Quartermaster Knives

Seilu said:
Honestly, people on BF overrate ZT and put them on a pedestal. I've owned 3 ZT knives, and while nice they're not as godly as people make them out to be and all 3 are no longer with me. Simply hit and miss like every other company. My friend has a wicked ZT0600 though, which is fantastic.
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I don't think people overrate ZT. When a company responds well to concerns, and takes care of their customers, a loyalty is born. Even more so when tht company provides fast service, communication, and shares insights with the community. Let's not forget about winning awards for designs, and all the other stuff that speaks for itself. If the three ZT knives you owned didn't float your boat, that is alright, but they seem to appeal to a lot more people than not. That also says something. If there is any pedestal involved, it's the one they've worked hard to sit themselves on through their efforts. Also, the fact that eir limited runs sell out in record time, and go for twice to three times the original asking price is another aspect that should not be ignored.
flatface77 said:
http://www.quartermasterknives.com/aboutus.html


"The 6-acre complex is under 24 hour surveillance using recently de-classified thermal imaging sensors.The 8,500 square foot facility is home to multiple design studios, think-tanks & a 3,000 sq ft shop floor. However, a medical-grade clean room and a 3 story-high knife museum with a biometric-scanner that allows/disallows access are likely to be considered the highlights of our facility."


Jared is definitely involved.
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This is just....not even relevant to most people that buy knives. Now, for the teenagers that love ninja movies and all that stuff, I could see an appeal. For the adults in the room, not so much. I don't own a Quartermaster knife, and have no interest in them really. There are too many milled out parts, jagged ges, and overtly complicated designs for what I like.
 
If they had designs that looked less like Jared's old Mantis stuff I might get interested. I have a soft spot for fancy powdered steels & bearing type pivots. If they're well made they could be another option in the ZT-Microtech-HTM area of the market. They just need to smuggle a new designer into one of their multiple design studios or think tanks & make a few less comic book-ish looking knives.

Then again, what do I know. I'm just a lifelong knife nut & never ran a company myself. I just assume that most of the people that like M-Tech looking knives can't or won't spend $200 on a folder. I don't see many big companies trying it & Dark Ops isn't soaking up a big share of the market so I assume I'm right about this, but my opinion isn't based off of much. If Mantis hasn't leveled off & is still growing someone might've spotted a viable niche. The fact that someone spent a good deal of startup money to try this gives me pause.
 
For what it's worth..... I just recieved a quartermaster "face" or QTR-3. I've been carrying it for several days and must admit, I like this knife! Yes it's quite bulky but that doesn't bother me personally. It flips well, the grinds are nice and even, lockup is solid & it feels really good in my hand. I absolutely think for 79$ it's a good stout knife.
 
Just caught a Black Friday sale they posted in instagram, everything 50% off. I ordered the #6. looked like the least ridiculous design in the lineup. looking forward to getting it in hand.
 
Yes, I also took advantage of their black friday offering and ordered a QTR1 with the black stonewashed finish. I will share with everyone once it arrives.
 
So help me to understand this. Jared of Mantis Knives and eyeliner fame is now making or causing to be made knives named after the characters from "The A Team" TV show? ……………………………..waiting patiently for the punch line. :D
 
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And night rider. :)


We have a few Quartermasters for sale. They are well built knives. I actually like the karambits the best. The double thumb stud is not really necessary, but goes with their over built theme. While not personally for me, if you are a fan of heavy folders that could withstand a tank running over them, then they might be right for you. The grinds were all good on the blades we received. The pivot system is very smooth and lockup is good. You either like em or you don't. Most people who have handled them would agree though. .....they are well built knives....especially at the price point.
 
Hmm, I might have to give one of these a try for my own Christmas present to myself. Peculiar looking knives have always appealed to me in one way or another.
 
Give one a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised. Had I seen the Black Friday email in time (DAMMIT!:grumpy:) I'd have bought two more, probably a QTR-6 and 9. :thumbup:
 
I wrote up two of these for the current issue of Tactical Knives. They're very solid. The aesthetics will turn some on and turn others away.
 
jdm61 said:
So help me to understand this. Jared of Mantis Knives and eyeliner fame is now making rot causing to be made knives named after the characters from "The A Team" TV show? ……………………………..waiting patiently for the punch line. :D
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What does this mean exactly?
 
I own the QTR-6 Orville.

My preliminary recon is that it scores a 18° per side cutting edge, perfectly sharpened to the point it is the very first knife I decided to leave with stock edge angle and finishing.
Buttery smooth opening, sturdy, easy to service.
I do like the stainless steel frame way more than the Ti frames. More impervious, less costy. Taking i.e. a 410 steel and Gr5 Ti the first will weight 1.75x the second and will have a tensile strength of 1.75 as well. So it will be just a matter of cutting down thickness and they'll be on par. As far as stain resistance IMHO there is no use in saying that Gr5 Ti will be fairly superior: when you'll be to the point of noticing it the blade will already be chewed by rust since a long time ;)
What a Ti handle will never do is to withstand friction against blade steel: carbidizing or Ti hardening are just MISERABLE palliatives as I discovered by really using a number of Ti handle folders (count 10 customs in).

Some of the Quartermaster knives are made with CPM154 steel, which is still 1st PM generation steel. Over the time I learned to steer away from it as it is NOT very fine grained and has some inclusions.
Carpenter BD4P is quite another story, possibly on par with RWL34 and it is used for my own knife.

Thumbstuds in my knife are two per side: way too much given the smooth opening and too much protruding when pocket carrying the knife. I stripped off them all.

Clip is good to go, deep carry type. But its retaing screws with rounded and protruding heads get miserably into the way when securing the knife all the way down into the jeans pocket. Countersunk levelled screws might have been a better asset.

Too much jimping here and there, this is the way USA knifemakers mainly conceive a tactical knife (I disagree).
I don't like G10, being Micarta a better option IMHO. Desert Ironwood handle will be put there pretty soon by myself to make it a more urban friendly and better looking knife.

IMHO a keeper.

Bottom line
Many people chimed in to say Quartermaster knives are not delivering performances.
With given and absolute respect I'd recommend to test one of their knives in flesh before speaking as my experience during trekking in the Alps in these recent days proved me quite the opposite as far as my QTR-6 is concerned.
 
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daberti said:
Some of the Quartermaster knives are made with CPM154 steel, which is still 1st PM generation steel. Over the time I learned to steer away from it as it is NOT very fine grained and has some inclusions.
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I've heard of 154CM sometimes having large inclusions of carbides, but I would think that this problem would be much less (or even nonexistent) with CPM154, considering the powder metallurgy process used to make it. :confused:
 
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