NEW Case Pocket Knives...How's the Quality?

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
303
Hey all,

I was thinking of getting a "beater" pocket knife or 2 to use while out doing yard work and other stuff outdoors where my knife gets into things it should not be exposed to.
Maybe you saw the thread over the in the main section where several members talked about using the knives you have for whatever the task at hand is. USE THEM, that's what they are made to do.

After thinking about that for a day or so, I believe I am going to get a new CASE to use instead of a Rough Rider or Colt pocket knife. What I want is a CASE LARGE STOCKMAN 3 blade. I really like that style and I think the combination of blade will handle just about anything I will need it to do. I don't have a favorite right now, but I like the Blue "American Workman" series knife. I also like that yellow "John Deere" version too, but I can never totally discount the beautiful bone handles that CASE uses. So you see, I am all over the place here.

What I wanted to know from you guys is how the quality of the Case knives is these days. I'd like to know about the steel. Does it hold an edge really good and is it easy to sharpen back to a great edge? I don't know any other questions to ask about the steel so if you can think of other qualities about it that should be noted, please post it.

If it were you would you buy a new CASE Stockman like I am wanting or would you look to another maker for a large stockman.....or even try and buy an older Case?

I'd like to hear your thoughts and advice on these Case pocket knives.

Thanks for your help and time.

Nalajr


PS....I'll still get a Rough Rider or COLT Pocket Knife because I like all kinds of knives and they have patterns available that CASE doesn't have.
 
I have two Case Large Stockman knives. One in Amber Bone CV, the other in the Purple Haze SS. The Amber CV is sitting in its box somewhere. I'm not quite sure where it is. Nothing wrong with it, as I remember I liked it so much I didn't want to mess it up so when I found the Purple Haze bone version at a great price, I picked it up to by my user. At the time I wasn't especially keen on the purple bone so I figured I'd be more likely to use a knife that wasn't "too pretty". It turned out that once I had it in my hands, I really liked the purple bone handles, too. They look much better in person than the official Case catalog pics. So much for looking for a ugly knife for a user. But I carry it a lot anyway.

The Purple Haze 6375 Stockman in SS is probably my favorite big knife to carry. It gets most of the pocket time on weekends. I can sharpen up Case's SS and CV about equally well. Mine was really well executed overall. No gaps, great walk and talk, very minimal blade rub, flush backsprings open and closed, and all three blades were very sharp out of the box. I recall I just did a little touching up on the Spyderco Sharpmaker, stropped it, and all three blades were like razors. Still are, in fact.

This is my only pic of it. Blades closed, sorry.


I am either rather lucky with my Case knives, or else there are fit and finish issues with them that I either don't notice or don't care about. I suspect it's the latter. Though this one did not have any problems.

So me, sure, I've bought plenty of Case factory new knives. I'm pretty much pleased with all of them.
 
The Stockman is a common pattern at flea markets and thrift stores. You may find a used one that is quite serviceable. I was given a well worn 1940s Schrade premium stockman and it is a great user.

I do not have experience with Case CV, but their trusharp is a decent serviceable steel. It is easy to sharpen and holds an edge well. It is not a hard "super" steel, so it needs sharpening if used often. I have had no trouble with fit/finish and Case has a good warranty. I have bought about 1 case every year for the last 10.
 
I only recently bought my first and only Case, a new medium stockman in CV and yellow Delrin. I can't speak to the sharpening as I haven't had to yet, but there's tons of testimony to the ease of sharpening of Case's CV steel. As to the knife's quality, I'm quite happy with it. There is a bit of blade rub but I've been made to understand that it's quite common to the stockman pattern in general. The knife is very solidly built. There's a tiny gap between the mark-side liner and the main clip's spring but not so much as to be an issue for me. I wasn't sure if I'd like the yellow Delrin but I've come to like it very much. So from my perspective, the quality of a new Case knife is excellent for the modest price.

 
If you want to know about the Case large stockman, you're in luck. A member that goes by arizonaranchman started a thread about a year ago about his new 6375, and has updated it regularly with his thoughts and pictures of the knife as it ages.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1201192-6375-Case-Large-Stockman?highlight=case+large+stockman

Take a look through that thread and it should answer most of your questions about that particular knife. I think that if you're looking for a large stockman to do your heavy lifting from day to day the Case 6375 and Buck 301 should be on your short list. Either one will handle anything you throw at it.
 
I'm retired and wear sweats around the house on most days. I carry a large Case CV Stockman with me on those days. It has served me well for around two years. It is very easy to touch up the edge on my Spyderco Sharpmaker.
 
I've purchased quite a few Case knives this year. I've had much better luck this year than maybe ten years back. All have ranged from "perfectly acceptable for the price" to "flat out excellent". No lemons.

I'm personally not in love with Case's stainless, but I do love like their CV very much.

If you really want stainless, I'd probably go for a Buck 301. The walk and talk is a little light on the newer 301's, but the heat treat on the blades is fantastic.
 
When I hear Case knives, beater and yard work the Sodbuster or Sodbuster Jr. comes to mind. Those or the large stockman 6375 should get the job done.

I've only had 2 of the 6375 and both functioned well and the fit & finish was very good considering the cost. I also prefer the CV steel. As an alternative the Queen Cattle King is of the same size range (4.25") and comes in D2 tool steel which I prefer over the CV but they generally run about twice or more in cost. I have had 4 of the Cattle King stockman knives in different variations and the function as well as fit & finish has been excellent on my samples.
 
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Case knives are just fine. They are well built and that XX75 you're thinking of will get dang near any job done. There'll be a few Case haters/bashers along but give them no never mind.

DO checkout that link Cory gave you above.
 
Modoc ED said:
Case knives are just fine. They are well built and that XX75 you're thinking of will get dang near any job done. There'll be a few Case haters/bashers along but give them no never mind.

DO checkout that link Cory gave you above.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, I've purchased many Case knives since the 1970s. The knives I've bought this year are all good - sharp out of the box and great for the price. For a user, I'd recommend them unconditionally.
 
I've bought many over the years. Within the past year, I've bought several and have been completely satisfied. I frequently use a sowbelly that I bought recently. I plan on buying several more.
 
supratentorial said:
I've bought many over the years. Within the past year, I've bought several and have been completely satisfied. I frequently use a sowbelly that I bought recently. I plan on buying several more.
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I have never had an issue with Case knives; most are superior to GEC other than the steel that is used.
 
I have a couple of Case stockmen that get use, both have been great. The first one is a sowbelly stockman @ 3¾" closed, in Tru-Sharp stainless.

TB6339SS_zpsjztnypti.jpg~original


The second one is the #47 pattern @ just under 4", in their raindrop damascus steel. This one has 3 springs, one for each blade.

Dam47OpenShort_zpsa66d9608.jpg~original


I've not used the #75 pattern from Case, but do have several other brands of 4¼" stockman, and they can do a lot of work. From my experience with Case's other stockmen, it should be a great knife.
 
I own roundabout 30 - 40 CASE knives and I highly appreciate them as good tools for many occasions like EDC or something like that.

As Ed almost mentioned: They are just fine.

I´ve heard several things about their QCs issues in the 90s but I never had such a knife in my paws. For me, CASE is a good cutlery. :)
 
I have one of the recently released 6347 damascus stockman and it has superb fit and finish. No blade rub at all and no gaps.

I don't have any of the "large" 92 pattern stockman but I do have a 6292 texas jack which is just as nicely put together.
 
Nalapombu said:
...USE THEM, that's what they are made to do.

After thinking about that for a day or so, I believe I am going to get a new CASE to use instead of a Rough Rider or Colt pocket knife. What I want is a CASE LARGE STOCKMAN 3 blade. I really like that style and I think the combination of blade will handle just about anything I will need it to do.
Click to expand...

I've left you a Visitor Message, specific to Case's Large Stockman.

(Click your name on any post and select "View Profile," or click "My Profile" at the right tippy-top of any Bladeforums page.)

Once on your profile page, click the Visitor Messages tab. Hope to hear from you soon. :)

~ P.
 
Buzzbait said:
I've purchased quite a few Case knives this year. I've had much better luck this year than maybe ten years back. All have ranged from "perfectly acceptable for the price" to "flat out excellent". No lemons.

I'm personally not in love with Case's stainless, but I do love like their CV very much.

If you really want stainless, I'd probably go for a Buck 301. The walk and talk is a little light on the newer 301's, but the heat treat on the blades is fantastic.
Click to expand...

I'm just going to quote this post instead of making an effort to say the same thing word for word.
 
The last new Case knife I remember buying was the amber bone 4 1/4" stockman in CV around 2009 and its quality is exactly what I have always got from Case. Pretty good. I love my big stockman knives. I never got a new case that had quality problems. The only issue I have with some of them that I have received as gifts was that they were too tight for me to open without using a coin to pry it open with, one particular 3 5/8" stockman knife's opening problem is caused by blade rub but its from 2007. I dont own any larger size knives with springs that tight, one reason I love the bigger ones.
 
I just got in a new Case courtesy of Ron/ Half/Stop and the fit and finish on this Texas Jack is superb. The only downside was the edge was very toothy. Sharp but it had micro serrations. 4 minutes with 800/1000 grit stones brought it up to a razor. Nice light pull, centered blades and sharp acute tips (something I've heard Case had struggles with at times due to their tumbling process)
 
About their steels: both entirely satisfactory in my experience. When steel fanatics get the bit between their teeth, they perhaps forget that for a Traditional POCKET knife with the uses we subject it to, these steels are more than competent. You can sharpen both without a long rigmarole and that has to be a major plus point. CASE knives usually come decently sharp in the first place so that helps in the maintenance Dept. Most of my recent CASE knives have been good to excellent, there are other ones that have been not so good. Oddly, the more costly ones seem less decent value....

I have a Large Stockman in Amber Bone, really a bargain knife, not costly, decently put together, bone is mellowing etc. It's just too big for my general carry tastes but in wintertime it goes in the coat pocket very nicely. You mention 'beater' work, my experience is that a single blade is often better suited to this than multis, dirt, grit etc can be troublesome in any folding knife.

Get that CASE and enjoy yourself!

Thanks, Will
 
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