Safe Queens

[Blunt Forged Edge]

ethan has safe queens. ponder THAT one

I'd be curious to know what blades are those? What else still needs to be debuted!

[Hunter Sharp]

Well if it's ok with Uncle E then it's all good with me....hey I made a rhyme.

[redhat6161]

This thread needs some pics of the safe queens !
]

I've got a couple...






picture hosting


To be clear and give credit where credit is due, the clip point version was borrowed from The Warrior. I saw his and absolutely had to have one. He is the mastermind. I took mine in a little different direction, hence the safe queen...

[Blunt Forged Edge]

I've got a couple...






picture hosting


To be clear and give credit where credit is due, the clip point version was borrowed from The Warrior. I saw his and absolutely had to have one. He is the mastermind. I took mine in a little different direction, hence the safe queen...

That is spectacular looking! You did the work?

[thrillbilly]

First, MIRROR 2!!!!

Second, What is the handle material?

Third, OMG OMG OMG THAT CLIP!!!!!!!!!



I am now in lust.

[daizee]

day-um!!!
I'd use the hell outta those, couldn't get 'em outta my hands.

-Daizee

[mossyhorn]

There should no such thing as a Becker safe queen. Ethan's knives are designed to be used.

[redhat6161]

Second, What is the handle material?

Scales are Desert Ironwood Burl. These were crafted by Marathonman some time back and are absolutely beautiful. The photos unfortunately do not quite do them justice.

Third, OMG OMG OMG THAT CLIP!!!!!!!!!

I had the same reaction after seeing The Warrior's. I do not possess the skills that are necessary to do this modification I had to find a vendor who was willing. It took me a very long time to find someone that would do the modification and who I trusted would do a good job. The vendor I used is a custom knife maker who does not particularly enjoy working on production pieces but he helped me out after some convincing. For this reason I’m going to keep my source under wraps for the time being.

[redhat6161]

That is spectacular looking! You did the work?

I did the strip and shine on both knives myself. Here is a link to that project:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...les-and-sheath

The scales and clip point were done by vendors here on Bladeforums.

[Blunt Forged Edge]

I did the strip and shine on both knives myself. Here is a link to that project:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...les-and-sheath

The scales and clip point were done by vendors here on Bladeforums.

Looked intently at that thread of yours and I must say, that's some impressive work to get mirror polish luster. From that it gave me an idea. Thanks!

[Hunter Sharp]

There should no such thing as a Becker safe queen. Ethan's knives are designed to be used.

Well tell Ethan that because he has safe Queens himself loL

[BRL]

I got a KA-BAR Warthog safe queen. Not gonna lie, I like to take it out to play with and I like how pretty and new it stays.

[TwinStick]

Mine is a user !

[northingeasting]

It is all about the personal philosophy.

I have safe queens and I have working blades, but then I'm both a knife collector and a knife user.

I buy some knives based strictly on their visual appeal. Case pocket knives are the best example. I have dozens sitting in my safe, selected for their visual appeal and collector value. I really like Beckers but I love Case slipjoints. However, it's doubtful more than a small handful will ever see actual use.

The same with some large knives. I have a small but growing collection of Ka-Bar USMC combat knives. Few if any will ever taste wood because I picked them up as display pieces.

Working knives become favorites through a long and well established selection process. The knife has to fit my particular needs and how well it fits my needs is determined after weeks of carry and an almost unconscious evaluation process. There can be multiple candidates at one time and in the end it comes down to how well a particular knife fits my daily pattern, how well it carries and whether or not is 'speaks' to me. Of course over time my needs, habits and tastes change; the knives I carried 20 years ago as a jumpmaster in the Army are different than the knives I carry today as a cubicle commando in a government office.

My working knives need not be fancy or expensive. The best example of that is my current choice for a lockback folder, my 'dog walking' knife. It is a plain-jane, inexpensive Buck 482 folder. It enjoys pride-of-place in my pocket because it fills a need for a lightweight folder better than any other knife in my collection. It is fast to open, has a great blade shape and just feels right in my hand. It cost all of $18.00.

The same pattern can be seen in my Becker collection. Some were bought to be safe queens (BK-10), some were bought for daily use (BK-14). Some were bought to be working knives (BK-2) but got replaced by more useful blades (BK-12/RSK MK2). Some were bought as test and evaluation knives (BK-7). Some were impulse or opportunity purchases but were kept because they filled a hole in my collection (BK-11).

I have enough Ka-Bar/Becker steel to sink a small canoe, but out of all these blades the one that keeps coming to hand because it fits that unwritten and unconscious selection criteria is the BK-14.

[Bladite]

one of the uses of a safe queen, is keeping track of what original sometimes unique models and prototypes LOOK LIKE, and for photographic use later. can't mess them up - generations from now need to see pristine originals.

if you can score them at a bargain (i mean, really, i saw a box with BK2 at $25 each, i said "how much for the whole box? right!)... bargain hunting is part of it for me.

some of the models are "rare", and actually HAVE some value. you may never see that version again. in a couple cases, i might have "one ofs" and for sure "less than 25 or 50 made, and ... using them is out of the question. well, one of them is USELESS ;P but well, you get the idea. 30 years down the road, that new KaBar you just bought, might just be "more interesting" pristine in box, with oil, than your trusty user. especially as a gift. or a tax write off

i always have users at hand, but until i get to hacking on my 4 acres of land, and have shrubbery to clear out again, i simply haven't had enough time to even use those. so sad. fortunately, selling even those is out of the question. so...

here's a thought: what's a GOOD WAY to wall mount a lot of knives? cuz baby, i've got walls probably in some kind of cases. i want them protected too.

[Hunter Sharp]

Thank you sir well put!

[Hunter Sharp]

Oh sure now that Bladite and Uncle E come out and say they have safe queens you guys have nothing to say!

[Bladite]

the bladite preservation society...

[thrillbilly]

People can safe queen all they want to. We need somebody to preserve ''Examples'' I guess. If I had a BK8 I would so use it though LOL

I just really can't NOT use a item I own...just not in me to do so.

[zuluninja]

I have 3 safe queens. The first one wasn't intentional, it was just that I had spent a lot on it (150$ back in 2002) but the knife was not practical for field use. It's a benchmade 42, and last time I checked they were going for around and over 300$, so I consider it an investment. It gets out of the drawer now and then to be flicked and looked at, but it's my first safe queen.

2nd is a Spyderco Forester. Discontinued, gorgeous, and the biggest spyder to date. Nuff said.

3rd is an fpr 16 for all the reasons posted already. I got a 17 to play with, and a regular production 15 and 16 will join later.

So I guess those 3 I see like investments and also beautiful knives. I have also started to mount pretty knives that are not being used on a wall using picture frame hooks bent wider, so far there's a hibben alaskan hunter, a coast bowie with my first stacked leather handle and a polished crkt hissatsu with kanji etchings and a 2 tone cord wrap replacing the rubber handle Not safe queens, just pretty and unused.