CASE OFF - Chrome Vanadium versus Tru Sharp - I was suprised 

The whole reason for the Trapper slipjoint knives is exactly what the name implies . They are made for skinning animals . As a hunter , I've always carried either a Trapper or a Muskrat style of slipjoint knife . Go clean a few animals with a Spyderco type blade , then use the clip & spey blades of a good quality Trapper , and you will soon realize why they are as popular as they are .

CASE knives aren't dull, but they do come with a burr on the blade from the factory. The idea is that the user is supposed to do the final sharpening themselves. This is a very "old school" tradition and it's they way that old school knifemakers used to sell knives. That approach has mostly fallen out of favor, and most people in the modern era expect a razor sharp knife from the factory. CASE's approach allows the user to fine tune the sharpening to their own satisfaction. It's not hard to take the burr off, and once you get used to sharpening your own knives, you might find that you like this old tradition. I can remove the burr on a full sized trapper (with 2 blades) in about 5 minutes with a Spyderco sharpmaker, and I'm hardly an expert of any kind (those of you without a proper sharpener can use the bottom of a coffee cup).

If a pocket knife can do what you are doing with it in this test I would say it is a really good knife! Most people don't even come close to using their knife that hard In a year.

Reality Check here (should be for many folks) realistically exhibiting that GEOMETRY is truly one of the greatest key factors vs. steel compositions. Always enjoy these cut test videos and the obvious time consuming real-world efforts that you are thankfully putting into these demonstrations. G'day, Ta, and cheers in my best Aussie slang!!!

Thanks Pete, as a kid growing up with a sportsman father I went almond for fishing, rabbit, quail, squirrel as well as deer hunts. I've seen him field dress all these animals with this exact knife. He preferred the stainless for corrosion resistance. This company knows what they're doing, been at it for a long time.Thanks Harry

People who are Case lovers who have used both would tell you, that as far as cutting ability and edge retention of go, both are indeed very similar. Case tells us that too, but no one seems to listen. The big difference is when it comes time to sharpen them. Chrome vanadium seems to me a bit easier to sharpen than the Tru Sharp. But for pocket knife steels they both do and have done very well for many years. I love the character a good patina can give to a pocket knife, so I am a fan of the chrome vanadium. For Tru Sharp knives, I prefer the basic Delrin work knives, with the satin ground blades. The edges and points are better defined.

This just confirms my experience (10 years carrying case knives with both types of steel) that the difference in performance and sharpening is negligible. I prefer the stainless because I do not have to pay attention to moisture or maintain a patina.

Their stainless is excellent. Unless you need to cut your way out of an impenetrable forest, Case stainless is more than enough knife without the worry about rust.

Case is like Buck when it comes to using 420 Stainless. They know how to heat treat it better than anyone else. Case has it's proprietary TruSharp process.......Buck has the BOS process. I like these steels because you can actually sharpen them without having to spend all afternoon getting it that way.

I've had that same knife for 27 years. Yellow handle Case Trapper with SS Tru Sharp blades. I have no complaints. I hand sharpen it on a small stone and get it razor sharp. Does everything I want it to do. Very good knife. I have medium Case Stockman with CV blades and it's good knife too. Little easier to sharpen but both knives perform the same. The CV blades do tarnish and it looks like an antique now but that's ok. To me that's the only point worth considering. If you want the knife to keep looking good get SS, bút if you want an older antique look get the CV.

I actually guesstimated this on my own years ago after having both.Cases true sharp is actually good👍🏼 , as you said. I prefer it

One of the most underrated knives, excellent tool...spade blade is good for spreading peanut butter, mayonnaise, stirring beverages, pots of food etc..

Next comparison, GEC 1095 vs Case CV

I have had a case sod buster for over 40 years that has done everything. I have had a stainless steel version for years now and it is great cleans easier and doesn't rust which is nice to eat with and when you put your knife in your pocket all bloody

The trade off is the cv takes more stropping; the ss takes less stropping. Seems it all evens out. Great video.

I only have case yellows but they all came with that funky burred edge you described.

Interesting result. However I have the cv version myself, because i like the patina.

Awesome man!! Thanks for doing this. More recently you were having a bit of fun at the expense of Case collectors which made this even more fun to watch

That's interesting. Bit of an older video but I was looking at some case knives to add to my traditional collection. I felt it wouldn't be right if I didn't have at least one Case knife. I honestly felt that the CV was going to be loads better and I had that same thought that the tru-sharp was junk. Idk where I got that honestly. To see that it's a bit better than victorinox which I've always been pleased with for what the knives are is surprising. It's no k390 sure but it's a small pocket knife, for small tasks. The trapper specifically is for general cutting and skinning of animals. Which obviously it does just fine for that I'm sure, seeing how popular the pattern is. For almost everybody this would do fine for an edc steel. Especially since I can go a week or so without having to touch up a victorinox with my normal edc use. I sometimes carry a small pocket stone too if I know I'll be using my knife a bit more than usual for whatever. Probably unnecessary but I also enjoy sharpening knives and get upset if it doesn't at least shave hair anymore haha.

This test was a fine benchmark, yall need to stop obsessing over edge retention and focus more on sharpening and use skills. I have gone full circle, from budget to premium to semi custom and back to more basic blades. Have many hundreds of knives and now use my Case traditional knives as much as my premium modern folders now. Was hung up on super steels for over a decade, and can sharpen them to a razor polished edge with no trouble,.....yet I am just fine using a basic steel that case, Buck ect use today. At end of day a few swipes to hone at end of day (if needed, and I use them daily) and good to go. We just moved and packed all knives except a mini griptilian, Roper med. stockman, oldtimer 94otb) roper was the lender to those asking and I mainly used the 94otb, all were still sharp enough after the move was complete.....guessing I didn't need any of my elmax, 20cv or m390 stuff for the job......for regular daily use, "budget" steel is just fine.

New comment on old video. Those are mini trappers. They're about 3 thirds or half the size of a full size CASE trapper. They are actually a more popular model than the full size trappers. You can tell they're mini trappers due to the sharp hump on the clip points. Also, yes, a lot of CASE knives come with that rough edge. What's funny though is that not all of them do. So, if it is a tradition, they don't do it on all their knives. I personally think it's do to their overall fit & finish going downhill.

Been on the CASE tour. I live near there. The amount of time spent sharpening is roughly 3 seconds. Not joking. One pass on each side on a belt. Yep. That's it. I was there with a friend and we both looked at each other and were stunned. For God's sake, you are a freaking knife factory and for the most important part of the operation, actually putting an edge on the blade to make it sharp, and it takes 3 seconds? That includes time spent in the operator's hand switching sides.

Great objective review! Thank you! I would suggest modern Case just likes finishing blades on a 400 grit belt which leaves them toothy. Some might like this but I prefer a finer edge. Older Case knives that are mint have a much finer edge.

I have never had an issue with Case SS vs CV. Really can’t see much difference. Victorinox isn’t all that bad either.

If you want to be impressed with a kitchen knife, keep your eyes open for 1970s-90s vanadium steel kitchen knives. Thin them out on a belt grinder. Best knife in my kitchen and I spent $3 for it

Carbon is not supposed to hold edge better, it is supposed to be sharper and easy to sharpen. The fact that it also held the edge better is awesome.

Case knives are just fine as long as you carry a small ceramic rod in your pocket. Buck HT IS far better on the stainless. According to Mike Stewart in the Bark River FB group Case formerly used Sharon Sttels variant of High Carbon that was the same as Cold Steels vaunted Carbon V. The heat treatment is everything.

Try using the other blade , the clip point . Those blades look like really thin stock, really slicey , which is probably helping them cut better .

You were talking about putting different steel in a different knife.. that's not what it was intended for.. i think those are great knives and the yellow color is pretty if that matters.. nice review though ..thanks

So glad you did this testing! I've always wondered about the difference.

Honestly, half the reason i enjoy these videos so much is the music. The other half is the knife nerd out.

You've proven what we already knew! Not a whole lotta difference between CV and SS. I prefer stainless, no worry about rust and better for use around food.

Cool test. I have been wondering exactly that. And isn't it beautiful how different we are and yet I love this channel.. I really like those classic knives (like the Case Trapper) and I am quite sure I will never buy a ZT..

Awesome set of tests and great information that you cant really get anywhere else. thank you!

case puts a work knife edge on their knives thats what theyre intended for.WORKING TOOLS

Both Case's Tru-Sharp (actually 420HC) and CV steels contain (among other things) carbon, chrome and vanadium, just in different quantities. So not an entirely surprising result. I might be mistaken, but I think the Tru-Sharp has more chromium, making it more corrosion resistant, and the CV has more carbon, making it harder.

The stainless feels a bit gummy when I sharpen it. I do wish they offered all of their knives in CV.

At 0.2% vanadium doesn't make carbides, it is included into an alloy to restrict grain growth during heat treat and that's why it is a little better than the other steel. Don't expect vanadium to form carbides under about 0.6% like in CRUFORGE-V which runs about 0.7 vanadium, it is essentially 1084 with vanadium carbides and boy you can feel the difference when sanding a linear satin finish.

Big case fan. The factory edge always needs a touch up and strop.

Ever case ive gotten has been that out of the box. But i have never found it to be a big deal. Not trying to be a dick but I can tell you not a traditional knive guy btw the clip point is your work blade not the spay.

Based on concerns about blade shape and its effect on test results, would you be better off doing test on clip point blades?

I was looking at a case knife with a really cool pattern recently but I was worried with their Tru Sharp steel. Seeing the results of this test, I might actually get that knife. thanks!

A very good video thank you. Love your presentation style and some really great information. That True Sharp system looks good and runs off a standard drill I'm guessing. Thank you.

CV>SS any day! They can get scary sharp! More maintenance but if you’re a knife guy then that is fun to maintain a knife. CV can have a beautiful patina or if ya want you can keep it oiled up. CV gets so sharp! Real cowboys prefer the CV blade.

Interesting comparison. Not often you are able to get two knives that are exactly the same with different steels. Performance is about what I would have expected from those two steels. For what they are they get the job done.

yes finally the question I always wanted too know witch one CV or ss another great video Pete. Keep them rolling. now here in the US where I am anyways I always try to keep a case Sod-Buster or a single blade in my sis pocket for a backup or when I need a smaller knife when I'm in public

I love these tests. Thanks Pete

Well my Yellow CV Case is on the way. I just it holds up as long and the quality is as good at my $13 Rough Ryders! Im also a Big ABKT Roper Trapper Fan!

Why not give your cutting board a good sanding down? Not so there's no cut marks, but at least where it's leveled and smooth. You use it a lot. Shit looks rough and full of rope fibers and possibly micro metal shavings from all the knives.

Thank you for doing this comparison. I've been very curious about this for some time now. Could you do a video on L7 high-carbon Swedish Steel that comes on the Svord Peasant Knife please?

Though case always have burr out of the box they can easily bite on smooth surface you’re cutting it with

High carbon steel generally always sharpens better then ss, and is normally more responsive to strops.

Hey Cedric, great video! You have my Subscription. Well done.

Very interesting stuff! Also, what is Cedric doing with that dish?

They’re mass produced, they’re probably ok leaving factory, if the edge is brought together. Leatherman straight edge are the same way, it’ll saw rope out of the box, YOU gotta get it there if you wanna shave with it.

I think that is a pretty crude and ineffective form of testing when you think about it. My argument is this: You are involuntarily putting slightly different amounts of pressure on the knife with each different cut you make. The cutting board is probably what is causing the majority of the wear on your knife edge....and not necessarily the rope itself. I would suggest folding the rope over the belly of the knife and slicing through it like most people normally would when cutting rope. I would completely eliminate the cutting board to do this kind of a test. Every case knife I have owned came straight out of the box with that dull crappy edge just like yours had. They couldn’t cut soft butter out of the box. Lol. I think Case Cutlery knows that most people prefer to put their own edge on their knives anyway, and therefore don’t invest much time in striving for a perfect grind at the factory. However, despite all that I think Case makes a great EDC traditional pocket knife. Why else would they have been in business for as long as they have? I love mine.

Cool video I have a few Case Knives I like them. Case makes fixed blades with true sharp . I have one it's the Case Mini Finn it has lots of use and easy to sharpen using a whetstone. Great video!

And did you do a. C.s.? Very currious? Interesting study thanks!

A great comparison thank you very much for the vid very comprehensive

I like my Cases a lot, but yeah, they came pretty rough overall, and not just the blades.

Steel snob lols .. bugger patereons and multitude requests lets just totally ignore the other blade we could have used so we can say the vid is an inconclusive waste of time. Personally, I have found case, like the gerber LST, better than most trending(earn marketing dollars) knives from working wood to breaking down game. Old patterns are even better as more blades for same weight, relaxed classic looks, better long term use in hand, and even on the worse quality pull-through V sharpener gets back to working order in seconds. They just work w/o the pretention or disappointing promises.

That spade blade was designed to cut the balls off of farm animals not rope!

Maybe if your board was mounted on an angle so that it is easier to cut in the main, long flat section of the blades whilst still being ergonomically without excess strain?

I tried to buy a couple Case knives and they had the same burred edges. I just returned them because every other knife I had already bought, from a Buck 110, several GECs, to an Ultratech were all scalpel sharp right out of the box.

Great test!. As I have mentioned when in comments before, I enjoy carrying traditional folders a lot, and CV vs Trusharp steel is debated a lot in the Facebook groups and what not. Usually it's just people saying "I think this one is better because...", so no real "testing". You could try using the other blades ( the clip points ), because those blade shapes might have about the same amount of cutting board contact as the knives you usually test. I have been wondering which pattern you went with, and the funny thing is I literally just finished sharpening my brother in laws Case Trapper, in CV steel....The exact same knife you just used. It was a bit of a pain in the ass to sharpen on the lansky, but turned out pretty good, my brother in law was surprised by how sharp I was able to get it. It was kind of tricky to get centered up in the clamp

I love my Banana Case

Just a few years ago a knife case was very sharp out of the box😔

I'm supprised at how well the tru sharp went in this test, I am not particularly impressed with the tru sharp steel on my Case sodbuster, it seems to roll over if you look at it wrong. These are really interesting tests though, keep it up! It would be interesting to see how long you can keep an edge going in these tests with a honing steel, lately I've been using one on my pocket knives and even utility knives and keeping an edge going almost indefinitely. Also, traditional folding knives are the best. By far my favourite part of my collection (even if they're objectively inferior to my modern folders)

If you come across this comment whats your thoughts on the new s 35 v case traditional knifes?

Pete, I am not sure if you are aware of this or not but there is a different clamp available for the lansky that does not have rubber inserts. It's does however accommodate thinner blades such as these. I have used it to sharpen SAKs with great results.

That’s the True quality of made in the USA 🇺🇸

Burrrr.. that's just how cases come. Points are rarely good as well. Mostly made for lookers, they can be tuned right up to actually use tho.

Great test! Have you ever handled/reviewed the Kabar Dozier. It is one of the best budget folders I own.

♤Thanks for doing this test. Can you do a sharpening comparison (lansky) to see which one is easier to sharpen? I have always been told the CV is easier. Thanks for you time!!

Thank You for reviewing some of the classic pattern blade steels by Case. You did not cut yourself, you see, locking blades is just not a big deal in a Non Tactical application which 99.9% of knives sold will never see. Thank You, your videos are entertaining, particularly the talking rock.

Don’t put them in the work sharp 🙈

Was his dog testing the steel in its bowl in the background at the end of the video?

Case gets a bad rap from some people. Having owned buck knives, old timers, spyderco, and a whole list of others the case knives get the vote. I live in the south, and around these parts it has to be cv steel. They sharpen with less strokes than the stainless and what they may or may not lack in edge holding capacity, they make up for in ease of sharpening. we skin deer and hogs with a case slimline trapper and full-size trapper. use a texas toothpick for squirrel joints and dove breast. I may be biased but the tool should sharpen with a diamond stone QUICKLY, and if cutting meat it wont need to be sharpened as often if you miss the bones.

Pure dedication!

I am surprised the blade did not come sharp as Buck and Spyderco Knives do.

Try a sharpmaker or a whetstone edge, spend about 30 minutes on each one. something tells me you will get different results.

I have around 10 case knives, the edges have come either in the pretty rough to the decent range. I've abused my CV Russlock like crazy trying to learn how to sharpen on a whetstone, many hours of absolutely horrible technique... getting muddy grit in the locking mechanism... Some cleaning and a proper honing with the Spyderco Sharpmaker and it's cutting great and still looks great.

It's 1095 with vanadium. Not 1087! Same steel k-bar uses, they call it 1095 cro. Van !

They’re 2 side’s brought together not “sharpened)

Thanks Pete!

I think the edges would work well on rope.

Those are work knifes their higher priced knifes have a better edge or the fancier ones I’ve bought have had

Dropped the same steel in both accidentally or to rationalize production?

I carry a CV, med trapper 6207, my favorite knife good old 🇺🇸 made Case l have been using mine since 2013 still look fine (Doug in Ga)

I say put them on the list, it specifies what knife it was on anyway.

Great video, my case texas toothpick is not very sharp either which supreised me.

I've always really liked those yellow Delrin handles. They look IMO especially good on these trapper models and similar ones with longer straight handles, like the trapper lock, the slimline trapper, the newer tribal lock also, the doctor's knife (but who buys those, honestly?), and large stockman, too, and maybe the cheetah on a good day. Why are there not many casinos in Africa? - Too many cheetahs.

Look how blown away this guy was. His hair is out of control after he did that cut test lmao 😂

I just like the patina.

I’m a minute into your video and I’m just gonna say this now: case knives steel and heat treat suck. The only reason why somebody would buy one is because it’s readily available and they want a traditional knife.

What sharpener are you using? I'm in the market for a new one

They come with rough edges.

I am very curious on how a GEC knife's steel would compare. May be the same as cv idk

thats the same conclusion they got on bladeforums as well

Nice video Pete, I MAY have some insight on why your blades were ruff out of the box. I clicked on this as I actually have several of these knives, two identical to yours, a couple a bit fancier with nice engravings. I normally would not have so many of the same exact knife, however the "special" ones, I fell in love with for my intended use and didn't want to ruin them as an EDC. To come full circle, I was in walmart and saw these were on clearance f or $9.99. I grabbed two and when I came home saw they were selling for $33 most places. At that great value I went back a few days later to buy some more as I love the way Case blades cut....Sold out. when I actually opened these up and used them months later, I found like you did that they just were not up to what I expected from Case. I am not sure why, but both the CV and the SS were $9.99 maybe a miss-mark or maybe walmart was done with that knife from Case. At $10, im not sure most retailers would be able to buy them wholesale from case for that. My speculation is that to meet walmarts price point, those knives were "walmart specials' and to save the pennies, the QC/edge was done away with. My other hunch is that at such a low price, your reputable dealer may have bought them from WM as well in a bulk order. Case is Case and a dealer is a dealer, if that dealer can get inventory cheaper they need to make money too. If something goes wrong, I am sure they would back it up and just send it back to Case. These were the only Case knives I have bought from walmart ...and the Case I got this year, was, as expected, razor sharp. Thanks for the video and good job.