lockback sodbuster questions

Pete1977

Pete1977

Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
3,371
Every so often, I come to the traditional forum and stoke the desire to carry a traditional folder. and after reading a few posts here and there, i've decided to look into a beefy folder for work on the lobster boat.

I've settled on buying a locking sodbuster with yellow handles and a carbon steel blade. however a google search led me to one- the Eye Brand locking sodbuster. how is it for $60 shipped? is it a good sturdy knife? does it take and hold an edge well?

Are there any other companies that make a lockback sodbuster? IIRC Case does. I haven't been able to locate one yet though. I am trying to get a few options before I spring the money for one (or two:rolleyes: )

I am interested to use this style of knife around seawater and for heavy duty cutting chores. if it was good enough for the old-timers around, it should be good enough for me.


and for what it's worth, at work, I carry a traditional style knife in modern materials. A plain edged atlantic salt.:)

pete
 
I can't anwear for the locking sodbuster, but I have two Eye-brand sobusters in yellow delrin with carbon steel. The large sodbuster I bought in the mid 80's and the small soddie in the late 80's. Both have been very good knives, very tough. I've used the large one for tasks that in all truthfullness I should have been using a fixed blade, but it did it. I've leaned on it some. The last couple years I've used the smaller eye-brand alot, switching it off with a small Case yellow soddie. Both are carbon steel and both cut very well and stand up to alot of use.

60 dollars seems alot for a sodbuster, even with a lock.
 
Thanks jackknife. the difference in price between the locking sodbuster and the slipjoint does seem extreme. I have a case stainless sodbuster with a black handle that I got for @ $20 a few weeks ago and haven't really put it to use yet. I have the large and the small versions, and I prefer a longer blade for work on the boat. when it comes to slipjoints and traditional style folding knives, I prefer traditional materials, like carbon steel. salt water however does a number on it :).

I have read a number of your posts and realize you grew up around fishermen and mariners. we still use the dexter/russell carbon steel boning knives for fixed blades around here (Gloucester MA) every commercial fishing boat has at least one five inch "ripper" aboard for cleaning fish and cutting rope. upkeep is minimal and most end up with rusted blades. it doesn't stop most of the guys from using them. I keep an 8 inch boning knife for filleting the odd codfish to take home for dinner.

I like carbon steel and the rippers left on the boat are one thing, but a carbon steel folder will recieve more care as I intend to carry it for day to day cutting chores as well.

I may look into the folding carbon steel slipjoint sodbusters and pick up a couple to try out.

thanks for the input. :)

pete
 
Yeah, those Dexter/Russells did get around, don't they? They were good knives, did'nt cost alot, and got the job done.

I don't think you will have a problem with a carbon steel pocket knife on a boat. If I ever get the equiptment and learn to post some photos, I'll put up one of my grandads stag stockman. It's carbon blades are kind of a charcoal grey. The Case stainless is not near as bad as some would have you believe. Its about as good as the swiss army knife stuff, good enough for most edc use. I just stick with carbon because I'm turning into a curmudgeon.
 
jackknife said:
Yeah, those Dexter/Russells did get around, don't they? They were good knives, did'nt cost alot, and got the job done...

I just stick with carbon because I'm turning into a curmudgeon.
Click to expand...

if they break, rust through or fall over, they can be replaced for short money. an important selling point around people who make their living from the sea even today.

and I think guys like you here in the traditional forum are turning me into a curmudgeon as well. if it's possible to become curmugeonly at 30 ;)

thanks again jackknife

pete
 
I don't think Case ever made a lock back Sodbuster. They did make one with a liner lock for a short time but it had a stainless blade.

Andrew
 
bigox said:
I don't think Case ever made a lock back Sodbuster. They did make one with a liner lock for a short time but it had a stainless blade.

Andrew
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Yes...the 2138LSS was a full size stainless sodbuster with a liner lock. It was made from 1970 until the early 80's.

The only true lockback sodbusters that I can think of are by Eye Brand and Henckels. The Henckels is definitely not in production any more, the Eye Brand I don't know.
 
I found the eyebrand here:

http://www.knifeoutlet.com/shop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=GE99YL

here:

http://www.amobhitman.com/customer/product.php?productid=9192

here:

http://www.bladematrix.tv/browseproducts/GE-99YL-GE99YL-German-Eye-Sodbuster-Lockback..html

and here:

http://www.knifecountryusa.com/stor...cket-knife-with-yellow-celluloid-handles.html

the prices all seem to be @ $50US

sufficed to say though, I don't think that adding a lock to a knife is a reason to bump the price up $30. ;) so if I end up getting one, it will be a plain carbon steel, yellow handled slipjoint soddie.
 
I've also been tempted to get one of those locking sodbusters, but the price seems a little high to me too. I think you should buy one... so you can report back to us and tell us what you think about it! :)
 
Ka-Bar made a large (4 1/2" blade) locking buster in the 1960's-1970's. Now only Schlieper makes them in yellow or stag handles.
 
Herder made this in the late 1960's. Carbon steel, cocobolo handle.

Herder1.jpg


I don't think they make anything like this today. But they should.
 
Pete1977 said:
we still use the dexter/russell carbon steel boning knives for fixed blades around here (Gloucester MA) every commercial fishing boat has at least one five inch "ripper" aboard for cleaning fish and cutting rope.
Click to expand...

Hey, Pete: What folders are popular with the commercial fishing guys in your neck of the woods?
 
Well, you don't see too many folders, since the knives that are used on the boats are mainly Dexter Russell High Carbon 1370 series boning knives. You see a lot of the 1375 five inch "rippers" on gillnetters and draggers. Sometimes you see the Dexter Sani-Safe versions with white plastic handles. Sometimes there are Frosts Mora with rubber and plastic handles and plastic sheaths. I use one. Mine is stainless, but there are carbon versions. A lot of times on the local boats there are serrated victorinox paring knives, several, for cutting net, rope, twine, rubber chafing gear, etc.

I think the most ubiquitous folder in the pockets of commercial fishermen around here would be victorinox single bladed sheepsfoot pruning knives. They are cheap, are easy to sharpen, and stay sharp. I've seen some guys with buck knives, 110's most likely. Cheap chinese crap is the tactical style knives. Fishermen are a thrifty bunch on the whole and don't spend much on something that has a very good chance of going in the water.

Mark Williams, a commercial diver and lobsterman from Gloucester wrote a book called F/V Black Sheep, and in it describes his attempt to find the perfect folding knife. A knife maker and collector friend of his helped him and he settled on a kershaw folding knife(he never says which) that he used for everything from cutting rope to opening cans of ravioli for lunch. (the book is his autobiography, inspired by a near miss with death by drowning. it isn't about knives. :))

Off the top of my head that is all I can think of, I have seen guys on party boats with swiss army knives and rigging style knives with sheepsfoot blades and marlinespikes.

If I can remember anything else I'll be sure to add it. I don't mind hijacking my own thread, or talking about fishing and knives ;)

Pete :)

EDITED TO ADD: I carry an atlantic salt PE with a black handle. our lobster traps are yellow so I didn't get the yellow as I was afraid it would go for a dip with the traps ;) There are a few commercial fishermen on bladeforums, one active in the buck forums from Nova Scotia I think, and another from Gloucester who hasn't been around in a while. hopefully some of them will chime in as well.
 
FWIW, Rough Rider has some large (4 3/4" closed) linerlock sodbusters that are pretty decent working knives for the money, often less than $10. They have stainless blades and a variety of ugly to reasonable scales, fake abalone, fake tortoise shell, and plain black. I've had one for a few months now and find it perfectly adequate. I'm thinking about convexing the edge, as the factory edge is fairly obtuse.
 
If I get a locking sodbuster, I'd want a carbon steel blade. the only one I have found is eye-brand. it is a lockback, which I prefer. I would take a carbon steel linerlock if the price was right though ;)


pete:)
 
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