Queen is my favorite brand right now but I look at Queen as a nice working knife. I tend to look at GEC as a nice work or collector knife but they're not cheap. Queen puts out a nice knife for the price but they can put out a real lemon from time to time.I think they are trying to split the difference between quality and price.
There aren't many companies making traditional pocket knives in modern steels. I think Queen's problem is D2 is very hard to work with. D2 can't be stamped out by the thousands like CV and it takes a lot more sanding belts and time to work. Maybe a switch to 154CM would help them hit their price point with better quality.
They could raise the price and add more quality checks but what would that do to their market?I bought a walnut barlow onetime that had a blade so loose you could open it, shake it & listen to the blade rattle.I sent it back to the factory with a note to please replace it. Two weeks later I got a very nice replacement.My two blade barlow is well fit and finished. If you open it and hold it to a light there is a little light showing thru the back springs in one 1//2” area. In the half stop the pen blade spring is a little proud.It is what it is, I love it & I'm keeping it.
Sounds like they're good with customer service, and that is extremely important. I probably should send my teardrop jack in to see if they will improve the fit or replace it.
Day 24Home stretch! I'm lichen this knife.
NICE!
RR single blade small barlow today. (Image removed from quote.)
One thing I don't like about many stockmans is how "proud" the sheepsfoot blade rests outside the frame. Case seems particularly bad about this--the sowbelly #39 is ridiculous. There is no reason for that blade to stick out like that. They could sink that blade much deeper in the frame if they would just put the nail nick on the back side. I see that this one is configured that way, which is a good sign.
Day 24I really like these Railsplitters. At 3 5/8 they are right in my 3.5 to 3.75 preferred length and they just look like you could split rails with them.
RR Barlow
Quote from: SAK Guy on September 09, 2016, 04:07:47 PMA big Schrade USA 296SC Trapper today (along with my Bushcrafter).(Image removed from quote.)Those Schrade+ blades are ground thin just like I like 'em on a Trapper making it a real slicer!
A big Schrade USA 296SC Trapper today (along with my Bushcrafter).(Image removed from quote.)Those Schrade+ blades are ground thin just like I like 'em on a Trapper making it a real slicer!
It's a Sodbuster Jr kind of day here.
Finally got that nasty chip out of the 1961 Imperial MIL-K today, but I ended up with a funky shaped blade since I didn't keep it at the right angle on the stone--I'm embarrassed with the final result. So, I carried it along with my Buck 110. I think that the MIL-K is one of the few knives that might actually be somewhat better than a Vic. Rat trap springs, especially on the cap lifter, beefier tools (it's the width of a three-layer Vic despite only being a two-layer knife), and a bail. If it had a sharp awl and the fact that they used a metal so that the MIL-Ks didn't have the reputation of having brittle metal, especially on the springs (that's why I didn't open everything at once in the photo, as it's one of the few still with great springs, my Camillus from '79, sadly already has a broken openers layer spring, which was the way I got it cheaply), it would be better than a Vic. It's definitely miles ahead in quality compared to that Kamp-King scout knife, also by Imperial that I posted earlier.
Quote from: Grathr on September 09, 2016, 06:27:18 PMRR single blade small barlow today. (Image removed from quote.) Is that the same size as mine? Neat little knives those.
Quote from: cody6268 on September 10, 2016, 02:50:12 AMFinally got that nasty chip out of the 1961 Imperial MIL-K today, but I ended up with a funky shaped blade since I didn't keep it at the right angle on the stone--I'm embarrassed with the final result. So, I carried it along with my Buck 110. I think that the MIL-K is one of the few knives that might actually be somewhat better than a Vic. Rat trap springs, especially on the cap lifter, beefier tools (it's the width of a three-layer Vic despite only being a two-layer knife), and a bail. If it had a sharp awl and the fact that they used a metal so that the MIL-Ks didn't have the reputation of having brittle metal, especially on the springs (that's why I didn't open everything at once in the photo, as it's one of the few still with great springs, my Camillus from '79, sadly already has a broken openers layer spring, which was the way I got it cheaply), it would be better than a Vic. It's definitely miles ahead in quality compared to that Kamp-King scout knife, also by Imperial that I posted earlier. It's a shame they're not making MIL-K's any more. I carried one long before I thought about SAK's.There's the Marbles Outdoors Knives 278 G.I. Utility Knife. It's is a Chinese import, that I hate to say is in some ways better than the original MIL-K. The MIL-K was built to military specs to meet a price point, the government wasn't worried about pretty.Not an exact copy the blades are mounted entirely different & it's better polished than the KIL-K.
Finally got that nasty chip out of the 1961 Imperial MIL-K today, but I ended up with a funky shaped blade since I didn't keep it at the right angle on the stone--I'm embarrassed with the final result. So, I carried it along with my Buck 110. I think that the MIL-K is one of the few knives that might actually be somewhat better than a Vic. Rat trap springs, especially on the cap lifter, beefier tools (it's the width of a three-layer Vic despite only being a two-layer knife), and a bail. If it had a sharp awl and the fact that they used a metal so that the MIL-Ks didn't have the reputation of having brittle metal, especially on the springs (that's why I didn't open everything at once in the photo, as it's one of the few still with great springs, my Camillus from '79, sadly already has a broken openers layer spring, which was the way I got it cheaply), it would be better than a Vic. It's definitely miles ahead in quality compared to that Kamp-King scout knife, also by Imperial that I posted earlier. 2016-09-09_08-32-20 by cody6268, on Flickr
12/30 traditional: my gentlemans carry doing gentleman work... Bills...
The military contract ended several years ago, they issue the MP600 now. Any patent on the MIL-K has expired as well.So any one making them now is free to copy or modify the original.I've never seen the Ontario version. I saw the Colonial at our local gun & knife show and wasn't impressed with the can & bottle opener.I waned to retire my MIL-K so I took a chance on the Marbles 278 G.I., I'm happy with it. The same 440A as the MIL-K but the springs are lighter so maybe springs will hold up better. At the time I think they were $9.00, the same store has them for $12.00 now.
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