Tell me about Schatt and Morgan knives.

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TheEdge01

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Apr 3, 2015
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How does Schatt and Morgan compare to Case when it comes to QC. I have never held one but they seem to be on par with case as far as pricing is concerned. I’m not sure what the difference is, but they have another product line that is “File and Wire” tested. Is their 1095 quality on par with GEC? Thanks
 
JohnDF said:
A well put-together S&M is a bit better than the "average" Case knife, in my opinion.
Later Queen/S&M knives had some quality control issues though. So be selective in your purchase.
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I agree. If you're looking to buy one I suggest buying from an individual who can evaluate the actual knife in question before you buy it. They can be very, very good knives but they can be just the opposite too.

I think the File & Wire series have upgraded stainless steel blades. Mostly ATS-34 as far as I know but there may be a few with other steels. My experience with their 1095 is too limited to comment.
 
My first high quality slipjoint, the one that lead to all others, was a Schatt & Morgan. It was the seed from which my affection for slipjoints germinated.

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It gives up nothing to GEC in terms of quality.
 
Queen was my favorite knife company. Schatt & Morgan was allegedly their upmarket brand, and the file and wire tested mark the best of that brand. Others have had problems with the Queen brands quality--I never especially have. Nice knifes with some terrific scales.
 
I have over 100 post 1970 Case knives. I have had a half dozen S&M's. Without exception, every S&M was resold (rather quickly). My experience with S&M has been poor - it's all due to QC issues I would not accept even in a new Case knife. I kept thinking I must have just got a lemon ... I must be a little slow, it took me a half dozen stinkers to come to this realization. I will never buy another S&M unless its at a knife show & get to handle and inspect it first.
 
Lansky1 said:
I have over 100 post 1970 Case knives. I have had a half dozen S&M's. Without exception, every S&M was resold (rather quickly). My experience with S&M has been poor - it's all due to QC issues I would not accept even in a new Case knife. I kept thinking I must have just got a lemon ... I must be a little slow, it took me a half dozen stinkers to come to this realization. I will never buy another S&M unless its at a knife show & get to handle and inspect it first.
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If you don’t mind me asking, are they notorious for certain issues, or is it one of the “You don’t know till you try it” situations? Brands like Schatt and Morgan and GEC aren’t sold around here, so I pretty much have to head south to Sevierville or order them online.
 
Queen is dead, so any Schatts you find are old production and most likely not new. There's a lot of "new old stock" floating around though.

I have 4, two in ATS34 and two in 1095. They date from 2000 to 2010 except for one 1992 one. Every one well worth the money. They aren't really like Case, Schatts are more "premium" than a normal Case, better design, crisper, nicer swedges, but sometimes the edge is a little too wide, but I know how to use a hone :). Their 1095 is excellent as well as their bone and stag.
 
I would say when looking for Schatt & Morgan knives, try to buy knives made before 2008. I cannot speak to their consistency after then however. One of the first knives I ever bought at a show was a 2005 S&M. It’s a sowbelly pattern and a perfect build. Also check out the Railsplitter patterns from that time frame too! After all, our own Charlie/waynorth used to have his SFOs made by Queen, back in those days too! Pre 2006/before GEC.
 
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I like Schatt and Morgan knives, but as other have stated, it just depends on what year it was made, etc. I only have 3 Schatts and all were bought used on the 2ndary market off bladeforums. They all look great but the fit and finish isn't as good as GEC but very close. One Schatt has pretty good side to side play, but I mainly use the knife for cutting leather so it is no biggie and just love how it looks and feels.
 
Here are my Schatts:




Anyone know what model this knife and any other info (like year)?? I absolutely love the jigging on it and both of the blades. Does GEC make knives with this type of jigging on bone? I'm kinda new to GEC but I haven't seen any with this type of jigging.


JBdTz2S
 
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I have 2 S&Ms and both have D2 steel. They are more recent purchases when folks began complaining about QC. The two I got I really like. Good knives.
One area where they differ from Case and GEC is blade stock. The S&Ms are thinner. Wicked slicers.

I thought the D2 would be more patina-resistant than 1095, but it doesn't really seem to be.

full
 
D2 certainly takes a greyish colour if you use the blade on fruits-especially citrus. It does not impart flavour on the food like carbon can.

As for Schatt&Morgan, I have a few but don't find I really carry any of them, my Queen D2 knives yes a lot. Most of my Schatt knives have build quality issues, very often considerable blade play which is annoying given what they cost. One, a Mini Muskrat is very nicely turned out, great finish but CAN I get an edge on the supposedly easy 420 stainless? Haven't managed so far and I can sharpen D2 ;) If I didn't live in Europe I might send it to a prof sharpener to see if they can fix it, still might do that as it's uselessly blunt unedged.

I have 3 Heritage series knives in all carbon/Norway Iron as it was mysteriously called. The Woodsman has a good blade assortment but lazy snap, the other two Spear Coco and Ivory Clip singles are nice pieces but gappy and the fact is their blades are far too short for the long handle leaving them looking out of proportion. I wouldn't look for more Schatt knives unless of the vintage era and they'd be old, not all that great shape and dear to buy.
 
TokenKnifeGuy said:
Here are my Schatts:




Anyone know what model this knife and any other info (like year)?? I absolutely love the jigging on it and both of the blades. Does GEC make knives with this type of jigging on bone? I'm kinda new to GEC but I haven't seen any with this type of jigging.


JBdTz2S
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Not sure if GEC offers anything comparable, but that was called Whiskey Catalina bone by S&M and that pattern is a 376 swell center jack as I recall. They sourced much of their bone scales from Culpepper & Co.
 
navaja said:
Not sure if GEC offers anything comparable, but that was called Whiskey Catalina bone by S&M and that pattern is a 376 swell center jack as I recall. They sourced much of their bone scales from Culpepper & Co.
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Thanks for the info. Based on the other knives I've looked up by S&M, I figured it was the Whiskey Catalina color but that was about it. There is several different websites I visit looking at pocket knives and I have yet to see another like the one I have. I wish I could find the year it as made, but thanks again.
 
Search "Schatt and Morgan swell center" on the big auction site and you'll find a few available. They're relatively new...within the last few years or so.
 
In my pocket, I have a Queen City Economy double bladed Copperhead in 1095 that was sold new at $35 a few years ago
This series was available in wood or delrin
It is not fancy but this knife, a solid worker, will last me my lifetime and the kids also if they take it
In its quality it kicks away any Case knife I have, with the 1095 being way better than Case

I have many Queen and S&M, 30 or 40

Rule #1 when receiving the D2 Queen, rebevel it because the factory grind is very poor
But get over it...
I reprofile all my knives when I get them
D2 takes more work, but it was always well worth the effort

All the S&M came with excellent centered factory edges
The stainless of S&M is excellent and hold a very good edge, as good as Buck
The ATS-34 of the File & Wire series is a killer stainless steel that sharpens to razor, a delight to use

I have not purchased any slipjoints in a while so I cannot comment on any newer knives
Out of the 30 or 40 I have, perhaps two or three are what I will call fundamentally flawed
But the rest are excellent to good
Also the price point of Queen of the cost to quality ratio, was way better than Case and also much better than GEC.

Sorry that they slipped in quality
But the migration of the management and skilled workers to GEC was the death knell
Sorry that they closed
 
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