Ode to Queen, the users.

[johnny twoshoes]

I work in the tool and die field, often times I’m the only person in the building turning the lights on and firing presses up on midnight shift, the silence is haunting in contrast to the norm of our clamoring production.

I got to thinking about Queen closing up shop, the end of an era in the cutlery field. I can’t imagine the echoing sound of nothingness as the final belt grinder powers down and the lights go out for good.

I’ve driven passed that old brick building time and again and never really gave it two thoughts, part of that is my own fault, but Queen missed a lot of opportunities to gain new ground and make the improvements needed to further their own existence.

I don’t want to bash their products, or celebrate their demise, I want to recognize them for their success in the many years they produced pocket knives that so many have enjoyed and relied on. I know there is a thread dedicated to their knives, but I want to see the ones we trust.

So, if you have a devoted Queen user then post it here. I want to see the good ones, the ones that have had the factory edge knocked off and the earned patina from years of use.

Here is my “new” Queen, one that I’m going to put through it’s paces and really try to enjoy as it will be one of the few Queen knives I’ll ever own.

The Railspitter.





This knife needed a little modification to get to my liking, a peened the pins and little and added a satin finish to the bolsters, now it’s to my liking.

The pattern is wonderful and one that has caught my eye time and again. I’m hoping to age it with some pocket time and give myself some experience with D-2 steel. It took a lot of work to get the edge where I like it and once I stroppes it up it’s scary sharp.

So far it hasn’t let me down. I’ll try to keep you all posted as I work on getting a patina of some sort going.

 

[jc57]

D2 isn't really going to form much of a patina unless you really try to make it do so. I've got three Queen knives in D2. All are decent knives. I carry and use a couple of them occasionally, but they are not constant users.

That Railsplitter looks like a nice pattern.

 

[black mamba]

These three have had more use than all the others combined.

Queen ACSB #06L Teardrop Linerlock, my most carried Queen, pretty exclusively for about 2 years.

Curly Zebrawood #9 Stockman, second most carried Queen.

File & Wire English Jack modified by Don Hanson III, stays in the kitchen cubby and gets used all the time.

 

[The Fort]

Hey Johnny, I think that the Carved Stag Bone Railsplitter, in D2, is my favorite Queen of all time. Here’s another Queen Railsplitter, in D2, that I carry often. It has smooth Buffalo Horn scales.

 

[johnny twoshoes]

These three have had more use than all the others combined.

Queen ACSB #06L Teardrop Linerlock, my most carried Queen, pretty exclusively for about 2 years.

Curly Zebrawood #9 Stockman, second most carried Queen.

File & Wire English Jack modified by Don Hanson III, stays in the kitchen cubby and gets used all the time.

BM, that teardrop linerlcock of yours has always reminded me fondly of my #73L with carved pumpkin bone.

I always wanted to land a stockman in that same bone. I failed at many a knife show trying to find one that didn’t have issues.

 

[black mamba]

Thanks johnny! I've got both the amber carved and the white or natural carved stag bone in the big one, the #49 Cattle King, but neither gets carried much.

 

[jc57]

One thing a good Queen user knife will do is make a more skilled sharpener out of you, if you aren't already one. I can see from some the photos posted here that I am not the only one who needed to create a rather wide bevel to get a good edge on the notoriously thick Queen grinds.

And that D2 steel will teach you the value of using your coarser stones and make you appreciate those good, cheap, silicon carbide sharpening stones from the hardware store.

 

[Railsplitter]

I've been carrying other brands the last couple of months but man, this thread sure does make me want to pocket my Railsplitter again. Or any of these Queens for that matter.

None of my knives, regardless of the brand, show much signs of use but here are some of my favorite Queens to carry.

My all time favorite Queen and the best Railsplitter that I own. Amber Carved Stag Bone and D2 steel. (please disregard the Northwoods for the purpose of this thread)


Single blade Jack Knife built on the #69 frame. Elk slabs and carbon steel.


#99 Executive Jack. Jigged Bone and ATS-34 steel.


Winchester 2851 Gunstock. Jigged Bone and carbon steel.

 

[kamagong]

Interesting idea for a thread. I have a few users from Queen.

A yellow bone Moore Maker. I don't use it much, it stays in my glove compartment for those rare times I forget to pocket a knife when I leave the house.

My first really well made slipjoint. Still a favorite.

This Queen/Burke Rancher has the best steel I've ever used on a slipjoint, customs included.

My future old man knife, this jack has a nice, easy pull.

For those impromptu whittling sessions.

 

[FLymon]

D2 isn't really going to form much of a patina unless you really try to make it do so. I've got three Queen knives in D2. All are decent knives. I carry and use a couple of them occasionally, but they are not constant users.

That Railsplitter looks like a nice pattern.

I used ferric chloride on my Curly Maple Canoe with D2 blades. The effects were very different from 1095 or Case's CV.
They darkened up, but the close up shot really shows the effect on the D2. I'm not sure why it looks so scarred. It was a perfectly normal finish before the ferric chloride. Maybe there is some trash (for lack of a better word) in the steel? Some concentration of steel that was really dissolved by the acid?
I don't know but it doesn't go very deep I guess because the edge is fine after reprofiling. One of the sharpest knives I own.

 

[The Fort]

Here’s another Queen, in D2, that sees its share of pocket time.

 

[johnny twoshoes]

I used ferric chloride on my Curly Maple Canoe with D2 blades. The effects were very different from 1095 or Case's CV.
They darkened up, but the close up shot really shows the effect on the D2. I'm not sure why it looks so scarred. It was a perfectly normal finish before the ferric chloride. Maybe there is some trash (for lack of a better word) in the steel? Some concentration of steel that was really dissolved by the acid?
I don't know but it doesn't go very deep I guess because the edge is fine after reprofiling. One of the sharpest knives I own.

I was wondering how the steel would react to a gun bluing agent. I’m guessing it might have a nice affect, but that would kill the knife for food prep.

 

[johnny twoshoes]

View attachment 935589 Hey Johnny, I think that the Carved Stag Bone Railsplitter, in D2, is my favorite Queen of all time. Here’s another Queen Railsplitter, in D2, that I carry often. It has smooth Buffalo Horn scales.

Can’t go wrong with the smooth buffalo horn either. The frame really lends itself to the carved stag bone though. The equal end frame gives me a canoe vibe.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I used ferric chloride on my Curly Maple Canoe with D2 blades. The effects were very different from 1095 or Case's CV.
They darkened up, but the close up shot really shows the effect on the D2. I'm not sure why it looks so scarred. It was a perfectly normal finish before the ferric chloride. Maybe there is some trash (for lack of a better word) in the steel? Some concentration of steel that was really dissolved by the acid?
I don't know but it doesn't go very deep I guess because the edge is fine after reprofiling. One of the sharpest knives I own.

That pattern seen in the oxidized D2^ looks just like other pics of these I've seen on the site, of (non-CPM) D2 with forced patina. According to others' explanations of the effect, I'm pretty sure you're seeing what makes this D2 so notoriously stubborn for sharpening: namely, the clusters of BIG chromium carbides (brighter areas) in the steel, which won't really rust or oxidize the same way as the rest of the matrix steel (darker areas). Because most of the chromium in the steel is going to carbide formation (combining with D2's abundant carbon, which is very high), the rest of the matrix steel will still oxidize (patinate) like regular carbon steel, because not enough chromium is left to provide so-called 'stainless' corrosion resistance. Other, more 'stainless' alloys usually have a lower carbon content as compared to D2. As an example, 420HC is about 1/3rd the carbon of D2, yet with a little more chromium than D2. So, much less of the available chromium will combine with carbon (to form carbides) and instead will go toward corrosion resistance in a truly 'stainless' steel like 420HC.

So, don't worry; it's not any 'trash' in the steel. It's the stuff that makes D2 what it is. It's a good, definitive look for these D2 blades.

 

[Jsega51]

^ Thanks for the explanation Obsessed with Edges . I had a D2 hunting knife and used it on some deer but mostly used it on small game. Over the years it really never got a patina at all, just a few “cloudy” spots. I always wondered what it would look like had I forced a patina...glad I didn’t lol.

 

[Norcaldude]

I picked this one up pretty cheap because it was in such sorry shape. One of the blades had been broken and reshaped. Both blades have been sharpened rough, the blades were all scratched up from it and there was a lot of steel missing.

Something about it snagged in my brain though and I bought it. Glad I did. I cleaned it up a bit and it often beats out all the other knives to end up in my pocket.

It's from 96 so I think that was when Bill Howard was still working at Queen. This is a solid knife. The fit and finish equal any of my GECs. I've owned other Queens and none of them were this good.

I also really like the size and that handle fits my hand perfectly.

The one thing about it is the pulls are pretty hard and for that small blade, it's almost a problem. I have to be careful opening it.

Here is what this model looked like originally:



And this is mine:

 

[The Fort]

I picked this one up pretty cheap because it was in such sorry shape. One of the blades had been broken and reshaped. Both blades have been sharpened rough, the blades were all scratched up from it and there was a lot of steel missing.

Something about it snagged in my brain though and I bought it. Glad I did. I cleaned it up a bit and it often beats out all the other knives to end up in my pocket.

It's from 96 so I think that was when Bill Howard was still working at Queen. This is a solid knife. The fit and finish equal any of my GECs. I've owned other Queens and none of them were this good.

I also really like the size and that handle fits my hand perfectly.

The one thing about it is the pulls are pretty hard and for that small blade, it's almost a problem. I have to be careful opening it.

Here is what this model looked like originally:



And this is mine:

I like yours better than the original! Nice job!

 

[Norcaldude]

I like yours better than the original! Nice job!

Thanks. I didn't regrind the blade or anything, the previous owner did that, I just sharpened em up a bit and removed some of the scratches.

 

[veitsi_poika]

These are my two favorite Queen knives, a ~1960 winterbottom bone #12 and a big 'ol toothpick c.1945 to 1955...

 

[willc]

Here is a 22 user.
I also have one with the one arm jack blade but the back spring broke recently.

I really need to figure out how to fix it as Queen Barlow’s have a weird enclosed back spring configuration.

Queen made some very good working knives.