needs of separating pieces of matter. I'm an old sonofa…, yet in my long life of all kinds of outdoors functions, I've yet to encounter a quick draw situation with my pocket knife.
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Here here! I was going to say that word for word, but you said it first. ;)
 
Case's SS is not bad at all either. I used to not even look at a Case if it was SS because of all the negativity I had heard. Then I was gifted one is SS last year. Using 2 blades for different things it has kept an edge fine (just a light strop on a coffee cup) and it was used for general edc cutting, cutting vegetables off the vine in the garden and cleaning trout. I don't have any fancy way of testing it, but in my opinion, the SS seems to perform about on par with victorinox SS in cutting, edge retention and sharpening.
 
After owning some of most of the knives we talk about around here, I honestly think Case offers the best all around pocket knives. Best at everything? No. Best Quality? Not always..... I generally sell off the knives that don't get much use and keep the ones that make me smile. I tend to end up with Case knives in my drawer. Good steel that is easy to maintain, nice bone options, nice patterns, nice blade profiles (I do wish they'd add more swedged blades!)..... I can get those knives shaving hair sharp.... Just a good knife.
 
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