- Joined
- Jun 30, 2003
- Messages
- 1,797
It all started with the Peanut, which quickly grew on me. I've added a couple more Cases over the last couple weeks.
From left to right:
Peanut in Chestnut bone and CV, Small Toothpick in blue bone and SS, Pen Knife in yellow Delrin and CV, Jr. Scout in Amber bone and SS, Mini Copperlock in Bermuda Green bone and SS, RussLock in Blood Red bone and CV.
Peanut: 10/10
Lots has already been written on the virtues and vices of this little knife, so I won't add much except to say that I agree. It is surprsingly hand-filling for such a small knife, on account of it being two layers thick. Fit and finish on this one is perfect. No blade wobble and no liner gaps. Even dye job, and good scale fit. No complaints; it was worth every penny.
Small Toothpick: 9/10
About this one, I thought: "If the Peanut is so well loved on account of its small size and shape, then the small toothpick should be equally well-loved. I'll give it a try." I really like this one. If you can imagine it, this one is even less obtrusive in the pocket than the Peanut, on account of it only being one layer thick. The blade is thin, which means the handle can be thin. The nicely curving shape makes it nice to handle. The long, pointy blade really works well for cutting box tape; I can just insert it right in and it slides in like a needle. The blade is more flexy at the tip than the Peanut's large blade, so it would probably not be as good for heavy cutting jobs as the Peanut. However, this would be a perfect panfish-cleaning knife. This knife came to me with a perfect dye job, but a slight liner gap in the back (-1/2 pt.) and a dent in the blade, toward the tip. (-1/2 pt.) Neither of those things are functional, and neither of them make it too hard on the eyes.
Pen Knife: 10/10
This one, I bought because although I like the Peanut, there are times when I would like a bit larger blade, such as peeling fruit. I also like that it has a single backspring, but two different blades. (rather than two of the same, ala Muskrat) The knife fits the hand better than the Peanut, and feels about the same in the pocket, compared to the 'nut. The fit & finish is perfect, and with Delrin of course, there's no question of uneven dye. The CV steel is brilliant, as always. This was my first yella CV Case, and I can say they make a better impression in person than in photos. In photos they just seemed kind of blah to me. But the smoothness of the Delrin immediately feels good in the hand. The gently curving jack handle shape is great. This is one place our traditional knives shine when compared to something like a SAK. Instead of focusing on how many gadgets can be crammed into a given format, the focus is more on comfort, style, and utility of the knife blades. If I were to pick between this, the 'nut, and the sm. toothpick, for EDC, I'd pick this one.
Jr. Scout: 8.5/10
With this one, I almost feel guilty, as I have a classic pattern that has been just slightly miniaturized so as to feel better in a hip pocket. I have a few tools, which are quite useful and do not have to give up the nice bone handles I like so well on these traditionals. Despite being SS, this knife sharpened up to a razor edge pretty easily; just like CV. The jury's out as to whether it will hold that edge as well. Downsides are that the screwdriver tip on the bottle opener is slanted just a bit compared to the handle, so it is going to tend to fold up on me when I use it. (-1/2 pt.) There's a small liner gap on the back. (-1/2 pt.) The bevel of the blade was unevenly ground. (-1/2 pt.) One nice detail in this design is that the nail nicks are nestled so that only the awl's is on the opposite side of the knife. Instead of having the blade stand proud, as on the classical scout pattern, this one is ground only mid-way up the blade, so that one can grab it between the bottle and can openers' nicks. The bone scales are even and well-fit. The bail is a tight fit; it has to be manually moved one way or the other with a thumb, it doesn't just flop about.
Mini Copperlock: 10/10
I was surprised by how much I like this knife. If I were to do it again, I would probably pass on the pocketworn treatment, as it is pretty slick everywhere. The jigging doesn't provide much purchase for my fingers, so I'll have to remember not to take this out in the rain and mud. (as if...) The bowie clip treatment with swedged back is really pleasing to my eye, and it stands proud enough from the handle that I don't need a finger nail to open this; it just pinches open. The knife is nice and thin, and this mini version is sized perfectly for hip pocket carry. The full size Copperlock would likely be too long for this. This is just a nice all-around single-bladed knife with nice proportions and no real weak points. The lockback is a nice bonus.
RussLock: 8.5/10
I bought this one because I liked the idea of a classically-styled locking knife with one-handed opening. No unsightly studs to ruin the lines, just a graceful lever extension on the bottom of the blade. I was concerned at first that this lever would be kind of "pokey" in the pocket, but it has not proven to be the case. I like the unique shape of the clip blade, where it starts to sweep back almost as soon as it leaves the handle. Additionally, there's a nice dent in the back of the blade where the thumb can be placed for heavy cutting, or the index finger fits nicely when peeling fruit or veggies. Although the blade is the same length as that of the Mini Copperlock, the handle is quite a lot thicker and heavier. The resulting impression is that the blade has no weight of its own, and that all the weight is in the handle. No points off for this, as some folks will like that feeling of balance. However, I do have to deduct a 1/2 point for uneven dye between the scales and the edge of the back scale has an area where no dye reach at all. The back scale is actually pink at the edges, rather than any shade of red. I also deducted a 1/2 point because the backspring is pretty strong, which makes it a bit challenging to open one-handed, until you've had some practice. Since the knife has a liner lock, there's no call for a strong backspring. A lighter one would make the whole operation smoother. Also, to make sure the blade clears the fingers during opening, the knife has to be opened with the tip of the blade pointed toward the user's wrist. I don't consider it a safety issue, but it makes one-handed opening quite a lot more tricky when one is wearing coat sleeves. The tip of the blade tends to catch on the sleeves. Minus 1/2 point. Despite these flaws, I don't regret this purchase. If I were to do it again, I would just get a different color that would not be pink at the edges of the scales. I really like this unique design. The only other knife I've seen with this design is the Japanese carpenter's knife.
I'll try to remember to shoot some in-hand pix later, as well as a size comparison between the Jr. Scout and a full size scout.
From left to right:
Peanut in Chestnut bone and CV, Small Toothpick in blue bone and SS, Pen Knife in yellow Delrin and CV, Jr. Scout in Amber bone and SS, Mini Copperlock in Bermuda Green bone and SS, RussLock in Blood Red bone and CV.
Peanut: 10/10
Lots has already been written on the virtues and vices of this little knife, so I won't add much except to say that I agree. It is surprsingly hand-filling for such a small knife, on account of it being two layers thick. Fit and finish on this one is perfect. No blade wobble and no liner gaps. Even dye job, and good scale fit. No complaints; it was worth every penny.
Small Toothpick: 9/10
About this one, I thought: "If the Peanut is so well loved on account of its small size and shape, then the small toothpick should be equally well-loved. I'll give it a try." I really like this one. If you can imagine it, this one is even less obtrusive in the pocket than the Peanut, on account of it only being one layer thick. The blade is thin, which means the handle can be thin. The nicely curving shape makes it nice to handle. The long, pointy blade really works well for cutting box tape; I can just insert it right in and it slides in like a needle. The blade is more flexy at the tip than the Peanut's large blade, so it would probably not be as good for heavy cutting jobs as the Peanut. However, this would be a perfect panfish-cleaning knife. This knife came to me with a perfect dye job, but a slight liner gap in the back (-1/2 pt.) and a dent in the blade, toward the tip. (-1/2 pt.) Neither of those things are functional, and neither of them make it too hard on the eyes.
Pen Knife: 10/10
This one, I bought because although I like the Peanut, there are times when I would like a bit larger blade, such as peeling fruit. I also like that it has a single backspring, but two different blades. (rather than two of the same, ala Muskrat) The knife fits the hand better than the Peanut, and feels about the same in the pocket, compared to the 'nut. The fit & finish is perfect, and with Delrin of course, there's no question of uneven dye. The CV steel is brilliant, as always. This was my first yella CV Case, and I can say they make a better impression in person than in photos. In photos they just seemed kind of blah to me. But the smoothness of the Delrin immediately feels good in the hand. The gently curving jack handle shape is great. This is one place our traditional knives shine when compared to something like a SAK. Instead of focusing on how many gadgets can be crammed into a given format, the focus is more on comfort, style, and utility of the knife blades. If I were to pick between this, the 'nut, and the sm. toothpick, for EDC, I'd pick this one.
Jr. Scout: 8.5/10
With this one, I almost feel guilty, as I have a classic pattern that has been just slightly miniaturized so as to feel better in a hip pocket. I have a few tools, which are quite useful and do not have to give up the nice bone handles I like so well on these traditionals. Despite being SS, this knife sharpened up to a razor edge pretty easily; just like CV. The jury's out as to whether it will hold that edge as well. Downsides are that the screwdriver tip on the bottle opener is slanted just a bit compared to the handle, so it is going to tend to fold up on me when I use it. (-1/2 pt.) There's a small liner gap on the back. (-1/2 pt.) The bevel of the blade was unevenly ground. (-1/2 pt.) One nice detail in this design is that the nail nicks are nestled so that only the awl's is on the opposite side of the knife. Instead of having the blade stand proud, as on the classical scout pattern, this one is ground only mid-way up the blade, so that one can grab it between the bottle and can openers' nicks. The bone scales are even and well-fit. The bail is a tight fit; it has to be manually moved one way or the other with a thumb, it doesn't just flop about.
Mini Copperlock: 10/10
I was surprised by how much I like this knife. If I were to do it again, I would probably pass on the pocketworn treatment, as it is pretty slick everywhere. The jigging doesn't provide much purchase for my fingers, so I'll have to remember not to take this out in the rain and mud. (as if...) The bowie clip treatment with swedged back is really pleasing to my eye, and it stands proud enough from the handle that I don't need a finger nail to open this; it just pinches open. The knife is nice and thin, and this mini version is sized perfectly for hip pocket carry. The full size Copperlock would likely be too long for this. This is just a nice all-around single-bladed knife with nice proportions and no real weak points. The lockback is a nice bonus.
RussLock: 8.5/10
I bought this one because I liked the idea of a classically-styled locking knife with one-handed opening. No unsightly studs to ruin the lines, just a graceful lever extension on the bottom of the blade. I was concerned at first that this lever would be kind of "pokey" in the pocket, but it has not proven to be the case. I like the unique shape of the clip blade, where it starts to sweep back almost as soon as it leaves the handle. Additionally, there's a nice dent in the back of the blade where the thumb can be placed for heavy cutting, or the index finger fits nicely when peeling fruit or veggies. Although the blade is the same length as that of the Mini Copperlock, the handle is quite a lot thicker and heavier. The resulting impression is that the blade has no weight of its own, and that all the weight is in the handle. No points off for this, as some folks will like that feeling of balance. However, I do have to deduct a 1/2 point for uneven dye between the scales and the edge of the back scale has an area where no dye reach at all. The back scale is actually pink at the edges, rather than any shade of red. I also deducted a 1/2 point because the backspring is pretty strong, which makes it a bit challenging to open one-handed, until you've had some practice. Since the knife has a liner lock, there's no call for a strong backspring. A lighter one would make the whole operation smoother. Also, to make sure the blade clears the fingers during opening, the knife has to be opened with the tip of the blade pointed toward the user's wrist. I don't consider it a safety issue, but it makes one-handed opening quite a lot more tricky when one is wearing coat sleeves. The tip of the blade tends to catch on the sleeves. Minus 1/2 point. Despite these flaws, I don't regret this purchase. If I were to do it again, I would just get a different color that would not be pink at the edges of the scales. I really like this unique design. The only other knife I've seen with this design is the Japanese carpenter's knife.
I'll try to remember to shoot some in-hand pix later, as well as a size comparison between the Jr. Scout and a full size scout.
