Case or Queen Cutlery?

V

vpatanio

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Jun 1, 2009
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Hi, I'm relatively new to the forum (first post but been reading for a while...great site!!)

My current every day carry rotation includes the following (in no particular order...this is not my complete collection, just what I seem to carry most):
Colt Teardrop Jack - I love this knife
Case CV yellow delrin Peanut
Case SS Sodbuster Jr.
SAK Hiker or Tinker
Case Mini Blackhorn lockback

I am considering a new knife and am having difficulty which to get (first :D)

I have my eye on 4 at the moment:
Queen Cutlery Tear drop jack with liner lock (amber stag)
Queen Cutlery Straight Jack (amber stag)
Case Texas Jack
Case Sway Back Jack

My question is: For those of you that have or have experience with the above, do you have a preference? photos? why?
Just looking for more info to help make up my mind. (Alternative suggestions welcomed)

Thank you in advance!
 
You simply cannot go wrong with a Queen #06L, regrdless of the handle material. Their D2 steel is just great.

I lack the curly zebra wood, but here are the two in stag bone.

CSB_06L_zpsa7c12ebf.jpg


IMG_0610.jpg
 
I favor Queen over Case, usually.
Case makes a good knife, and i have & carry several, but Queen is a hair above Case in my book. Better steel by a long shot, nicer overall feel in my opinion - my Queen knives feel better in-hand, while my Case knives tend to feel more blocky and square... Not what I like.
If you get an older Case, you'll find that it's more similar to a Queen: the handles and bolsters are more gently radiused on the edges, the fit & finish is nicer. The new Cases feel, to me, like they're made of a bunch of flat pieces all slapped together.
Just my two cents.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with either. I tend to like Case's CV steel just because it will age and develop a patina. I'd say go with Queen since you don't own any....I really dig the Schatt and Morgan knives they are making..... or check out GEC, they have a huge selection of cool knives.

BTW, I've got a Texas Jack in my pocket right now and there is talk about a Texas Jack Posse forming....

IMAG0120_zps4af6e9fd.jpg
 
Thanks for the input...I have been wanting a Queen Teardrop for years, but you know how it is...there is never only one knife on your radar. I was just hoping for some outside input to really solidify my decision. I think I will eventually get 'em all :) just a matter of which to get first.

My Colt teardrop jack was dirt cheap, but the quality is incredible. I have several knives that are much more expensive, yet I seem to carry this Colt most often. The Queen Straight Jack is an identical knife pattern. perhaps for this reason alone I will consider getting the teardrop Jack 06L first.
 
I bought one case recently and I wont buy another. I mean the quality control is not like it was. So - another vote for queen!
 
I prefer Queen over Case, but the Case sway back jack is a favorite pattern of mine. CV, natch.;)

Queen's famous grab bag of edges, hope you get a winner etc, seems to be taken care of. I bought several Queen made folders last year. One of the Schatt and Morgan 2012 Heritage premium stockmans, edge wasn't bad, fit and finish was good. Single blade trapper/utility, with zebrawood scales, fit and finish very good, edge atrocious. Northwoods large stockman, fit and finish and edge good. Queen cattle knife, ACSB, edge and fit and finish pretty good. 3 outta 4 ain't bad ;).

The edges on Case's SS Tru Sharp just don't feel as good as their CV. You can't get the same level of sharp. CV edges are cleaner too, you can get a better edge with CV. Any of the Case Bose line would be a good choice (CV and SS).
 
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I love Queens designs and materials. When you get a good one they are great. I would say about 1 out of 3 I have handled had at least one blade that had some wobble. That drives me nuts!

As for Case. The older ones , late 70's and earlier are very good and worth seeking out. The newer Case knives are a mixed bag. Some, like the Sway Back Jack in CV steel are really great! Im not a fan of their stainless but I plan on gettin the Sodbuster JR in with bone covers because it looks so nice. The Case knives I have handled have all be very consistant compared to Queen. Fit and finish are actually very good lately.
 
OP, the Queen straight jack (#69) is a smaller pattern, under 3-1/2" closed, while the teardrop (#06) is over 3-3/4" closed. They look very similar, but there's almost a half inch difference in size.
 
Since you are asking about specific models, I will say upfront I don't own any of those models.

This is my personal observation on the two brands, keeping in mind it simply my opinion and your mileage may vary.

Both companies are capable of making very good knives. I have about a dozen or so Queen knives, and they are great. Fit and finish has been great, and in the Dan Burke series knives I have, excellent. However, out of the box grinds, not so good. I would rate their grinds fifty/fifty, none of them terrible, but only about 25% great. I reprofile my knives anyway so this isn't a deal killer, but I miss the days of buying a knife that came with a pretty good edge out of the box.

I have spotted a couple of Case model knives at the gun shows I go to that I was interested in. I had seen a couple of examples of the "Appaloosa Bone" covers here that were gorgeous, so I wanted to see it in person. The bone was the best part of the knives. Fit and finish on all examples of the AB knives had something wrong with them. Other examples on the table show that Case can still make a fine knife, but quality was all over the place. As has been said many times before here (including by me), I wouldn't buy a Case knife I couldn't hold in my hand for inspection first.

All that being said, I would buy Queen for their D2. For me, I like the harder steel and it is quite a bit tougher in practical use than 1095 in my experience.
After carrying an older Case knife on the job (that I am extremely fond of) I replaced it with this Christmas gift a few weeks ago to wind up that same job. Both knives did the same tasks all day long.

QLstockman_zpsa72481ab.jpg


Fit and finish on this knife is very good, but the edges... well... they needed work. This is the other side of the 50/50 chance on the edge. But the D2 is worth the gamble. I was reminded of how differently 1095 and D2 perform when I went out after Christmas to finish the kitchen I was working on. The 1095 was dull by lunch after cutting hard maple trims, and the D2 made it to the end of the day. The 1095 needed a couple of licks on the sharpening setup to bring it back, and the D2 needed a couple of licks on the strop to bring it back. Also, I like the fact the D2 isn't as easy to rust.

Robert
 
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