Comparisons between Rough Rider and Case pocket knives

[gra_farmer]

This is one that has been talked about quite a lot, but the direct reviews side-by-side between two similar models less so.

So like many of you whom are interested in knives, you start at the bottom, with the cheaper knives and work your way up to something which is considered to be mid to high range. This is very much true when looking at Rough Rider and Case pocket knives, so for those of you which are thinking about traditional folders here is a review of my two peanut pocket knives.

First of all, these pocket knives have sentimental value to me as they are attributed each one to my two daughters, the idea is I can carry one or both of these in my pocket easily and in day-to-day use, it reminds me of my two very noisy, but very lovable daughters. So from that point of view alone I think a traditional knife are gifts that are very much cherished when they are attributed to something special in your life.


So back to the review….

Back spring strength - both have a good snap when in place, the rough rider is smooth to deploy and the blade seats its self very nicely on the back spring, but the Case has half stops at 90° and just a slightly stronger spring which means it is safer being deployed and in use – winner Case


Blade thickness and grind - Rough Rider blades, are often thinner blade stock than that of Case knives, but I must add that this is not necessarily an issue, as they slice very well. what seems to be consistent in some Case knives is I have noticed on a number of Case models viewed in the past, the tips are often rounded, while Rough Rider knives tend to have more of a needle-like point, this is most likely due to Cases polished finish, often rounding the edges, therefore you lose this acute point. As general cutters go Rough Rider's are really good.

As for the grind Case knives often come with this light hollow grind in their blades with a small secondary bevel, while rough rider knives have flat grind and have a quite high secondary bevel.

Overall both are even in relation to their strengths and weaknesses in regard of the blade thickness and grind. Even between both


Fit and finish - this is where they really stand apart, rough riders are finished sometimes quite crudely, although they are not bad and sometimes can be refined quite easily, Case on the other hand are more refined and polished throughout, sometimes there can be issues with Case knives, which have been noted by a number of reviews in the past but they are more consistent in their approach to what is a finished piece. I would like to add that in relation to blade centring both are comparable with each other as case knives often rub either the side of the handle or when you have a stockman knife, rubbing will be evident on the other blades – Winner Case


Handles - the materials utilised for handle inlays from both Rough riders and case are comparable to each other, and it is very difficult to choose one over the other, as both are consistently choosing good materials for their handles - even when between both


Edge retention - this is difficult one, as the steel is very similar, bear in mind here I am looking at the 440 stainless steel in the Rough Rider and the 420 HC steel in the Case, if you are going to look at the carbon steels the CV Case steel is brilliant at holding a scalpel -like edge, but again Rough Rider have brought out there T10 carbon steel that is amazing. There really is not anything between them steel wise, and the only difference will know if there is an issue in relation to the heat treat. Even between both


Price - the clear winner here is the rough Rider, for what you get there are very difficult to be pricewise, effectively Rough riders could be sold for more if they just ever so slightly up their game in relation to the fit and finish, however when looking at the case knives they are expensive for what you get, but as a treasured piece there is something unmistakable about a well made Case knife. Winner – Rough Rider


Just to make things a little bit more complicated, Rough Rider have in recent years upped their game in relation to the fit and finish, some of their more premium priced knives really are at Case level for fit and finish.

Happy hunting and wish all of you which are starting to get into the traditional knife ownership, a good time, we are spoilt at the moment with the choices which are given to us and only you can decide for yourselves what is right for you…. For me I will be looking at both of them, in addition to some the newer models like the Marples D2 range, which has much thicker blade stocks than either of these brands mentioned, and seems to be again at the higher end of the Case fit and finish.

 

[Corso]

great write up mate and I agree with all points, its a bonus that you have a sentimental attachment to them too

I've liked the Roughriders I've handled and If they made more of the classics I'd be interested in picking them up again

either 3" boys knife a la the gec#14 or a release of the discontinued small coke bottle would be right up my street

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Nice review very thorough!

 

[n0mad]

For the price you are pushed to beat RR.

 

[gra_farmer]

For the price you are pushed to beat RR.

Agreed, and RR have more designs it seems

 

[daveO]

This was helpful, thanks. One thing I like about the Rough rider is the design of the nail nick. I don't know if it makes it any better or worse to use but it just looks better than the standard smooth notches.

 

[gra_farmer]

This was helpful, thanks. One thing I like about the Rough rider is the design of the nail nick. I don't know if it makes it any better or worse to use but it just looks better than the standard smooth notches.

I have mixed views on the match lighting nail nicks, but I have not noticed any real difference in use.

 

[airborne09]

This is one that has been talked about quite a lot, but the direct reviews side-by-side between two similar models less so.

So like many of you whom are interested in knives, you start at the bottom, with the cheaper knives and work your way up to something which is considered to be mid to high range. This is very much true when looking at Rough Rider and Case pocket knives, so for those of you which are thinking about traditional folders here is a review of my two peanut pocket knives.

First of all, these pocket knives have sentimental value to me as they are attributed each one to my two daughters, the idea is I can carry one or both of these in my pocket easily and in day-to-day use, it reminds me of my two very noisy, but very lovable daughters. So from that point of view alone I think a traditional knife are gifts that are very much cherished when they are attributed to something special in your life.


So back to the review….

Back spring strength - both have a good snap when in place, the rough rider is smooth to deploy and the blade seats its self very nicely on the back spring, but the Case has half stops at 90° and just a slightly stronger spring which means it is safer being deployed and in use – winner Case


Blade thickness and grind - Rough Rider blades, are often thinner blade stock than that of Case knives, but I must add that this is not necessarily an issue, as they slice very well. what seems to be consistent in some Case knives is I have noticed on a number of Case models viewed in the past, the tips are often rounded, while Rough Rider knives tend to have more of a needle-like point, this is most likely due to Cases polished finish, often rounding the edges, therefore you lose this acute point. As general cutters go Rough Rider's are really good.

As for the grind Case knives often come with this light hollow grind in their blades with a small secondary bevel, while rough rider knives have flat grind and have a quite high secondary bevel.

Overall both are even in relation to their strengths and weaknesses in regard of the blade thickness and grind. Even between both


Fit and finish - this is where they really stand apart, rough riders are finished sometimes quite crudely, although they are not bad and sometimes can be refined quite easily, Case on the other hand are more refined and polished throughout, sometimes there can be issues with Case knives, which have been noted by a number of reviews in the past but they are more consistent in their approach to what is a finished piece. I would like to add that in relation to blade centring both are comparable with each other as case knives often rub either the side of the handle or when you have a stockman knife, rubbing will be evident on the other blades – Winner Case


Handles - the materials utilised for handle inlays from both Rough riders and case are comparable to each other, and it is very difficult to choose one over the other, as both are consistently choosing good materials for their handles - even when between both


Edge retention - this is difficult one, as the steel is very similar, bear in mind here I am looking at the 440 stainless steel in the Rough Rider and the 420 HC steel in the Case, if you are going to look at the carbon steels the CV Case steel is brilliant at holding a scalpel -like edge, but again Rough Rider have brought out there T10 carbon steel that is amazing. There really is not anything between them steel wise, and the only difference will know if there is an issue in relation to the heat treat. Even between both


Price - the clear winner here is the rough Rider, for what you get there are very difficult to be pricewise, effectively Rough riders could be sold for more if they just ever so slightly up their game in relation to the fit and finish, however when looking at the case knives they are expensive for what you get, but as a treasured piece there is something unmistakable about a well made Case knife. Winner – Rough Rider


Just to make things a little bit more complicated, Rough Rider have in recent years upped their game in relation to the fit and finish, some of their more premium priced knives really are at Case level for fit and finish.

Happy hunting and wish all of you which are starting to get into the traditional knife ownership, a good time, we are spoilt at the moment with the choices which are given to us and only you can decide for yourselves what is right for you…. For me I will be looking at both of them, in addition to some the newer models like the Marples D2 range, which has much thicker blade stocks than either of these brands mentioned, and seems to be again at the higher end of the Case fit and finish.

Helpfull comparison review as Im now looking at getting into some smaller type / style pocket knives from a collection point of view . I am thinking ( from a price point of view ) to start a small collection of RRs but I still like to think that they could do the job they were in tended for if needed ! I did have a couple of RRs but gave them away as presents but to be honest there was no side play in the blades and the blades were centred perfect and on a scale of 1 to 10 I would have given 8.5 for fit and finish . In the past I have always requested from HH that he check my knives before despatch and cudos to HH , Ive never had any problems .

 

[ijohnson]

One thing missed from your review is Country of origin.

For some people this doesn't matter, while for others it will matter too much. Me, I care a fair bit so am always prepared to pay more for a USA made knife. YMMV of course. ;-)

 

[airborne09]

One thing missed from your review is Country of origin.

For some people this doesn't matter, while for others it will matter too much. Me, I care a fair bit so am always prepared to pay more for a USA made knife. YMMV of course. ;-)

Totally understand what you are saying regarding China as the country of origin and as you kind of say certain people are extremely partisan when it comes to buying products they like and choosy where they are manufactured . Yes when it comes to knives I myself would prefer that affordability would allow you to buy British , US , German or even Japanese , in other words where it is perceived the better quality knives are made but for many people it does come down to affordability so rightly or wrongly depending how you view the political world we live in , many collectors of certain knives will turn to manufacturers like Rough Ryder for their personal option . Ive been a user , collector and small time maker of knives for almost 60 years and as such like to think I know a half decent knife from a bad one and have to say Ive started a small collection of traditional Rough Ryders and Marbels pocket knives bought from Heinnie Haynes . When I buy any knife I give it a good once over checking for unwanted blade movement , lateral or vertical , blade straightness , good locking and half stops etc and a good overall fit and finish with no obvious damage anywhere and I have to say in my opinion Rough Ryder knives are as near perfect as possible with very little spaces between scales and liners etc . For the relatively low cost of these lovely little knives to me its a no brainer .
I can remember the time when it was considered that anything Japanese made was of a lesser quality yet here we are today having to compete with their well made knives .

 

[airborne09]

This is one that has been talked about quite a lot, but the direct reviews side-by-side between two similar models less so.

So like many of you whom are interested in knives, you start at the bottom, with the cheaper knives and work your way up to something which is considered to be mid to high range. This is very much true when looking at Rough Rider and Case pocket knives, so for those of you which are thinking about traditional folders here is a review of my two peanut pocket knives.

First of all, these pocket knives have sentimental value to me as they are attributed each one to my two daughters, the idea is I can carry one or both of these in my pocket easily and in day-to-day use, it reminds me of my two very noisy, but very lovable daughters. So from that point of view alone I think a traditional knife are gifts that are very much cherished when they are attributed to something special in your life.


So back to the review….

Back spring strength - both have a good snap when in place, the rough rider is smooth to deploy and the blade seats its self very nicely on the back spring, but the Case has half stops at 90° and just a slightly stronger spring which means it is safer being deployed and in use – winner Case


Blade thickness and grind - Rough Rider blades, are often thinner blade stock than that of Case knives, but I must add that this is not necessarily an issue, as they slice very well. what seems to be consistent in some Case knives is I have noticed on a number of Case models viewed in the past, the tips are often rounded, while Rough Rider knives tend to have more of a needle-like point, this is most likely due to Cases polished finish, often rounding the edges, therefore you lose this acute point. As general cutters go Rough Rider's are really good.

As for the grind Case knives often come with this light hollow grind in their blades with a small secondary bevel, while rough rider knives have flat grind and have a quite high secondary bevel.

Overall both are even in relation to their strengths and weaknesses in regard of the blade thickness and grind. Even between both


Fit and finish - this is where they really stand apart, rough riders are finished sometimes quite crudely, although they are not bad and sometimes can be refined quite easily, Case on the other hand are more refined and polished throughout, sometimes there can be issues with Case knives, which have been noted by a number of reviews in the past but they are more consistent in their approach to what is a finished piece. I would like to add that in relation to blade centring both are comparable with each other as case knives often rub either the side of the handle or when you have a stockman knife, rubbing will be evident on the other blades – Winner Case


Handles - the materials utilised for handle inlays from both Rough riders and case are comparable to each other, and it is very difficult to choose one over the other, as both are consistently choosing good materials for their handles - even when between both


Edge retention - this is difficult one, as the steel is very similar, bear in mind here I am looking at the 440 stainless steel in the Rough Rider and the 420 HC steel in the Case, if you are going to look at the carbon steels the CV Case steel is brilliant at holding a scalpel -like edge, but again Rough Rider have brought out there T10 carbon steel that is amazing. There really is not anything between them steel wise, and the only difference will know if there is an issue in relation to the heat treat. Even between both


Price - the clear winner here is the rough Rider, for what you get there are very difficult to be pricewise, effectively Rough riders could be sold for more if they just ever so slightly up their game in relation to the fit and finish, however when looking at the case knives they are expensive for what you get, but as a treasured piece there is something unmistakable about a well made Case knife. Winner – Rough Rider


Just to make things a little bit more complicated, Rough Rider have in recent years upped their game in relation to the fit and finish, some of their more premium priced knives really are at Case level for fit and finish.

Happy hunting and wish all of you which are starting to get into the traditional knife ownership, a good time, we are spoilt at the moment with the choices which are given to us and only you can decide for yourselves what is right for you…. For me I will be looking at both of them, in addition to some the newer models like the Marples D2 range, which has much thicker blade stocks than either of these brands mentioned, and seems to be again at the higher end of the Case fit and finish.

Hello , almost 5 years down the line from this original thread and having read this good little review again felt a need to respond . All the partisan arguments aside regarding country of origin , differences in quality between Case and Rough Ryder knives of similar styles etc , here is my opinion .
Firstly I have never owned a Case knife of any sort in my life so can only go by their reputation of tried and tested quality over many years . Of course the review above is a great little comparison of their peanut style models and does give a fair indication of their differences , but that is only one model and to be fair to RR especially I think several similar models / styles from both companies would have to be reviewed to gain an overall fair comparison .
After owning many and various types of knives over the last 60 years I have confined myself now to only having a small collection of a mixture of khukuri , combat , hunting , small fixed blade and last but not least Rough Ryder slipjoint knives with the odd queens and marbles thrown in . I have in fact a boxed collection of 14 Rough Ryder slipjoints all in unused pristine condition . First of all through experience I always give each knife I buy a good once over to check overall quality , no dents or damage , centre alignment of blades , zero lateral or vertical loose movement of blades ,good snap and tension , sharpness , Fit and finish and almost anything else I can think of and I have to state now all my RRs come up almost 100% trumps on all counts , now that maybe not by chance alone as I always ask the companies I buy from to give them a good once over before sending out ! What Im trying to say here is if you are into collecting slipjoints or just need the odd one for whatever task you could do worse than consider a Rough Ryder , and of course they wont break the bank which is an even better reason , if you can visit the states or know someone who is then you can buy them even cheaper !
On the downside I really don have a clue regarding how well the blade steel is heat treated and forged on RRs but the company has been going for over 30 years so they must be doing something right ! I cannot really fault mine as much as Ive tried and for what they are and the price they go for , youre on a winner .
Hope this helps .

 

[gra_farmer]

Hello , almost 5 years down the line from this original thread and having read this good little review again felt a need to respond . All the partisan arguments aside regarding country of origin , differences in quality between Case and Rough Ryder knives of similar styles etc , here is my opinion .
Firstly I have never owned a Case knife of any sort in my life so can only go by their reputation of tried and tested quality over many years . Of course the review above is a great little comparison of their peanut style models and does give a fair indication of their differences , but that is only one model and to be fair to RR especially I think several similar models / styles from both companies would have to be reviewed to gain an overall fair comparison .
After owning many and various types of knives over the last 60 years I have confined myself now to only having a small collection of a mixture of khukuri , combat , hunting , small fixed blade and last but not least Rough Ryder slipjoint knives with the odd queens and marbles thrown in . I have in fact a boxed collection of 14 Rough Ryder slipjoints all in unused pristine condition . First of all through experience I always give each knife I buy a good once over to check overall quality , no dents or damage , centre alignment of blades , zero lateral or vertical loose movement of blades ,good snap and tension , sharpness , Fit and finish and almost anything else I can think of and I have to state now all my RRs come up almost 100% trumps on all counts , now that maybe not by chance alone as I always ask the companies I buy from to give them a good once over before sending out ! What Im trying to say here is if you are into collecting slipjoints or just need the odd one for whatever task you could do worse than consider a Rough Ryder , and of course they wont break the bank which is an even better reason , if you can visit the states or know someone who is then you can buy them even cheaper !
On the downside I really don have a clue regarding how well the blade steel is heat treated and forged on RRs but the company has been going for over 30 years so they must be doing something right ! I cannot really fault mine as much as Ive tried and for what they are and the price they go for , youre on a winner .
Hope this helps .

It's timely that I have a commitment on this post, as I wanted to revisit this kind of review but with trapper and stockman slip joints from a range of brands/makers.

I have been on a mission in the last 7 years to try as many steel types as possible, and at the same time have been looking at the traditionals and also a whittling trial with folders....more to come soon.