Too "Snooty" for an economy sodbuster?

knifeswapper said:
At Blade2017 I was talking to a factory about a sure 'nuff economy sodbuster pattern. Something like a barely sub-4" beater, but with a steel that would be useful - say D2. I couldn't really get them interested, because they said the market had become too "particular" for a $30 sodbuster. Their concern was that if they tooled up to make an economy knife, the market would assume their build quality had become lackluster across their line.

So that got me thinking. Have we gotten so critical on social media that the factories don't even want to make a "beater" anymore? I somewhat see their point, but hope this market segment is not lost to only the chinese just because the knives may not be worthy of a pocket dump photo....

Could the market still tolerate a true work knife at a value price point?
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Yes, and it's a shame. Look at how many won't even look at a Case knife these days.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
Yes, and it's a shame. Look at how many won't even look at a Case knife these days.
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The fit and finish issues, namely blade centering and wobble aside (because modern folder companies like Benchmade and Spyderco have those, too), one of the reasons I've heard cited that guys won't look at a Case knife these days is the edge retention when compared with the steels on their modern folders.

At this point, I don't think I'm contributing much new to the conversation. It's obvious I love the sodbuster pattern and would extra love a sodbuster knife with a higher alloy steel in the blade.
 
I am too picky for a $30 Sodbuster if there are any compromises. I have a 1964-69 full size Sodbuster. It feels really nice in the hand and it holds the edge well. The fit and finish are still good after all those years of use. There are no gaps in the liners. There is still good snap to the blade closing. All it ever needs is a little touch up with a strop after some hard use. It is old, but the quality is on par with GEC's knives. So if any future $30 Sodbuster wasn't as good then I would just spend $25 more dollars and get a GEC Bullnose.
 
traumkommode said:
The fit and finish issues, namely blade centering and wobble aside (because modern folder companies like Benchmade and Spyderco have those, too), one of the reasons I've heard cited that guys won't look at a Case knife these days is the edge retention when compared with the steels on their modern folders.

At this point, I don't think I'm contributing much new to the conversation. It's obvious I love the sodbuster pattern and would extra love a sodbuster knife with a higher alloy steel in the blade.
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There's nothing particularly wrong with the steels Case uses, they're easy to maintain and mine get plenty sharp enough to shave. As to edge retention, skinning deer and squirrels doesn't require a super steel. My grandparents butchered plenty of hogs over the years, they never used anything more exotic than an Old Hickory knife and a steel to re-align the edge.
 
Short answer, the vast, vast majority of knives sold today are cheap -- not just economical, cheap. So if the market is not there for economical, it's not due to snobbery but foolishness.
 
Travman said:
I am too picky for a $30 Sodbuster if there are any compromises. I have a 1964-69 full size Sodbuster. It feels really nice in the hand and it holds the edge well. The fit and finish are still good after all those years of use. There are no gaps in the liners. There is still good snap to the blade closing. All it ever needs is a little touch up with a strop after some hard use. It is old, but the quality is on par with GEC's knives. So if any future $30 Sodbuster wasn't as good then I would just spend $25 more dollars and get a GEC Bullnose.
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My Sodbuster was only $30 and it's great. If you don't like it send it to Case and they'll make it right!
 
traumkommode said:
The fit and finish issues, namely blade centering and wobble aside (because modern folder companies like Benchmade and Spyderco have those, too), one of the reasons I've heard cited that guys won't look at a Case knife these days is the edge retention when compared with the steels on their modern folders.

At this point, I don't think I'm contributing much new to the conversation. It's obvious I love the sodbuster pattern and would extra love a sodbuster knife with a higher alloy steel in the blade.
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Case doesn't make perfect knives for ~$50, but who does? Heck, I've sent several GECs back for issues and they cost a good bit more.

As far as edge retention, they hold an edge fine as long as you ensure you don't have an edge that will curl. They are also easy to touch up.
 
A knife like the Sodbuster is a tool meant to be used not put on display.
A few minor cosmetic issues are not relevant when buying that type of knife.
I have a Plumb hammer that was purchased 40 years ago, it was all shiny & polished
you should see it now but you know it still drives nails just fine.;)
 
I bought a Sodbuster JR through Amazon and the blade was a little loose (side play), so They sent me another and it wasn't very sharp. I called Case and she said that was the second report in a short time from Amazon, she said she believed they were taking returns on used knives and shipping them back out. Case fixed it and I had it back in short order and it was very sharp after that.
 
Boxer .45 said:
I called Case and she said that was the second report in a short time from Amazon, she said she believed they were taking returns on used knives and shipping them back out.
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Just in case someone thinks that you are griping rather than just stating a fact, I can personally verify that they do ship out returns as new unopened, at times failing to remove the paperwork from the previous customer who made a return, (on clearly defective product) from within the box before re-shipping. This was from another maker, not Case.

When one considers that with the rise of internet sales we often base our opinions (and comments) on a very small sampling of a company's product (often just one or two examples, rather than digging through a bunch at the old hardware store), this practice is not at all beneficial to the manufacturers (or the seller in question) and should be reported to them and strongly discouraged. Just saying.
 
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Pomsbz said:
Victorinox. For considerably less. As a consumer with both options in front of me at the counter in a store, I think it's a perfectly valid comparison.
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The Swiss take great pride in their products ! All my Cases have been just fine as the Swiss made Victorinox!
 
Vinifera said:
I own a few modern "beater" or "value" knives which I use and carry regularly. IMHO value knives made in the US are still readily available albeit they tend to be in modern styled knives but not so much in traditional patterns...

Unless someone is totally committed to a traditional knife why would one buy a traditional at twice the price for comparable or perhaps even better quality?
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And that's my quandary. I would much rather carry a traditional, even (especially?) at work. But a decent quality work knife is much harder to find in a traditional so I'm carrying modern more than I would like.
 
deltaboy said:
The Swiss take great pride in their products ! All my Cases have been just fine as the Swiss made Victorinox!
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I'm afraid that I've not yet had a US made traditional which matched the F&F or W&T out of the box of a $35 Victorinox Pioneer. Including my three GEC's. Certainly not my Case Sodbuster Jr.
 
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I am kinda confused by this whole thread.. its like, if cheap knives were made in better steel would we buy them? I guess so. But if that were even possible the chinese would be onto it for sure. And I tried sharpening expensive steel once. It made me feel cross.

Anyway, without further rumination, here is a cheap beater sodbuster - the rosewood handled Terroir knife from Baladeo. I think you can get it for about 10 bucks. Someone is making money. Somehow.

 
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This may be the beginning of an explanation... I use this daily for food purposes, nothing hard, since 2 years. The pivot pin has sunken and the blade developped an impressive side play...
RR-pivot.jpg
 
Pomsbz said:
Victorinox. For considerably less. As a consumer with both options in front of me at the counter in a store, I think it's a perfectly valid comparison.
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How they are made lends to easier manufacturing, but honestly, they aren't perfect either.
 
Pomsbz said:
I'm afraid that I've not yet had a US made traditional which matched the F&F or W&T out of the box of a $35 Victorinox Pioneer. Including my three GEC's. Certainly not my Case Sodbuster Jr.
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Just to be sure, I just pulled one of my prized knives out of my pocket. An Emerald Green Pioneer made for the South African market. Gaps in the liners/springs, blade isn't centered, minor blade rub, cast covers have minor imperfections. About what you get for a $30 knife.

Victorinox makes a great and consistent knife, they ain't perfect.
 
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