The W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has a very rich history that began in 1889 when William Russell (“W.R.”), Jean, John, and Andrew Case began fashioning their knives and selling them along a wagon trail in upstate New York. The company has produced countless treasures and it continues to do so as one of the most collected brands in the world.
I noticed these in my monthly Shepherd Hills email this evening.
Burnt Amber Jig Bone, S35VN Steel. And a surprisingly reasonable price tag, especially given these are the cost of most single-blade tacticals in CPM-S35VN; and they have two and three blades. You'd think these would be like $200.
I'm perfectly served by my existing 18, but given my Trappers see heavy use, the 54 is tempting.
I also received that e-mail. CV is great, and I like their stainless okay...but it's still nice to see making use of some different steels. That could give them a good little boost to their sales. Hopefully it won't alienate their traditional customer base too badly.
USN 2000-2006
Adaptable and (usually) affable knife enthusiast, unsure of his knife collecting destination but enjoying the journey
Case taste, Rough Ryder budget
Yes, the nail nicks are really nail holes. Case and/or Shepherd Hills claimed they allow for easy opening. I may be working with too small a sample here, but based on my experience with a Bear & Son 109, that's a somewhat dubious claim. And they look at least slightly out of place in a traditional knife.
USN 2000-2006
Adaptable and (usually) affable knife enthusiast, unsure of his knife collecting destination but enjoying the journey
Case taste, Rough Ryder budget
I’m on the fence. I really like some of the newer steels and I’m very glad to see CASE using them in a traditional slip joint and not making the knife look exceptionally space aged.
That said (I’ve never used this particular steel) I hope this steel has different properties than my S30V knives. While I like the S30V a lot, it is harder to touch up without a stone. My old CV CASE knives can be brought back to passable sharp by stropping them on a piece of leather at the barn or in the shop, a few licks on a coffee cup, or even the truck window. Shoot, I’ve known the ok’d timers to pick up a a rock in the tobacco patch and sharpen their knife on. To me that’s part of the draw to a traditional knife.
Also, I’m jot a fan of the nail hole as opposed to the nail nick. But at that price I’d try one.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Robert E. Lee
