- Joined
- Nov 24, 1998
- Messages
- 993
Lately I've bought a few production folders just for the sake of taking a closer at how they are being made. Earlier today I put six of them together: a Buck, a Boker, a Case, a GEC, a Canal Street, and a new Schrade "Walden".
I don't want to take up too much band width so I won't go into the details of each one. I'd quickly point out that in the case of the Buck, the Boker, and the Case, I found very little to complain about. The Buck is a bit bulky, rough in the sense that it is hefty and a little overbuilt, and the springs a tad soft for my taste. Other than that, everything fits where it should and that's that. Of course, that Buck steel doesn't seem to keep an edge too well.
The Boker I examined, is just fine. All the blades fit properly between the liners, every corner is well rounded, no gaps, no roughness as the blades walk, and a few passes on the strop with a little green rouge and all three blades are shaving sharp.
Regarding the Case, the same as the Boker, blades are carbon steel and sharp like all hell. Everything is well finished and in place. The stag is a little squalid looking but both scales look alike.
The GEC, well, it took me a long time to get the blades properly sharpened. And the walking is a little rough. Also, the blades rub a little as they go between the liners. Other than that, the stag is great, nice heft, nice overall finish. Oh, one of the sheep's foot blades leaves the point above the scales when closed (I hate that.)
Now, the blade on the CS is very sharp right off the box. For me this is a big plus. However, the spring is kind'a soft, and the the blade walks as if on sand. There are some slight gaps between the springs. Pretty simple knife, too simple I'd say for the sharp blade it holds.
And then disaster. The new "Walden" Schrade is pretty bad. The springs, both, rise above the liners at the ends; it looks bad, pretty bad. There are gaps at both ends of the springs, pretty bad. One blade is somewhat centered between the liners, the other rubs against the liner. The bone is very plain. The edges of the handle are sharp. The knife overall looks as if it had been finished in a hurry.
I'm afraid to pass judgment of this knives other than on the way they look. I hardly ever use a folding knife too hard, except when dressing game and then I use Bose knives. I mostly use fixed blade knives. Having said that, I wonder how long any of these knives would last if they saw regular work at the farm, the shop, what have you. I'm under the impression that the Buck and the Case would last the longest.
I don't want to take up too much band width so I won't go into the details of each one. I'd quickly point out that in the case of the Buck, the Boker, and the Case, I found very little to complain about. The Buck is a bit bulky, rough in the sense that it is hefty and a little overbuilt, and the springs a tad soft for my taste. Other than that, everything fits where it should and that's that. Of course, that Buck steel doesn't seem to keep an edge too well.
The Boker I examined, is just fine. All the blades fit properly between the liners, every corner is well rounded, no gaps, no roughness as the blades walk, and a few passes on the strop with a little green rouge and all three blades are shaving sharp.
Regarding the Case, the same as the Boker, blades are carbon steel and sharp like all hell. Everything is well finished and in place. The stag is a little squalid looking but both scales look alike.
The GEC, well, it took me a long time to get the blades properly sharpened. And the walking is a little rough. Also, the blades rub a little as they go between the liners. Other than that, the stag is great, nice heft, nice overall finish. Oh, one of the sheep's foot blades leaves the point above the scales when closed (I hate that.)
Now, the blade on the CS is very sharp right off the box. For me this is a big plus. However, the spring is kind'a soft, and the the blade walks as if on sand. There are some slight gaps between the springs. Pretty simple knife, too simple I'd say for the sharp blade it holds.
And then disaster. The new "Walden" Schrade is pretty bad. The springs, both, rise above the liners at the ends; it looks bad, pretty bad. There are gaps at both ends of the springs, pretty bad. One blade is somewhat centered between the liners, the other rubs against the liner. The bone is very plain. The edges of the handle are sharp. The knife overall looks as if it had been finished in a hurry.
I'm afraid to pass judgment of this knives other than on the way they look. I hardly ever use a folding knife too hard, except when dressing game and then I use Bose knives. I mostly use fixed blade knives. Having said that, I wonder how long any of these knives would last if they saw regular work at the farm, the shop, what have you. I'm under the impression that the Buck and the Case would last the longest.
