Thoughts on the 2138 Sod Buster

[treefarmer]

I've always liked the Case Sod Busters and other sod buster brands and have occasionally carried one. They are a great EDC around the farm. The last deer I dressed I happened to have my 1974 Case 2138 in my pocket.
The carbon steel sharpens well and holds the desired sharpness during the procedure quite well but when I got down to the nitty-gritty, removing heart and liver, I started having an issue with holding the wet knife. My deer work is usually with an old Queen #39 folding hunter and I realized the shape and size of the Sod Buster's handle was the issue.
We dress deer hanging with the head up, pulling the hide then allowing the offal to fall into a tub, etc. All this is usually not a problem but I noticed being uncomfortable as I was doing the work within the carcass and the knife seemed to roll in my hand. The 2138 narrows down considerably in the center of the frame and is a rounded rectangle of 1/2" X 5/8" (think 1/2" pipe), not much to grab if you have large hands and are working in a wet place (bloody). The old Queen and most other folding hunters have a much larger handle to grip, the Queen being 5/8" wide and well over an inch tall depending on which blade is being used.
Just my observations, loving both knives but seeing some issues that could be critical to the wellbeing of my fingers and thumb on my left hand.
Treefarmer

[Bamarick]

I've used the sodbusters on small game but never on a deer. I too had problems holding onto the knives when my hands would get bloody. For deer I have used several knives, the Old Timer folding hunters work well. The same can be said of the Old Timer Sharp Fingers. I've also used an old Case XX Folding Hunter and it too works well and is similar to the Queen #39. I'm sure that others will have their favorites as well.
Ricky

[stagman]

Treefarmer,,,I hunted whitetails in Michigan from 1970-2006...
That year I retired and started going to AZ for warmer winters
got about 28 deer in that time....but we always had to field dress cause
ya had to drag em bout 3/4 mile or more to where you could get your truck to..
Remember that old Trapper's magazine, fur, fish, game...I bought a stag handle
2 knife set from a trapping supply company in Ohio..both fit in 1 sheath
Fat Stag they were...do not even know who made em but said USA on em..
4 1/2" blade on bigger one, maybe 3" on smaller one...
Having used a fixed blade "only" on cleaning deer, I could not help but think
if I would have tried a non lock folder...I would be minus a finger or two..
cause I have had a few very uneven. unconfortable spots field dressing,,and them fat stag handles with deep grooves,
never once slipped, big knife for opening etc...little on like the heart and windpipe
Still miss it when Nov. 15th rolls around

Stag

[cudgee]

Great EDC work knives. Probably not designed for dressing large game, but great on small game and most other tasks.

[treefarmer]

Thanks for your thoughts, fellers. Consensus appears that grip is critical. I feel I could dress a deer with any small pocketknife as we bring them to the yard with the truck, tractor or cart, no traditional field dressing since we are so close to home and a water hose. In fact, somewhere on the forum I did a deer several years ago with a RR trapper right out of the box, it preformed beautifully but...I'll not get that started again.
The round shape with the old original smooth black delrin of the 2138 is difficult for me to handle when doing a wet job.
Treefarmer