Sodbuster pattern knives

[Ranger99]

I have a few and have used probably 50%
of them extensively.
The full sized carbon steel ones have
worked best for me. I have a few of the
junior size, but the full size is more suited
to my uses. One of the best ones I have
and have used I an early 80's vintage
Eye brand full sized locking blade.

Anybody else use these for everyday
carry and use  ?

[Mule 11]

I like carbon blades and carry a couple when I hunt. There old and well used, I’d have to dig them out to even know the make.

[Dee]

I have an Eyebrand sodbuster made in Soligen Germany. Yellow with carbon steel. Scary sharp.

[ironglowz]

 back in the 1990s, when I was in the business, I sold many a Brown Mule sodbuster by Kissing Cranes..  Great carbon steel, made in Solingen.

  Most went with hardwood scales, but perhaps 10% with the yellow handles..  Apparently they can be found yet today, if you look for them..

     https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=brown%20mule%20sodbuster&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=102&keyword=brown%20mule%20sodbust

[Ranger99]

I have an Eyebrand sodbuster made in Soligen Germany. Yellow with carbon steel. Scary sharp.

Yes
I have several of the full sized and the
junior sized, mostly the yellow, but a
couple have the brown wood handle.
All bought in the early and mid 80's
when stuff like that was affordable.
Last time I checked with my " guy"
that deals in such terms, a full size
lock blade yellow synthetic carbon
Eye Brand sodbuster pattern knife
was close to $100 before any tax
or shipping
I'm pretty sure that I didn't give
anywhere close to $50 for any of
what I have

Eye Brand/Carl Schlieper has made
some textbook examples of knives
forever plus 2 days.
The few Puma I have left are excellent
knives as well.

[Ranger99]

. . . Brown Mule sodbuster by Kissing Cranes..  Great carbon steel, made in Solingen. . .

I have several of those, but they're the
brown wood handle.
I have other Kissing Crane that I
wish I'd bought more of.
The last time I checked, the ones
available here are made in the far
east with german supplied parts
and 4116 steel and shipped back to
germany for packaging and sale,
much like many Pumas and Boker
are now.

[ironglowz]

. . . Brown Mule sodbuster by Kissing Cranes..  Great carbon steel, made in Solingen. . .

I have several of those, but they're the
brown wood handle.
I have other Kissing Crane that I
wish I'd bought more of.
The last time I checked, the ones
available here are made in the far
east with german supplied parts
and 4116 steel and shipped back to
germany for packaging and sale,
much like many Pumas and Boker
are now.

   Yes; I used to feature several German brands when i was moving cutlery back then.  NY State had several top cutlery brands back then.  But some of them closd  from the foreign pressure.

  First Camillus, the Schrade, then Utica...  Finally Ontario..My fellow elder Bob..former boss there, just finished putting the old  (and new) plants in mothballs.

  Plant was located about 4 miles from my house.

  Then in nearby Titusville, Pennsylvania, Queen division of Ontario died... I doubt Great Eastern in Titusville is still producing their basicallly hand made knives.

  South of me, in my same county..the folks who make Alcas (Cutco), and Kabar are still holding..and a few miles from there in Bradford, PA..Case seems to be alive, although now owned by Zippo lighters there in town, too..

   AI tells me Alcas makes some for Boker, Kershaw, and Cuisnart..but I can't comment on that !

[Graybeard]

If it isn't a Case it isn't a REAL Sodbuster. My has black scales and is a real genuine Case. I guess I've owned it for going on 50 year most likely. I don't recall where I bought it or just when. It stays on my reloading bench these days, it is never closed and lays there waiting until I need a knife and it still serves me well there.

[DDZ]

I still use a fixed blade case I've had since i was 12 years old. The blade is now pretty thin from being sharpened so many times. I have another folding case that I've had since early 80's. For my everyday carry I've been carrying a Kershaw with magna cut steel. Its a push button auto knife, and is very well made. Sometimes I carry a benchmade that has their axis lock. I also carry a ZT, with a finger flip open option,  which is made by Kai USA, and also owns Kershaw. Its also a very well made knife.
There is a lot of competition now for EDC knives.
There are thousands of designs and makes to choose from. A lot of the knife steel now used has high corrosion resistance, and a hardness that holds an edge, yet can be sharpened fairly easy. Not as easy as the old carbon blades, but holds an edge much better than carbon blades. Steels used now like CPM-20CV, S35VN, M390, magna cut, and others offer better toughness, durability, corrosion protection, and edge retention compared to the old carbon, and early stainless blade knives. As in many products technology has evolved in knife steels.     

[Dee]

My EDC is a fixed blade Benchmade in a horizontal sheath. Occasionally I'll carry a Case single blade folder in carbon steel, or a benchmade folder.
The fixed blade is to the right of my belt buckle so is quick and easy to get to.

[Ranger99]

If it isn't a Case it isn't a REAL Sodbuster. My has black scales and is a real genuine Case. . . .

Yessir, the Case company does own the
copyright/trademark on the sodbuster and
sodbuster jr. name.
But the actual pattern originated in germany (?)
years before there was ever a case knife company.
Probably before America ever had a factory in
the cutlery business.
I used to have a book somewhere about knives
and the history of this and that,  and some years
back when magazines were still a thing, one of
the knife magazines I used to take had a sodbuster
article where the author was on a trip in one of
the european countries, and at a dock he watched
some fishermen that had just tied up and they
were cleaning their catch with sodbuster pattern
knives ( made over there)
It's an old school pattern much like opinels.

Either way, it's a useful knife ( to me)

[Dee]

LOL, I guess it ain't a real car, unless its a Ford.  I didn't even know what the pattern was called until somebody told me. I just liked the knife.

[Graybeard]

I'm pretty sure Ford does NOT have a copyright on the word car. But Case does have on the knife name Sodbuster. Yes everyone in the world makes them but no one else can call theirs a sodbuster.

I find mine to fold a bit too easily for any serious knife work. Too easy to get cut with it while using it so it doesn't get sharpened to a good edge. It works for what I use it for on my reloading bench but for me mine is no longer a carry knife. A knife with that pattern but with some kind of locking device would be a nice carry knife.

[Dee]

I don't own any that don't lock open anymore. I remember those days when I wasn't being careful and a sharp knife closed on my fingers.

[Ranger99]

 . . . .A knife with that pattern but with some kind of locking device would be a nice carry knife.

Opinel knives have a similar blade and lock.
Wooden handle. Carbon or stainless either one.
I've used a #12 as a field dressing knife, but
my hunting/fishing buddy and his youngest
son prefer #10's

Bear cutlery makes the sodbuster pattern
in a good many configurations.
Locking/ non locking.  Carbon or stainless etc.

Eye brand still sells different configurations of
the pattern, but they're expensive these days

[Graybeard]

Bear cutlery is local to me, less than 10 miles from my house to there, likely closer to 8 miles. I have a LOT of their knives, none on the sodbuster pattern tho. They have a community knife sale each November and in the past I went each time but these days mostly don't. I can't stand/walk long enough to get thru the lines they always have on those sales days. It's now a 4 day event, began as two days and now grown to four.

I guess business is good for them, they have what seems to be a permanent sign out that they are hiring. It's a big operation and they employ a goodly number of folks.

[Dee]

I have a coffee buddy that is in the cafe every morning that makes knives 1 at a time. He's 78 but still builds fences for smaller ranchers, and has cowboyed all his life. He makes some really nice knives, but they're priced like a benchmade.

[ironglowz]

Bear cutlery is local to me, less than 10 miles from my house to there, likely closer to 8 miles. I have a LOT of their knives, none on the sodbuster pattern tho. They have a community knife sale each November and in the past I went each time but these days mostly don't. I can't stand/walk long enough to get thru the lines they always have on those sales days. It's now a 4 day event, began as two days and now grown to four.

I guess business is good for them, they have what seems to be a permanent sign out that they are hiring. It's a big operation and they employ a goodly number of folks.

  I was about to ask about Bear & Sons..  Glad to hear they are still producing their quality products..

   Speaking of the Opinels..that barrel lock is different. It locks well, but is not as smooth as I like to carry in my pocket..it wears jeans thin quick..

  Sold quite a few of them though.  ...And here's a tip....their carbon steel is second to none ! 

   A thing making the rounds these days....customizing Opinel knives..  Here's one man's idea..    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L310oMqCzok

[Ranger99]

A few sodbuster pattern of assorted
Manufacturers

[Ranger99]

Not sure why the description
was not with the rest of the post
LH top- Boker lock blade with
lanyard hole
Below that- Case blk syn regular
and junior sodbuster
Middle 4 - all Eye Brand Carl Schlieper
Right top- only MooreMaker junior
size and couldn't find other hidden
stock
Below that/bottom 3- all wooden
handle Brown Mule/Kissing Crane
( german manufactured, not the
newer foreign far eastern made

Supposed to be several more hidden
somewhere somehow

[Dee]

A few sodbuster pattern of assorted
Manufacturers

That yellow one in the middle, I've got its twin.

[Ranger99]

A few sodbuster pattern of assorted
Manufacturers

That yellow one in the middle, I've got its twin.

Sadly, it'd cost you about $100 to replace it today.

[ironglowz]

...Looks like you can get a top quality sodbuster for about half a hundred.. This one wood handled ..carbon steel.

  https://knivesatlanta.com/kissing-crane-germany-sodbuster-brown-mule-vintage/

  KC also made them in a Black Angus model..same material as the yellow, but black..  I also sold a few labeled Coal miner's knife, but we have more black angus than coal miners around her. 

   Somebody on Ebay says they have some Black Angus;

   57129291%3B89c23c03749618a430de553fd7b7b49e&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1ObW5Qt3oTfCsy8VDkE2Cpg22&loc_physical_ms=103686&loc_interest_ms=&msclk