Case Knives designed its everyday-carry (EDC) blades to be unique, with subtle differences in blade steels, shapes, inlays, and other details. According to the brand, these multipurpose knives are suited for specific everyday uses, with different end users in mind. Customizing a Case knife from those available options should create a distinctive blade that reflects your interests.
The GearJunkie team includes a mix of hikers, hunters, campers, farmers, and city slickers, all of whom recreate outdoors. We looked at a collection of Case Knives to see what stood out to us.
This is an overview — not a review — of which knives we’d reach for to accompany us on our everyday adventures.
The Case for Case Knives
Traditional pocket knives and modern EDC knives are legitimate options for keeping a sharp edge close by, and Case Knives makes both. As you’ll see, Case still makes its traditional slipjoint knives, with few updates to its marquee materials over the years. Chances are you’ve seen one, if not received one as a hand-me-down heirloom in your family.
Modern EDC knives are the latest chapter in the brand’s long history. To start, the brand busted down a wall in its factory to make room for new equipment. This included modern EDC side machine setters, laser cutters, and water jets. Fred Feightner, a marketing manager at Case Knives, said these new machines enabled the brand to work with steels it hadn’t before and adopt more embellishing techniques and engraving on blades and handles.
We talked to Feightner for a greater understanding of the brand’s latest moves in the world of EDC. Read on for a breakdown of the brand’s knives, including Feightner and our editors’ input.
Westline — Blue & Black Carbon Fiber, Black Aluminum
Purpose: Everyday tasks, Small-game hunting
After more than 130 years, Case Knives has debuted its first assisted opener in a modern package, the Westline.
The brand made the knife handle out of lightweight anodized aluminum that comes in an array of colors. The blade itself is S35VN stainless steel with a stonewashed finish. Its drop-point shape is a common choice among hunters when skinning game, but it also comes in handy for general outdoor activities.
Our Hunt & Fish editor has several knives specialized for tasks like skinning big game, and she said the Westline has a familiar shape in a more compact design. This EDC’s 3.2-inch, plain-edged drop-point blade can open up and skin smaller game or fowl, but her everyday tasks more often involve feeding livestock. Her Westline may find use puncturing feed bags at home as well as in her pocket while afield.
It could also be a handy utility knife in the field, where an EDC can trim branches to clear a shooting lane or even pry a torn reed from a bugle tube.
At 4.5 ounces, the Black & Blue Marbled Carbon Fiber Westline is roughly half the weight of a smartphone. It’s not the brand’s lightest knife, but a little balanced heft in hand can be reassuring when tackling rugged tasks. It’s slim, too, at 2.5 mm thick, with spine jimping, thumb studs, a reflex spring, and a liner lock.
Shop Black & Blue Carbon Fiber Westline
The Westline is also available with less flashy materials, like lightweight silver anodized aluminum, available in black, red, blue, and silver.
Another staff member enjoyed less intense uses, like slicing meats for backcountry charcuterie — but they also packed along the Westline because of its other dynamic uses.
“It’s nice when it’s versatile enough for other on-trail tasks,” a staff member said. “Having it along for anything that might come up gives me peace of mind.”
Shop Black Anodized Aluminum Westline
Kinzua — Digital Camo, Orange
Purpose: Everyday tasks, Farming, Yard
These Kinzua knives are made with anodized aluminum handles that are triple-faceted for a flat, yet contoured feel in hand. Below are two slightly different versions of the knife with a spear blade, but the Kinzua is also available with a tanto blade as well as other finishes and embellishments.
“On a good knife, the blade stays sharp, opens and closes smoothly and securely, and is sized appropriately. For me personally, a clean aesthetic is also highly valued,” our project manager said. That’s one reason he pointed to the Embellished OD Green Anodized Aluminum Kinzua in Digital Camo — which has a DLC-coated, 3.35-inch blade and weighs 3.5 ounces — as something that could work for his recent hobby of shaping surfboards.
“I use a sharp blade to help remove foam and round out the rails before sanding. I also use a knife for fine work like carving the stringer around the nose and tail of the board,” he said.
Shop Embellished OD Green Kinzua in Digital Camo
Another staffer picked up the Kinzua for its presumed everyday usefulness around campsites and mobile van life. That version is the Orange Anodized Aluminum Kinzua with a satin-finished, 3.5-inch blade and 3.7-ounce weight.
As you can see, it comes with a pocket clip, but it’s just as at home in a hip pack. From paring a branch to cutting rope or even removing a splinter, the Kinzua offers a handy design with eye-catching details.
Trapper — Peach Seed Jig Amber Bone
Purpose: Camping, Farming, Hunting, Everyday tasks
The Trapper’s two blades are mirror-polished Tru-Sharp Stainless, which with a jigged amber bone handle combine for a 4 oz folder.
Clip blade (3.25 inches) is the workhorse due to its versatility and shape. It’ll get through most tasks around the home or the campsite. The Spey blade (3.27 inches) is more specialized, made for farmers and ranchers for making livestock less ornery. Its shape offers plenty of blade surface for skinning game.
The Trapper is steeped in tradition and remains one of Case’s bestsellers, especially among outdoors enthusiasts and hunters. It’s designed to hold up to rougher duties around the homestead and in the field.
Sod Buster Jr. — Jet-Black Synthetic
Purpose: Hunting, Camping
The Sod Buster Jr. is a downsized version of the Case Sod Buster, with a 2.88-inch blade and 2.1-ounce weight. This slipjoint folding knife measures 3.63 inches closed.
This isn’t a specialized deer skinning knife, no EDC is, but its skinner blade of mirror-polished carbon steel has proven to be capable of getting the job done for longer than a lot of other knives have been around. It should appeal to hunters, collectors, and anyone who values traditional blades.
The brand makes this knife in a variety of handle materials and colors, including the synthetic black pictured above.
Peanut — Peach Seed Jig Amber Bone
Purpose: Camping, Everyday tasks
Originally, this knife’s shorter pen blade was for sharpening turkey quills for writing. It can still do that, but it has stayed in the Case Knives line for all manner of light-duty tasks at work and around the home. One editor found it a throwback to days of whittling but used it for less glorious yet utilitarian duties — like cleaning under his nails.
Case made the 2.1-inch clip blade from Tru-Sharp stainless steel and shaped it for optimal control of the cutting edge, which culminates in a sharp point. Around camp, it works for cutting paracord, opening packaging, and slicing charcuterie. It uses a classic Case line bone handle rendered from the shin bone of zebu cattle, which gives it those amber and honey tones. It’s also available in a multitude of other handle materials and designs.
Altogether, Case Knives designed the Peanut as a true pocketknife for outdoorsmen. Users can also keep it within reach on a benchtop or work table.
This article is sponsored by Case Knives. Check out its modern EDC knives, traditional blades, and tools.
