My First Case

D1omedes

D1omedes

Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
1,125
Hey all. Today I just received my first Case knife: A Tiny Wharncliffe Trapper. :)

The F&F is great. Everything is flush and polished. A real gentleman's folder. The two little blades came very sharp, too. Since I'm used to Spyderco holes and locking knives I had to be careful opening and closing this little bugger.

My only real gripe with the knife, and I expected this, is that the spring action doesn't seem very strong. I've seen videos of the Peanut and its resounding click and my Vic Cadet has a very strong snap to it. The Tiny Trapper's clip point blade seems to have a strong snap than the wharncliffe but neither of them have a strong half stop. Is this normal?

All in all, I'm happy with the little knife. IMO, I'll keep this as a collector's item and for very light use and formal carry. I just think its a bit too small for EDC and the strength of its spring could be due to its size.

If you guys have any recommendations for a more robust and durable traditional knife for EDC please feel free to share. Oh, and I will upload pictures later. ;)
 
D1omedes said:
My only real gripe with the knife, and I expected this, is that the spring action doesn't seem very strong. I've seen videos of the Peanut and its resounding click and my Vic Cadet has a very strong snap to it. The Tiny Trapper's clip point blade seems to have a strong snap than the wharncliffe but neither of them have a strong half stop. Is this normal?
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Congrats on the new knife, go ahead and edc the heck out that baby.

I wouldn't worry too much over the springs. With the nature of how a slip joint is used, it won't really matter in the long run. In fact, depending on how old you are, it may be a help.

Others may feel different, but after I got to the far side of 50, and closing in on 60, I started liking easy springs. After a career in a machine shop and cranking on Bridgeport mill handles and Hardinge lathe levers, I am blessed with some ostio arthritis in some of my finger joints. Last winter I had to have my left thumb operated on, and I couldn't deal with opening most of my pocket knives.

Now as a 'older' retired gentleman of leisure, I don't like stiff or strong springs that put a strain on the thumb. At this point in my life, easy is a good thing. Go ahead and use that knife, it may well grow on you and become a favorite. In 1967 I bought a new Buck 301 stockman at an army PX. The sheepsfoot blade was a tiny bit lazy. In the mid 1990's when I semi-retired the knife, the sheepsfoot blades was still a little lazy. Hadn't made a difference in use.

Enjoy your new Case.:thumbup:
 
I agree with Jackknife; go ahead and use that little guy. The more you use it, the more you'll enjoy it. It should comfortably disappear into the watch/change pocket of your jeans.

Case's springs aren't as strong as some, but they're certainly snappy enough to retain the blades securely for normal use. If you're looking for a more robust slip joint with bear trap-like springs, try a GEC (Great Eastern Cutlery), but watch your tender pink digits. Those suckers are potential finger guillotines.

Unlike GEC and Queen, etc., you can always count on Case to provide shaving-sharp edges fresh from the factory, and their F&F is the best it's been in many years.
 
I have that knife also. It's a sweet little knife.

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That's one pretty piece of pocket jewelery!:thumbup:

Over the next few months you're going to discover how usefull a nice little knife like that can be. Take it anywhere, it goes under the radar. Even church ladies will like it. Kind of like a peanut in that respect.

Use in good health my friend.
 
jackknife said:
That's one pretty piece of pocket jewelery!:thumbup:

Over the next few months you're going to discover how usefull a nice little knife like that can be. Take it anywhere, it goes under the radar. Even church ladies will like it. Kind of like a peanut in that respect.

Use in good health my friend.
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A preacher visited an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sat on the couch, he noticed a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. "Mind if I have a few?" he asked. "Not at all," said the woman. They chatted for an hour and as the preacher stood up to leave, he realized that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. "I'm totally sorry for eating all your peanuts, I really meant to just have a few." "Oh, that's all right," the woman said. "Ever since I lost my teeth, all I can do is suck the chocolate off them."
 
Thanks for the compliments jackknife and texasflyfisher.

Can anyone explain to me the purposes of a wharncliffe vs a clip point? I'm sure those designs have their specific uses.
 
I do recall reading that the blade was named after a Lord Wharncliffe in 16th centruy England.

It's been a popular blade shape in the old country for a very long time, and in truth the shape, as well as the similar sheeps foot and 'lambs foot' are very useful for general cutting. A side benifit is easy shape for sharpening. When I carried a stockman pattern knife, I did use the sheepsfoot for a lot of my cutting chores.

A wharnie doea give you a fine tip that is stronger than many other tips.

I'm sure one of our members who knows a great deal more than I about the history of it will be along soon.
 
jackknife said:
I do recall reading that the blade was named after a Lord Wharncliffe in 16th centruy England.

It's been a popular blade shape in the old country for a very long time, and in truth the shape, as well as the similar sheeps foot and 'lambs foot' are very useful for general cutting. A side benifit is easy shape for sharpening. When I carried a stockman pattern knife, I did use the sheepsfoot for a lot of my cutting chores.

A wharnie doea give you a fine tip that is stronger than many other tips.

I'm sure one of our members who knows a great deal more than I about the history of it will be along soon.
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JK is right, Lord Wharcliffe wanted a knife with a point stronger than what was popular at the time. The clip blade has a belly. This is better for cutting tougher materials. The Wharcliffe has absolutely no belly. It's very useful. Stanely blades, utility knives, and Xacto knives share this characteristic.

God Bless
 
Aww geez.

I have a few watch pocket knives, but now can sure see getting one of these before too long!

LOVE that one with bone or stag on it!
 
When this thread started I found my Tiny Wharncliffe Trapper and put it on my desk. I have to say this make a great desk knife, I have grabed it many times since.

Opening mail
Opening boxes
Prying a battery out of a watch (Wharncliffe point helped there)
Fixed a finger nail or two
Slide a copper bushing it to place on a knife
Opened stuburn blister pack (Wharncliffe was great for that also)
Picked metal chips out of my ipod

Great knife!
 
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