Novice to knives question about case stainless steek

L

lightskyam

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Mar 14, 2013
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Hello everyone. I'm not very knowledgeable about knives but would like to learn more as I read more. I own a buck 501 pocketknife which has been ok but i had to send it in for repair to replace the spring. My second knife arrived yesterday and is a case peanut amber bone stainless steel 2 7/8. Before I bought this knife I was reading this forum and saw that alot of owner were very satisfied with the peanut as a every day pocket knife. At the time I was deciding, I didn't know stainless steel from cv steel, and still don't know much about it, but the impression that I'm getting is that most of the peanut users prefer the cv steel. This has me thinking about whether or not I made a good decision buying the stainless steel. I know I won't be getting any patina on the stainless steel but what do you guys think?

That's case stainless steel not steek. :)
 
I think you'll be just fine. For a self proclaimed novice the Case SS should be quite adequate. It should serve you well as you learn more about knives in general,and the different blade steels, use and care there of,and sharpening techniquies. Welcome to the world of traditional knives,and above all else,Enjoy Yourself!
 
Amen to that rma100. So many different styles and steels will fit the bill. Just enjoy the path. A lot of us dyed in the wool carbon steel fans like it as much because it stains and tells a story as for anything else. Maybe later on you'll want to branch out and explore old fashioned 1095 or maybe even some exotic new fangled alloy but don't let any of that keep you from enjoying what you are carrying around right now.

Will
 
Yeah, I go for the CV really for the patina, not any perceived performance difference...
 
even though it is stainless steel, is it still possible to get a patina? also, how do you guys find the 2 7/8? do you like the way it handles or did you opt for a bigger size case peanut knife?
 
Patina on a stainless steel? Good question - I would doubt that this would be possible with usual stuff. I mean, the steel is made stainless for not getting patina. If you want a carbon steel knife - just for testing patina - I would recommend an Opinel Carbone (in any size).

But if you want to stay with Case Cutlery, I would recommend the Peanut in Chestnut Bone (and CV-steel, of course). Or the classic CV Yellow Delrin Peanut.

I own two Case Peanuts as well. A Chestnut Bone CV and a Blue Bone SS Peanut. The blue one gets hardly pockettime. Not it´s a bad knife - but I like just the look of the chestnut bone in combination with the grey-patinaed-blade more than the shiny-silvery-look of the SS one.

I hope, I could help a little :)
 
Stainless Steel will not get a patina,per se,but it might get pepper spots and other permanent scratches,marks a nd little discolorations. Stainless is not StainPROOF, it Stains LESS.
 
I agree, it is called stainless for a reason. I have gotten D-2 hazy using it to process whitetails over the years but not much even then.

'twer it me I would use the little peanut for a while and just see how it carries and how it uses and whatnot. It is REALLY easy to get excited and buy a lot of knives that you will only shake your head at in 10 years and wonder what you could have been thinking. So many styles and sizes and steels and handle materials etc can drown you in data so to speak. Try to get an idea of what, if any, shortcomings the peanut has for your tastes before going out and buying something else.

I've carried since I was a little kid and have learned a few things about what I prefer. I want two and only two blades. I want it in as thin a package as reasonably possible and prefer a single spring knife if I can get it. I have a handle material hierarchy: second cut stag, bone, wood, other but will carry all of them. The overall length should be around 3 1/2 inches as I have huge hands and anything smaller gets uncomfortable. I HATE shallow nail nicks. The main blade will probably be a clip style.

I paid dearly for knowing what my preferences were. Bought a lot of knives over the years that just didn't work for me. Wasted effort and ended up selling or giving them away. It was a lot of fun finding what I like but all I'm saying is you can spend a lot of money that you may regret. Traditionals are dangerous in that way. :)

Will
 
Case true sharp is as good as some other steels, and is very compatable to the stainless on Victorinox knives. For day to day use, I seriously think you will not notice any difference in normal use like opening mail, plastic blister packages, cutting a piece of string, whatever. The simple truth is, unless you have a job in a warehouse braking down cardboard boxes all day, most people won't know any difference in the steel their knife has. I have used a stainless steel peanut and it worked just fine.

As for the 2 7/8 peanut itself, there is quite a cult following here for them. Many people are totally satisfied on the performance of the little cutters. I've been using one for my edc for some years now, and I grew up watching my father use the same one for decades.

Hang out here for a while, and welcome to the traditional forum.:thumbup:

Carl, Grand High Muckba of the Peanut Cult.:D
 
lightskyam said:
even though it is stainless steel, is it still possible to get a patina? also, how do you guys find the 2 7/8? do you like the way it handles or did you opt for a bigger size case peanut knife?
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I have both CV and SS knives from Case. I like both steels, but I like them differently.

From a pure functionality perspective, they both sharpen up and cut fine. The SS is a little more work to sharpen because it seems to develop a burr or wire edge that takes more work to remove compared to the CV. Working up the burr is about the same effort, it just takes a bit longer to remove it.

With CV I personally try to avoid a genuine patina forming, or a least want it to develop slowly over time against my best efforts. However, the way it ages with use seems to give the blade a bit more character than the SS. More of a haze of fine lines from use, wiping off, cleaning, and oiling. It just looks a little more steely and and less chrome-bumpery.

If I wanted a real user that I might not have time to or want to worry about wiping down and keeping oiled as often, then the SS would be the way to go. Something about the CV requires you to establish a bit more of an intimate relationship with the knife because it takes a little more care to keep the blades clean and prevent rusting.

As to your other question, the Peanut only comes in the 2 7/8" package, pattern #20.

If you want to try a larger sized but similar knife in the Case family, you'd be looking at the Medium Jacks in patterns #087 and #032. The 087 is 3 3/8" closed and has a very similar handle shape to the Peanut. If anything is a "large Peanut," then it's the 087 Medium Jack.

The 032 is slightly bigger at 3 5/8" closed and is a serpentine handle with equal-ended more squared bolsters. This one is available in CV steel as the Small Texas Jack. The pattern is also sold in 3-blade versions as one of several Medium Stockman patterns.

I have Peanuts and Medium Jacks (032 pattern) in both CV and SS. My current choice for carry is the Small Texas Jack in Amber Bone CV just because I like the slightly larger feel in my hand. However, I have and will in the future carry the Peanuts too. They usually go along as a secondary knife on days when I am carrying something larger for those simple little cutting tasks. Though I could probably get by with the Peanut for most everything except bigger projects around the house.
 
DrPenguin said:
It is REALLY easy to get excited and buy a lot of knives that you will only shake your head at in 10 years and wonder what you could have been thinking. So many styles and sizes and steels and handle materials etc can drown you in data so to speak. Try to get an idea of what, if any, shortcomings the peanut has for your tastes before going out and buying something else.
Click to expand...

This is definitely very sound advice!
 
appreciate the advice and opinions all around. i'm going to keep what i have and enjoy it, and i think the stainless steel is a good choice for a beginner in that there's less maintenance, but i'm definitely going to look into all kinds of steel as was mentioned. another reason why i second guessed myself was originally i bought the case peanut chestnut bone trapper cv, but when i got the knife i wasn't crazy about the spey blade. i exchanged it for the amber bone peanut with the pen blade instead of the spey blade, but didn't realize the difference in steel until earlier today. :confused: so originally i had the cv steel but traded it for a stainless steel. o well...
 
Lots of good advice.

To try to add to it... I say try to focus on the good things of the Case Stainless. My understanding is that it is 420HC, which is the same steel as in your 501 (unless it's very old). The difference is that Buck hardness theirs to a higher level. I think Carl is right to compare it to Victorinox's flavor of INOX. They both sharpen easily but form wire edges easily unless you're careful when honing them. I think the edges hold up better at slightly steeper angles.

I find stainless is fantastic for 2 applications. The first is in the kitchen. It's just so much easier to clean regularly. No fuss. No muss. I keep this Case in the kitchen and use it regularly.

Case 316-5 (drop point) by Pinnah, on Flickr

If you use your peanut for food regularly, relish in the fact that you are using an easier to manage blade and just focus and groove on that.

The other place I like stainless for is if the knife is going to be sitting somewhere unused for long periods of time. I keep a Buck Ecolite 112 in the center console of my car. A back up knife. I don't have to worry one bit about the blade. If your peanut is going to have long periods of sitting idle waiting to be used, relish in the fact that you have the better steel for that type of use.

Lastly, if you live in an area of salt or if you tend to get wet with sweat regularly, you have the better steel.

In the end, I think there is no "best" steel. Focus on what the knife does well (nearly everything) and just enjoy the heck out of it.

Forums do a lot of good but they can also generate fear and uncertainty. Ignore that.
 
shrapne1 said:
DONT let Frank see this post lol
Click to expand...

lol! Should I have said real or perceived? :)

Just wanted to edit to add:
i.e. Frank would know the objective differences, I would only know the subjective :)
 
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pinnah said:
Lots of good advice.

To try to add to it... I say try to focus on the good things of the Case Stainless. My understanding is that it is 420HC, which is the same steel as in your 501 (unless it's very old). The difference is that Buck hardness theirs to a higher level. I think Carl is right to compare it to Victorinox's flavor of INOX. They both sharpen easily but form wire edges easily unless you're careful when honing them. I think the edges hold up better at slightly steeper angles.

I find stainless is fantastic for 2 applications. The first is in the kitchen. It's just so much easier to clean regularly. No fuss. No muss. I keep this Case in the kitchen and use it regularly.

Case 316-5 (drop point) by Pinnah, on Flickr

If you use your peanut for food regularly, relish in the fact that you are using an easier to manage blade and just focus and groove on that.

The other place I like stainless for is if the knife is going to be sitting somewhere unused for long periods of time. I keep a Buck Ecolite 112 in the center console of my car. A back up knife. I don't have to worry one bit about the blade. If your peanut is going to have long periods of sitting idle waiting to be used, relish in the fact that you have the better steel for that type of use.

Lastly, if you live in an area of salt or if you tend to get wet with sweat regularly, you have the better steel.

In the end, I think there is no "best" steel. Focus on what the knife does well (nearly everything) and just enjoy the heck out of it.

Forums do a lot of good but they can also generate fear and uncertainty. Ignore that.
Click to expand...

mine says 6220 SS on the pen blade. is this good or bad?
 
It's the Case numbering system. 6=bone covers,2=two blades,20 is the Case Pattern number. therefore you have a Case 6220. The combination of x's and dot's on the Tang will tell you the year of production. Pinnah's Knife I believe is 1984? Lightning "S",six dots?
 
Nothing to worry about - 6220 is the Case stamp for the knife's details, and SS means stainless steel. In the 6220, the 6 denotes a bone, jigged synthetic, or jigged laminate cover material (according to Case's website), the 2 means it's a two-bladed knife, and the 20 is the pattern number for a peanut.

You can visit Case's website and read all about their number system: http://www.casexx.com/Secret.asp
 
Case's Stainless is not your latest and greatest but it works. Pretty easy to sharpen.
 
lightskyam said:
even though it is stainless steel, is it still possible to get a patina? also, how do you guys find the 2 7/8? do you like the way it handles or did you opt for a bigger size case peanut knife?
Click to expand...

Yes, it will get a patina if it is used. It will develop scratches from use. That is the kind of patina you will see. My mini copperhead has some of this ss patina that is brought out in this photo taken in bright light:

100_2431_zpsa8f95d98.jpg


It certainly isn't the same type of patina that carbon steel attains.

Ed J
 
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