Why does Case get a pass on "surgical steel?"

[John L Smith]

At least here you are comparing two different steels on the same knife, so you are taking blade geometry, ergonomics, style, etc. out of the equation.
What you don't seem to be able to understand, is that people bristle when someone comes in with an arrogant attitude, making blanket statements about what is "best". Different knives work best for different uses. A fillet knife is not a cleaver is not a scalpel, etc. and members here all have their own experiences and preferences.

Which I never said they couldn't have. I simply said the materials in the blade of the delica is superior for roughly the same price. Deny it if you will. It's rather stupid for people to say "my opinion" on that topic. Vg10 is measurably superior to 420. You dont deny it, nobody has. They simply say well, it's a matter of preference. No it's not. One steel is measurably better. One steel is superior to the other. I really dont give a damn what the handle is made from, I don't cut with the handle. So yes you might prefer whatever you want to prefer, but you cant say the heart of the knife is equal.

 

[John L Smith]

That was a quote from the original first post.... "THE Topic"! Somehow you got into comparing Spydercos modern folder with Case Slipjoints, and then went into chemistry and started arbitrarily insulting women.

I bet youre fun at parties, but you probably don't stick around long.

Well I'm 40, so my "partying" isnt what it once was. But genearally, outside of here anyways, most people can understand simple chemistry. So I wouldn't have this problem anywhere else.

 

[John L Smith]

I frankly wasn't very impressed with edge retention on my Boker Urban Trapper. It may well be a China versus Japanese made thing.... don't know really. Buck does some great things with 420HC. But I generally am not a Buck user.

That's interesting, mine is like a damn scalpel, still.

 

[John L Smith]

I would choose to cut boxes every time with a slip joint because of the blade thickness. Why do you think utility knives have such a thin blade?

You will have to stop and sharpen long before I will. And that's fine. But it's still a fact.

 

[Reitwagen]

That's fine, and perfectly reasonable. But when people tell me a 420 hc knife that is the same price as a vg10, is of comparable value, i balk at that.

I just looked at Delicas for $78 compared to Case Trappers from $43 to $50 from the same online dealer. That's not the same price.

Don't get me wrong, I would like a better steel in my Case knives and I would be willing to pay more for it. Then again, I'm not really at a loss when I use my Trapper at work.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have probably a dozen knives in VG-10. The steel has just never impressed me as being all that great overall. Would I choose a VG-10 Case over "Surgical steel" for the same price? Probably but not because I think the steel is so great. I really don't buy many Case knives. But I probably own 4 or 5 Case Trappers. (Trappers or jack knives are my favorite traditional pattern.) I just generally choose to use something else and it isn't a Delica for the most part even though I think it's a great knife. The value issue is relative with the Delica as the price keeps climbing year to year.

Added: Day in and day out, I prefer the thinner blade of a traditional knife over a Delica to use. I don't cut boxes for long periods of time and I've never really had a problem with sharpness considering the quantity of boxes I might cut up in one sitting.

 

[John L Smith]

I just looked at Delicas for $78 compared to Case Trappers from $43 to $50 from the same online dealer. That's not the same price.

Don't get me wrong, I would like a better steel in my Case knives and I would be willing to pay more for it. Then again, I'm not really at a loss when I use my Trapper at work.

I have seen trappers range above a hundred and the deli for as low as 55. So I would say they are in similar ranges.

 

[John L Smith]

I have probably a dozen knives in VG-10. The steel has just never impressed me as being all that great overall. Would I choose a VG-10 Case over "Surgical steel" for the same price? Probably but not because I think the steel is so great. I really don't buy many Case knives. But I probably own 4 or 5 Case Trappers. (Trappers or jack knives are my favorite traditional pattern.) I just generally choose to use something else and it isn't a Delica for the most part even though I think it's a great knife. The value issue is relative with the Delica as the price keeps climbing year to year.

I don't think I've ever paid full price for a knife, it's too easy to find deals with the internet. And the delica can be had for 55 to 60 if you are patient and look around. And I'm certainly not saying vg10 is the end all be all of steels. But as you said, I would take that steel over 420.

 

[JBC6650]

By sideways do you mean that we all now like Case knives, even the crappy ones more than we like John L Smith and his singular obsession of this thread?

 

[John L Smith]

By sideways do you mean that we all now like Case knives, even the crappy ones more than we like John L Smith and his singular obsession of this thread?

You think I care about your opinion of me? Do you care what I think about you? I dont think about you. But I'm obviously on your mind.

 

[jill jackson]

Some people are just so pretentious as to be boorish in short order. No matter what they're on their soapbox about it becomes tiresome very quickly.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have seen trappers range above a hundred and the deli for as low as 55. So I would say they are in similar ranges.

The GEC trappers or jack knives can certainly range over $100. Most Case knives do not, even in stag which is about the most expensive common scale material. For example, my stag handled Case Peanut ran me about $85 versus the regular jigged bone versions running $30-$45.

I am not a big Case fan overall, but I like jack knives (two blades opening on one end) and I enjoy all the different scale materials that are offered on traditional knives. I have traditionals that cost over $500 and bought a couple this past week for $10-$15 each. Given a choice, I will almost always choose a two bladed traditional over a single bladed one.

There is more to choosing a knife over another than simply blade material or handle material. The FRN Spydies are functional, but certainly not very interesting. Not looking for beauty as was phrased earlier, just style.

 

[jlauffer]

You think I care about your opinion of me? Do you care what I think about you? I dont think about you. But I'm obviously on your mind.

Mr Smith, you joined a year ago, but as far as I can tell all of your posts are in this one thread, where you go on about vg10 ad nauseam, only taking a break to insult women. Not a good debut. Move on already.

 

[dirc]

 

[knarfeng]

My degree is in chemistry and I have worked both as a chemist and a materials engineer.
I am not a metallurgist nor would I claim to be. I understand the difference between the two disciplines.
Apparently Mr. Smith does not.

Closed