Is there an equivalent of the CRKT Quill with better quality?

waverave

waverave

Collector of Tortoise Shell
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Fellow knife enthusiasts...I was hoping you could help point me in the right direction.
I have a CRKT Quill that, despite being made in China, I actually like a lot. It is a Ken Steigerwalt design that appeals to me quite a bit. You don't often find equal symmetry in traditional knives. However, the fit and finish and blade edge are total crap and it is tiny. What I would love to own is a version of this same knife pattern but better quality (made in the USA perhaps?) and a little bit bigger. It is close to a traditional Coke bottle pattern but those usually have a drop-point or some other unsymmetrical blade.
Does anyone know of a similar knife with dagger style blade (single edge of course)? Or would this be better left to one of the many fine blade smiths on the forums as a custom build?
Thanks for your help.
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Schatt and Morgan and Queen have a bunch of coke bottles floating around out there. If you want something closer to that, I would have a custom maker like Jim Dunlap do it. But, you're not going to find any traditional knife with that blade shape, as that's basically a dagger profile and a slip joint is never a sensible stabbing implement. Plenty of equal end knives that are straight framed, like the GEC #35 Churchill or #54 Big Jack that are available still. Some GEC #15 and #78 sleeveboards, which are not equal end, but symmetrical top to bottom. The GEC #15 with a spear point might do you nicely, actually.
 
waynorth said:
Maybe a nice knife, but certainly not a traditional.
And buying Chinese knives will not make America great again.
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Thanks but that is why I'm asking...I'd rather buy a US made knife. Just curious if there was anything else like it out there.
 
traumkommode said:
Schatt and Morgan and Queen have a bunch of coke bottles floating around out there. If you want something closer to that, I would have a custom maker like Jim Dunlap do it. But, you're not going to find any traditional knife with that blade shape, as that's basically a dagger profile and a slip joint is never a sensible stabbing implement. Plenty of equal end knives that are straight framed, like the GEC #35 Churchill or #54 Big Jack that are available still. Some GEC #15 and #78 sleeveboards, which are not equal end, but symmetrical top to bottom. The GEC #15 with a spear point might do you nicely, actually.
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Thank you I appreciate the feedback. I recently picked up a spear point #15 actually as it is one of the more symmetrical patterns I've seen. I've had my eye on some zulu/tribal blades that are close too.
 
traumkommode said:
Schatt and Morgan and Queen have a bunch of coke bottles floating around out there. If you want something closer to that, I would have a custom maker like Jim Dunlap do it. But, you're not going to find any traditional knife with that blade shape, as that's basically a dagger profile and a slip joint is never a sensible stabbing implement. Plenty of equal end knives that are straight framed, like the GEC #35 Churchill or #54 Big Jack that are available still. Some GEC #15 and #78 sleeveboards, which are not equal end, but symmetrical top to bottom. The GEC #15 with a spear point might do you nicely, actually.
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Good advice!!!
 
waverave said:
Fellow knife enthusiasts...I was hoping you could help point me in the right direction.
I have a CRKT Quill that, despite being made in China, I actually like a lot. It is a Ken Steigerwalt design that appeals to me quite a bit. You don't often find equal symmetry in traditional knives. However, the fit and finish and blade edge are total crap and it is tiny. What I would love to own is a version of this same knife pattern but better quality (made in the USA perhaps?) and a little bit bigger. It is close to a traditional Coke bottle pattern but those usually have a drop-point or some other unsymmetrical blade.
Does anyone know of a similar knife with dagger style blade (single edge of course)? Or would this be better left to one of the many fine blade smiths on the forums as a custom build?
Thanks for your help.
0
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If you don't mind clearing out some room in your PM inbox I'll send you a PM with a suggestion. It has one feature that disqualifies it from traditional but it's otherwise close to what you describe and quite a bit larger at 3 7/8 inches closed.
 
Railsplitter said:
If you don't mind clearing out some room in your PM inbox I'll send you a PM with a suggestion. It has one feature that disqualifies it from traditional but it's otherwise close to what you describe and quite a bit larger at 3 7/8 inches closed.
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Thank you sir. I didn't know my inbox was full :) I do understand this isn't a traditional knife but I am looking for something close.
 
I'd try a Queen/Schatt & Morgan cokebottle/swellcenter

They're pretty available right now, but probably not for long.
 
L.H.S said:
I'd try a Queen/Schatt & Morgan cokebottle/swellcenter

They're pretty available right now, but probably not for long.
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Thank you. I found an image of one now just need to find it somewhere :)
59b12044-b6a8-43b7-b7e5-0367b05dca4f_1.49b1dae3445d3f922f421c39b1a81110.jpeg
 
waverave said:
You don't often find equal symmetry in traditional knives. ... It is close to a traditional Coke bottle pattern but those usually have a drop-point or some other unsymmetrical blade.
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"You don't often find equal symmetry in traditional knives"?
Have you looked at the Canoe, Sunfish, Boy Scout, pen knives (the pattern. not a pen that has a blade concealed under the cap) or pretty much any knife that has a spear point blade? Symmetrical traditional knives are quite common.

I had to do a search for the CRKT you are asking about, since I am not familiar with it.

I don't see any similarity to the Coke Bottle pattern. The handle looks more of a teardrop to me.
Also, I don't think I've ever seen a Coke Bottle pattern with a drop point blade.
All I've seen them with is a clip point.

I don't know of anyone making a folding dagger.
I don't know why anyone would want to EDC a dagger, to be honest.
Historically, a true dagger does not even have a sharpened edge for cutting or slicing. They were designed and intended only to stab, nothing else. ... Although I suppose they might work in the nursery when transplanting seedlings out of the little pots. You can stab the dirt and move the blade around to make an indentation for the seedling's roots.

EDIT
I stand corrected. Post number 10 shows a Coke Bottle with a spear point. I have never seen a spear point Coke Bottle before.
 
afishhunter said:
"You don't often find equal symmetry in traditional knives"?
Have you looked at the Canoe, Sunfish, Boy Scout, pen knives (the pattern. not a pen that has a blade concealed under the cap) or pretty much any knife that has a spear point blade? Symmetrical traditional knives are quite common.

I had to do a search for the CRKT you are asking about, since I am not familiar with it.

I don't see any similarity to the Coke Bottle pattern. The handle looks more of a teardrop to me.
Also, I don't think I've ever seen a Coke Bottle pattern with a drop point blade.
All I've seen them with is a clip point.

I don't know of anyone making a folding dagger.
I don't know why anyone would want to EDC a dagger, to be honest.
Historically, a true dagger does not even have a sharpened edge for cutting or slicing. They were designed and intended only to stab, nothing else. ... Although I suppose they might work in the nursery when transplanting seedlings out of the little pots. You can stab the dirt and move the blade around to make an indentation for the seedling's roots.
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Thanks for the feedback. I should have been more specific and didn't mean to misspeak about traditional knives. I received this knife as a gift and have used it to, literally, open envelopes. It isn't practical for much of anything else I just like the way it looks and was interested to find something in the traditional category that was close to the look. I've been using traditional knives forever but have only recently taken a real interest and started discovering models I never knew existed. Your suggestions, and those I've received here, are all awesome and exactly the feedback I was looking for from those with way more experience in traditional knives than I have. Respectfully.
 
FWIW, AG Russell has something quite similar, minus the coke bottle center swell. They call it the "Agent's Office Knife". Unfortunately, the same steel and also made in China. However, it does have a lockback, and the F&F will probably be better than CRKT. At least that seems to be the case in my limited experience with the few samples I have of each brand. They run between $75 - $115 depending on the scales. Cheaper than the custom route; Worth twice the price???

New-_Ag-_Russell-_Agents-_Office-_Knife-_Lock-_Back.jpg
 
Dan of Bazz Clazz said:
FWIW, AG Russell has something quite similar, minus the coke bottle center swell. They call it the "Agent's Office Knife". Unfortunately, the same steel and also made in China. However, it does have a lockback, and the F&F will probably be better than CRKT. At least that seems to be the case in my limited experience with the few samples I have of each brand. They run between $75 - $115 depending on the scales. Cheaper than the custom route; Worth twice the price???

New-_Ag-_Russell-_Agents-_Office-_Knife-_Lock-_Back.jpg
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That's the one that I recommended by PM. Didn't want to post it here because the thumb stud excludes it from this sub forum.
 
Railsplitter said:
That's the one that I recommended by PM. Didn't want to post it here because the thumb stud excludes it from this sub forum.
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Thanks both of you...that is a beautiful knife but I don't want to further disrupt the etiquette of this sub forum :) Everyone has been very helpful and I appreciate it greatly.
 
Can't see your picture so I had to look at an unboxing video of this knife.

Don't really see the similarity with Coke Bottles actually and having a dagger style blade is rather shall we say, unusual in a Traditional pocket knife. Otherwise it didn't look a bad knife, I'm surprised you like it so much if the F&F is so poor as you say? If you want symmetry in a blade then have a look at Spear blade patterns, I was actually thinking that GEC's 14 in Spear blade might interest you as it's a quality small Traditional or CASE'S Teardrop which certainly reminds me of a Quill knife. There is a multitude of patterns in Traditional knives so something will suit you, nor do you need to spend a mint of money to get a decent knife either.

Thanks, Will
 
Will Power said:
Can't see your picture so I had to look at an unboxing video of this knife.

Don't really see the similarity with Coke Bottles actually and having a dagger style blade is rather shall we say, unusual in a Traditional pocket knife. Otherwise it didn't look a bad knife, I'm surprised you like it so much if the F&F is so poor as you say? If you want symmetry in a blade then have a look at Spear blade patterns, I was actually thinking that GEC's 14 in Spear blade might interest you as it's a quality small Traditional or CASE'S Teardrop which certainly reminds me of a Quill knife. There is a multitude of patterns in Traditional knives so something will suit you, nor do you need to spend a mint of money to get a decent knife either.

Thanks, Will
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Thanks for the feedback Will. Yes the F&F is not great but I don't really use the knife for much of anything important and haven't bothered to fix the uneven grind on it...what I like is how it looks aesthetically. It is the center swell that makes me think of the coke bottle pattern (see post #10 for an S&M version of what I was thinking).
I am definitely interested in the GEC 14 with spear blade and will be keeping an eye out for one.
I greatly appreciate your recommendations and, believe me, I wish I could reword my original post now that I am more informed on things :)
 
Lapedog said:
Just thought it might help if I threw up a pic of the knife in question.
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Thank you and sorry I thought I had included the photo in the first post...perhaps I did not attach it correctly.
 
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