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SPC_rex

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Nov 2, 2008
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During the last ten years, I've owned Case, Buck, Imperial, etc. They're more expensive than what you can find in a bargain bin, but do not carry the price tag of some others. I think Buck, Case, etc. are great knives. Thus far, I have not been able to bring myself to shell out for Queen, GEC, & Northwoods. What is it about them that warrants the higher price tag? I have never handled one or seen one up close. Enlighten me.
 
Buck makes a great knife and is probably my favorite production company. But lately I've become a convert to the Queen side and couldn't be happier.

Maybe it's the materials used that make the Queens more expensive, but I honestly don't see a lot of quality difference between my Bucks and my Queens. I don't know what it is, but the Queens just speak to me.

And for what it's worth, Queens aren't too much more expensive than a Buck. My 301 was around $35, I paid no more than $60 for either of my Queens.

I'm talking slipjoints here... there's nothing in the world better than a Buck 110 though.
 
SPC_rex said:
During the last ten years, I've owned Case, Buck, Imperial, etc. They're more expensive than what you can find in a bargain bin, but do not carry the price tag of some others. I think Buck, Case, etc. are great knives. Thus far, I have not been able to bring myself to shell out for Queen, GEC, & Northwoods. What is it about them that warrants the higher price tag? I have never handled one or seen one up close. Enlighten me.
Click to expand...

I've used both Case and Buck over my life, and they're great knives. Always get the job done. Think of them as the Remington 870's of the pocket knife world.

So,

Let's say somebody wants something a bit more pleasing to the eye than his old standby Remy 870. Lets say he moves up to a nice Browning over/under. He's getting a more expensive gun, but he's also getting very nice selected walnut with great grain patterns, better fit and finish than the off the shelf 870. A very nice gun.

Kind of like a good hamburger and a steak. They're both beef, but one is better if you have the funds in the piggy bank.:)

(Being a retired blue collar machinist, it's a good thing I like 870's and good burger!)
 
I haven't tried Queen or Northwoods, but I've got quite a few Case and GEC models. To me, the GEC is clearly a better knife. The prices are not really that different, now I know that in Germany the GEC is probably far more expensive, but maybe you can find someone there who owns a few that will let you handle them.
 
really the only true way would be to hold a case or buck next to a queen or gec. the absolute quality of the more premium materials fitted to perfection. quality alloys correctly heattreated to perform excellently.the tolerances fitted to extreme closeness. hold a mossberg shotgun & THEN PICK UP A BERETTA it will be self evident.
 
I own Case, Buck, Camillus, Puma, Bear & Son, Eye Brand, Victorinox, and GEC slip joints. All are good knives. The GEC knives are fitted very well and the materials in them are first rate -- perhaps more so than the others. For the most part GEC knives are big knives. Their 23 pattern and 54 pattern knives are a real handfull. That said; I do not think that the GEC knives "outwork" the other knives. Right at the top of my list for a using knife is the 4 1/8" CV Case Trapper. It does everything I need to do and then some.

I have 4 GEC knives at the moment and have 2 more on the way. I think very highly of them and enjoy carrying and using them. They are sort of on the high side price wise but well worth it. That said, something for someone to consider who is just starting to build a knife collection is that you can generally get two high quality Case, Buck, Victroinox, Bear & Son, Puma, and Eye Brand knives for the price of one GEC.
 
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I kinda sorta agree with what is being said here; I have quite a number of GEC's and they are just outstanding. I have some CASE knives in new condition from the 1960's and they are outstanding as well. I have some Queens and Schatt & Morgans and they seem to be a very slight cut under the GEC's and old CASEs in fit and finish. Don't forget Canal Street; they are a good knife, also. I get the feeling that most of the folks on this forum consider the old Schrades to be beneath them. I don't think the '90's versions were quite up to snuff, but I have many older ones, and most of them are darn good knives, although not fancy. Probably slightly better than recent production CASEs. Some of them are really good. My picks? See my first two sentences.
 
Oh wow, I certainly don't consider the old Schrades to be beneath me. I just don't happen to currently own any so I didn't list them.

Ya know what? There are guys and gals that walk into a store and buy the cheapest knife in the store and will take it home and use it and abuse it for years as their EDC and they are just as happy as those of us with the expensive knives.
 
Thanks for the input, y'all. I haven't seen anyone carrying one here in Germany yet so I can look at one up close. Most Americans carry modern folders or SAKs. So far I'm the only odd ball.
I've got my eye on a real bargain, but we'll see how finances go.
 
At the expense of getting flamed, I honestly don't think the Northwoods are necessarily worth it, at least in comparison to their Queen bretheren (Many of the Northwoods are made by Queen). I have had 2 Northwoods, so I am speaking on only my limited experience of them.

As for the Queens, they're not that much more than many Cases, depending on the pattern & where you get it. I'm sure someone will chime in here, but there is an Internet dealer that has great prices on Queens &, IIRC, you can get a good Queen with D2 blades for $45-60 no problem.

Further up the pricing chart, would be GEC, Canal Street Cutlery, etc. Schatt & Morgan, too (However, they're basically a higher class Queen). I'm not sure F&F is better, but the materials usually are, as are certain touches (Pinched & fluted bolsters, etc).
 
CL01 I tend to agree with you.

CASE seems the largest manufacturer with a vast array of handles,much of their money is, I assume generated by collector special runs. Some are OK others are frankly garish/outlandish. But when you buy an established CASE model in one of the more conventional/sober scales you generally get a decent knife, and often a knife you will want to keep or use. That for me is a strong recommendation.

The other companies are I suspect, smaller in volume (not Buck though). Queen does not have a vast array of handle choices on offer at the same time, so they can concentrate more. The Queen Muskrat I have is I would argue, near flawless, an exceptional production knife. But Queen does have its inconsistencies too. Not only are GEC usually large pattern knives but they are extremely robust in construction and weigh more than most other knives. This and their heavy springs do not appeal to all tastes.I find them excellent. The price/quality difference between CASE,Queen and GEC is not vast but each company has its metier or niche,hence the difference in price tags.

They are all very capable of turning out wonderful knives, I'm sure we can all agree on that one!
 
I don't think Queen is any better in fnf than Case or much better than Buck. Queen uses D2 steel that I can't seem to sharpen to my liking. Buck though has about the best 420HC going. Queens tend to be larger pattens. That and the D2 account for any price difference.

Canal Street, Schatt, and GEC are the super premiums. I haven't compared them but understand them to be comparable .
 
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