I received the Queen Dan Burke Rancher yesterday. Just got around to taking some pictures a few minutes ago.
Here are a few impressions. If I could describe this knife with a single word, that word would be stout. It is solidly constructed, made more so by the fact that the Rancher is a single bladed knife. To be frank it is quite a handful. It doesn't look that big in pictures because it is so wide, but this Queen is definitely what I would call a large knife. It almost makes my KHnutbuster look dainty in comparison (almost). It's the perfect size for a using knife.
Fit and finish are a bit disappointing for a high-end production knife. This knife (now discontinued) sold for more than GEC knives when it was available. The problem is that it is not put together any better than a Schatt & Morgan. I only own two Queen-made knives, this DB and a S&M harness jack. If you put them next together and asked a stranger to guess which was the more expensive (and theoretically better) knife, the stranger would choose the S&M every time. The DB uses better materials like stag, stainless liners, and BG-42 steel, but it also had more sharp areas on the knife. The fit of the stag to the bolsters isn't that great either. And as you can see, the blade is not centered when the knife is closed. Maybe I am being overly picky, but I expected more attention to detail from a factory-custom collaboration.
Despite these flaws, I'm still keeping the Rancher. I've been looking for one too long to just let it go. And as you can see it's a beauty. It may not be perfect, but maybe that's a good thing as I won't be as reluctant to put it to use.
