Here I took at look at a Case Sodbuster in comparison with an Imperial knife in the same pattern. Enjoy!!! Please leave a like, subscribe and comment. Thank you.
I just got off the phone with the manager at Shepherd Hills Cutlery. I ordered a Mahogany Bone Sodbuster from Case and asked if they could check the centering before shipping. He called this morning and stated that out of 12 knives in stock, 11 had bad centering. The one that was good had gapping on the backspring/liner. He stated that it's been hard because Case has had severe issues with supply chain and getting needed products for production. If Case is having reductions in production due to supply chain, they should have more time to produce a reasonably well-built knife. As you said, it's being done at a fraction of the price by their imported competition. So we know it's doable. But Case seems happy just getting product out the door, with no concern for its loyal customers. It's time to stop making excuses for American production and expect higher standards. We claim to build the best, let's prove it. I'll gladly pay more for a knife I can trust!
Although they look similar and both are sharp, that Case knife is made from far superior carbon steel and made by American worker's earning a fair wage. It is a knife that will last a lifetime and can be passed down to future generations. I have the jigged bone sodbuster and it is absolutely beautiful.
I recently bought a Case bone handle trapper for around $70. The grinds on both blade edges was rolled over on one side. Some time with a sharpening stone fixed the problem, but come on, " pretty" does not compensate for poor QC.
I really hope Case improves in QC. If you order one on-line you may get one with very sloppy back spring. I recently ordered a Stockman 6347 and while I was checking it out I noticed that the sheepsfoot blade was floppy while in the closed position. When I turned it upside down, the blade would move about 1/16". Also, all blades were very weak in the open position, bad snap etc .... If you do want a Case it's best to pick one up at a store and will be able to weed out the shoddy ones.
As long as Case keeps selling me knives like the red picked bone Sodbuster Jr. I recently got, I’m happy to keep the money here. Don’t mind other makers, if they have what I’m looking for. Thanks for your thoughts on this classic.
Have a Case sodbuster from years ago. It's impeccably made. Received another recently. The quality is not comparable. Blunt misshapen tip and not anywhere near centred blade.
The Imperial Yellow is the best knife I own AND the cheapest which just goes to show that expensive is not always best. Equally the Sodbuster pattern is so awesomely ergonomic without a hotspot in sight. My Canoes and Barlows although attractive are now going to be gathering dust.
The Case Sodbuster is a good looking & practical working mans carry. Case knives however well made they are are expensive & although I have 3 Case XX's ( all from the Copperlock series - 1 wharncliffe medium size , 1 Clip point med. size & 1 Clip point mini. size ) as Gentleman's pocket carries, I would not buy their Sodbuster & if I was interested in buying one I'd pick something from Schrade or Rough Ryder for a third of the price. In practical terms I will use a 111mm Victorinox Alpiner or Sentinel or even a Buck 110 for the same type of heavy cutting duties with a single bladed medium / long size blade & sharpen them when required ( which is none to often as I tend to rotate my EDC knives a lot )
I scored a Imperial a while back. It's a great little knife. I paid $8 bucks for it. The knife is well made and worth well above what I paid for it. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite edc knives, saves a lot of wear and tear on my more expensive USA made knives. Schrade is owned by Taylor Cutlery has been for some time, they are starting to make knives in the USA but they are fairly expensive.
Have the exact same case jr. from the same run and all. Back spring is pretty weak on mine. Thanks for making the effort to show these! Edit: Mine is off center identically to yours.
Thanks for watching!! I really like case knives. Just wish they would put more effort in fit and finish. I don’t think they need to be high-end custom perfect. Just Better than they are.
I completely agree with you my friend. If they nailed down their QC issues, they would absolutely bury the competition, foreign and domestic. They have beautiful designs and they do some the best bone and other natural handle materials I have ever seen. They have the history, legacy and are made right in PA! I don’t understand why they don’t fix it.
Probably at the start it was here or part of it.. pre 1990 a lot more stuff was made here.. after the Soviet union collapsed that opened the flood gate to cheap slave labor no EPA no OSHA.. now if we went to war we couldn't put boots on our soldiers without china sad but true
I have purchased 4 sodbusters (2 in jigged bone and 2 delrin ) in the last 3 months, the green synthetic was absolutely perfect, however the 2 bone handled and yellow synthetic were horribly centered to the right with one bone model when open had massive blade wobble. Get'in really close to avoiding case knives lately ,unless I can find an on-line store to cherry pick one for me, as well as having the hassel of continuously returning case products!
Im in the UK, have the Imperial SBJ and it's great. Don't have a Case SBJ but have a Case as well as nice British and European made knives. There's some tasks im just not doing with more expensive knives and the Case's are more expensive here than in the US. Simple.
The case has better steel being carbon, but honesty, I own both and the imperial is just as good other than the steel. Just my opinion. The imperial is literally less than $10. Non bone sodbusters are about $35. The case knife is 4 times the price, but is not 4 times better.
Seems like you got a lemon. I’ve bought quite a few Case knives, and can say with certainty that your knife is not typical. I would have sent it back. It doesn’t matter that it only cost you forty bucks, Case needs to know that one slipped through QC. I’ve also beat the crap out of three sodbuster juniors. Tough little guys, one is always in my pocket. I just got one of the red ones a month ago, and spent an hour or so cutting nylon straps like you see on tractor trailers up. It held the edge fantastically. After a few swipes on a strop at home it shaved a strip of hair off my arm. Good thing it is winter and I can wear long sleeves. I am curious how the imperial would have held up to the same treatment.
When we purchase a knife, we should expect it to be free from defects no matter how small it might be. I think alot of manufactures not just certain knife comanies, are trying to make so we should expect there to be flaws. To just accept it and to bad if you dont like it. Its sad but its true, i feel.
No, I hate to correct you but not ALL of Case’s knives are made in the USA, they also have a line manufactured in China, I believe it’s called Tec-X, if I remember correctly.
Imperial holds a work edge. Case sharpen and stay sharper better. Case also fits slippery hand a little better as it's blocky. Case has that carbon steel. Case will cost you 3x the Imperial if it ever walks off on you. For when you need a knife, but not your good knife, Imperial. That QC with case though...These cheap brands are gaining. So yeah, Tighten up Case
I just got off the phone with the manager at Shepherd Hills Cutlery. I ordered a Mahogany Bone Sodbuster from Case and asked if they could check the centering before shipping. He called this morning and stated that out of 12 knives in stock, 11 had bad centering. The one that was good had gapping on the backspring/liner. He stated that it's been hard because Case has had severe issues with supply chain and getting needed products for production. If Case is having reductions in production due to supply chain, they should have more time to produce a reasonably well-built knife. As you said, it's being done at a fraction of the price by their imported competition. So we know it's doable. But Case seems happy just getting product out the door, with no concern for its loyal customers. It's time to stop making excuses for American production and expect higher standards. We claim to build the best, let's prove it. I'll gladly pay more for a knife I can trust!
Although they look similar and both are sharp, that Case knife is made from far superior carbon steel and made by American worker's earning a fair wage. It is a knife that will last a lifetime and can be passed down to future generations. I have the jigged bone sodbuster and it is absolutely beautiful.
I would also add that you don't want to finance a foreign country that might one day be your enemy.
And the QC is horrible, if existent.
The last 2 Case knives I received had a few QC issues. Sent one back. Kept and tidyed up the other myself. Done with Case till they sort it out.
I recently bought a Case bone handle trapper for around $70. The grinds on both blade edges was rolled over on one side. Some time with a sharpening stone fixed the problem, but come on, " pretty" does not compensate for poor QC.
Lol the schrade is a better value @@bert2530
Very interesting. I think you handled this well. Thanks for the video!
I really hope Case improves in QC. If you order one on-line you may get one with very sloppy back spring. I recently ordered a Stockman 6347 and while I was checking it out I noticed that the sheepsfoot blade was floppy while in the closed position. When I turned it upside down, the blade would move about 1/16". Also, all blades were very weak in the open position, bad snap etc .... If you do want a Case it's best to pick one up at a store and will be able to weed out the shoddy ones.
As long as Case keeps selling me knives like the red picked bone Sodbuster Jr. I recently got, I’m happy to keep the money here. Don’t mind other makers, if they have what I’m looking for. Thanks for your thoughts on this classic.
A red picked bone Sodbuster Jr. sounds beautiful! I might have to see if I can find one. Thanks for watching.
Have a Case sodbuster from years ago. It's impeccably made. Received another recently. The quality is not comparable. Blunt misshapen tip and not anywhere near centred blade.
Thanks for your thoughts and opinions. Keep charging!
Thank you 🙏 very much!!
The Imperial Yellow is the best knife I own AND the cheapest which just goes to show that expensive is not always best. Equally the Sodbuster pattern is so awesomely ergonomic without a hotspot in sight. My Canoes and Barlows although attractive are now going to be gathering dust.
The Case Sodbuster is a good looking & practical working mans carry. Case knives however well made they are are expensive & although I have 3 Case XX's ( all from the Copperlock series - 1 wharncliffe medium size , 1 Clip point med. size & 1 Clip point mini. size ) as Gentleman's pocket carries, I would not buy their Sodbuster & if I was interested in buying one I'd pick something from Schrade or Rough Ryder for a third of the price. In practical terms I will use a 111mm Victorinox Alpiner or Sentinel or even a Buck 110 for the same type of heavy cutting duties with a single bladed medium / long size blade & sharpen them when required ( which is none to often as I tend to rotate my EDC knives a lot )
I scored a Imperial a while back. It's a great little knife. I paid $8 bucks for it. The knife is well made and worth well above what I paid for it. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite edc knives, saves a lot of wear and tear on my more expensive USA made knives. Schrade is owned by Taylor Cutlery has been for some time, they are starting to make knives in the USA but they are fairly expensive.
Hey man!!! Thanks for watching!!! I didn’t know Schrade was owned by another company. Thanks for the info!!
Nice video. Thx
Have the exact same case jr. from the same run and all.
Back spring is pretty weak on mine.
Thanks for making the effort to show these!
Edit:
Mine is off center identically to yours.
Thanks for watching!! I really like case knives. Just wish they would put more effort in fit and finish. I don’t think they need to be high-end custom perfect. Just Better than they are.
Case needs to work on not sending out sub par stuff. No one should get a knife and have to do anything to it.
I completely agree with you my friend. If they nailed down their QC issues, they would absolutely bury the competition, foreign and domestic. They have beautiful designs and they do some the best bone and other natural handle materials I have ever seen. They have the history, legacy and are made right in PA! I don’t understand why they don’t fix it.
You are so right on all points
Where was every iPhone that we all use made ?
Probably at the start it was here or part of it.. pre 1990 a lot more stuff was made here.. after the Soviet union collapsed that opened the flood gate to cheap slave labor no EPA no OSHA.. now if we went to war we couldn't put boots on our soldiers without china sad but true
USA made, used to be the best period. Everything made in the USA used to be quality and made with pride. Those days are gone.
I have purchased 4 sodbusters (2 in jigged bone and 2 delrin ) in the last 3 months, the green synthetic was absolutely perfect, however the 2 bone handled and yellow synthetic were horribly centered to the right with one bone model when open had massive blade wobble. Get'in really close to avoiding case knives lately ,unless I can find an on-line store to cherry pick one for me, as well as having the hassel of continuously returning case products!
case fit n finish ?
Do these knives make the apples uneatable or fruits in general, because of the oxidation ??
Where I live its easier to buy Imperial knives, but I wish I had a case
Im in the UK, have the Imperial SBJ and it's great. Don't have a Case SBJ but have a Case as well as nice British and European made knives. There's some tasks im just not doing with more expensive knives and the Case's are more expensive here than in the US. Simple.
I think there is a need for better quality control at Case; I've experienced this first hand.
The case has better steel being carbon, but honesty, I own both and the imperial is just as good other than the steel. Just my opinion. The imperial is literally less than $10. Non bone sodbusters are about $35. The case knife is 4 times the price, but is not 4 times better.
Seems like you got a lemon. I’ve bought quite a few Case knives, and can say with certainty that your knife is not typical. I would have sent it back. It doesn’t matter that it only cost you forty bucks, Case needs to know that one slipped through QC.
I’ve also beat the crap out of three sodbuster juniors. Tough little guys, one is always in my pocket. I just got one of the red ones a month ago, and spent an hour or so cutting nylon straps like you see on tractor trailers up. It held the edge fantastically. After a few swipes on a strop at home it shaved a strip of hair off my arm. Good thing it is winter and I can wear long sleeves. I am curious how the imperial would have held up to the same treatment.
I have four CASE knives, all purchased in the last year. I'd say his is very typical of what they are putting out now. A couple of mine are worse.
@@SpecialEd_59 Me too
Take a look on böker magnum rangebuster micarta. Perfekt gaping and centering.
Will do!! Thank you
When we purchase a knife, we should expect it to be free from defects no matter how small it might be. I think alot of manufactures not just certain knife comanies, are trying to make so we should expect there to be flaws. To just accept it and to bad if you dont like it. Its sad but its true, i feel.
No, I hate to correct you but not ALL of Case’s knives are made in the USA, they also have a line manufactured in China, I believe it’s called Tec-X, if I remember correctly.
The Imperial is stainless steel the Case is 1095 carbon steel
I'm a huge sod buster knives fan. I'll have to try an imperial. Thank you very much for sharing
well the case was not new then
Imperial holds a work edge. Case sharpen and stay sharper better. Case also fits slippery hand a little better as it's blocky. Case has that carbon steel. Case will cost you 3x the Imperial if it ever walks off on you.
For when you need a knife, but not your good knife, Imperial. That QC with case though...These cheap brands are gaining. So yeah, Tighten up Case
But yet we buy cars from Japan and we buy clothes from from over seas and Curtain rods from china so does a pocket knife really matter
Case needs better quality control,sad but true…
Lol.. most stuff sold here used to be made here.. but cheap slave labor and corporate profits took priority
Sorry but I'm buying a coupe of the imperials.