Baby Butterbean vs Mini Copperhead vs Small Texas Jack

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Nov 16, 2015
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I can't decide between the case butterbean, mini copperhead, or small texas jack. I've been staring at them online for days and cannot make a decision. All are fairly similar in size and would be used as a backup edc. From what I can find, only the small texas jack is currently available in CV. The only case knives that I currently own are the sway back jack, sodbuster jr., and I recently picked up a mini trapper with a single wharncliffe. Any comments, suggestions, or comparisons would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much and happy new year!!!
 
Have them all.. Edc them all at different times.. Being that I like jack knives.. My pick.. STJ.. John
 
The small Texas Jack (3-1/2" closed) is a fine knife and probably more versatile overall than my favorite pocket carry the mini copperhead (see avatar). I had a baby butterbean, but felt it too small. So, sometimes the "best" knife doesn't wind up with the "favorite" status. I can't explain exactly why, but that's the way it works out for me. You won't go wrong with that CV Texas Jack; I like them a lot.

Ed J
 
Of those three, I've only owned the Baby Butterbean. It felt OK in hand, but too small overall, and the pen blade was just too tiny to serve much use.

I came away thinking that if I owned a knife that small again, it would need two different blade profiles to be useful. I like a small pen blade as a backup, particularly in situations where a larger blade might be unwelcome, but when the main blade is already small -- as in the Butterbean -- it seems redundant.
 
They are all rather different knives, so it's hard to compare them directly. If you like CV steel then there is only one choice. The Small Texas Jack (assuming you are talking about the 62032 CV in Amber Bone) is one of my favorite knives overall and I carry it often. It is a larger knife than the other two and with squared bolsters may not be quite as pocket friendly, depending on which pocket you use.

I carried a Mini Copperhead with the Wharncliffe blade for a while and it is a very capable small knife. Thin with rounded bolsters so it just vanishes in your pocket.

I am not personally a fan of the Canoe/Butterbean style. I don't know why. They are nice looking knives and carry well. If you like them, that's fine. Different tastes. It's the smallest of the three though a bit broader than the Mini Copperhead. Would also disappear in a pocket with the rounded shape and sunk joints.

If I had to pick one of the three, it would be the Small Texas Jack.
 
I only have the butterbean, an excellent watch pocket knife for me.
I carry it on occasion. Sounds like you should be happy no matter your pick.
 
John is correct, these are in fact very different knives from each other.

Size in Traditional knives can make a vast difference, just a few millimetres can really alter a knife. The Texas Jack is the giant of the three but an excellent Medium Jack knife, its modified Penblade is a useful broad but thin secondary blade. I have 3 Mini Coppeheads, 1 CASE and 2 Rough Rider all are excellent. Being single-spring they are nice slim carry but they have a good enough blade to tackle a large apple. The CASE has Wharncliffe Master which is interesting but can have limitations, the RR knives have a good sized Clip Master. The RR are inexpensive but quality knives so you can try out a pattern for size as it were. As for the Baby Canoe/Butterbean it's a style of knife I actually dislike, really far too small to have credibility but has quite big bolsters, it gets a zero from me I'm afraid and I like smaller knives..

I'd opt for a Copperhead, great in the pocket.
 
Of the three knives in question I have only owned a Baby Butterbean. I'm sorry to say that I didn't like it either. Too small for one thing and the shape of the knife caused me frustration when attempting to use it. It was a yellow delrin version and the color was the only thing I really liked about it.

I purposely left it sitting on a table in the lunchroom at work for someone else to enjoy. Haven't seen it since.
 
Well, I only have the STJ, but it's a great knife. Most useful pen blade shape I've ever seen on a knife.
 
Thanks everyone. Much appreciated insight from all. I think I'm going to go with the small texas jack for now...at least until the knife shakes start again in another week or so. Have a good new year everyone!!
 
The Mini Copperhead is a great little knife, small and light with a very functional Wharncliffe blade and a secondary pen. I use mine around the house all the time.
 
John is correct, these are in fact very different knives from each other.

Size in Traditional knives can make a vast difference, just a few millimetres can really alter a knife. The Texas Jack is the giant of the three but an excellent Medium Jack knife, its modified Penblade is a useful broad but thin secondary blade. I have 3 Mini Coppeheads, 1 CASE and 2 Rough Rider all are excellent. Being single-spring they are nice slim carry but they have a good enough blade to tackle a large apple. The CASE has Wharncliffe Master which is interesting but can have limitations, the RR knives have a good sized Clip Master. The RR are inexpensive but quality knives so you can try out a pattern for size as it were. As for the Baby Canoe/Butterbean it's a style of knife I actually dislike, really far too small to have credibility but has quite big bolsters, it gets a zero from me I'm afraid and I like smaller knives..

I'd opt for a Copperhead, great in the pocket.
+1 :thumbup: The Case Baby Butterbean was the first American knive I bought, and I did not care too much toward his size, thinking that like most US things it would be oversized compared to European ones. Guess my face when I saw that tiny thing. Quality and look is not the problem, but the little Wenger SAK does lots of things the BBB does not, and very well.
I keep it nevertheless, in a protective sheath in my purse, but it rarely sees the light I'm afraid!
 
I own the baby butter bean and the small Texas Jack.

The butter bean Is a very small knife. I find it difficult to actually hold and use. Also not the biggest fan of the pattern.

My cv (coffee stained) Amber bone small Texas Jack is one of my all time favorite knives. It's fit and finish, quality, etc are easily on par with my GEC knives.

Btw. There is an entire thread dedicated to the small Texas Jack.

Jim
 
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