Queen vs GEC

T

thesouthernguitarist

Joined
Aug 19, 2010
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Okay, I hate to start yet another thread pretty much asking, "Which one". It shows that I am a little unexperienced. :D I have decided that I am willing to drop about $80-$100 on a really nice folder. Its a toss up between the Queen Cattle King (stockman) or a GEC of some sort. Most likely pioneer trapper style. How do they compare in quality? Fit and Finish. Etc.. Thanks for reading & Merry Christmas
 
I would go with the GEC. But they are both great companies, and they both make great knives. I do think that GEC overall makes a better knife though.
 
Yeah GEC know how to sharpen a knife, the Queen you will likely need to completely reprofile the edge...I like queens knives, I own some of them and love their choice of bone and the D2 takes a wicked edge for a long time. But have some good diamond sharpening equipment for the Queen.
 
Hi there Southern,
NOW this is going to be a contest, I have the Queen Stockman, and as you saw earlier the G.E.C Jack...I personally believe that both these knives are on a perfect level when it comes to quality for fit and finish, the bone on my Queen is simply awesome...and the Stag on my G.E.C the same.
The Queen having d2 tool steel, and the G.E.C has 1095 Carbon blades ( on this model ), both have fans of those two types of steel - me, Im afraid I dony know enough to realy comment about the steel,but am happy with what I have read about it....heres my Queen stockman, and once again my G.E.C...Hope this help you compare :)

The Queen stockman on the right, on the left is my ol' beaut! :D
Picture014.jpg


And my gem of a knife, the G.E.C Jack..
Picture017-2.jpg
 
Learning to maintain and sharpen a knife is part of the process (and joy) of owning fine knives.

If you're willing to invest your time and money in the pursuit of knowledge about (and the acquisition) of) the knives, you will be well served to learn about sharpening and investing a little money in the tools to accomplish this.

You don't have to spend a lot to have adequate sharpening tools but you'll want to add to your current arsenal. (Diamond and ceramic hones (and jigs) will go a long way toward addressing most of your needs.)

As to the original question...both companies make great knives and you should probably choose the pattern, blade and scale selection that appeals to you. The chances are that the knife you receive from either company will need to have the edges addressed.
 
Well actually, I do have a spyderco sharpmaker. I forgot to mention that. But i am in the process of perfecting the technique. I think I am leaning towards the GEC due to the fact that my sharpening skills are inadequate.
 
Personally I would go with the Queen every time. I like their steel and their choice of patterns.

Dave
 
it really depends on how much you want to spend. a queen can be had at $50-60. but you can get a GEC for $20-30 more. is it worth the extra money? i'd say yes. is it necessary? i'd say no. both brands will serve you well. i tend to stay away from brand new queens after hearing how the blades come from the factory. although, a few gecs i bought had a problem similar to queen.
 
I have a couple of knives of both manufacturers. If you don't have anything coarser then the standard sharpmaker, I would go with GEC's 1095. It'll save you some headaches... If however you have the equipment to put a good edge on a D2 blade...don't hesitate, it'll be worth it! And then, as said earlier, it'll come down to what pattern you prefer.
I have a slight preference for GEC (ease of sharpening), although my Queens are definitely worth it (thinking about the simple but absolutely fantastic country cousin right now, I'm a fan of sodbusters...what can I say :-)).
As a side note , both brands tend to put out more or less a dull blade, the Queen a bit more than GEC..
 
If you get to handle and inspect the knives first, then either one will do.
If you have to buy sight unseen on the internet, then there is no doubt I would go with GEC.

I have bought knives directly from GEC, and from a dealer. I had to send one back for having a loose blade. They service was great, and the knife was repaired properly and returned promptly.

Queen is the absolute worst knife manufacturer I have had the displeasure of dealing with. One of my absolute favorite knives is a Queen Mini Trapper w/D2 blades, I love it! Too bad their customer service is total garbage.

Buy from a good dealer you can talk to before you buy, and make sure an exchange will be handled by the dealer if there is a problem with your new knife, and you should be OK.
 
thesouthernguitarist said:
Well Im a little screwed, I tend to like the Queen Stockman better than the GEC's but I do not have the skill or equipment to sharpen a Queen :(
Click to expand...

It isnt too expensive to get some diamond stones and the tinker and embellishments forum I learnt a lot there in no time...you need to learn to sharpen properly one day, get the queen and start learning (use a cheap blade to practice your angles).

:)
 
FLymon said:
If you get to handle and inspect the knives first, then either one will do.
If you have to buy sight unseen on the internet, then there is no doubt I would go with GEC.

I have bought knives directly from GEC, and from a dealer. I had to send one back for having a loose blade. They service was great, and the knife was repaired properly and returned promptly.

Queen is the absolute worst knife manufacturer I have had the displeasure of dealing with. One of my absolute favorite knives is a Queen Mini Trapper w/D2 blades, I love it! Too bad their customer service is total garbage.

Buy from a good dealer you can talk to before you buy, and make sure an exchange will be handled by the dealer if there is a problem with your new knife, and you should be OK.
Click to expand...

My experience has been just the opposite, GEC was the worst manufacture that I've had the displeasure of dealing with. :thumbdn:
 
I went to the GEC website and, I just couldn't help myself, I ended up ordering four knives from them. Holy Cow! But they sure look great.

I got a Queen Sodbuster in D2 & Yellow Delrin last week, it's a really cool knife; Well made, blade perfectly centered. High quality knife, especially for the money.

The one thing I noticed about GEC is they seem to make knives in small batches, most of what I ordered were from lots of 12-16 knives available.

3 of the 4 I ordered appeared to have just been added to the catalogue this month, they have what appear to be some beautiful offerings available right now.

What I am finding (as a newbie) is that quality seems to vary from a lot of the manufacturers.

Bill
 
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