Queen or GEC?

Bigfattyt

Bigfattyt

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Jun 23, 2007
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Title says it all.

For a nearly first timer on traditionals (some one stole my old timer stockman in the 4th grade, and I never replaced it........now here I am 20+ years later eying traditional slipjoints again).

Queen slip joint in D2 steel, or GEC in 1095. Assuming same model. (IE Queen Sunfish in D2, or GEC Sunfish in 1095).

Or even a Schatt & Morgan in ATS34.

Any other production slip joint that gives better fit and finish in the same price range?

Fit? Finish? Out of the box edge? Edge retention?

What do you think?
 
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Queen makes some nice knives but in all honesty the D2 blade will need work out of the box. Once you get her there though that D2 will hold an edge for a long time. The S&M ATS34 blades are shaving new and is my fave steel, F&F is top shelf but IIRC the ATS34 models were all on the big side. Speaking of big, GECs were on the large side but lately have put out more pocket friendly models, the F&F is top shelf and sharp out of the box, they also have super selections in the scale material dept. esp. the acrylics. IMHO I would start with a GEC.
 
First of all to address the issue of Queen's poor factory grinds
You will have to work on the D2 with diamond stones
If this is a deal breaker, read no further.

Both are excellent cutlers and produce very good knives.
I will compare a 4 1/4" stockman in bone

Price:
Queen start at $40 for a single blade and go to $65 for larger stockman
GEC start at $60 for a single blade and then seriously up to $90 for larger stockman, and higher easily for the more dificult patterns

Patterns:
Queen has a classical selection of patterns in both patterns, naming and sizing, so as an example the three sizes for the stockman progress on different frames for a classical stockmans
GEC has a wider selection of patterns, but are based on a smaller selection of frames, so the same frame is used for many different blade configurations

Scales:
Queen has a very small choice of scales, now one lovely Amber Bone and two woods, Maple and Zebra
GEC has a seemingly infinite choice from Acrylic to amazing Stag

Steel:
Queen D2 is very good indeed, and holds a sharp working edge for a long long time. It patinas to grey after a long time
GEC carbon is classic, looses it working edge faster but is easy to sharpen into a fine edge.

F&F:
Queen is good with lovely swedging, with a good walk and talk, not too soft and not too stiff. They will have sometimes small gaps between the springs and the liners
GEC is excellent but sometimes stiff to open

Other very high quality brands in similar price ranges, that you cannot go wrong
S&M Gunstock for $78 in SS
MooreMaker for $80+ in carbon
Canal Street for $75 in SS


I personally prefer a $65 Queen Stockman in D2 to a $90 GEC in Carbon
I feel for the price I am getting more bang for my bucks
But you get what you pay for
Queen feels like a classic working knife
 
GEC by a mile.

I've had great personal experiences with GEC, they are hometown cutlery. They open themselves up to their customers, and they are personal in their approach. I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling with Queen, I haven't yet had a "perfect" knife either. I have 6 Queen cutlery knives, 3 of them are new production knives, and they all have multiple issues. The one that really gets to me though is a knife that I bought while at the queen show a couple years back. I don't have the best job in the world, as far as money is concerned, so when I buy a knife I do research before making that decision. I had a couple bucks put away for this event, I wanted to get a GEC, that was my goal, but after talking with a fellow collector he mentioned how great Queen's show knife was. So I wandered over, and it did look very good, so I asked to see one. One of Queens employees, I think even one of the big wigs, handed me the show knife. It was a dark room so I didn't have the best view of the bone, but I liked the keystone shield, and the price wasn't bad, so I laid the money down. It wasn't until I was half way home that I pulled the knife out again to get a better look. I loved the box and the way it was wrapped, it looked o so neat to me. I slipped the knife out of the package only to find two beautiful cracks running down the knife. So I kinda swore off of Queen. When I did return to them, the next knife I got had all kind of blade centering issues, and it wobbled like crazy.
 
Don't try to force a big difference

Together they represent home :D
 
Queen makes some nice knives. I don't care much for their main line though. Especially since they've been using some fairly ho-hum handle scales for the past few years. In general, I think GEC does a much better job with fit and finish, and they definitely have more interesting/ nicer scale options.

GEC is as good as it gets for production slip joints these days, in my humble opinion. Especially for their stag, which is frequently outstanding. And they (usually, these days) come sharp, with good bevels already established.
 
go for GEC IMO, the last batches are awesome
they cut great, great steel and finish
 
If you have access to diamond hones and don't mind reprofiling blades, the Queen D2 models in amber stag bone are the most knife for the money. Their F&F is slightly below the other two (GEC and S&M) but they are considerably less expensive ($45-$75).
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I think the S&M File and Wire series III knives are the best production knives I've ever owned. The bone is gorgeous, the ATS-34 steel comes sharp and holds a great edge, and they have beautiful bolster detailing as well. These will average the highest prices of the three, but they are pretty much only on the secondary market except for the newest releases ($80-$150).
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Especially if you don't have diamond sharpeners, the GEC may be the most practical choice. Their F&F is great, their 1095 (Tidioute and Northfield brands) and their 440C (acorn shielded folders) are both great steels, and they have a ton of choices in both patterns and handle materials ($60-$120 for acrylic, wood or bone; $125-$200 for stag).
BlueDenimJack.jpg

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I think there have been some good, valid points made here about the different makers. Since you are looking at knives that are better than average to begin with, I believe that you should pick the pattern you like, weigh which type of steel best suits your purpose, and look at handle materials. The difference in the price won't be that large one way or another, and if this is a knife that you will have for many years, it probably won't matter.

On a personal thought, I have had great luck with Queen and absolutely love their D2. If you are experienced at sharpening, D2 is a snap with diamond rods. I like the D2 because it doesn't rust in my very sweaty pockets. I also have the Dan Burke medium stockman and the half whittler, and they have 12C27 blades that are great. I have a few Queens, and like them all. Only one S&M, but it is a fine example of knife making. Out of all of those knives, the Queens were hit and miss on the edges, and the S&M came very sharp.

To me, I think the most important part of this process is to find somewhere that you can look at the knives and to feel them in your hand. Fit and finish are very important, but if you don't like the knife after you get it, you won't carry it. We don't have but one knife shop in out city, but we have something like 15 gun shows a year. There is always a few knife dealers there, and they are glad to show you their wares. Sometimes you can even get a good price on things if you keep an eye out.

And of course, buy from a reputable dealer. If you don't like the knife when you get it, or if its fit and finish aren't up to your standards, they will take it back if it is undamaged.

Robert
 
I asked literally the same question a while back, they pointed me to GEC, and now I have a new favorite brand. I only have a Barlow at the moment, but I've been EDC'ing it every day since I got it and has yet to disappoint me as a tough little finger knife. Now I'm eying a Serpentine Jack (there's no helping me now lol). If you absolutely need D2, go for the Queen, but the 1095 isn't bad either. It's well treated and has needed little attention since I got it.
 
I just received a new Queen 2 blade Copperhead in 1095 steel. Finish and fit was perfect, the edge on both blades left a lot to be desired. The edges were like butter knives. Spent a little time putting a bevel on them and now I have a very nice user. If I were to do it again I would spend the extra cash on a GEC and maybe I would not have to go through the process of getting rid of a thick cutting edge. In all honesty I knew that I would have to do this if I bought a Queen.
 
My only complaint about GEC knives are that some I've gotten have been literal nail breakers. If it literally breaks my nails, why would I carry it? After a while, the blades become broken in, but they still have more snap than most other brands. They come sharper than most of the other slipjoints I own/have owned, with notable exception being my Case Bose Tribal Spear. However, I am used to the out of the box edges on Spyderco/Chris Reeve etc, and expect a scary sharp edge on every knife I buy, regardless of what type it is (if my SAKs can be razor sharp, why can't my other slipoints). GEC offers a lot of nice patterns, and although a lot of models are taken out of circulation after a couple years, most are easily available on the secondary market.

Queen makes some of the nicest slipjoints out there, in my opinion, however, their major fault has to be their edges right out of the box. I had a Mountain Man lockback that had horrible wiggle and blade edge. I sent it to them, and they did not sharpen the edge, did nothing for the blade wobble, and sent the knife back covered in thick black oil residue. I have owned many different knives from them, and most needed an edge touchup (not counting those bought or traded for on the secondary market). I bought a Queen canoe, and Mountain Man slipjoint last year, and the MM had an almost razor sharp edge. Even though they were gotten on the secondary market, I have an older Winchester moose from the 80's made by Queen, a Vintage collaboration and a Schatt and Morgan large jackknife (popedandy, what model is that?)and the Dan Burke barlow collaborations. Great knives. All are great knives.

After working the springs in on the GEC's, or sharpening the Queen/SM etc, either brand will give you years of service.
 
I've had good luck with each of the major brands including Case which received little mention. Uncommonly, I've found small defects on every brand except one: Schatt & Morgan. But my daily using knife is most often a Queen Dan Burke Barlow with D2 steel. Hope we don't lose any more of our U.S. knife manufacturers.
 
My preference is towards GEC. They have been more consistent in F&F for me. I do like Queen's D2 though, they make great users at friendlier prices than most GECs.
 
Between the two, I really had no experience with Queen until recently and I'll touch on that in a moment.

Before I ever bought my first GEC, I would dig around the online dealers and look at the pictures posted my the membership, and I always thought they were a beautiful knife. Then I ordered one...

When that knife came out of the tube and in my hand...it was love at first sight! LOL. Before that day my slip joint experience was mainly from makes such as Buck and Schrade Uncle Henry and Old Timer, as well as the few Case knives I have (I have a soft spot for Case as well). That GEC IMHO...was perfect. The stag was unbelievable, the F&F was superb and the blades were sharp enough to pop hair. Since then I have picked a couple more so I have three now, and they are all just as equally perfect. I can't find a single issue with any of them. It's been a couple weeks since I bought one...so I'm starting to get the itch again, LOL!!

Last week I was digging around on the "bay" and came across what looked a really nice Queen #64 Amber Bone Canoe that was going for a really sweet price. The starting bid was relatively low and I noticed nobody else was bidding on it, so I waited. The next day I was surprised to see that there were still no bids on that knife...so in the final seconds I shot out a bid and acquired that knife. It came in the mail yesterday and I must say...this is really a very nice knife. It's very well made and one thing I noticed was that it had some weight to it. I mean this knife feels pretty substantial in my hand. As far as being sharp...it took a couple swipes, but it was popping hair off my arm. So I wouldn't say it is razor sharp but definitely a nice edge.

So here I am with a GEC addiction and I also find myself looking at additional Queen's ... now that I actually have one.

I guess I have been fairly lucky as the last several knives I have bought have been without fault...except for a Hen & Rooster Sowbelly that is so dull, I bet it wouldn't scratch hot butter.
 
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Thanks for the input so far.

A quick question. I normally convex all my edges (I have a grinder, but normally on small blades just do it by hand). Any issues with D2 steel and sandpaper? The sandpaper I use is silicone carbide, which I would anticipate will be harder than the D2. I use a loaded strop to maintain my edges with chromium oxide....Any comments on effectiveness on D2?
 
Once the D2 is sharp (sandpaper should be fine), all you will need is the strop to make the hair pop!
 
I have sharpened D2 with AO and blue zirc belts no problem :)

I wouldn't let that stop you, but I would go with GEC. I am just partial to the brand at this point. The 1095 is a great performer.
 
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