Sowbelly Showdown!

[nate j]

I've ended with no less than three Sowbellies from different manufacturers, so I thought it would be fun to do a comparison thread.

From to top to bottom:  Rough Rider in green canvas micarta, Case in black canvas micarta, A.G. Russell in India Stag

[nate j]

I love the clip blade profile on the A.G. Russell, and if it looks a bit larger than the clip blades on the other two knives, that is because it is.

[nate j]

Sheepsfoots (or is it Sheepsfeet?)

[nate j]

Spey.  The A.G. Russell again has a somewhat unique blade shape, being shorter & stubbier with more belly than the others.

[nate j]

The Rough Rider & A.G. Russell were both made in China, the Case in the USA.

W&T - The Rough Rider is the snappiest of the bunch, which is somewhat mitigated by the fact that all three blades have half-stops.  I am not a fan of this, though no doubt some consider it a safety feature.  A.G. Russell is acceptable, but not exceptional.  On the Case, the sheepsfoot & spey are OK, but the main clip blade must be forced open and closed, and has no snap whatsoever.  This is not the first Case knife I have seen with this type of issue either.  IF ANYONE FROM CASE READS THIS, PLEASE, PLEASE UP YOUR QC GAME!!!  This is an embarrassment, and even a cursory check should have revealed this problem.

The Rough Rider is easily the best value, as it is really a very solid option for only $15.  That said, there are a couple of changes I would like to see.  First, get rid of the half-stops on all blades.  They don't serve a meaningful purpose on knife blades IMO, and just make it take longer to get the knife open or closed.  Second, I can only assume the swedges on all blades exist for aesthetic reasons, but in reality they just weaken the blade tips.

I'm really pretty disappointed in the Case, especially for $77.  In addition to the aforementioned problem with the clip blade, the whole package is kind of flat with sharp edges, making it less comfortable in hand.  Also, while broad, the blades seem strangely thin for their length and breadth.

If I could only have/keep one of these three knives, it would be the A.G. Russell.  At $80 it was a bit on the expensive side, especially for a Chinese-made knife.  However, the thick slabs of India stag are very nice, the action is solid, there is no blade rub, and some of the blade shapes are a somewhat unique.  There are a few minor issues that could be improved upon, like the fit of the shield in the scale isn't quite perfect and I personally would have preferred mirror-polished to satin-finished blades, but overall very good.

Let's see your sowbellies!

[pomsbz]

That AG Russel is overpriced for the steel it has IMO.

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice comparison! 

I too would prefer polished blades on the Russell, though I do like the blade shapes  That case might loosen up after a bit of work. It sounds like it may be overpeened, and if so, the pin may stretch a little, or the peened ends may settle in, and free up the blade action. Otherwise, they may have bent a pin on assembly, which would be a warranty job.

[SteveC]

Nice comparison  !   

[nate j]

That AG Russel is overpriced for the steel it has IMO.

Yea, certainly not a premium steel, but I think the price is more reflective of the India stag handles.

That case might loosen up after a bit of work. It sounds like it may be overpeened, and if so, the pin may stretch a little, or the peened ends may settle in, and free up the blade action. Otherwise, they may have bent a pin on assembly, which would be a warranty job.

I wondered about that, but the sheepsfoot blade would be on the same pin, and it seems fine...

Nice comparison! 

Nice comparison  !   

Thanks guys!

[Ray S]

Nice comparison! I only have one sowbelly:a five blade made for American Blade(probably Parker)called the,"Life Knife" It was only available if you bought a life membership in the Blade Magazine. I got it from a friend of mine(not sure where he got it).It has never been used;not surprisingly since the pearl and abalone handles are pretty fragile for a work knife.I like it but it is a bit heavy as a pocket carry knife for my taste.

[Aloha]

Nice comparison and boo to Case. 

I like the main blade of the AG and the Sheepfoot and Spey of the Case and RR.  I also like the covers on the AG the most.  Price wise  .  I'd be hard pressed to feel happy about Case. 

[AimlessWanderer]

I wondered about that, but the sheepsfoot blade would be on the same pin, and it seems fine...

Hmmm...

In that case, I'd guess the tang of the clip blade is thicker than the spring, so that blade is "clamped" between liners, but the sheepsfoot isn't. If that's the case, you're back to hoping the pin stretches or settles, but it might lead to a little play in the sheepsfoot. The only other thing I can think of, is galling of the pin on that blade 

[Barry Rowland]

My son has a sowbelly Case.  I used to think that it looked awkward until I handled his knife.  I couldn't believe how well it fit my hand!  Along with the Moose, this is on my must have list.

[NutSAK]

I have one Sowbelly, a Case with chestnut bone handles and CV blades.  I will include pics of the knife below.

I totally understand your comments about sharp edges and hand feel when it comes to the Case.  They are flatter with less "swell" and squarer on the edges than they used to be decades ago. One thing I've noticed is that, in recent production, Case hasn't been very good about finishing the blades out like they used to either.  The edges are sloppy, and they no longer take time to adjust the blade kicks.  Filing the kicks down so that the blades sink in the the frame properly improves the feel of the knife dramatically, and once the adjustment is made, the closed blades no longer dig into your palm while the knife is in use.  My only other complaint is that Case seem to get in a hurry when putting the edge on the blades and tend to round off the tip of the blade more than I'd like.  Both the clip and sheepsfoot blades of my sowbelly show signs of this.

I will add that I own many Case traditional knives, and none of them have any "walk and talk" issues.  All snap open and closed smoothly, and with proper spring pressure.








Below is the only pic I have of the knife closed.  It shows how the blades sit after adjustment of the kicks, which is a dramatic improvement over the knife as it was manufactured.  This is especially true of the sheepsfoot blade, which appears to sink into the frame better than the OP's example.  If Case were to put the sheepsfoot's nail nick on the pile side of the knife like other manufacturers, it would not need to sit so proud of the frame, as there is more room for the nail nick above the spey blade than above the clip.  I really don't understand why Case chooses to do it this way:




Below is a pic of me adjusting the kicks on a Case yellow delrin stockman, which had the same fitment issues:

[nate j]

Thanks NutSAK, interesting stuff!