Newer CaseXX blades...

[Christian]

I just got a harvest orange humpback stock man, and while I am impressed with the handle, the blades leave a lot to be desired. They seem, well, cheap compared to the handle. They look like they are stamped out of sheet metal, and are so polished they look chrome plated. And they are thin- very thin, compared to my Kabar stockman. But, it is sharp. Am I just being to picky?

 

[Ed T]

Hi Christian,

I think that might be one of the reasons that some folks gravitate to the cv knives and enjoy seeing a little patina forming.

Unless I am mistaken, sometimes that sense of thin blades is related to how the blades are configured to fit within a certain frame. You might try other samples/ patterns to see if there is a better fit.

Ed T

 

[Christian]

Hi Christian,

I think that might be one of the reasons that some folks gravitate to the cv knives and enjoy seeing a little patina forming.

Unless I am mistaken, sometimes that sense of thin blades is related to how the blades are configured to fit within a certain frame. You might try other samples/ patterns to see if there is a better fit.

Ed T

The thin blades are the sheepfoot and spey. The knife is made with two backsprings, and they seem to be ground extremely thin in order to nest together when closed.

I take it the CV is a carbon steel? I would probably like that better, so I will look into those.

 

[mnblade]

Definitely check out a cv model. wrcase.com has a page with all their cv models (http://www.wrcase.com/knives/cv_knives/).

With that said, I actually like that, generally speaking, Case's blades are nice and thin. Thin blades cut better. Too many knives these days are built "like a tank," not because they make for great cutting tools, but because they help sell knives to guys who think they need a knife built "like a tank." My Grandad drove a Buick and he was 1,000 times more of a man than your typical Hummer owner.

-- Mark

 

[moonwilson]

Mnblade is right, thin blades do cut better than thicker ones do. I agree that we have been conditioned by the craze for modern, "tank like" knives to think that thicker= better. I don't believe that is always the case. If you're using a knife properly, it is unlikely that you'll break even a very thin blade. Obviously it can happen, there are plenty of old, traditional knives around with broken blades to attest to this. Would most of those blades have broken if they hadn't been abused? Probably not. Victorinox's pen blades are extremely thin, but it's rare to see one broken. I strongly suspect that is because if someone wants to pry with a Victorinox, there is usually a screwdriver right there, inside the knife. So nobody pries with their pen blades.

Case's humpback is a nice pattern, I like it a lot. If you don't like the super-polished look, you can always wipe the blades with a Scotch-brite pad, and give them a more satin finish. If you give your humpback a chance, and get used to the thin blades, I bet you'll like it!

 

[hoopster]

I just got a harvest orange humpback stock man, and while I am impressed with the handle, the blades leave a lot to be desired. They seem, well, cheap compared to the handle. They look like they are stamped out of sheet metal, and are so polished they look chrome plated. And they are thin- very thin, compared to my Kabar stockman. But, it is sharp. Am I just being to picky?

You're not alone. I just bought a mini copperhead that was supposedly from 2000. It reminded me of cheap Chinese crap. The blades had no snap, one was loose and hit the liner when closing. That knife is on it's way back to Case. The Chrome look is disgusting but I figure that will fade over time with micro scratches, or you could scuff the blades with a scotch pad or something.

On the other hand, I just got a Case/Tony Bose swayback jack and it's a gem. Carbon blades, nice walk and talk, excellent fit and finish almost as perfect as a Spyderco , and certainly worth what they're currently selling for. Probably more.

 

[jackknife]

In a knife blade, thin is very good.

In a folding knife, thin blades are great. Since you're not going to be prying, or shouldn't with a pocket knife, the thin blades will slice way better than the thicker blades. Like has been said, they have tried to condition us to the stuff they sell now that has little to do with being a practical cutting tool and more to do with being some sort of macho talsman capable of piecing a '78 Chevy car door.

Look at construction sites, machine shops, warehouses across the nation, and you'll notice that the humble Stanley utility knife is practicly the standard cutting tool. Yet look at the thickness of it, and it's just an overgrown razor blade. But it cuts open bags of cement, strips wire, cuts off plastic banding on lathe stock, and a host of other very rough dirty jobs. Most are worn out and changed, very few are ever broken. Heck, the average machete is only 3/32 of an inch thick, and that is a 'hard use' item if ever there was one.

Thick is good in a steak, but I'll take a think knife blade.

Put that knife to use and use the heck out of it. use some scotchbrite on the blades if the sheen bothers you. I personally think satin finish looks better on a blade than highly polished.

Carl.

 

[black mamba]

In a knife blade, thin is very good.

I personally think satin finish looks better on a blade than highly polished.

Carl.

Agreed 100% Carl. In a custom where the maker can achieve a high polish while keeping the edges crisp, you really have something. But otherwise, the tumble polish that Case uses does not look as good as a lower finish with decently crisp edge lines.

 

[zippin44]

I recently bought a knife from a custom maker and it has a very thin blade, so thin that it's actually flexible. But man o man does it slice. It just sails right through cardboard! I think you have to match the tool to the expected job. If you're over in the Sandbox then yeah, you need a thick prybar. If you're zipping open your mail and various cardboard boxes, or slicing up an apple, then a thin blade would be what I'd want in my pocket. I could easily shave with that nice thin custom blade I got.

The shiny polished metal is a different story. That's the one thing I do not like about my mini-copperlock, which is in my pocket right now.