I need help picking a slipjoint

T

TurkishChubs

Joined
Jul 11, 2013
Messages
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I have sold some of my older knives and now I'm trying to decide out of these two

Case saddlehorn in buffalo horn
Gec boys knife spear point jack model in jigged red bone (I think that's what it's called)

I'm concerned about the 1095 rusting out on me because I have no intention if oiling it

I would appreciate some pics to compare and any experiences using these knives
 
I think the GEC is probably going to have better fit and finish in my experience but I haven't handled that particular Case knife. If you're looking at the 2-blade spearpoint jack however, I found it a little difficult to access the nail nick on the main blade because the pen blade blocks it quite a bit. Ended up returning the one I ordered for that reason. Instead I recently ordered a spearpoint single blade and the barlow jack knife with the clip blade which sits higher than the spear making it easier to access behind the pen blade. Both look like great options without the problem of the spearpoint jack.
 
TurkishChubs said:
I have sold some of my older knives and now I'm trying to decide out of these two

Case saddlehorn in buffalo horn
Gec boys knife spear point jack model in jigged red bone (I think that's what it's called)

I'm concerned about the 1095 rusting out on me because I have no intention if oiling it

I would appreciate some pics to compare and any experiences using these knives
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Well, if you have no intention of oiling anything with 1095, you might as well throw it down a rat-hole. That would include the GEC knife you're asking about. Same thing with the Case if it is CV. If it's stainless go with that. Oil is cheap. Heck, you can even use the oil off the side of your nose in a pinch (pun intended).
 
We'll on the gec I was hoping it would patina rather then rust. I do keep my blades clean from grime.would rusting still be an issue if it had a patina?
 
Keep it clean and dry and you'll be fine. Though I do oil them when I'm not using them regularly. Any variation of the GEC #15 is a winner in my book!
 
On the #15, it's not just the blade that's carbon steel. The spring, liners, and bolsters are carbon as well (unless I'm mistaken). A patina can protect from rust, but it's not an impenetrable barrier.
 
GEC #15 is a very classy knife, their 1095 is quite good IMO, but proper maintenance is a must. I like patinas, for helping protect carbon steel. The blacker the patina, the less it's going to rust on me it seems, along with oil. Case's Tru-sharp is serviceable, but kinda lackluster .
 
As for as maintenance goes. How often would I need to be oiling the knife? Part of me thinks I should try taking care of a cheap case cv knife first before I buy the GEC.
 
On my gec, I let them patina, and almost never oil the blades, and I mean like once a year, when I know that they are going to get really moist (like wet snow camping).

Just a drop of oil on the joints occasionally, and you are fine. Little rust? Rub it off with a fingernail and keep going.
 
The #15 is a classic, almost perfect pocket knife. Very minimal care will keep it going for many years. Once every couple of months, when you're passing through the kitchen, wipe it down with a little vegetable oil or olive oil. Or just whenever you are in the vicinity of some wd-40 or any type lubricant. Clean any crap out of the liners once in a while. It should be fine. You could even try a forced patina.
 
TurkishChubs said:
As for as maintenance goes. How often would I need to be oiling the knife? Part of me thinks I should try taking care of a cheap case cv knife first before I buy the GEC.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. A Sodbuster or 31048 slimline trapper is nice for a single blade. You can experiment with patinas (like jabbing into an apple for a while, or coating it in mustard or hotsauce), then polish it out and try again.

Honestly though, with a GEC, the problem with rust might come more with the liners or backspring. You can put a protective patina on the blade easily enough, but backspring is carbon steel, and depending on the knife, so could the liners and maybe the bolsters. It's not terribly demeaning to keep them shiny, but it does take some upkeep. Most people don't mind if the backspring or liners darken over time, but it's also easy for them to rust because of sweat and whatnot from your hands. Something like Renaissance Wax might be better for those parts than oil if you want to keep them shiny.

One of my most carried knives is my GEC #47 Hayn' Helper (in NifeBrite). O-1 tool steel blade, carbon steel spring, and mild carbon steel liners. Everything is still mostly shiny, yet I don't oil it, and only occasionally polish the liners/spring. It's not a constant fight to keep things shiny, but nor should you neglect it or do something dumb like run around in the rain with it in your pocket (if do, dry it and oil it asap).

If you get a cheap Case in CV, you can see what the blade will do without constant upkeep. Case uses stainless springs though (these days - older ones were carbon).
 
I never oil the blades of my GEC #15 Barlow, but I do make sure to clean out pocket lint, and while I do that I oil both the joints and the insides of the liners and backsprings. Even though the backsprings are greyed, the insides of them are still shiny.

Unless you live in an overly humid environment, make sure you wipe the blades off if they get wet and you'll be fine.

Hope you feel good about your decision, however it goes!

_9100548copy_zps989902c6.jpg


^ My #15 barlow, next to a 1932 Soldier knife.
 
I love the #15 from GEC but carrying a Case saddlehorn for quiet sometimes I can tell it's not bad idea at all. You should hold both knives and see which one makes you feel better. Or buy them both and have a rotation.
Mike
 
If you don't use your knife on food very little oil will be needed. With food prep more oil and care is needed because of the acids in the food as well as all the moisture. If your really careful to dry it off after each use it will be okay :)
 
TurkishChubs said:
As for as maintenance goes. How often would I need to be oiling the knife? Part of me thinks I should try taking care of a cheap case cv knife first before I buy the GEC.
Click to expand...

I carry carbon steel knives quite often (Opinel, Case CV and, on occasion, my Old Timer 33OT) and almost never oil the blades. As of now, they all have a patina. As Toddwalla mentioned above, the real key is to just keep the blades clean and dry. And don't over-think this stuff, guys. If your knife does get a little rust, grab a pinch of steel wool and knock it right off. The scrubby side of a kitchen sponge can work too. In fact, if the rust is light enough, a little spit and an old cotton rag will take it off. Worst case scenario is that you end up with a few spots. :eek: In time, once your knife develops a nice patina, those spots will be long gone.

Rules to live by: Keep your knife sharp, clean and dry, and oil the joint from time to time. And be sure to eat your vegetables and floss every day.

-- Mark
 
Thalestin said:
If you don't use your knife on food very little oil will be needed. With food prep more oil and care is needed because of the acids in the food as well as all the moisture. If your really careful to dry it off after each use it will be okay :)
Click to expand...

Agree. I carried a carbon steel bladed electrician's knife in my pouch for years and it did just fine without oiling.
 
Go with the Case. My son carried one through diesel mechanics school in high school and if he wasn't using it to cut or scrape something his teacher was borrowing it to abuse. The only time it got oiled was when he would think to ask me to sharpen it for him, that thing was always a butter knife by the time he thought about it.
You cant go wrong with a lowly ole cheap Case knife
God Bless
Tracy
 
If you have no intention of oiling the knife then I'd suggest something in stainless steel. GEC seems to be allergic to stainless recently even though they make a fine 440C steel when they decide to. Case makes plenty of knife patterns in stainless steel. All of Buck's traditional patterns are Stainless, as are Victorinox's.

If you want to get a Case CV steel knife to practice owning carbon steel, then go get one. They are great knives and many patterns can be found for under $40, some close to $20 if you know how to shop on-line. Yellow Delrin CV is both affordable and one of the more classic looks. You may find that your 'trainer' knife is the only one you'll want. My personal picks for a Case knife in CV would be the Mini Trapper in Chestnut Bone CV, 63032 Medium Stockman in either Chestnut Bone or Amber Bone CV, or the Small Texas Jack in Amber Bone CV.

Many of the Case knives I have in my daily carry rotation are CV steel. I do try to maintain my knives which includes a bit of lubricant / protectant now and then. Maybe once a week. Nothing fancy, just stuff I already had. Most often WD-40 Silicone spray or Eezox Gun Care. I usually rub a little Eezox onto them before I store them for a while (i.e., when they come out of rotation and are going in the drawer or back in their box).

Stainless is definitely less to worry about, though. I carry Case, Buck, and Victorinox stainless knives and it's nice to just be able to rinse them off in soapy water and pop them back into your pocket with minimal drying. With CV it takes a bit more attention to drying them off and the occasional lubricating, but it's really not that bad.

My knives don't see rough use or a lot of work in damp environments so your experience may differ from mine.
 
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