- Joined
- Dec 17, 2004
- Messages
- 1,212
Good Day Gents,I don't post my articles here very often, usually just putting them on my site(Traditional Knife Reviews & Stories), but I hadn't actually wrote anything for a bit, so I figured "Why not?" And thought ya'll might like to see it.
Now, Honestly, this is a pattern that I am not really personaly interested in.. It has little to no use for me; I don't use single blade knives often, I don't feel a need for a lockback often(and am hindered by them usually), and a knife with a guard is almost useless to me; they just plain get in the way.
But, since I accepted this Queen in a trade (--The fellow threw it in as a bonus actually- he thought I could put it to more use than he was--) and I have access to a Case Cheetah that I got my Dad a couple years ago, I decided a comparison was in order.
-- And for anyone curious; Yes, Dad loves the Case- I got it for him since he likes locks on folders, and guards on knives in general.
So, to start, both of the knives here are lightly used, but unsharpened, and both from product lines a couple years old. The Queen in smooth cocobolo wood and D2 Steel--and for the life of me, I can't find a date reference for these anywhere online..--. And the Case from 2005 in jigged Navy blue bone and True Sharp SS.
Both are thin ground blades, and thin edged, the Queen is razor sharp as I have received it, and so was the Case when It was new. From my experience with Queen D2 on another knife, and from several in Cases' True Sharp(TS) SS, The D2 holds an edge longer, has better wear resistance, but the TS sharpens a little easier for the same reason.
The case is 4-3/8" closed with a 3-7/16" blade. Lockbar and blade are a hair more than 3/32" thick. The Queen is 4-1/2" closed with a 3-5/8" blade. Lockbar and blade are closer to 1/8" thick. Both just a hair under 3/8" thick.
The Queen has a bit of a hairline gap between the back side liner and the spring/lockbar, not enough to get a paper into but it will show light through if held to a light. The liners and spring/lockbar are smooth and even with each other. It is also gapless and smooth from wood to bolster, superbly well fit there.
The Case is Gap-less on the back from liners to spring/lockbar, and at the bone to bolster fit also. The Case has slightly more step up to the bolster from the handle than the Queen, but it is very slight in its own right-not more than any other quality knife.
Where the lockbar meets the rear spacer, the Case is a hair-line gap, the Queen has about a 1/16". The blades on both are centered both open and closed.
The Case Locks up tight when open, no lateral or side to side play. The Queen the same. The Case opening pull is a good mid range 6, and the Queen a lighter 4.5 close to 5. The Case catches a bit before it comes to the lock, and has to be pulled into locked open position-- That is not just this Cheetah, as i had at first suspected it a flaw- I have another one that is the same way, has to be pulled into the locked open position.--
The Queen on the other hand has spring at that point and snaps open like a well build slipjoint. The Queen is exceptionally smooth going both ways, more so than the Case, but the Case is far from being 'gritty' either- The queen just a bit better. They Both snap shut smoothly and with authority. The Queen lock releases with less pressure, but that might simple be because the Case is technically a mid-lock and has less leverage on the bar, and not lock spring strength.
Place where the case stops, and has to be pulled harder;
The guard on the Case is a bit tighter than on the Queen- on the case it locks up tight, both closed and open, wih no movement. On the Queen it will move 1/16" at the guard tip when closed, and about 3/32" when open. Hardly noticeable in use. The Queen guard is from thicker stock, and is 3/16" longer than on the Case.
I prefer the longer shallower clip to the Queen blade, and the straighter handle, but thats my preference. The Case has more of a coke bottle shape to the handle, the Queen as I said, straighter.
All in all, both Extremely well built IMO, and solid. Both a good choice if your in the market for a large locking knife with a guard.
Now, Honestly, this is a pattern that I am not really personaly interested in.. It has little to no use for me; I don't use single blade knives often, I don't feel a need for a lockback often(and am hindered by them usually), and a knife with a guard is almost useless to me; they just plain get in the way.
But, since I accepted this Queen in a trade (--The fellow threw it in as a bonus actually- he thought I could put it to more use than he was--) and I have access to a Case Cheetah that I got my Dad a couple years ago, I decided a comparison was in order.
-- And for anyone curious; Yes, Dad loves the Case- I got it for him since he likes locks on folders, and guards on knives in general.
So, to start, both of the knives here are lightly used, but unsharpened, and both from product lines a couple years old. The Queen in smooth cocobolo wood and D2 Steel--and for the life of me, I can't find a date reference for these anywhere online..--. And the Case from 2005 in jigged Navy blue bone and True Sharp SS.
Both are thin ground blades, and thin edged, the Queen is razor sharp as I have received it, and so was the Case when It was new. From my experience with Queen D2 on another knife, and from several in Cases' True Sharp(TS) SS, The D2 holds an edge longer, has better wear resistance, but the TS sharpens a little easier for the same reason.
The case is 4-3/8" closed with a 3-7/16" blade. Lockbar and blade are a hair more than 3/32" thick. The Queen is 4-1/2" closed with a 3-5/8" blade. Lockbar and blade are closer to 1/8" thick. Both just a hair under 3/8" thick.
The Queen has a bit of a hairline gap between the back side liner and the spring/lockbar, not enough to get a paper into but it will show light through if held to a light. The liners and spring/lockbar are smooth and even with each other. It is also gapless and smooth from wood to bolster, superbly well fit there.
The Case is Gap-less on the back from liners to spring/lockbar, and at the bone to bolster fit also. The Case has slightly more step up to the bolster from the handle than the Queen, but it is very slight in its own right-not more than any other quality knife.
Where the lockbar meets the rear spacer, the Case is a hair-line gap, the Queen has about a 1/16". The blades on both are centered both open and closed.
The Case Locks up tight when open, no lateral or side to side play. The Queen the same. The Case opening pull is a good mid range 6, and the Queen a lighter 4.5 close to 5. The Case catches a bit before it comes to the lock, and has to be pulled into locked open position-- That is not just this Cheetah, as i had at first suspected it a flaw- I have another one that is the same way, has to be pulled into the locked open position.--
The Queen on the other hand has spring at that point and snaps open like a well build slipjoint. The Queen is exceptionally smooth going both ways, more so than the Case, but the Case is far from being 'gritty' either- The queen just a bit better. They Both snap shut smoothly and with authority. The Queen lock releases with less pressure, but that might simple be because the Case is technically a mid-lock and has less leverage on the bar, and not lock spring strength.
Place where the case stops, and has to be pulled harder;
The guard on the Case is a bit tighter than on the Queen- on the case it locks up tight, both closed and open, wih no movement. On the Queen it will move 1/16" at the guard tip when closed, and about 3/32" when open. Hardly noticeable in use. The Queen guard is from thicker stock, and is 3/16" longer than on the Case.
I prefer the longer shallower clip to the Queen blade, and the straighter handle, but thats my preference. The Case has more of a coke bottle shape to the handle, the Queen as I said, straighter.
All in all, both Extremely well built IMO, and solid. Both a good choice if your in the market for a large locking knife with a guard.
