-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Queen 2015
- Thread starter rockgolfer
- Start date
knifeswapper
Knife Peddler
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2004
- Messages
- 3,301
I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that you think you have an axe to grind and don't mind altering context to fit your agenda.
So I see no need to respond to this trolling.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2000
- Messages
- 4,492
Mike (most dealers) personally handles more knives than 100 of us forumites together, for someone to smack the credibility of these observations does indeed lower my acceptance of their opinion to near troll status.
Aside from that, I can only add my personal observations for what they are, my own personal experience. I bought 3 Queen Gunstocks in a period of a year or two. The Cocobolo was a world class slippie with excellent craftsmanship, great walk and talk, thin grinds and a reasonably sharp edge. The Amber bone and maple burl shared some of the positive attributes of the first but were guilty of incredibly thick primary grinds with obtuse secondary bevels. Haven't bought a Queen since.
As is the case with any product or service, the key to success is consistency. Only the customer can decide if you meet their expectations. If you consistently do, they will purchase you. If you don't, you know the story. As a manufacturer you make the decision as to what level of expectation is reasonable for you to sell to at your market price. Very simple from there, you meet or exceed that level and you will have customers as well as a reputation for value.
Don't confuse ultimate quality and value when discussing knives. The quality of a knife should be apparent to all, the ultimate value of the knife can only be determined by the buyer.
Aside from that, I can only add my personal observations for what they are, my own personal experience. I bought 3 Queen Gunstocks in a period of a year or two. The Cocobolo was a world class slippie with excellent craftsmanship, great walk and talk, thin grinds and a reasonably sharp edge. The Amber bone and maple burl shared some of the positive attributes of the first but were guilty of incredibly thick primary grinds with obtuse secondary bevels. Haven't bought a Queen since.
As is the case with any product or service, the key to success is consistency. Only the customer can decide if you meet their expectations. If you consistently do, they will purchase you. If you don't, you know the story. As a manufacturer you make the decision as to what level of expectation is reasonable for you to sell to at your market price. Very simple from there, you meet or exceed that level and you will have customers as well as a reputation for value.
Don't confuse ultimate quality and value when discussing knives. The quality of a knife should be apparent to all, the ultimate value of the knife can only be determined by the buyer.
Last edited:
I have bought some of these from evilbay but the seller I bought them from *did not* represent them as new. He said they were used and I just figured that they were knives that came in too bad to sell through his store front. So he sold them on Ebay to cut his losses.
BTW, I love your site, knifeswapper. My favorite place to shop for traditionals!
Dave,
As an old time collector of Queen and S&M when they were in their prime, I am more influenced by your comments and view of the current evaluation of Queen
I wish Queen the best
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2005
- Messages
- 4,527
rdaniels@queencutlery.com
I got my Humpback Whittler back today- 4 months after they recieved it (Dec 1/14). I had heard nothing since Feb 25, despite two emails (one being this weekend, so I'm not blaming them for not answering that one). They got a majority of the wobble out of the main blade. Still a fair bit, but much better. Both secondary blades have good nail nicks.
I am utterly disgusted with my service. The work order says to hone the knives- not what I asked for, as I had spent hours reprofiling the edges on my own to make them work. But maybe with it being on the work order they took extra care to get it right! What a freaking joke. I'm livid. The pen blade has absolutely no edge whatsoever on it!! The edge is actually a 90° angle!! Ridiculous! I tried to show it, these are the edge, not spine:
The coping blade was put to grinder and left with a burr, on top of the ridiculously obtuse edge put on it!! And the edge profile is now rounded- not a straight edge like a coping blade is supposed to be- it's a bellied edge where tip and choil are higher than the middle of the blade!!
I had nicely convexed the main blade, taking its edge back so that it would slice a bit nicer, due to the obtuse grind put on the blade. The regrind was just a coarse grind at what looks like a 45° angle across.
Dulling absolutely the bellied part of the blade, and rendering the straight edge to be very rough to cut with. Both secondary blades are lazy opening as well. Decent snap closing, but almost a friction folder to open.
Ground up into the tang, not there before
There are gaps in the liner in the coping blade side, as I can see the crud still stuck in there!! Much of the character/colour in the pen side stag scale was rebuffed off, as was some in the coping side scale. Not too happy with loss of Colour and gnarly pattern. Especially when I commented I was picky about stag and asked for notice if it was to be changed. I can understand some change, but the amount and the fact so many other things are wrong sadden me. This is a great knife in principle!
Best before and after I can find
(Pen side)
Pen side after
(Coping side)
Coping side After:
On its own, some loss of figure I guess is to be expected around the bolsters, but loss of character in the Center of the scale combined with the other issues in this knife is quite unfortunate. To me looks more like most Case Stag, that I tend to dislike. The pen blade has almost no swedging left, and there are three distinct different areas of "finish" on this blade as well- 1/2" scratches next to choil perpendicular to edge, the regular blade finish, and the last 1/2 inch of the tip is buffed out.
This blade has no edge remember- and also has a Tanto tip!! That's right!! Instead of belly, the final 1/8" of the blade is totally straight!!
("Edge" is to the left, spine right)
Curved coping blade and straight tipped pen blade!! If you can call a blank a blade that is! Hope it's heat treated at least. The pen blade has a choil, the coping does not....
Nobody ever called me, emails were difficult to get a response to, and my knife is in worse shape, with the stag scales having reduced figure and character. On a $100+ knife this disappoints me greatly. It seemed as though I was an inconvenience to them, and once they had my money it was a matter of lip service until they shipped it out- obviously without QC!! I believe I am done with this company, it will be difficult to win me back. So much for the new start with new owners. I wrote Ken Daniels about this personally in the beginning and he directed me to Eliane Lyttle, who was my "communication" liaison. But shuffled aside, having my hard work negated, and flat edges on a knife the work order says to hone blades on is unacceptable- especially as the two blades that I sharpened were "re-edged" and the other blade was left absolutely without edge!!
Disappoints.
I shall be writing my experiences to Mrs. Lyttle as well as Mr. Daniels.
I got my Humpback Whittler back today- 4 months after they recieved it (Dec 1/14). I had heard nothing since Feb 25, despite two emails (one being this weekend, so I'm not blaming them for not answering that one). They got a majority of the wobble out of the main blade. Still a fair bit, but much better. Both secondary blades have good nail nicks.
I am utterly disgusted with my service. The work order says to hone the knives- not what I asked for, as I had spent hours reprofiling the edges on my own to make them work. But maybe with it being on the work order they took extra care to get it right! What a freaking joke. I'm livid. The pen blade has absolutely no edge whatsoever on it!! The edge is actually a 90° angle!! Ridiculous! I tried to show it, these are the edge, not spine:
The coping blade was put to grinder and left with a burr, on top of the ridiculously obtuse edge put on it!! And the edge profile is now rounded- not a straight edge like a coping blade is supposed to be- it's a bellied edge where tip and choil are higher than the middle of the blade!!
I had nicely convexed the main blade, taking its edge back so that it would slice a bit nicer, due to the obtuse grind put on the blade. The regrind was just a coarse grind at what looks like a 45° angle across.
Dulling absolutely the bellied part of the blade, and rendering the straight edge to be very rough to cut with. Both secondary blades are lazy opening as well. Decent snap closing, but almost a friction folder to open.
Ground up into the tang, not there before
There are gaps in the liner in the coping blade side, as I can see the crud still stuck in there!! Much of the character/colour in the pen side stag scale was rebuffed off, as was some in the coping side scale. Not too happy with loss of Colour and gnarly pattern. Especially when I commented I was picky about stag and asked for notice if it was to be changed. I can understand some change, but the amount and the fact so many other things are wrong sadden me. This is a great knife in principle!
Best before and after I can find
(Pen side)
Pen side after
(Coping side)
Coping side After:
On its own, some loss of figure I guess is to be expected around the bolsters, but loss of character in the Center of the scale combined with the other issues in this knife is quite unfortunate. To me looks more like most Case Stag, that I tend to dislike. The pen blade has almost no swedging left, and there are three distinct different areas of "finish" on this blade as well- 1/2" scratches next to choil perpendicular to edge, the regular blade finish, and the last 1/2 inch of the tip is buffed out.
This blade has no edge remember- and also has a Tanto tip!! That's right!! Instead of belly, the final 1/8" of the blade is totally straight!!
("Edge" is to the left, spine right)
Curved coping blade and straight tipped pen blade!! If you can call a blank a blade that is! Hope it's heat treated at least. The pen blade has a choil, the coping does not....
Nobody ever called me, emails were difficult to get a response to, and my knife is in worse shape, with the stag scales having reduced figure and character. On a $100+ knife this disappoints me greatly. It seemed as though I was an inconvenience to them, and once they had my money it was a matter of lip service until they shipped it out- obviously without QC!! I believe I am done with this company, it will be difficult to win me back. So much for the new start with new owners. I wrote Ken Daniels about this personally in the beginning and he directed me to Eliane Lyttle, who was my "communication" liaison. But shuffled aside, having my hard work negated, and flat edges on a knife the work order says to hone blades on is unacceptable- especially as the two blades that I sharpened were "re-edged" and the other blade was left absolutely without edge!!
Disappoints.
I shall be writing my experiences to Mrs. Lyttle as well as Mr. Daniels.
knowtracks
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2006
- Messages
- 3,881
I'm VERY sorry to hear this CUTS LIKE A KRIS 
I would be hoppin mad to if it were my experience! I feel your pain brother!!
Dave
I would be hoppin mad to if it were my experience! I feel your pain brother!!
Dave
Last edited:
Railsplitter
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 7,947
This is about the worst I've ever seen. Looks to me like Queen has some disgruntled employees. Dare I say it but I can't help thinking that those 90 degree edges were done on purpose. I mean really, how else could that happen?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2005
- Messages
- 4,527
Thanks guys!
Although it is
CUTS LIKE A KRIS- you know, like the knife!!😉
In talks with Ken Daniels now, will see what happens next! Apparently an individual is no longer working there...
Although it is
CUTS LIKE A KRIS- you know, like the knife!!😉
In talks with Ken Daniels now, will see what happens next! Apparently an individual is no longer working there...
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2008
- Messages
- 4,559
Whoever is in charge of q.c. has made it apparent they don't like their job. This is such an easy fix. You hire a q.c. person, you have them check everything. When they are done checking the owner double checks them. If they pass unacceptable product you explain it to them. If they continue, you move on to a new employee. If not, the negative attention can destroy a business in the digital age all to quickly.
Lets be honest. Without going back to read, no one remembers my praise of a new knife from this company but everyone will remember this.
Lets be honest. Without going back to read, no one remembers my praise of a new knife from this company but everyone will remember this.
Railsplitter
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 7,947
Normally I would say it's a shame to see someone lose their job but if it was the same individual that worked on your knife then I'm pretty happy about it.
knowtracks
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2006
- Messages
- 3,881
Please excuse my mistake. :foot:
I fixxed it
Dave
I fixxed it
Dave
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
- Messages
- 205
I have been interested in acquiring my first Queen, a #69 Barlow in American Walnut from the 2015 catalog. But Im not so sure anymore after reading the comments in the last few pages of this thread. I think Ill wait for some positive reviews of this particular knife from others before buying one myself.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2013
- Messages
- 233
I have seen several Queen knives in the 2015 catalog that I want to buy, but I'm a little short on money. This is quite disturbing to get a knife like this, I'm still open minded though and I hope they make it right. I cringe thinking about the time it takes just to go through the warranty process plus shipping back and forth.
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2013
- Messages
- 76
I had to send my Ruple trapper back because of a split in the horn . We will send you a work horse knife and a refund said Mr Daniels , I got the refund ! Didn't really want a work horse anyway , just like folk to do what they say !
I have been a Queen dealer for a very long time. I have nothing good to say about the knife Kris received back. There is no excuse for that.
I love the company and the people who own and run it. Ken and Ryan are great people. Jennie (the president) is a great lady. All of them are committed to bringing the quality and service up.
I see hiccups. They have been the norm in the past. Now they are much less frequent. The average product coming from Queen is very good and that is a long way from where they were when Ken and company purchased them.
They will get this ship righted. I am confident.
I love the company and the people who own and run it. Ken and Ryan are great people. Jennie (the president) is a great lady. All of them are committed to bringing the quality and service up.
I see hiccups. They have been the norm in the past. Now they are much less frequent. The average product coming from Queen is very good and that is a long way from where they were when Ken and company purchased them.
They will get this ship righted. I am confident.
That's absolutely unacceptable. A disgrace to the history that the Queen name represents.
I like the Queen #11 Economy Utility knife my dad gave me, but it also came with a nearly 90° angle and a severely bent blade. The only other Queen I've purchased was better, but not up to snuff for a ~$115 knife. I'm not likely to buy a Queen again unless I can see it in hand first.
I like the Queen #11 Economy Utility knife my dad gave me, but it also came with a nearly 90° angle and a severely bent blade. The only other Queen I've purchased was better, but not up to snuff for a ~$115 knife. I'm not likely to buy a Queen again unless I can see it in hand first.