Queen Cutlery 'Dawn of a New Era' knife...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
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In my hands now, and initial inspection makes me very happy... Not a dainty knife at 4" long in closed position... It is what I wanted in my first MOP knife for my collection :)
 
Very good to hear. Glad to see you got a great knife, and that the recent production is top notch. I hope to pick up some Queen knives from Ryan or his wife at the Chesapeake Show in a couple weeks.
 
Thanks, guys! :-) I did notice what I feel to be a design flaw, not a manufacturing defect... The swedge along the spine of the main blade causes the nail nick to be shallow. I mean, the swedge and match strike notching looks super cool, imo, but is less practical because it does leave that shallow nail nick. Hey, that is the only somewhat negative point I will say about this knife... She is a beauty! :-)
 
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Jimmy, I've noticed the same thing on several of my swedged knives - the nick being inside the swedge can be pretty, but detracts from functionality. For example, on a couple larger folders I own, the blades would be easily pinchable if the nick weren't buried in a swedge (or if the swedge were not cut in as far back as to include the nail nick's real estate).
 
puukkoman said:
Jimmy, I've noticed the same thing on several of my swedged knives - the nick being inside the swedge can be pretty, but detracts from functionality. For example, on a couple larger folders I own, the blades would be easily pinchable if the nick weren't buried in a swedge (or if the swedge were not cut in as far back as to include the nail nick's real estate).
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Yes, sir, well said, and I totally agree. But, I will forgive them this one time for making it up on being so well assembled and so darned pretty... But, only this one time! ;)
 
Got out of work at 8pm and got to working on finishing up my inspection of the new knife. My initial impressions still stand, I am happy with this purchase. I am glad I did not procrastinate any longer on making this purchase, because I do believe there are very few left out there to buy... and I think I almost lost out. Anyhow, here are a few basic pics I took while I wiped her down and prepared her for her new display case...

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silenthunterstudios said:
Is it 420?
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Yes, this one is 420 (I believe 420hc). This type of knife is the sort I want being in stainless. They are very much made for the collector or the Sunday church type gentlemen... It being the pocket jewelery that it is, I am okay with this choice of steel. Now my small collection of Queen knives include 440a, 420hc, D2, and ats34... and the diversity of my collection continues :)

Oh, btw... besides the stainless steel blades, abalone and mother of pearl handle material, the knife has nickel silver bolsters, pins, and liners.
 
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If you don't mind my asking, which Queen did you get in 440A?
 
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Frank, that would be my one and only fixed blade Queen knife. It only says 440, but my understanding was that it's 440A.
 
Thanks. Probably is. Hadn't realized they had used that.
 
That looks terrific :thumbup:

I've eyed up that knife many times but every time I go to buy something jumps ahead...darn it! :p
 
Thanks, zippofan :) There are two handle scale materials that I did not have, but wanted to add to the collection... Ivory & Mother of Pearl. Though I still would love a knife with Ivory, I really like the exotic look of MOP much more. This particular knife has such nice looking scales, that if I never get another MOP knife, I'll be okay with that :) I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for my eyes.... The beauty of mother of pearl is higher and at a fraction of the cost of Ivory. I had passed up on other mop knives because they seemed too small, or were older used knives with rusted carbon steel blades.... I wanted impressive... and this truly does it, imo :)
If I seem happy with this Queen choice I made... Yup, most certainly am ;)
 
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My readings about the Queen firm, is not only that it's one of the oldest remaining U.S. traditional pocket knife producers, but also one of the American firms that was bold enough to start putting out products using some of the early stainless cutlery steels available back in the day. It may not have been the greatest of steels, but they worked with stainless pretty early on, and have continued to make traditional knives with stainless.... though now the quality of stainless has improved greatly. I, for one, am very glad that Queen is offering so many choices in their blade steels. I do need to add one of their 1095 steel blade knives at some point.... keeps things diverse :)
 
420 is not my first choice, but if they are giving it the same heat treat that Buck does, then I am looking forward to getting a Queen scout knife from Ryan Daniels at the Chesapeake show.
 
I'm sure a company with the history of Queen, will do pretty consistant heat treating on their steel... But, with Buck having hired Paul Bos to do their heat treating, and then semi retiring, but showing Buck the moe joes he uses, it may be alot to ask of Queen to duplicate what that guru of heat treating can do with any grade of steel (he simply knows how to get the most out of whatever the steel has to give) :) Not sure if the pattern you want is available in other steels from Queen, but I do know they have their standard Queen Cutlery line in mostly D2.
 
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Dan, if you like Buck's 420HC steel, then I predict you'll have no problem with Queen's.

(I can't remember what the "PH" stands for, but many Queen knives are stamped "PH-D2" to indicate something about the heat treating process. I seem to recall its having to do with someone well-known in that respect, and his process being used to temper the D2 steel. I would think that they also apply a tried-and-true HT schedule to their stainless.)
 
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