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- May 4, 2010
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So I've always been a fan of the sodbuster design(mainly Case Sodbuster Jr) but I wasn't really aware of the different versions of this knife made by countless companies spanning across the globe. I knew of some china made versions and the Queen Country cousin but other than those and the Case versions I was in the dark. One day I happened across a thread and saw a Schatt&Morgan Stag Sodbuster and was pretty intrigued to say the least, I had to have one! Searching high and low for this knife with my google fu I came across a whole world(literally) of sodbusters and learned that they are called different names in different parts of the world. The US refers to them as Sodbusters, Germany calls them Hippeknieps(pocket knife), France calls them Mineurs(Miners knife) and Spain calls them Navajas de campaña or Pastor knives but all are pretty close to the same design. I started adding and collecting these knives and figured I would post up my collection for people who love the sodbuster pattern to see so they can compare different versions of the pattern with each other, and maybe infect you with my illness
There are many I'm still missing and need to get for my collection. I try to stick to the smaller sodbusters, the 4 5/8' and larger sodbusters are a bit big for me.
I included a Yellow Case Sodbuster Jr for size reference in every shot since I figured most people interested in this pattern probably own one of these knives or have an idea of its size and shape. Also, I've included links at the bottom of this post of more in depth individual reviews of some of my sodbusters.
I'll start out with US made versions of the Sodbuster. A big group shot of them then I break them down into Cases and then the others.
Here's a group shot of all of them..
First row are all Case Sodbuster Jr's
From left to right:
Case Sodbuster Jr Stainless Steel(SS) in Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Black delrin handles. Case Yellow (CV), John Deere Green (SS), American Workman Blue (SS), Case Kentucky Bicentenial Knives in Green Delrin, Wood & Stag handles all in (SS). Case Carbon Fiber(SS), Amber Jigged Bone (SS), Shot show exclusive Persimmon Orange Bone (SS), Purple Jigged Bone (SS), Chestnut Jigged Bone (CV) and Antique Bone EZ Open (SS).
(Case Sodbuster JR for size reference) Moore Maker in Yellow Bone 1095 steel(made by Queen), Moore Maker yellow Delrin in 1095(Pretty sure this is made by Queen) Queen Red Country Cousin #70 440C steel, Queen Country Cousin #70 in Black 440C, Queen Country Cousin Black,Yellow & Black Cherry Delrin D2 steel, Queen in Red jigged bone made for the 2003 Youth NKCA D2?, Alabama Red Queen (Southren Queen) D2?, Queen #70 in Stag D2, Schatt&Morgan MMVII D2?, Bob White Brand Black & Red handles made by Queen, Black Bear Skinner by Voyles Cutlery, Stag Handled Voyles Cutlery, Queen # 70 in Micarta D2 2nd run & 1st run(Notice size difference in shield), Bear & Sons yellow delrin in 1095, Bear & Sons Yellow G10 (1095), Bear & Sons Black Delrin (SS), Bear & Sons Black G10 (SS), Bear & Sons Yellow Delrin lockback (1095), Bear & Sons yellow G10 lockback (1095), Moore Maker Yellow Delrin lockback by Bear & Sons (1095), Great Eastern Cutlery Bullnose in Black, Nifebright(glow in the dark), Orange, Green Linen Micarta & Green Canvas Micarta all in 01 steel.
Next up is the German Sodbusters called Hippeknieps. From what I've read the Sodbuster originated in Germany, under the name clasp knife or folding butcher knife, and predominantly comes in wooden handles. There are a few handle variations of some of these knife I don't have but these are the major brands still in production I could find. If I don't list the wood I'm not certain what they used, most likely bubinga. Also, all these blades are carbon steel unless noted stainless steel since that is predominately what is used. When I refer to small version, that is comparable to a Case Sodbuster Jr in size.
(Case Sodbuster Jr for thickness reference on second pic)
From left to right: Robert Herder "Windmühlenmesser" small version in Cherry wood, Olive wood and Walnut, Heinrich Schmitz small version in Rosewood, Stage with Stainless blade, Snakewood & Plumwood, Otter Messer small version, new production Friedr Herder Abr sohn, Kissing Crane Brown Mule(German made version), new production H.Herder, no markings on this but came with a sticker with the spade and stated it was made in Solingen, Loewen Messer.
Interesting note, the Friedr Herder and H.Heder are extremely similar, as are a few other sodbuster knives I have bought from Germany websites. They all have no markings on them but all came in packages that stated they were Solingen made. My guess is that they are all made in the same factory and marked accordingly for contract purposes. I could be wrong about this, but would be shocked.
More German Sodbusters -Bottom two pics added for size reference with Case Sodbuster Jr
From Left to right:
Carl Schlieper German Eye Brand in Wood,(older production), Friedrich Olbertz in wood, New production Carl Schlieper German Eye in dark wood, Black, Red and Yellow synthetic handles, Bulldog Brand in Green, Red & Yellow.
Note, I believe this group above are all made in the Friedrich Olbertz factory, from the Schliepers to the Bulldogs. They all have the match strike nail nick.
Next up are the Spanish Sodbusters, called Navajas de campaña or Paster knives. One thing about the Spanish Sodbusters I've noticed is the pointier blades and the use of bails. There are many more versions of these from other companies but they are hard to come by, IHER, PAYA, Saex and so on.
From left to right:
J.J Martinez one in Carbon and one in Stainless, JKR Smaller in Stainless, JKR Medium in Stainless, Celaya medium in Cherry stainless, Celaya medium Smooth Bull Horn stainless, Celaya medium in Stag stainless, Celaya medium in light wood stainless, Celaya medium in green composite wood stainless, Aitor in bland composite wood and dark wood in stainless, JKR medium dark wood in stainless, Case Sodbuster Jr for reference. I forgot to add the two Hen&Rooster Sodbusters in Smooth stag and stag to this pic, they are made in Spain and they look identical to the Celaya knives so I am guessing they are made in the same factory, see pics of stag knives for comparison.
Next is the French Version called the Le Mineur(miners knife) Love the blade profile on these knives!
From Left to right:
GR Mineur in blonde wood carbon steel, Parapluie a L'épreuve in carbon steel, Parapluie a L'épreuve in horn carbon steel. Case for reference
next are the Italian made sodbusters, it appears that the Brown mules are made by the same people that make Antonini Maniaghese
From top to bottom:
Case for Ref, Robert Klass Brown Mule medium in Carbon, Antonini Maniaghese medium in carbon steel, Robert Klass Brown Mule small in carbon steel
Here are all the stag sodbusters together
From Left to right:
German Bull, Buck Creek, Celaya in smooth bone and stag, Celaya in stag and smooth bone, Schatt&Morgan, Heinrich Schmitz, Case in stag..Case and Schmitz swapped in last shot
I still have to add another section on China made Sodbusters. I have to admit that I originally had made the decision not to add Chinese made sodbusters to my collection but I really liked the AG Russell take on the pattern and heard good things about his knives so I pulled the trigger on them. I was so impressed I bought a few other Chinese made sodbusters and I have been pleasantly surprised with the fit and finish of most.
Update: Here are the China Made Sodbusters that I have so far. I have some of the Rough Riders larger ones that I have not taken pictures, these are the smaller, more in line with the Case Sodbuster Jr.
From left to right:
Rough Rider liner lock in Cow Bone and Yellow in stainless, Schrade in Yellow and Black stainless, Kissing Cranes in Peach, Black, Yellow, Abalone(imitation), Pearl(imitation) and Blue all in Stainless, AG Russell in Yellow Delrin and Black Rucarta both in 8Cr13MoV, Case Sodbuster JR for reference.
I have a few other miscellaneous sodbusters that I have to post and I might fix a few of the pics where I left knives out. If you have any questions or request please let me know!
Of all these knives my favorites are the GEC Bullnose worknife black and orange,The French made Parapluie a L'épreuve wood handle and Moore Maker Yellow Bone handle by Queen.
Thanks and I will be adding to the list and adding pics periodically as I acquire new knives . I'm actively seeking to add to the collection so if you know of some or have some that you dont see here please feel free to comment or post pictures. I would like for this to be a good source of info on this pattern so chime in whenever with whatever!
Links to sodbuster reviews I've done:
Maserin(Italian made) Horn and Olive Wood Sodbusters
Maroon Micarta Bullnose + other Micarta Bullnoses
Case Purple Jigged Bone Sodbuster Jr
GEC Linen & Canvas Micarta Bullnose
Bear & Sons Farmhand in G10
Case Persimmon Orange Bone Shot Show Sodbuster
Queen Lockback Micarta Sodbuster
Queen Micarta Sodbuster
GEC Orange & Black Bullnose
There are many I'm still missing and need to get for my collection. I try to stick to the smaller sodbusters, the 4 5/8' and larger sodbusters are a bit big for me.I included a Yellow Case Sodbuster Jr for size reference in every shot since I figured most people interested in this pattern probably own one of these knives or have an idea of its size and shape. Also, I've included links at the bottom of this post of more in depth individual reviews of some of my sodbusters.
I'll start out with US made versions of the Sodbuster. A big group shot of them then I break them down into Cases and then the others.
Here's a group shot of all of them..
First row are all Case Sodbuster Jr's
From left to right:
Case Sodbuster Jr Stainless Steel(SS) in Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Black delrin handles. Case Yellow (CV), John Deere Green (SS), American Workman Blue (SS), Case Kentucky Bicentenial Knives in Green Delrin, Wood & Stag handles all in (SS). Case Carbon Fiber(SS), Amber Jigged Bone (SS), Shot show exclusive Persimmon Orange Bone (SS), Purple Jigged Bone (SS), Chestnut Jigged Bone (CV) and Antique Bone EZ Open (SS).
(Case Sodbuster JR for size reference) Moore Maker in Yellow Bone 1095 steel(made by Queen), Moore Maker yellow Delrin in 1095(Pretty sure this is made by Queen) Queen Red Country Cousin #70 440C steel, Queen Country Cousin #70 in Black 440C, Queen Country Cousin Black,Yellow & Black Cherry Delrin D2 steel, Queen in Red jigged bone made for the 2003 Youth NKCA D2?, Alabama Red Queen (Southren Queen) D2?, Queen #70 in Stag D2, Schatt&Morgan MMVII D2?, Bob White Brand Black & Red handles made by Queen, Black Bear Skinner by Voyles Cutlery, Stag Handled Voyles Cutlery, Queen # 70 in Micarta D2 2nd run & 1st run(Notice size difference in shield), Bear & Sons yellow delrin in 1095, Bear & Sons Yellow G10 (1095), Bear & Sons Black Delrin (SS), Bear & Sons Black G10 (SS), Bear & Sons Yellow Delrin lockback (1095), Bear & Sons yellow G10 lockback (1095), Moore Maker Yellow Delrin lockback by Bear & Sons (1095), Great Eastern Cutlery Bullnose in Black, Nifebright(glow in the dark), Orange, Green Linen Micarta & Green Canvas Micarta all in 01 steel.
Next up is the German Sodbusters called Hippeknieps. From what I've read the Sodbuster originated in Germany, under the name clasp knife or folding butcher knife, and predominantly comes in wooden handles. There are a few handle variations of some of these knife I don't have but these are the major brands still in production I could find. If I don't list the wood I'm not certain what they used, most likely bubinga. Also, all these blades are carbon steel unless noted stainless steel since that is predominately what is used. When I refer to small version, that is comparable to a Case Sodbuster Jr in size.
(Case Sodbuster Jr for thickness reference on second pic)
From left to right: Robert Herder "Windmühlenmesser" small version in Cherry wood, Olive wood and Walnut, Heinrich Schmitz small version in Rosewood, Stage with Stainless blade, Snakewood & Plumwood, Otter Messer small version, new production Friedr Herder Abr sohn, Kissing Crane Brown Mule(German made version), new production H.Herder, no markings on this but came with a sticker with the spade and stated it was made in Solingen, Loewen Messer.
Interesting note, the Friedr Herder and H.Heder are extremely similar, as are a few other sodbuster knives I have bought from Germany websites. They all have no markings on them but all came in packages that stated they were Solingen made. My guess is that they are all made in the same factory and marked accordingly for contract purposes. I could be wrong about this, but would be shocked.
More German Sodbusters -Bottom two pics added for size reference with Case Sodbuster Jr
From Left to right:
Carl Schlieper German Eye Brand in Wood,(older production), Friedrich Olbertz in wood, New production Carl Schlieper German Eye in dark wood, Black, Red and Yellow synthetic handles, Bulldog Brand in Green, Red & Yellow.
Note, I believe this group above are all made in the Friedrich Olbertz factory, from the Schliepers to the Bulldogs. They all have the match strike nail nick.
Next up are the Spanish Sodbusters, called Navajas de campaña or Paster knives. One thing about the Spanish Sodbusters I've noticed is the pointier blades and the use of bails. There are many more versions of these from other companies but they are hard to come by, IHER, PAYA, Saex and so on.
From left to right:
J.J Martinez one in Carbon and one in Stainless, JKR Smaller in Stainless, JKR Medium in Stainless, Celaya medium in Cherry stainless, Celaya medium Smooth Bull Horn stainless, Celaya medium in Stag stainless, Celaya medium in light wood stainless, Celaya medium in green composite wood stainless, Aitor in bland composite wood and dark wood in stainless, JKR medium dark wood in stainless, Case Sodbuster Jr for reference. I forgot to add the two Hen&Rooster Sodbusters in Smooth stag and stag to this pic, they are made in Spain and they look identical to the Celaya knives so I am guessing they are made in the same factory, see pics of stag knives for comparison.
Next is the French Version called the Le Mineur(miners knife) Love the blade profile on these knives!
From Left to right:
GR Mineur in blonde wood carbon steel, Parapluie a L'épreuve in carbon steel, Parapluie a L'épreuve in horn carbon steel. Case for reference
next are the Italian made sodbusters, it appears that the Brown mules are made by the same people that make Antonini Maniaghese
From top to bottom:
Case for Ref, Robert Klass Brown Mule medium in Carbon, Antonini Maniaghese medium in carbon steel, Robert Klass Brown Mule small in carbon steel
Here are all the stag sodbusters together
From Left to right:
German Bull, Buck Creek, Celaya in smooth bone and stag, Celaya in stag and smooth bone, Schatt&Morgan, Heinrich Schmitz, Case in stag..Case and Schmitz swapped in last shot
I still have to add another section on China made Sodbusters. I have to admit that I originally had made the decision not to add Chinese made sodbusters to my collection but I really liked the AG Russell take on the pattern and heard good things about his knives so I pulled the trigger on them. I was so impressed I bought a few other Chinese made sodbusters and I have been pleasantly surprised with the fit and finish of most.
Update: Here are the China Made Sodbusters that I have so far. I have some of the Rough Riders larger ones that I have not taken pictures, these are the smaller, more in line with the Case Sodbuster Jr.
From left to right:
Rough Rider liner lock in Cow Bone and Yellow in stainless, Schrade in Yellow and Black stainless, Kissing Cranes in Peach, Black, Yellow, Abalone(imitation), Pearl(imitation) and Blue all in Stainless, AG Russell in Yellow Delrin and Black Rucarta both in 8Cr13MoV, Case Sodbuster JR for reference.
I have a few other miscellaneous sodbusters that I have to post and I might fix a few of the pics where I left knives out. If you have any questions or request please let me know!
Of all these knives my favorites are the GEC Bullnose worknife black and orange,The French made Parapluie a L'épreuve wood handle and Moore Maker Yellow Bone handle by Queen.
Thanks and I will be adding to the list and adding pics periodically as I acquire new knives . I'm actively seeking to add to the collection so if you know of some or have some that you dont see here please feel free to comment or post pictures. I would like for this to be a good source of info on this pattern so chime in whenever with whatever!
Links to sodbuster reviews I've done:
Maserin(Italian made) Horn and Olive Wood Sodbusters
Maroon Micarta Bullnose + other Micarta Bullnoses
Case Purple Jigged Bone Sodbuster Jr
GEC Linen & Canvas Micarta Bullnose
Bear & Sons Farmhand in G10
Case Persimmon Orange Bone Shot Show Sodbuster
Queen Lockback Micarta Sodbuster
Queen Micarta Sodbuster
GEC Orange & Black Bullnose
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