MOD DUANE DIETER pictorial + mini-review

RL

Joined
Aug 24, 1999
Messages
2,261
Hi All!

I recently purchased a MOD CQD and I thought I might share a few comments and photos.

First, I have to say that I like this knife a lot…as I have said in previous posts, it is the biggest, baddest, meanest, m*********** of a knife I have ever encountered. I hope that the side-by-side comparo against my Emerson Commander can portray just how “beefy” is this knife.

Before we get to the scans (* please see note about scans below), I have a few comments…this knife was somewhat of an impulse purchase in that I planned to buy a custom (Crawford KFF) but once I held the MOD there was NO WAY I was leaving the store without it :D …the knife fits my hand perfectly and it has an unsurpassed tank-like feel. I think the “beefy” feel is the best part of the knife!

Initially, I had two concerns about the knife. I noticed that oil was “oozing” out at the pivot end of the blade. Responses to my immediate post on BF assured me that this was a common occurrence…indeed, it went away after a day or two. My second concern is a bit more serious (and just as common, according to posts on BF)…the knife is VERY difficult to open with one hand…worse still, at times it would get “stuck” in the closed position, requiring a two handed effort to get it past the “breaking point” after which it would open normally…I literally got a blister on my thumb the day I bought the knife! MOD offered to check it out and I may send it in but is getting better with repeated opening-closing…I may also try the trick of reversing the pivot screw offered by Eric. Up till now, my inability to open this knife quickly is my single biggest concern.

The blade locks up very tightly, especially when the secondary lock is engaged...it REALLY feels like a fixed blade! Overall quality appears quite high. If it were up to me, I would have made the knife tip up carry, or at least I would not have put the clip so far down the handle because A LOT of the knife sticks out of the pocket with the current configuration. Fortunately, MOD provides a sheath (or you can always keep it in your pocket…if you have BIG pockets ;) ).

Now, on to the scans…(* please note: the scans came out a little dark so I had to use Photoshop to remove the background…if something looks not right, it’s because of my limited skills in PS…also, this is my first time using Imagestation to host pics…in case my big scans get reduced, I can email the full sized versions upon request)

The blade lengths of the two knives are nearly identical. However, the recurve on the Commander gives it a bigger cutting area (if you look at the non-serrated portion of the blade)...in retrospect, perhaps I should have purchased the straight blade but I have a preference for 50/50 blades in general.

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...1b933ecb79c440d2352631afafd29974/fe54a1e5.jpg

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...ad75472f85a2b68896e1978d01b9e9d9/fe54a1e3.jpg


The secondary blade on the CQD makes the handle close to an inch longer than the Commander.

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...6386771bff31f847e53b711333f6cf96/fe54a1df.jpg

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...7f67bbdd12fafaabc892de1f8bb6f0c5/fe54a1a1.jpg

Umm, the CQD is slightly thicker…I swear it feels like I could take it apart and put it back together with the Commander inside :) …the Commander is 11-12mm thick while the CQD is 16-17mm thick…if you count the Dieter Side Hilt, the knife is a whopping 25mm thick!!! Some have expressed concern about such a handle to blade ratio but, again, I think it is the most appealing part of the knife. The super thick (and heavy) aluminum slabs give you the impression that this knife will survive anything!

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...3b8c7dc5995a441c421e87a42326f510/fe54a1e2.jpg

Looking “down” the CQD is like looking down a Desert Eagle .50 magnum
:D .

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...b22e3f4e66e30a7d8c9ab92e7d6158ce/fe54a1e0.jpg

As I said, the CQD fits me like a glove…here it is in various grips

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...f841969f4bd43b12d377a4ecf7394efa/fe54a1e8.jpg

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...11e32e9fae20ea92303e9429f9e0b136/fe54a1e7.jpg

http://a1060.g.akamai.net/f/1060/59...72e353946d69d49c96a06320f800b379/fe54a1a8.jpg


In fairness, I think the Commander is a better “combat” knife for several reasons…it is easier to conceal and draw quickly, the recurve blade has a larger cutting surface, and its lighter weight makes it far more “maneuverable”. However, if I had time to draw my knife or I had a SERIOUS cutting task at hand, I think I would reach for the CQD first!

RL
 
RL, reverse the pivot! Reverse the pivot!! I haven't seen a tight CQD yet that this simple process wouldn't fix.
Let us know if you try it. :)
 
Hi Eric,

I might eventually try your trick...I am pretty sure that it will work because it does appear slightly easier to open with my left hand (so from the smooth side of the pivot)...let us know if you have seen any long term effects!

I must say that this is a bit disappointing though...my Commander arrived with a less than straight blade and it seems like I might have to do some mods (albeit a minor one) to get my MOD perfect...I would like to think that I could get a perfect product out of the box, especially for the prices I had to pay :mad:

RL
 
Mine has gone in and out of the tight opening problem. I'll try reversing the pivot pin for sure. Great knife huh?
 
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