- Joined
- Aug 9, 2006
- Messages
- 718
Ive had mixed experiences with Queen knives. I admire their commitment to tradition and I like the D2 blade steel. They usually represent good value for money. There are also a few things that can be annoying about them.
My first Queen was a Mountain Man lockback. Great looking knife but with bladeplay so bad I couldnt believe someone let it out the door. I stayed away from them for a while but later found myself the owner of a Serpentine folder. Nicely put together and overall a good knife. Im not overly fond of the so called Black Cherry scales but that is subjective rather than functional. Like the Mountain Man it came with the famous Queen safety edge so blunt that you could never do any damage with it. The D2 takes a bit of work to get right but once you are there it is hard to beat.
I notice some discussion around the corrosion resistance of D2 I live in a humid tropical climate and have not found it to be an issue.
Somewhat later I bought a swinguard folder in Amber Bone. The practicality of the swinguard aside, this knife was impressive. Fit and finish were as good as anything I have ever seen. The knife opened smoothly and locked up tight as a drum. The Amber Bone scales were beautiful. In a true break from tradition, the blade was sharp when delivered. Everything was right about this knife.
The next Queen purchase was a sodbuster I think it is called a Country Cousin or suchlike. Good value for a D2 folder. A nice strong spring for a slipjoint working knife. The Queen safety edge was back with a vengeance. I dont think I have ever seen a knife so blunt out of the box but once sorted, it was a great performer.
Just lately I took an interest in the Copperhead style. I had a cheapie Rough Rider and liked the overall dimensions and appearance. The single blade slipjoint appeals to me. The dimensions are sort of mid range the knife is pocketable but still has enough size for a decent grip. I found one on ebay in Amber Bone and bought it.
First impression out of the box was good. The Amber Bone scales looked nice and the dimensions were just what I had in mind. But then . ! A bloody liner lock! I had not been sold a Copperhead but a Mini Folding Hunter which is basically the same knife with a lock.
I dont want to start a debate about lock types but I dont like liner locks.
The backspring on this knife is something to experience. It is strong. Opening the knife requires considerable effort with the thumbnail firmly embedded in the nail nick. At the 90 degree point there is a whiplash inducing half stop that you cant glide past. At this point you need to remove the thumb and grasp the blade to complete the second 90 degrees. The blade then moves to the full open position with a sudden stop and locks up with an authority that commands attention.
The liner lock is not simply a afterthought bent liner that gets in the way of the blade. It is a separate steel spring and it obstructs the entire back of the blade. The blade is in fact offset to accommodate the lock when the knife is closed. This is probably one of the more robust liner locks I have encountered.
Now I said I dont like liner locks but one of the advantages often touted for them is the degree to which they facilitate one handed closure. Not on this Queen! The liner lock is very close to flush with the grip. You dont simply push it aside with the thumb to release the blade the thumb just slides over it. There is no cut out in the grip or raised section of the liner lock. I had to hold the knife between the fingers of my right hand and push the liner lock across with the thumbnail of my left. It requires quite a bit of pressure to move the liner lock. Once you have it fully out of the way you apply pressure to the back of the blade to move it against the power of the backspring. Sounds dangerous but halfway through the closure you hit the brickwall like halfstop, so your fingers are safe at least.
All I can say is that this thing locks up tighter than any knife I own it is not going to close on you accidentally. The downside is that you need to start closing it 10 minutes before you want to put it away. Having a couple of friends to assist would also be helpful. Ok - I exaggerate but there is some serious over engineering here.
As for the rest of the knife no problems. Fit and finish are fine. The knife was seriously blunt but that has been taken care of. My only real gripe is the color bleeding from the Amber Bone. I had no such problems with the swinguard but this one is noticeable. I have nicotine like stains on my hand after using the knife. The color of the scales hasnt faded at all and I hope it stabilises soon.
The dimensions of the knife suit me it feels good in the hand. The D2 blade, once sharpened, takes a great edge and holds it very well.
I contacted the ebay seller who sold me the wrong knife and to his credit he offered to replace or refund but this was an international transaction and postage was already a disproportionate part of the cost. The additional postage on a return and replacement would have been worth a lot more than the knife so I kept the thing. Has the liner lock grown on me? No I will probably still chase up a non locking Copperhead at some stage.
Queen knives often dull but never boring.
My first Queen was a Mountain Man lockback. Great looking knife but with bladeplay so bad I couldnt believe someone let it out the door. I stayed away from them for a while but later found myself the owner of a Serpentine folder. Nicely put together and overall a good knife. Im not overly fond of the so called Black Cherry scales but that is subjective rather than functional. Like the Mountain Man it came with the famous Queen safety edge so blunt that you could never do any damage with it. The D2 takes a bit of work to get right but once you are there it is hard to beat.
I notice some discussion around the corrosion resistance of D2 I live in a humid tropical climate and have not found it to be an issue.
Somewhat later I bought a swinguard folder in Amber Bone. The practicality of the swinguard aside, this knife was impressive. Fit and finish were as good as anything I have ever seen. The knife opened smoothly and locked up tight as a drum. The Amber Bone scales were beautiful. In a true break from tradition, the blade was sharp when delivered. Everything was right about this knife.
The next Queen purchase was a sodbuster I think it is called a Country Cousin or suchlike. Good value for a D2 folder. A nice strong spring for a slipjoint working knife. The Queen safety edge was back with a vengeance. I dont think I have ever seen a knife so blunt out of the box but once sorted, it was a great performer.
Just lately I took an interest in the Copperhead style. I had a cheapie Rough Rider and liked the overall dimensions and appearance. The single blade slipjoint appeals to me. The dimensions are sort of mid range the knife is pocketable but still has enough size for a decent grip. I found one on ebay in Amber Bone and bought it.
First impression out of the box was good. The Amber Bone scales looked nice and the dimensions were just what I had in mind. But then . ! A bloody liner lock! I had not been sold a Copperhead but a Mini Folding Hunter which is basically the same knife with a lock.
I dont want to start a debate about lock types but I dont like liner locks.
The backspring on this knife is something to experience. It is strong. Opening the knife requires considerable effort with the thumbnail firmly embedded in the nail nick. At the 90 degree point there is a whiplash inducing half stop that you cant glide past. At this point you need to remove the thumb and grasp the blade to complete the second 90 degrees. The blade then moves to the full open position with a sudden stop and locks up with an authority that commands attention.
The liner lock is not simply a afterthought bent liner that gets in the way of the blade. It is a separate steel spring and it obstructs the entire back of the blade. The blade is in fact offset to accommodate the lock when the knife is closed. This is probably one of the more robust liner locks I have encountered.
Now I said I dont like liner locks but one of the advantages often touted for them is the degree to which they facilitate one handed closure. Not on this Queen! The liner lock is very close to flush with the grip. You dont simply push it aside with the thumb to release the blade the thumb just slides over it. There is no cut out in the grip or raised section of the liner lock. I had to hold the knife between the fingers of my right hand and push the liner lock across with the thumbnail of my left. It requires quite a bit of pressure to move the liner lock. Once you have it fully out of the way you apply pressure to the back of the blade to move it against the power of the backspring. Sounds dangerous but halfway through the closure you hit the brickwall like halfstop, so your fingers are safe at least.
All I can say is that this thing locks up tighter than any knife I own it is not going to close on you accidentally. The downside is that you need to start closing it 10 minutes before you want to put it away. Having a couple of friends to assist would also be helpful. Ok - I exaggerate but there is some serious over engineering here.
As for the rest of the knife no problems. Fit and finish are fine. The knife was seriously blunt but that has been taken care of. My only real gripe is the color bleeding from the Amber Bone. I had no such problems with the swinguard but this one is noticeable. I have nicotine like stains on my hand after using the knife. The color of the scales hasnt faded at all and I hope it stabilises soon.
The dimensions of the knife suit me it feels good in the hand. The D2 blade, once sharpened, takes a great edge and holds it very well.
I contacted the ebay seller who sold me the wrong knife and to his credit he offered to replace or refund but this was an international transaction and postage was already a disproportionate part of the cost. The additional postage on a return and replacement would have been worth a lot more than the knife so I kept the thing. Has the liner lock grown on me? No I will probably still chase up a non locking Copperhead at some stage.
Queen knives often dull but never boring.
