Last time we talked a bit about blade steel types, today I’m here to offer a bit of advice for the man or woman interested in getting Case knives for working.
Now my thoughts on the matter are: if you’re buying for a worker, there’s no need to get high-end. As someone who’s done his fair share of farm work, an expensive knife does nothing but cause headaches. I’m sure someday I’ll find the knife I was using to cut twine off of square bales, but not today. Anyway, a good working knife should, ideally, be economical, usually bone or synthetic. Losing a synthetic might hurt for sentimental reasons, but losing a mother-of-pearl hurts the wallet on top of that!
Also, a good rule of thumb is to have a color opposite of what they’re working with. If they’re going to be out in a lot of greenery, a red or bright yellow knife does wonders. If they’re working around hay season, something yellowed handled might not be a good idea because of how camouflaged it is if you were to drop it in the fields, so a dark blue or something similar would be for the best.
And remember: a knife is a lot like a dog: there’s no one-size fits all. One fella might like a medium stockman because blade variety is useful to him, another a copperlock because of the locking blade, another a folding hunter because he has large hands. There’s even an argument for the kind of jeans or pants you’re gonna be wearing, they’re pocket knives, after all. Not really much point in a knife for the pocket if it doesn’t fit in the pocket well. Sure, there’s always a sheath at the belt, provided that you or the person you’re buying for would like a sheath—see what I mean when I say knives are kind of like dogs? There’s all sorts of questions on for what makes a good pocket knife and, aside from a few concrete facts, the answer is different for every person!