What Case Knives should I buy?

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kershawguy13

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I'm interested in buying some traditional knives, and I like Case because they are made in the USA. I already want the Sod buster and Trapper. Which others should I look into? Also, what other companies make good traditional knives? Thanks.
 
That really depends on your personal tastes in covers and blade selections. My personal Case favorites are the medium and large texas jacks, the barlow, and the new bose collaboration teardrop jack.

GEC, Queen, Canal Street, Schrade (pre 2004) and many other older companies no longer in business but made great traditional knives.
 
The Trapper, Sod Buster and Stockman patterns are probably the most popular.

Other companies? In new knives, Queen (my current favorite) makes excellent traditionals in both their own brand and branded as Schatt & Morgan, Queen City and Moore Maker. Solingen Boker knives are highly regarded. Of course there's also Buck. GEC is probably the most popular brand in this forum but they're not my favorite. I'm sure I'm forgetting some excellent brands and patterns. Collecting traditional slipjoints is a fun trip. Enjoy the ride.
 
In terms of other patterns to look at there is also the Canoe which is my favorite but it isn't quite as popular as other patterns. The Peanut is also a popular pattern when you want something small but still practical to use.

If you ever wanted to just test out some patterns before buying a higher end variant you can check out Rough Rider's, their made in China but they are pretty good quality and they do a good heat treat on their 440a. Their knives will typically set you back $5-10.
 
This is the new Case Bose production colab. A very slim carry. This is the Shot Show edition but it comes in bone as a barehead and with bolsters.

Best regards

Robin
 
Well to me the Medium Stockman, Mini-Trapper, Texas Jack and Peanut are must-haves :)

Never passing up a chance to share a Peanut pic...
E485B48B-1BAF-4C7D-AED5-9E14FD63E507_zpshmtcsovr.jpg
 
Mr. Berkovitch:
I have an elderly Case Trapper I bought "new" out of a display box @ Little's Hardware in Mt. Brook, AL in '69. It's been my hunting knife for big stuff for years (scissors & fingers for small game). It had been sitting around, as they do in those boxes, & I'd been drooling over it for years before I acquired it. It set me back $17.50 @ the time; the most expensive pocket knife I'd ever seen. It has done yeoman service over the years, takes a face-shaving edge with careful & gentle sharpening, & the blade combo is just about perfect for opening critters up without piercing intestines & whatnot. You know about Trappers? Got a couple of questions.

a) When opened, the knife has a more aggressive blade relation to the handle, tilted forward, whereas all the newer Trappers I've seen have no angle. The handle & the blade of the newer ones form a straight line. I'm not entirely sure why, but I prefer the former. Seems to cut better. Any idea why? Any idea why the universal change?

b) It still has good, stout springs, but a locking mechanism would have been nice. Still would. Especially for the Spey blade, but both would be nice. I haven't amputated any fingers yet, but I've come close from time to time. Now that blade locks are common, do you know of any Trapper with the things? Preferably for both blades. Why aren't they universal now? Liner locks don't seem to take up much space, & I wouldn't mind a width increase of 5-6mm or so.

Thanks for any input.

John Cooper
The Prof
 
TheProf said:
Mr. Berkovitch:
I have an elderly Case Trapper I bought "new" out of a display box @ Little's Hardware in Mt. Brook, AL in '69. It's been my hunting knife for big stuff for years (scissors & fingers for small game). It had been sitting around, as they do in those boxes, & I'd been drooling over it for years before I acquired it. It set me back $17.50 @ the time; the most expensive pocket knife I'd ever seen. It has done yeoman service over the years, takes a face-shaving edge with careful & gentle sharpening, & the blade combo is just about perfect for opening critters up without piercing intestines & whatnot. You know about Trappers? Got a couple of questions.

a) When opened, the knife has a more aggressive blade relation to the handle, tilted forward, whereas all the newer Trappers I've seen have no angle. The handle & the blade of the newer ones form a straight line. I'm not entirely sure why, but I prefer the former. Seems to cut better. Any idea why? Any idea why the universal change?

b) It still has good, stout springs, but a locking mechanism would have been nice. Still would. Especially for the Spey blade, but both would be nice. I haven't amputated any fingers yet, but I've come close from time to time. Now that blade locks are common, do you know of any Trapper with the things? Preferably for both blades. Why aren't they universal now? Liner locks don't seem to take up much space, & I wouldn't mind a width increase of 5-6mm or so.

Thanks for any input.

John Cooper
The Prof
Click to expand...

Great post John and welcome to the Forum. I can't think of any traditional 2-blade Trappers with locking blades. Someone here will surely know if they exist though.

Would love to see some good pics of your 1969 Trapper! I love old well-used pocket knives, I find them fascinating.
 
IMHO, if it's going to be a small collection of less than 5 knives, then one should have:

Medium Stockman in Yellow Delryn CV steel
Sod Buster Jr, preferably in bone (the handle is a lot slimmer than on the Delryn handle)
A Barlow, preferably with a spear main blade
A Case Family Brands knife (getting harder to get new...pattern your choice)

A Canoe or a Seahorse Whittler would make a great 5th knife
 
I recently picked these two up. I really like the Russlock.


I carry this up north or when I fish. Case Scout Jr
 
A medium stockman (63032 or 6318) and a large stockman (6375) are two good ones to own. A Stockman is the do-it-all pattern, I like the large for hunting/outdoors use and the medium for EDC. OH

6318 - 1977
Case_6318_HP_SSP_-_1977_mark_side.jpg


63032 - 2013
Case_63032SS_-_2013_Mark_.JPG


6375 - 1999
Case_6375_SS_-_1999.jpg
 
I like a Barlow just because I like Barlows! This is one of the Case family brands that Al mentioned (Case Brothers - there are several others). OH

Case_62005_RAZ_SS_-_2007.jpg
 
This is my favorite Case pattern, but some don't like it as well as I do. I think you need one.

000_00011_zpsad06cacd.jpg


Case Texas jack is a must have:

100_2686_zpsd0804364.jpg


shown here with a GEC 92 Eureka jack.

You must have a peanut:

Peanuts.jpg


These make a great EDC pair (single blade wharncliffe trapper and a mini Copperlock:

100_2672_zpsfb5b3558.jpg


You need a full size trapper

TOTMOct2012.jpg



and a wharncliffe mini trapper:

DecPic_005_zps44b8fc98.jpg


and a Case swayback jack.

knives1104-009.jpg


Ed J
 
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Ed's right about the Mini-Copperhead
IMG_1402.jpg

But then there's its larger relative, the Seahorse Whittler
IMG_0565.jpg


I'd also strongly recommend the Pen-Knife, Swayback Jack, Slimline Trapper, Teardrop and the Medium Stockman in Chestnut Bone that has a Pen blade instead of the Spey. Food for thought??:D
 
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arizonaranchman said:
Great post John and welcome to the Forum. I can't think of any traditional 2-blade Trappers with locking blades. Someone here will surely know if they exist though.

Would love to see some good pics of your 1969 Trapper! I love old well-used pocket knives, I find them fascinating.
Click to expand...

arizonaranchman:

Nice welcome. Thanks.

The old feller isn't a '69 Trapper. God knows how old it is, but someone here will undoubtedly be able to date the thing. As knives in hardware stores will do, it sat in that display case for years after I first noticed it, & my covetous eyes had been staring at the case without really differentiating its contents for years before that, back to maybe 8-10yo, at which murky point my memory dissolves into an infantile blur. I bought it as a 21st b'day gift to myself just out of boot camp.

It's in remarkably good shape for a knife as old as it is, especially given the amount of use I put it to, & given the fact that I carried it in my pocket for 3-4 years until I wised up & started using a little belt sheath, the first of several it has outlived. The bolsters are pretty stained & scratched up, & "Case" on the shield is worn away some, but the red jigged bone handle slabs are only a little worn & appear to be actually darker than they were when I bought it.

The blades are scratched up a little & both are blackened some at the choil(?) but there is little staining & no frank rust. For the savants among you, the clip point has "TESTED XX RAZOR EDGE" (?)acid etched on the left side & "CASE XX STAINLESS" engraved on the choil, while the same area of the spay blade is engraved with "6254."

I'd probably swap it for a largish house if that house was in excellent shape & located in an exotic & desirable locale, but it would be nice to find out something about it. Lotta memories tied to that puppy.

John Cooper
TheProf
 
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If I was restricted to just one Case knife, of current production, I would go with the Swayback Jack in Chestnut Bone. CV steel.
 
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