How do GEC/Northfield compare to Queen?

Fred Sanford

Fred Sanford

Joined
Sep 3, 2006
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I have owned a few Queens in 1095 and also D2. I've owned a few Case's in SS.

Both have been really nice.

I'm considering buying a Northfield Moose or even a Whittler Stockman because I like the pinched bolsters on the Whittler Stockman.

My question is if I can get a nice 1095 Canoe or Gunstock from Queen for half the price is it worth it to pay almost $100 on a GEC/Northfield? Is the fit and finish that much better?

The only thing I really do like about them are the long pulls.

Thanks!
 
GEC knives tend to be larger patterns with a wide range of handle options. They are also very solidly constructed,this may explain the price difference. The 2 patterns you mentioned are large hefty knives and very likely with snap to match!
 
willgoy said:
GEC knives tend to be larger patterns with a wide range of handle options. They are also very solidly constructed,this may explain the price difference. The 2 patterns you mentioned are large hefty knives and very likely with snap to match!
Click to expand...

willgoy is right - +1:thumbup: They are larger and do have the snap to match. I love my GEC IXL northfield, and even though the fit and finish, on mine is perfect, you do pay a premium. The stag on mine is very well matched, and beautiful. I hope in this economy, they can find a following, and prosper. :)
 
The Queen knives with 1095 blades were SFO's.

They're really nicely made knives.

Great Eastern Cutlery makes knives under that name, plus Tidioute and Northfield.
Most of the Great Eastern Cutlery knives are issued under the Northfield and Tidioute brand names,
with very few models actually branded "Great Eastern Cutlery". The "Great Eastern Cutlery" knives themselves use 440C stainless; Tidoute and Northfield use 1095.
Northfields are slightly 'fancier' than Tidioutes, with features like swedged blades, etc.

After some initial QC issues when first starting up a a few years ago, the fit and finish on GEC, Nothfield, and Tidioute knives has become uniformly excellent.
The snap is very, very strong - amazingly so. They're not sharp out of the box but do sharpen quickly and easily to a razor edge.

In fact, I'd rate the fit and finish of GEC, Northfield, and Tidioute as one of the best in the business today.

Queens are very good, and have improved (also) over the past few years, but they're not on the same level IMHO.
However, the Queen D2 blade steel is, IME, just as good - if not better - than the 1095 used by Northfield/Tidioute.
(But I'd rather not get into a 1095 vs. D2 debate here. :cool:)


Queen Cutlery saves their top quality fit and finish for their Schatt & Morgan brand.
 
Bill Howard, one of the owners of GEC, was head designer at Queen for many years. So many of the knives being made by Queen were likely designed by him. The aesthetics of the two companies are very similar, naturally. You can tell that GEC and Queen knives were designed by the same guy. It's likely that the two companies even source their materials from the same places. I have a strong suspicion that GEC's "Brimstone Bone" may be the same stuff as Queen's "Amber Jigged Bone".

The difference is that Great Eastern knives are heavier duty, and have better craftsmanship than what Queen currently makes. In general, Northfields simply destroy Queen in terms of heft, fit and finish, and overall quality. Great Eastern is making the highest quality traditional, production knives on the market today IMO. The "unXld" mark on the Northfield shield is no idle boast.
 
In my experience GEC are better/ more solidly built. My SFO Queen Cities are great though. But with GEC, I feel it's less of a gamble with each order and I know it will be nice every time.

I agree with moonwilson about the northfields. They really are some of the best users you can get today.
 
rifon2 said:
Queen Cutlery saves their top quality fit and finish for their Schatt & Morgan brand.
Click to expand...

They may well do in the elite File&Wire series, but my experience of their 420 stainless&1095 knives makes me rate Queen Cutlery 'ordinary' knives as being actually better. I've had blade wobble,gaps and fit problems on all of the Schatts I have,much more than Queen or CASE say.

I've had one bad experience with a GEC knife, the scales cracked around a centre pin a couple of days after getting it(could be the ferocious spring at fault)but it was replaced immediately and without quibble. I don't even live in the USA so I regard this as excellent customer service. Their knives are authentic in appearance and performance.
 
Unlike the other posters on this thread so far. :D
I rate Queen higher than gec. Queens knives are more "pocket friendly" and D-2 steel is a step up IMO.
I have never had trouble with F&F nor blade play even on the 3L. If I had a problem I would not hesitate to send it back.

Dave
 
I have both and can say, that the F&F are on par with each other (my own knives as the basis). The Queen D2 are dull and require work. They are superb once sharpened. My honey Amber D2s have blade pulls on the soft side. My SFO Queens (Cozy Glen) are 1095 and are great, in fact these are my favorite Queens; great slicers! Their blade pulls are perfect. The GECs I have (2), are larger more bulletproof pattern for pattern. My Tidioute Scout has that ferocious nail break pull that is the general consensus here. It is getting better but needs to be used to get her smooth. My Northfield has a more normal pull, a tad on the firm side but normal. They are both great companies, the most difference as mentioned earlier is the pocketability, Queens are more of what you would picture a pocket knife should be in regards to size. If you don't mind carrying a larger knife than the GECs are sweet. Best thing is to try both and what ever you don't fancy, sell or trade off. They both have a great following on the used market. But I bet ya keep 'em all:D
 
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Is double the price double the quality?

I use Queen as the yard stick for pricing knives.
For $45 to $60, I am going to get a pocket friendly very well made knife in a very good steel (which I will sharpen, like I sharpen all my knives)
I have a range of 20 different classic patterns, but limited in two scale materials.

A price point will be $10 cheaper for delrin and $15 to $20 more expensive for stag?

There is no doubt GEC makes good knives.
GEC seems to be aiming for the collectors market with lots of different scale materials and short runs of 50.
They have adjusted their price to fit this specific market.

Queen Cattle King $60
GEC Stockman (cheapest) $83

Queen Congress $60
S&M Congress $80
GEC Congress $100

Personally, many of the GEC prices are plain too expensive for me.
 
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rifon2 said:
Queen Cutlery saves their top quality fit and finish for their Schatt & Morgan brand.
Click to expand...


willgoy said:
They may well do in the elite File&Wire series, but my experience of their 420 stainless&1095 knives makes me rate Queen Cutlery 'ordinary' knives as being actually better. I've had blade wobble,gaps and fit problems on all of the Schatts I have,much more than Queen or CASE say.
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Wow, I think that's really interesting.

I have several S&M knives in various patterns, from various years - including both the regular 420HC and the File & Wire models - and have uniformly found them to be excellent as to fit & finish. And, of course, they're marketed by Queen as a "premium" brand.
 
having used custom folders for yrs.,the price for g.e.c. is not objectible
however it's only myself & 3 dogs so my liaibilities are extremely low
160 to 180$ is not a problem since i do'nt eat out much or go drinking & dancing anymore. all the money i blew partying would have built a world class collection of knives by now.
however with my memories i do'nt feel i've missed much in life.
 
I feel that for non-collectors (E.G. one-knife users) a GEC is more likely to take twice the punishment. That said, I love S.M. style VERY much!
 
neeman said:
Queen Congress $60
S&M Congress $80
GEC Congress $100

Personally, many of the GEC prices are plain too expensive for me.
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I was looking into this. I didn't see any $60 Queen congresses currently available. The cheapest I found at online dealers I frequent were:

Queen Congress (#32) - Amber Carved Stag bone 75 + $5.00 shipping $80.00

GEC Congress - Black Micarta, no serial number, 88.47 + free shipping. $88.47.

GEC Bone Congress - Banana yellow, no serial number - 99.47 + free shipping 99.47.

I did find some cheaper GECs but those were closeout type sales. I could not locate a Birdseye Queen Congress, but it should be $5 cheaper.

This is a difference of $9 to $20. Not that extreme. Of course there are more expensive GECs, just as there are more expensive Queen made congresses and each GEC line is limited, so you may not be able to get the cheapest at any given time or may not be able to find one without a serial number.

I do think that the GEC is the better knife. At least in the examples I have.

The GECs have pinned shields, no spring gaps, better spring action, less grind lines, nail cutouts in the liners, shorter runups, better blade placement, 1095 steel.

The Queen is larger (if that is what you want) has D2 steel (which is good) and better half stop spring levels.

BTW, I collect both GEC and Queen and like both, but am concentrating on GEC more.


Eric
 
Thanks everyone! :)

I bought a GEC Tidioute Cuban yesterday. Can't wait for her to arrive.

I got it in Brimstone Bone.

:)

Northfield just didn't have the pattern I wanted. I really wanted something about 4" long with nice bone, and a spey, sheepsfoot, and clip blade. The cuban made the cut. ;)
 
eswartz said:
I was looking into this. I didn't see any $60 Queen congresses currently available. The cheapest I found at online dealers I frequent were:
Queen Congress (#32) - Amber Carved Stag bone 75 + $5.00 shipping $80.00 ....
GEC Bone Congress - Banana yellow, no serial number - 99.47 + free shipping 99.47 ....
Eric
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Eric,

See this link for $60 Queen 4 bladed Congress free postage
http://www.crisnercutlery.com/agedhoneyamberstagbone3.htm

so that is a $40 difference of bone knives!

And a month ago I purchased a S&M 16th Series Congress for less than $74, but the prices just went up!!
 
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neeman said:
Eric,

See this link for $60 Queen 4 bladed Congress free postage
http://www.crisnercutlery.com/agedhoneyamberstagbone3.htm

so that is a $40 difference of bone knives!

And a month ago I purchased a S&M 16th Series Congress for less than $74, but the prices just went up!!
Click to expand...

That is a good price. Unusually low. I have seen that website, but have never bought from him, so it didn't occur to me to check it. Something to consider.

Eric
 
David Lowry said:
Thanks everyone! :)

I bought a GEC Tidioute Cuban yesterday. Can't wait for her to arrive.

I got it in Brimstone Bone.

:)

Northfield just didn't have the pattern I wanted. I really wanted something about 4" long with nice bone, and a spey, sheepsfoot, and clip blade. The cuban made the cut. ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I believe that the only Northfield Cuban Stockman that GEC made with bone handles were 32 with Primitive Bone in 2007.

Eric.
 
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