The Case Sowbelly - A Review

Pàdruig Pàdruig just been thinking, you wrote that the seller claims it to be 2012 but if you have the original box it will have the exact day of manufacture on the flap of the box...
 
I, as well, filed the kick on the sheepfoot blade of my sow belly. Then I had to lower the clip a touch to fully expose the sheepfoot blade pull. I also ground the sheepfoot to a slightly more wharncliff shape to reduce the height of the closed blade.
 
Pàdruig Pàdruig , nice write-up, and great pictures.
That Sowbelly pattern is pleasing. Your post makes me want one.
I love my case knives. I only began acquiring them a few years ago so I think I probably missed the so-called bad years.
I think their walk n talk is excellent. And the price-point is a real value.
Get some more Cases, folks :thumbsup:

Prester John Prester John , yes, agree that Case amber bone is lovely. It's one of my favorite cover choices.
 
Thank you all so much for the kind compliments, feedback, and information. It is all very welcome and appreciated.

jstrange said:
Nice Case. The yellow/CV is my favorite combo of theirs. The Sowbelly has always interested me so I am glad it’s good to go. Do you find the ergonomics of the Sowbelly better or worse that a similar size Regular Stockman?
Click to expand...

This is a good question. My very first pocket knife as a wee lad was a medium sized Stockman from Schrade. The serpentine shape has always felt good in hand and has a certain allure to it from an aesthetic standpoint. The Sowbelly, on the other hand, with its lusty curves, seems to want to nestle nice and cozily into the crease of my hand. It feels natural and I suspect that our relationship is only going to get better with time and use.

Modoc ED said:
Nice review Dylan. I too am a fan of the Sowbelly. Here are some of mine from Case.

qkdYTAE.jpg


You might be interested in getting the Case single blade Sowbelly with Chrome Vanadium (CV) blade. The blade is "stone washed" thereby having a patina on the blade right out of the box.

xQ4PGlP.jpg

PQA1D7D.jpg


Someone asked about how the sowbelly feels in the hand. I think it's very good because the belly sinks into your grip and the frame is hardly noticeable.
Click to expand...

Very nice collection, ED! I have a single blade Sowbelly incoming from a terrific member here, whom I will honor once it gets in. I am very much looking forward to checking that one out as well.

Will Power said:
Frankly, the cheaper basic variants in the CASE range are often the best. I have Slimline Trappers in Yellow D and Jigged Brown Delrin that are very satisfying knives indeed, like the Sowbelly in your review, the action/W&T is very impressive. CASE goes in for profitable runs of questionable taste, some ill conceived colours, kitsch tacky themes etc and I always steer clear. But for affordable, pleasing knives they often hit the mark and getting a decent working knife that's well finished, available and not too costly is always very satisfying in my book.
Click to expand...

My experience, limited as it is, agrees with everything you've stated here, Will. Very nicely said.

oldmanwilly said:
Here is some "food for thought" if you like tinkering with your knives. I got a Case Sowbelly a few years ago and had the same complaint about the sheepfoot blade riding too high for comfort. I filed the standoff of the sheepfoot blade down enough to lower the spine to roughly the same height as the clip blade when closed (but not low enough to restrict access to the nail-nick or result in blade-rap under normal conditions). That was a major improvement and made the grip much more comfortable for me in use.

I am glad you are enjoying your sowbelly and hope it serves you well.
Click to expand...

The thought has certainly crossed my mind. There does seem to be plenty of kick there to make any sort of desired adjustments. It isn't something I have ever done before and I also worry over sunken springs as a result. I might wait until the knife and I are better acquainted before I venture into modifications.

Buzzbait said:
Great review of the sowbelly. It is indeed a wonderful knife. I have a CV in chestnut bone that I absolutely love. In fact, I’d say that of all of my Case knives, it is the most GECesque. It definitely has that solid feel and build quality of a GEC, and helps me to scratch that random jigging itch that is so hard to find on a GEC, and for a very affordable price. But I really like the look of your sowbelly in yellow Delrin too. I’m a big yellow Delrin fan, and Case does it exceptionally well.

N8zLiAn.jpg


A couple of other Case knives that I’d suggest, that have a bit of that GEC-like feel are the 6445R camp knife and the large trapper. NOS samples of the 1970’s version of the camp knife are relatively easy to find on auction for a fair price. I was entirely surprised by the heft and quality of the large trapper when I got it. Mine just happens to have a wood saw instead of spay blade. Really nice quality.

1i0f2DGh.jpg

IPNsRuih.jpg
Click to expand...

BEAUTIFUL Jigged Bone on that Sowbelly, Buzz! Simply gorgeous. I very much am inclined to seek out a Case Camp Knife now that you mention it, it really looks like a superb knife and I am kind of in the market for a good quality Scout.

Will Power said:
Pàdruig Pàdruig just been thinking, you wrote that the seller claims it to be 2012 but if you have the original box it will have the exact day of manufacture on the flap of the box...
Click to expand...

Prester John said:
Also, the year should be indicated by the code stamped on the tang.
Click to expand...

I just checked the box and it does indeed have a date on it. 4/20/2012 (hold the jokes ;)) I will also compare the tang stamp to my available resources for additional confirmation.
 
Pàdruig said:
I just checked the box and it does indeed have a date on it. 4/20/2012 (hold the jokes ;)) I will also compare the tang stamp to my available resources for additional confirmation.
Click to expand...
I think there should be 5 "X"s and 3 dots for 2012.
 
Good review, thanks for sharing it with us.
I've been buying a lot of Case knives lately. The build quality can still be a little hit or miss at times, but they seem to be getting more consistent. If you get a well-built Case knife, you have a very solid friend for life. I'm glad you obviously got a good one.
 
Pàdruig said:
It does indeed:

X X X
. x . x .

The Sheepfoot tang has this:

USA
T.B.3339
CV
Click to expand...
The "TB3339" is the pattern. The first "3" is for the "smooth yellow synthetic"; the second "3" is for the number of blades, and the "39" is the factory pattern. All the sowbellies in last year's catalogue have the "TB". Probably stands for "Tony Bose" design.
 
Last edited:
if that came in stag and cv, it might just be about as close to ideal as I've seen in a modern knife. carbon springs would put it over the top but then i don't expect to see that any time soon. even so they are beautiful.
 
Thanks for the great review. Case yellow delrin cv is my favorite in the case lineup. I have several, but not this one. I’ve looked at this knife but never pulled the trigger. Maybe this review will prompt me to buy it. I actually prefer a high-riding sheepsfoot as it generally means I can pinch it open, and I don’t typically cut anything long enough for a high-riding blade to bother me. I prefer a Turkish clip, but this one doesn’t look too broad. Kind of in between. Glad to hear the fit and finish is as good as it looks in the pictures. I figured it was given the Tony Bose pattern.
 
By the way, I’ve had pretty good luck as far as walk and talk on my Case knives. The couple that I’ve had with anemic action, I sent back and they fixed them for free (new back springs?). They both came back with great snap.
 
W.M.B. said:
if that came in stag and cv, it might just be about as close to ideal as I've seen in a modern knife. carbon springs would put it over the top but then i don't expect to see that any time soon. even so they are beautiful.
Click to expand...

Then the way forward for you is to buy a Yellow D one, source some Stag slabs on the bay and get it re-handled :cool:

Thanks, Will
 
black mamba said:
A great pattern, and congrats on getting a great example. I've had several Case sowbellies, and they do tend to be better than some others in the fit, walk & talk categories. This one from 2003 that I had Glenn modify into a "beerbelly" is one of my favorites.

zYAQlA8.jpg
Click to expand...
Wow, an awesome modification. They should offer that from the factory.
And I hope GEC is also listening.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top