Stockman - Queen or Eye Brand

GregFL

GregFL

Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
564
I'm looking to pick up a large stockman in carbon steel (or D2) and I'm having a real hard time deciding on what to get. So far I've narrowed it down to either a Queen in honey amber stag bone or an Eye Brand in Stag. Anyone have experience with these or have something else they could recommend in that price range?
 
EYE BRAND !!!
I have numerous QUEEN pocketknives and there is always something about any particular one that irritates me. Their SCHATT&MORGAN brand has pleased me a bit more for sure.
On the other hand, I have never had any EYE BRAND pocketknife that just didn't tickle the dickens outta my heart all the way from the left to the right ventricle !! DAMN NOW !!!!. THIS IS A KNIFE !!! There is a 4 1/4" EYE BRAND stockman in my pocket as we speak. I always have it with me, even in my bathrobe.
I have had EYE BRAND's in nearly every pattern they make with the EYE BRAND high carbon steel and ALL have been excellent to use, to sharpen, to enjoy. And that wonderful high carbon steel they use that is wonderful stuff that comes sharp, holds a heck of an edge, and sharpens so nicely, so easily, and so smoothly.
 
I have both a large Eye brand (yellow composite) and a Queen Cattle King (amber stag bone). The Queen wins on appearance--hands down. However, I have never gotten the D2 where I want it (I've been successful with every other knife I own). The Eye Brand gets frighteningly sharp.

When I picked today's carry, it was for a place where a traditional knife would be the best choice (we'll leave it at that). Rather than several other patterns, I opted for a large stockman, and it came down to either the Queen or the Eye. One pass over my arm made the choice.

All this being said, they're both top choices.
 
If you're comfortable with reprofiling and/or sharpening 'premium' steel, the Queen D2 knives will amaze you with their edge-holding. But, as is currently being discussed in another current thread here ( http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=763233 ), the D2 blades on Queen knives all-too-frequently seem to come from the factory with very obtuse (thick) edge grinds. If you like sharpening with diamond hones, and are confident about (possibly) having to reprofile, I'd say go for the Queen.

On the other hand, the Eye Brand stockman is a beautiful knife (especially in stag). Good ol' Solingen carbon steel blades too. If you can handle sharpening the Queen D2, the Eye Brand should be a walk in the park.

I have both, and I love both (Queen 'Cattle King' large stockman, and the Eye Brand 425DS large stockman). It basically comes down to, 'how comfortable are you with sharpening your chosen knife to your liking?'
 
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if you are really fortunate you will find one of the schleipers [eye] made in the period prior to 1990. some of the early stocks & trappers not only were mirror polished on blades but also mirror polished on the inside of the frames. [backsprings].the carbon steel i used in the 80s skinned 3 mule deer & still shaved hair .[2 blade trapper] dennis
 
:D thank you greg, I've been looking for a stockman with stag and carbon blades, you inadvertently helped narrow down my search a whole lot :thumbup:
 
I'd throw the Queen made Moore Maker's and RAT knives in the mix as well...

Some images to provide food for thought:

Queen:

orig.jpg


Moore Maker (Queen):

standard.jpg


RAT (Ontario/Queen):

orig.jpg


Eye Brand (Synthetic):

orig.jpg


Eye Brand (Stag):

orig.jpg
 
I am an Eye Brand 'fan'; got a nice collection of these in stag and jigged bone. My 'main man' for carry is a 99S-DS, 4 5/8" 2 blade with a saw as secondary. superb user knife.
i just received a new Eye Brand 5 1/2" single blade knife in jigged bone.
Something about it is 'different' from all my other Eye Brands which are 'older'.
The quality does not seem the same. If it wasn't branded, i wouldn't place it as an E.B., whereas all my others have a similarity to each other in overall 'feel'.
I wonder if this new one is made by the same 'people' or place, as those of a few years back. And, there have been quite a few ebay sellers pop up with "New Eye Brand" knives in the last 2-3 months.
Something is going on with these knives.
So Beware ! find an older one, even from just 2 or 3 years back. some dealers likely still have stock.
Dennis S. above alludes to the same thing.
roland
 
WIL TERRY said:
EYE BRAND !!!
I have numerous QUEEN pocketknives and there is always something about any particular one that irritates me. Their SCHATT&MORGAN brand has pleased me a bit more for sure.
On the other hand, I have never had any EYE BRAND pocketknife that just didn't tickle the dickens outta my heart all the way from the left to the right ventricle !! DAMN NOW !!!!. THIS IS A KNIFE !!! There is a 4 1/4" EYE BRAND stockman in my pocket as we speak. I always have it with me, even in my bathrobe.
I have had EYE BRAND's in nearly every pattern they make with the EYE BRAND high carbon steel and ALL have been excellent to use, to sharpen, to enjoy. And that wonderful high carbon steel they use that is wonderful stuff that comes sharp, holds a heck of an edge, and sharpens so nicely, so easily, and so smoothly.
Click to expand...

+1
Best regards.
 
rprocter said:
I am an Eye Brand 'fan'; got a nice collection of these in stag and jigged bone. My 'main man' for carry is a 99S-DS, 4 5/8" 2 blade with a saw as secondary. superb user knife.
i just received a new Eye Brand 5 1/2" single blade knife in jigged bone.
Something about it is 'different' from all my other Eye Brands which are 'older'.
The quality does not seem the same. If it wasn't branded, i wouldn't place it as an E.B., whereas all my others have a similarity to each other in overall 'feel'.
I wonder if this new one is made by the same 'people' or place, as those of a few years back. And, there have been quite a few ebay sellers pop up with "New Eye Brand" knives in the last 2-3 months.
Something is going on with these knives.
So Beware ! find an older one, even from just 2 or 3 years back. some dealers likely still have stock.
Dennis S. above alludes to the same thing.
roland
Click to expand...
Roland is right. You have to be careful.A guy in my department at work liked mine so he bought one and the stag was so thick the knife was an inch across.
 
Thanks everyone for all the input. For the past few months I've been picking a pattern that I like, then deciding on a manufacturer. So far I've picked up several Queens in D2 and one Eye Brand Whittler ... that's the problem, I really like both brands. If I weren't economically challenged (four daughters with one starting college in a couple of weeks) I would just get both.

The Eye Brand seems to be to be winning so I guess I'll start contacting some dealers to see if they have one with thinner dark bumpy looking stag. I should have them look at the one Blues has, because his serves as the benchmark for all other stag to be judged.;)

Let the search begin.
 
Eye Brand is nice. Very smooth open/close. Slight blade play but this one got used daily for about 5 years. Just tell them you want your stag thin and ask them to pick one out for you and they will most likely be accomodating.

P1010006-7.jpg
 
I have both Queen and Eye Brand pocket knives. The Queens are well made and have good fit and finish but the edges are so damn bad I will not buy any more! If you can make a good knife you can finish and put a sharp using edge on it. Look at the Buck knives even the China Buck's come with a good using sharp edge that holds up. Back to Queen knives are Congress and Congress pens 2 Mountain men and 2 Canoes along with a Sodbuster and a couple of Trappers. All but one of the Canoes were butter knife dull with thick edges. I thinned and sharpened the Sodbuster D2 which took about an hour to get a very good edge on it. The one Canoe that was half sharp was carbon steel Classic. Now, the Eye Brand were easy to sharpen as they are carbon steel and ground properly to sharpen up easily. Eye Brand are 2 Congess pens one Stag one Yellow Synthetic which looks a lot like aged Ivory but it is not and a Yellow Sodbuster. All these edges were groung thin and took only a few minutes to have a shaving edge. The fit and finish is hit and miss but good steel. I have had a couple of Stainless Stockmans over the years and they held a good edge but I prefer the carbon. See if you can deal with someone who will check the quality of the knife before shipping. I agree with some of the other folks here that some of the newest Eye Brands might be made somewhere other than Germany. No proof but most of the old German brands have been sold off and are now made off shore. Good luck.

RKH
 
I've got an 'Eye' on its way, not a Stockman but another pattern. After what I've read about the quality possibly being on the wane, I'll report back on my knife.
As for German marques being sold off and thus Chinese, not sure about this,could be the case. Böker -Solingen are German-made and a very good knife for not much money,well worth trying out. Their Large Stockman is available in several bone choices and is carbon . Why not try this?Queen Cutlery often has this dullness issue-but not always, half of mine have come very keen indeed. Their Amber Carved Stag Bone and the previous white coloured Carved Stag Bone are VERY attractive and desirable handle choices.
 
My main issues with the German made Boker's that I've owned in the past few years are soft (light) springs and relatively soft steel (1075 normally at a mid 50's Rockwell rating).

I have one currently that is allegedly 1095 and has better springs but I haven't put it through its paces as yet.
 
Interesting, I've one Böker with a softish spring, still snaps though. The others which are all, I believe post 2007 are satisfying snappers alright. The Congress in Red Bone is borderline nail puller... Steel seems to stay sharp OK, does patina faster than CV though, don't know if that reflects the hardness or not?

The Large Stockman is very nice in their Washboard Bone, Grand Canyon, Red Bone and particularly the Appaloosa Bone which has a different shield. Got hold of a Whittler in that bone and it's getting a lot of time in the trouser. I've got Bökers at very reasonable prices like under 40USD plus shipping and been pleased with all of them.
 
Here's a pic of some of my Eye Brand knives. he new 5 1/2" single blade Trapper is at the bottom.

customs001-18.jpg


Here it is with a 4 3/4" Stockman and my trusty 4 3/4" 2 blade Sodbuster style.

customs005-10.jpg


This pic shows how scales are thinner and not radiused on the new one as well as a gap between spring and liner along pile side.

customs007-8.jpg


The spring on the new one is wimpy whereas all the others are strong. The big Stockman 'bit' me twice as i tried to postion blades for these pics.
The jigging is also different.
roland
 
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