C V Blade

[wingriderz]

Hey there for Christmas my wife bought me a new Case knife. A Muskrat with C V blade. I have a few other Case knifes small stockman , peanut , and med copperlock. At first I thought the muskrat was going to be to big for my likeing meaning front pocket carry. Where my peanut and small stockman call home. But to my surprise it works too. Only thing is all others are stainless this is CV. I dont know if I like the way the blades stain. And I the odd one out here?

[eveled]

Carbon steel knives are easier to sharpen, and stay sharp longer. I like to degrease them and stick them in an onion for a couple of days. Rinse oil and use. The stain is called patina, and patina protects the blade from rust. Almost like bluing on a gun.

You are not alone, these days most people don't appreciate a nice patina, and don't want the extra maintenance.

I consider it beautiful. The older and darker the better.

[bamacisa]

Many people prefer CV knives.

[garddogg56]

I prefer Case CV all day over there SS.Same with 1095 found in old Schrades and old Imperial knives.I believe GEC uses 1095.And I like earned pantina on blades.Helps protect them from red rust.

[shouldazagged]

I much prefer a carbon steel blade--Case's CV, the 1095 of the real Schrade Old Timers, the 1090 used in Opinels, etc. (The Chinese "Schrades" all seem to be mediocre stainless, and don't impress me in any way.) All my kitchen knives except a couple of parers I was given by stepkids are carbon steel, mostly Sabatier and a few Old Hickory.

I don't mind patina at all, and have patinated a few blades on purpose. I care about performance: taking a good edge, holding it well, and resharpening easily if needed. A good, well heat treated 1095,1090 or CV blade meets all the requirements.

[Marshwheeling]

Case’s CV Steel is 1095 with the addition of some chrome, but not enough to make it stainless. I prefer it, along with the 1095 versions of Mora and Opinel Knives. If you don’t like patina, wipe the blade clean after use, keep a light film of mineral oil on it between uses, and if a patina does begin to appear, remove it with a good metal polish, like Flitz.

The conventional wisdom holds that there is not a lot of difference between Case’s Tru-Sharp and CV in edge retention and ease of sharpening, but it is easier for me to get a CV blade sharp and keep it that way.

[Wishbone]

I love Case knives and I don't care if they are cv or stainless. I own plenty of both.

[BearBio]

I like the patina==I've been known to use rust bluing or vinegar to impart one.

[Marshwheeling]

A few CV Case folders. These were all come by naturally, although I did make a point of slicing a lot of limes with the sodbuster during gimlet season.

Second pic is an Okapi ratchet and a Hippekniep (German Sodbuster). The Okapi has a mustard patina. Others have done it better. The Loewen has 48 years of accumulated natural patina.

Opinels. The 7 and the 10 are pretty old, and have carbon lock rings in addition to the blades.

These are slapdash cell phone pics, but should give some idea about how the patina looks.

I have some carbon Moras, too. With today’s dinner leftovers from last night, I am trying to start a blue meat patina on a 511, but it does not show up in the pics.

[k22fan]

In theory I strongly prefer super hard stainless blades. They should retain an edge longer in use, not lose their keen edge to corrosion in storage and stay bright and shiny in a collection. However, in hindsight Case's CV blades are what I actually used the most. Ease of sharpening favors great granddad's 1095 carbon steel blades. Maybe that's why currently the most expensive brands of slip joints use 1095 exclusively. Case's CV probably has over 1% chromium which technically makes it not a 1xxx steel. I believe Case uses a carbon steel with a little chromium to help keep their polished blades bright while on display in stores. I haven't put a Case CV blade through the same use as a known 1095 bade enough to have an opinion on how they compare but they are similar. The carbon steel blades in the Randals that members pay $500 for is also very similar. I suggest righting off your Muskrat's new shine and making it your back yard knife. After a year report back how much you appreciate the gift.