Steel in Case knives - How do I tell?

ginshun

ginshun

Joined
Apr 6, 2004
Messages
1,477
How do I tell if a case knife has the crappy stainless, or CV steel?

Does it say on the blades, or the boxes or what? Is the price more for CV?

A couple of local stores have Case knives, and if I buy one, I want to make sure I get one with CV steel, and I am sure the sales people will be clueless.
 
On the other hand I have several CASE knives with that " crappy stainless " as you call it, and these too take and hold a good edge that works just fine. Some of these knives have an SS marking on their blades.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to offend you. And thank you for the info, I will check the blades.


I have heard from many people on this forum that the stainless steel that Case uses is junk. It seems to be a general consensus that it will take an edge fine, but as soon as you do minimal cutting, that edge is gone.
 
ginshun said:
How do I tell if a case knife has the crappy stainless, or CV steel?

Does it say on the blades, or the boxes or what? Is the price more for CV?

A couple of local stores have Case knives, and if I buy one, I want to make sure I get one with CV steel, and I am sure the sales people will be clueless.
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As far as I know only the Amber Bone and Yellow Delrin series of current production Case slipjoints use CV steel...all the others use "Tru-Sharp Surgical Stainless". I wouldn't call the stainless "crappy".....it depends what you are using the knife for. If it's for casual use....open some mail, slice an apple, cut a bit of twine and perhaps cut up a card board box or two the Case stainless will perform well. If however on the other hand your on the job out at the dumpster/bailer often during the day cutting up boxes and slicing plastic bail "wire" or really using the heck out of the knife on wood....and are not inclined to want to put an "edge" back on the knife very often....I would go with the CV. Just my thoughts !

-regards
 
And we grew up saying anything we wanted and nobody got offended by anything including obscenities if they were used correctly with just a twinge of humor.
You young folks have been given the lessons of PC'dom straight from the book of Lenin/Marx in which you cannot say anything to anyone---the OH WOE IS ME I AM OFFENDED BY EVERYTHING crowd-- without worrying about their poor wittle self esteem.
It is my fervent hope and wish you young whippersnappers will see through all that PC crap and learn the lessons of your forefathers who started this country.
 
The SS Case knives have much wider variety of handle materials. I am also under the impression that CV is only available in Yellow Delrin and Amber Bone.
 
WIL TERRY said:
And we grew up saying anything we wanted and nobody got offended by anything including obscenities if they were used correctly with just a twinge of humor.
You young folks have been given the lessons of PC'dom straight from the book of Lenin/Marx in which you cannot say anything to anyone---the OH WOE IS ME I AM OFFENDED BY EVERYTHING crowd-- without worrying about their poor wittle self esteem.
It is my fervent hope and wish you young whippersnappers will see through all that PC crap and learn the lessons of your forefathers who started this country.
Click to expand...


I get pretty sick of all the PC crap these days myself, but I tend to try and be polite ot people on this board. I get so much help around here that it only seems right.

You are correct though, if people would just grow a little thicker skin and not worry so damn much about what other people say, everybody would be a lot better off.
 
I think he's right tho. It is "crappy to the max". Just a step above the Surgical Stainless you see around. Use it to cut anything just a few times and sharpen it again. Mild use, if there is a term, would be what it is good for. It is more for the collecter than the user. I used one to cut twine. Not a lot of twine, just enough to bundle up some trimmings and it was noticably duller. Gave it to the neighbor kid. I am sure he will lose it in a week or two. I would buy a Bulldog without stainless instead.
Greg
 
mckgreg said:
I think he's right tho. It is "crappy to the max". Just a step above the Surgical Stainless you see around. Use it to cut anything just a few times and sharpen it again. Mild use, if there is a term, would be what it is good for. It is more for the collecter than the user. I used one to cut twine. Not a lot of twine, just enough to bundle up some trimmings and it was noticably duller. Gave it to the neighbor kid. I am sure he will lose it in a week or two. I would buy a Bulldog without stainless instead.
Greg
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...well yes the stainless steel Case are certainly more "lookers" than "users".....I'm with you on the Bulldogs....and carbon Bokers, German Eye Brand, Fight'n Rooster, Queen, Mooremaker....they would be a much better investment to carry every day.

-regards
 
I'm not sure when CASE started putting the cv stamp on the cv blades but it is my understanding that they have always stamped their stainless blades with ss. I think I just made sense? :o
 
I am always puzzled when someone says that they think case stainless steel is junk.I own probably 30 or 40 case knives(all will cleanly shave hair and hold up for a reasonable amount of time) some stainless some cv and in my opinion case stainless holds up just as well as buck stainless or camillus. I used a stainless copperlock for over a year breaking down boxes to be put in a cardboard bailer,it stayed sharp and was only touched up once a week.I have benchmade,spyderco,lone wolf,gt,chris reeve,randall,ruana and too many other brands to mention,as well as over 25 years experience using all sorts of knives(I use a millknife over 100 times a day in my current job and sharpen it free hand with a stone).I think people around here are too quick to jump on the band wagon when someone says case stainless is junk,how many knives have you tried?have you ever tested it for yourself.can you really sharpen a knife?I am not saying that case stainless is equal to the high end steels I am just saying I think it is a lot better than people let on.It is a very user friendly steel.not great not perfect but plenty good enough for every day use.
 
Have there been any comparison tests done identical models but with different steels. I dont need techno mumbo-jumbo just 2 knives sharpened well on an Edge Pro or something consistent and a load of cuts on card, rope or wood. I would like to see what % more the CV will do. Has anyone done this?
 
I've done their SS against CV a few times, and the CV wins by a factor of two or three. I'll have to find the numbers. One was cardboard, one was on rope.

Case does now make their 6.5375 in CV, which is a very good thing. First Case I've really wanted in quite some time.
 
Temper said:
Have there been any comparison tests done identical models but with different steels. I dont need techno mumbo-jumbo just 2 knives sharpened well on an Edge Pro or something consistent and a load of cuts on card, rope or wood. I would like to see what % more the CV will do. Has anyone done this?
Click to expand...
Here is some discussion you might find useful:

- http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/706015/post/706015/hl/Case++test/#706015
- http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/622992/post/625622/hl/Case++test/#625622
- http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/355579/post/355579/hl/Case++test/#355579

-regards
 
Thanks Gramps, that was an interesting read. My take on it is SS is good enough for daily chores that dont involve a lot of hard wood or super abrasive material like carpet and it should be good enough for a touch up once a week (based on consistent daily use)

Thats not too bad, but how many of us buy things that far exceed the scope of work that we intend its use for. A car is a classic example of having a lot more vehicle than you really need.

I'm still wary of the SS, I actually enjoy the need to take care of stuff and like to see the brass and steel polished up, but more than anything its true to its traditional look and after whittling for over an hour on seasoned brich I can run my thumb over the edge and feel its roughness, to me this is priceless.

Touch call, maybe a petition to Case to make more models with CV and to market it a little stronger, build on the tradition and the Grandpa'ness' of it. :)
 
Sword and Shield said:
I've done their SS against CV a few times, and the CV wins by a factor of two or three. I'll have to find the numbers. One was cardboard, one was on rope.

Case does now make their 6.5375 in CV, which is a very good thing. First Case I've really wanted in quite some time.
Click to expand...

Just got mine a few days ago, go for it!

You won't regret it.
 
Bonestag 4 1/4" CASE STOCKMAN CV knives from KNIVES PLUS over in Amarillo, Tejas. Now all I hafta do is wait forever--FOREVER!!!--for it to get here along about next wednesday.
Also ordered another one of their 60 knife rollups so my wife will quit bellyaching about all the knives lining the shelves in front of the books in MY library.
 
My understanding is that Case's "Tru-Sharp" stainless is straight 420 HC. Same steel used in most Schatt and Morgan knives.
 
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