ever own a Q knife

Vermont woodsman · Jan 23, 2005

I used to own a knife years ago called the Q. It was lazer cut and kinda cool looking. Do they still make them and did they ever come in other colors, or just black.

PhilL · Jan 23, 2005

I bought a "Q" for my wife at the first knife show I went to in 1998, it had New York cut into the blade. I always thought collecting "Q's" would be cool, but that was the only one I ever bought.

Ver cool little knife.

Dragon_Man · Jan 23, 2005

I kick myself every time I see this. When they were new the local EMS had them discounted because they didn't sell. And I thought they looked fruity. Damn! :footinmou

lureman · Jan 23, 2005

I love them! I have collected Qs for years and have about 42 different ones. I don't really know how many different ones Spyderco made, but they have really been fun to search for and collect. (Reminds me, I think I'll go over to the Wanted area and post a wanted note for others!)
Dan

The Deacon · Jan 23, 2005

Vermont woodsman said:
I used to own a knife years ago called the Q. It was lazer cut and kinda cool looking. Do they still make them and did they ever come in other colors, or just black.

Well Vermont woodsman, I've been meaning to take a picture of mine for a while, thanks for the push. As you can see, came in several colors, blade types, and edge styles and, in addition to the laser cut blades, there are also some "solid" ones. Black is the most common and grey the next most common, but still fairly rare compared with black, the other three colors are all rare. There are quite a few other designs as well, my collection is pretty modest compared with some, but it does show the colors, the "regular" and "rescue" blade styles, and the older, thicker, "3D" handle (on the NY and black Blade Magazine ones). Many patterns were available only serrated, but a few came in plain edge as well. The Q was introduced in 1996, appears in my 1998 catalog, but not my 2000 one, so would assume they were "retired" in either 1999 or 2000. They are cute, but IMHO, have become the knife world's answer to Beanie Babies, small, relatively impractical, not particularly well made (the target market, after all, was advertising giveaways and promos), and, for the last couple years, selling for considerably more than any sane person would pay. Before flaming me, keep in mind that I've purchased all of mine in the past six months and am including my self in the "certifiable" group.

Left row, top to bottom:
Heckler & Koch
Blade Magazine
Blade Magazine 25th Anniversary
"Tropical"/1998 S.H.O.T Show
P.R.C.A. (Profession Rodeo Cowboys Assn.)

Center, top to bottom:
4 knife, solid blade, plain edge, "Color Rescue" set
New York Knife Show - marked 1996
American Flag

Right row, top to bottom:
5 knife plain edge "Spider" "Color" set
Grey, plain edge, Large Fish, believe this one is referred to as "Fred Meyers"

Vermont woodsman · Jan 24, 2005

awesome collection, i love the red one on the lower right. I wish they didnt stop making these. They were light and easy to carry. I think they used to be rather inexpensive also.

The Deacon · Jan 24, 2005

Vermont woodsman said:
awesome collection, i love the red one on the lower right. I wish they didnt stop making these. They were light and easy to carry. I think they used to be rather inexpensive also.

Thanks, mine is small and modest compared with those of a few others here. Yes the "Q" was quite inexpensive. I've thought more than once that, considering the price of cigars these days and that smoking is considered even more politically incorrect than our little hobby, Sal might do well to bring back the "Q" in light blue and pink with laser cut "It's a boy!" and "It's a girl!" respectively.

FullerH · Jan 24, 2005

They may be nice to collect, but they are not especially successful as carrying knives. The clip does not stay put very well nor does the entire assembly hold up terriblly well to har use.

dsvirsky · Jan 24, 2005

Paul,
Thanks for posting. I'd never seen a solid, plain edge, rescue-style Q before.

boxer93 · Jan 24, 2005

Vermont Woodsman,
Sorry I'm late to the thread

Here is a link to my Q's Picture at the bottom. The list was from an article published on Q's from someone at Spyderco that did research on them. I was actually trying to get pictures of them all. http://home.comcast.net/~boxer93/q2.html I haven't counted them in a while. I think I'm still behind lureman in them though

I still have to find all the outfitters like cabela's, REI and EMS. Now I wonder who will get that kona on e-bay.
Chris

Sal Glesser · Jan 24, 2005

Thanx for the idea, Paul. I'll send it off to Kelly.

sal

Bob W · Jan 24, 2005

Mine has the REI logo laser-cut into the spyderweb design. It's an interesting knife, but as far as carrying, the knife feels thick, awkward, and bulky. The Delica would be a much better carry choice, IMO.

Best Wishes,
Bob

lureman · Jan 24, 2005

Here is one of my favorites:

The Deacon · Jan 25, 2005

boxer93 said:
Now I wonder who will get that kona on e-bay.
Chris

Tried my best Chris

, bid what I considered a truly obscene amount

and still came up short!

Ah well, life goes on.

java · Jan 25, 2005

The Deacon said:
Well Vermont woodsman, I've been meaning to take a picture of mine for a while, thanks for the push. As you can see, came in several colors, blade types, and edge styles and, in addition to the laser cut blades, there are also some "solid" ones. Black is the most common and grey the next most common, but still fairly rare compared with black, the other three colors are all rare. There are quite a few other designs as well, my collection is pretty modest compared with some, but it does show the colors, the "regular" and "rescue" blade styles, and the older, thicker, "3D" handle (on the NY and black Blade Magazine ones). Many patterns were available only serrated, but a few came in plain edge as well. The Q was introduced in 1996, appears in my 1998 catalog, but not my 2000 one, so would assume they were "retired" in either 1999 or 2000. They are cute, but IMHO, have become the knife world's answer to Beanie Babies, small, relatively impractical, not particularly well made (the target market, after all, was advertising giveaways and promos), and, for the last couple years, selling for considerably more than any sane person would pay. Before flaming me, keep in mind that I've purchased all of mine in the past six months and am including my self in the "certifiable" group.

Left row, top to bottom:
Heckler & Koch
Blade Magazine
Blade Magazine 25th Anniversary
"Tropical"/1998 S.H.O.T Show
P.R.C.A. (Profession Rodeo Cowboys Assn.)

Center, top to bottom:
4 knife, solid blade, plain edge, "Color Rescue" set
New York Knife Show - marked 1996
American Flag

Right row, top to bottom:
5 knife plain edge "Spider" "Color" set
Grey, plain edge, Large Fish, believe this one is referred to as "Fred Meyers"

Cripes Paul!

When did you snap a shot of my Qs???? You left out the Springer and the ACE Case that were on display in the entertainment center though.

Good collection there!

java · Jan 25, 2005

dsvirsky said:
Paul,
Thanks for posting. I'd never seen a solid, plain edge, rescue-style Q before.

The Solid PE Rescues and the PE Spyders were special sets assembled by Eric Glesser. Each set came with a letter from Eric. There were 20 of the Spyder PE sets and I think it was 10 of the Solid Rescue sets.

TedV · Jan 25, 2005

The Deacon said:
...Sal might do well to bring back the "Q" in light blue and pink with laser cut "It's a boy!" and "It's a girl!" respectively.

Excellent idea!!!! please please pretty please...

The Deacon · Jan 25, 2005

lureman said:
Here is one of my favorites:

Very nice lureman! Those were done for Blue Ridge Knives, right? Last time one of them was up for grabs I put in what I considered a ridiculously high bid and, IIRC, I came in 4th!

This one's nowhere near as rare, but I find it kind of interesting. It shows, better than any other Q I have, how intricate a pattern can be cut with the laser. You can barely stick the edge of a business card through that frontmost vertical cut, and the eye is too small for any but the finest straight pin to pass through.

boxer93 · Jan 25, 2005

Deacon,
I know what you mean by setting a limit to get one. I may have to up my limit in the future. I like your suggestion on the boy/girl versions. As a side thought if the C35 is too difficult to bring back. then maybe a current model like the dragonfly 2, calypso Jr (my choice) or even a dodo

(could you imagine a pink dodo, I can)
Chris

The Deacon · Jan 25, 2005

boxer93 said:
could you imagine a pink dodo, I can

Bad Boxer! Bad Boxer! Gonna take me a week to get THAT image out of my mind.

You're right though. I suggested the Q since it was originally inexpensive and I figured, with a laser cut teddy bear or rattle and appropriate colored handles, it would be neat. Pink and light blue Jesters, Ladybugs, or Dragonflies, with suitable engraving on the blades, would work too. The Caly Jr, would be nice but might be a tad pricy for that use.

Have to add that, at least from my limited observations, the Q gets a totally different reaction from non-knife people than any other knife I've ever shown around. Zero negative reactions. Almost everyone who has never seen one before thinks it's "cute" and actually wants to handle it. Everyone who handles it either "knows" intuitively how to close it, or figures it out within a few seconds. A fair percentage ask what they cost and where can they get one. Now all that is cool enough, but the real kicker is than anyone who HAS seen one before can remember when and where they saw it, and the memory is always a pleasant one, never "Oh yeah, the guy who mugged me last year had one of those."

On a less serious note, speaking of pink handles... Perhaps we can get Sal and Quentin Tarantino together and have "Kill Bill Volume III", featuring Uma Thurman dispatching a horde of opponents with a pair of pink G10 Civilians.