Queen Cutlery question

I don't mind having to sharpen a new knife, I expect to. Not many knives come from the factory sharp enough to suit me. My objection on the Queen main blades on my D2 Stockman and Whittler was the thickness behind the edge. I swear, the thickness at the shoulder between the edge bevel and the main grind was more than the thickness at the spine on the smaller blades. I wouldn't mind the cold chisel edge bevel if they finished grinding the blade into something usable.
 
xbxb said:
I don't understand the beef about the edge. Just sharpen the dang thing. You're probably going to do that anyway. This way you can put the edge you want on it. When I buy a knife I don't expect it to come razor sharp out of the box and when I sharpen it eventually I would probably change what the factory has done.
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My beef with their dull edges isn't that I will have to sharpen the knife - I'm a knife knut, it's what I do. No, mine is a frustration in knowing that 90+ percent of the people who get a dull knife from Queen are going to be very upset. They DO think that for $40 a knife ought to come sharp. And they will not buy another Queen. And they'll tell their friends not to buy Queen. And they'll post on internet boards that folks ought not to buy Queen. And then Queen will see declining sales. And then yet another American knife company will go under ala Schrade and Camillus. And still more Americans will lose jobs. THIS is what ticks me off. Do the folks at Queen not understand what a buyers' market this is?! If Joe Customer can get a SHARP knife from Victorinox or Case or Kershaw or Spyderco or Buck or Benchmade or Byrd or ... then why would they put up with a dull edge that will be a stone cold bitch to re-profile on a Queen knife?
 
I truly don't understand any knife company that can't sharpen a knife. BUT Queen makes sweet slipjoints, so I will keep buying them and sharpening them!
 
It's funny that someone mentioned Leatherman. The only blade I didn't have to sharpen out of the box was on a lowly Leatherman Squirt. Great bevel, smooth, scary sharp blade. Go figure.
 
Hmmm - interesting posts. I was thinking about getting a traditional folder - something in stag or jigged bone maybe. Must definitely be made in the U.S.A. (Seems that just about everything is made in China nowadays.) Guess its a touch of nostalgia on my part. - - I was about to order a Queen but would be displeased if the knife came to me dull. Are we talking that theyre not "forum visiting, knife nut pleasing sharp" or are they actually "butter knife dull" from the factory ? Yeah, I know you can sharpen a knife & probably will do so before you get it the way you want it - - - but truly dull knife doesn't do it for me. If I wanted a dull knife I'd buy the cheap China imports. - - -
 
Let me assure you, some cheap Chinese imports come with a fit and finish to be admired, and razor sharp.
At $9 a piece I am giving them as gift left right and centre.
And for folks that this is almost their first knife, they are thrilled.

But...

They are no where near the quality of a Queen.
I pick up a Queen and know I have a well made knife with a very good steel, and it meets my expectation of (coming back to the same word) a quality knife.

It was funny when I showed my daughter an excellent Rough Rider sawcut bone stockman and my small Queen stockman in Delrin.
I expected her to pick up the Rough Rider because of the flutted bolsters and the bone, but she skipped to the Queen and said, "Oh Daddy, nice".

Yes, certainly it would be much better to receive the blades with a good factory grind.
But sooner or later you are going to sharpen the knife.
Sooner or later you will hone the knife to your use.
So if the Queen does not come with a good factory grind, then do it yourself.

Of note, all the four Queens I have came with an acceptable factory grind.
I have four more on the way, so I will see more.
 
I like my queen knives, I think they are a good knife for the money and I like that they are made in the U.S. That being said I have had to sharpen all the queen knives I've bought in d2 and that dosen't bother me. I also heard that back in days past that new slipjoints never had an edge on them when new, that way you could sharpen the edge the way you wanted it. If I'm wrong about this feel free to correct me.

Steve
 
Bought my first Case knife ever about a week ago---a CV trapper---its one of the sharpest factory new knives I've ever purchased---no touch ups needed---yet.
 
Time to refresh this thread:thumbup:

And I'm pleased to take back my previous words about Queen edges on the strength of the new one the post-man just handed me:D

It's a Queen CSB single blade Barehead Trapper that came from the Bay for 30 dollars plus freight which is very good. The knife is fine quality, nice and slim as I really like single bladers.Excellent finish and an edge that's sharp and as good as its production competitors, no build faults either. Well done Queen:thumbup:

I think the carved stag bone from 2005 is an excellent scale choice, too bad its out of production I like the cream and dark combination. Now all I need to do is hoard my ill gotten gains & get an R.Bose 3.25" single blade Barehead Trapper, but somehow I suspect it will cost a bit more than 30 dollars:eek:

Last point. About Bonestag which CASE and Queen and many others use, it's a very nice material and in many ways better than inferior grade stag, but too bad no manufacturers try and reproduce the look you get on old Sheffield stag or some German, dark,rich, the sort of thing smiling-knife frequently posts:thumbup: Anyway, I really like my latest D2 knife from Queen!
 
I just got a Queen Barehead Trapper in their brown delrin.
A couple of passes on the extra fine DMT and it is sharp.

Getting delrin handled puts it directly into being a user.
Not as pretty as an other handle, but it is going to get used well!

A fine knife.

Been in my pocket the whole day!
 
What Queen pattern number is the barehead trapper? Just curious since I dont recall seeing a Queen trapper with no lower bolster.
 
knifeaholic, right you are!

My mistake, it is a Carved Stag Bone SLIMLINE TRAPPER and hence does have the lower bolster. single blade about 4.5" overall. Box says No.11 carved stag Bone. Thanks for bringing this up, my enthusiasm got the better of detail.

Still a very fine knife and well-slim for pocket carry:thumbup:
 
I wish they had not done away with their carved stag bone--some of the best around.
 
I only have one Queen and it performs well. I don't mind doing a touch up on a knifes edge as long as there are no other problems (see the link to my thread posted above on Case). However with my Queen I had to set the bevels entirely by hand- butter knife dull is an underexaduration. It took me through the entire movie "The Corpse Bride" just to get the main blade to an acceptable edge. Maybe I have had bad luck with slipjoints but all of my older ones show better fit and finish, and nearly all of my clip carry folders are made better. If the Byrd line of knives comes sharp, with great tolerances between lock bar and blade (still can't think of the right term), and Opinels come hair shaving sharp why can't more expensive slipjoints? This kind of experience is enough to make others less addicted to knives move on as the "old timers" knives do not offer as much quality for the price (but I am addicted so I'll give other traditional folder manufacturers a try if I come across them). Just how I see things.
 
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