My 2008 Case Trapper

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KennyB

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Jan 19, 2010
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I bought this trapper back in June, put a patina on it and then carried it mixed in with pocket contents. With the scuff marks and the patina, it winds up looking a lot older than it really is. I'm kind of regretting the patina and not getting a pocket sheath because I think I would like it better as it was when it was pristine.

It kind of looks cool, but it feels wrong knowing it's not genuinely old. I kind of want to get some polishing stuff and buff up the handles and remove the patina. Seems like a lot of scuffing for just 6 months. What do you guys think? Baby it, or just let it be?

On a side note...

Does anyone know if they've changed back from flat handles/bolsters? I know in 2008 they started producing the yellow handled knives with flat handles/bolsters to save production cost, but I've seen ones from 2009 on the web that show rounded bolsters and I wonder if they're using older pictures of if they changed production back.

Wondering because I think I'm going to send this one in for warranty, and I'm not sure if they would repair it or replace it. It has blade play, the spey rubs against the liner and there's a weird gap between the backspring and liner on the back that you can see in my last pic. In any case, I want these issues fixed on it, but I wonder if Case is more likely to replace than repair, and if they do replace if it would be a flat version or a rounded version...

But, yeah, I want to have both styles. I figure if they've changed production back, then I could buy one of those gift-sets that they sell the pocket sheath and washita stone with and have a brand new one with a pocket sheath and just keep this one around.

Here are pics:

 
Howdy Kenny,

As the Beatles said, "Let it be".

I like the look personally. After 6 months the patina would have been there with typical use so no need to go back. I like the pocket scuffing look, too. Makes it look like the metal was stone tumbled.

I don't know about the bolster differences that you asked about but am sure a member will step up and answer those soon.
 
Just let it be. After a 1/2 year of use you dont realy have the forced patina anyway. Its carbon steel, an everchanging process of oxidation. Scratched handles is no big deal eather as I see it, not even on a custom. If you feel the urge to polish this knife I suggest you wittle until the urge leeves you, or run 10 km to get some fresh air and strong body ;) Better than working with something that is already OK.

Just my 2 cents
Bosse
 
NirreBosse said:
Just let it be. After a 1/2 year of use you dont realy have the forced patina anyway. Its carbon steel, an everchanging process of oxidation. Scratched handles is no big deal eather as I see it, not even on a custom. If you feel the urge to polish this knife I suggest you wittle until the urge leeves you, or run 10 km to get some fresh air and strong body ;) Better than working with something that is already OK.

Just my 2 cents
Bosse
Click to expand...

That's a perfect answer in my opinion! Well, everything except the running.


Paul
 
Use it and enjoy it. If the issues do bother you, by all means send it in.

If you do send it in, call them first, and let them know your concerns, and include a very detailed note along with it regarding replacement or repair of your knife
 
mine looks almost identical, just different patina (mine is a "steak patina" lol)
mine was bought like july '09, it has a come and go patina, scratched bolster, scratched handles, little bolster/handle gap, visible pivot pins but no play or damage oh and convex edges of course

i'ts a "cheap" knife, a goto user knife, keep it, use it, enjoy it

mine gets used at home a lot, almost a home edc, packages, food, steak, sausages, are cut with it
I like it the way it is, a yeller trapper that gets more use than my other case, gec, queen knives

it's not a one of a kind or a custom, it's a normal knife that deserves to be used

enjoy it!
Maxx
 
I like it! Why not purchase a second knife that doesn't get used that you enjoy as well?
 
Just use it. I wouldnt bother sending it in. I personally think it looks pretty nice in the condition it is in
 
I agree with the above, keep it the way it is and use it. Pristine knives aren't nearly as much fun as well used ones.
 
It will get that way if you use it. If you don't, what's the point of having it?

From what I can tell from the yellow trappers I have purchased over the last few years, Case gave up on the flat look pretty quickly. The last one I got was nice and rounded, the one before that was flat and square (until I put it on the belt sander myself).
 
Cool, good news. I'm kind of hard on things, so I just wanted to make sure this was way beyond the state it should be by this point.

Also, I think I'm going to buy a new one that's rounded now and pretty much keep it put up and only use it on special occasions. Might seem silly to do with a yellow one, but I just like the color of it and the polish. So I'm gonna take people's advice and get another one.
 
Kenny, Yellows are cool......chicks dig em......

yellerz-1.jpg
 
It shocked me too just how old my yellow trapper looked after just a month or so of use. If I'm honest I think I prefer them looking nice and new, but then again I can also appreciate the look of an old battle scared EDC that someones used and loved for many years. It's all good.
 
Here is my latest yellow trapper (unmodified) and the one a year or two older. The modified one started even flatter than it is in these pictures.

DSCF0682.jpg


DSCF0681.jpg


DSCF0680.jpg


DSCF0679.jpg


If that doesn't make you feel better about the condition of yours, I don't now what will. :D
 
rayban said:
Kenny, Yellows are cool......chicks dig em......

yellerz-1.jpg
Click to expand...

There ya go again -- posting a picture with 13-knives in it. I'm tellin ya yer bound to have some bad juju if ya keep it up.

Nice knives though.
 
Well, today fixed/broke my Trapper, depending on how you look at it.

I decided that if I was going to spend $10-15 to ship and insure the Trapper back to Case, I'd rather just use that money toward a new trapper and fix this one myself.

So I started whacking the bolster with a rubber mallet, but I got it way too tight. It was binding and everything, wouldn't snap shut. So I used some flat-nose pliers I have to loosen it back up, and peened the pins.

It's not quite as smooth as it was and there's some obvious binding still, but there's no blade-play anymore. :D

I think the binding will go away the more I break it in, as it already has broken in a little bit. My only worry is that I figure it will break back into having play again, but judging by how tight it is now it should be a good while.
 
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I fixed the bolsters up today. I had to file down the pin where it was extending over the bolster surface, and then I sanded out the dents from the ball-peen. I couldn't find my sanding-block to take out all the scratches on the uneven surfaces though, but I think it's looking pretty good so far:

speybolster.jpg

clipbolster.jpg


It's feeling pretty good so far though. The spey blade still has a little bit of binding sometimes where it won't snap all the way shut again if you pull the blade part way out, but it only happens when I'm sitting there and messing with it. So I'll take that over the blade-play.
 
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