Trestle Pines Grand Portage

[jrawk]

Yikes didn't expect this to bubble over.

They're just punched out so my GUESS is that they're all the same. Hopefully, folks that own the knives can chime in. BUT it would seriously just take a few seconds to grind it at a better angle. For me, that would be a non issue.

Same here. I will grind it myself tonight. No biggy, but I have the tools to do it. Many may not, and well, fixing it themselves would be problematic for them.

How's the spring on the screwdriver? Is it very strong?

Yes it is a very strong pull on the cap lifter. A 7 to half stop, an 8 from half to open (but it's easy to open from there with your fingers pushing on the metal instead of pulling with the nail nick. It's real nice spring tension. Perfect for it, I'd say. But.....

With knives that are assembled with peened pins, a screwdriver is really only good for light duty. Any heavy twisting could loosen up the pinned construction. The same is true for an awl/punch since it's also used by applying torque.

True. But the angle of the tip is just enough to make it very easy for the blade to collapse closed with maybe 10 lbs of pressure. Really, it's all leverage and mechanical physics. The Center of Gravity is shifted far enough above the spring side to make it pretty easy for the blade to collapse during normal use. There is no avoiding it because the notch in most flat head screws aren't very deep, so you have to position the driver's end flat in the ridge perpendicular or the tip will pop out of the screw. Try holding a normal flat head screwdriver on a 5 degree angle and twist out a screw somewhere. it doesn't work.

Maybe jrawk can give a measurement with the micrometer that he used previously but from his photo it looks like we are talking about a very small amount.

It'll take a millimeter off the longest part of the tip, to make it even with shortest part of the tip.

Also, I would be shocked if Queen wouldn't honor a warranty if the very end of the screwdriver was ground flat by the user. You shouldn't return it to a dealer afterwards but I see no reason that it would affect warranty repair from Queen. You could email them an ask.

Has Queen ever used this caplifter on another pattern? If the cap lifter did not open as far as it does, it'd be fine. My guess would be they used the same cap lifter blade from another pattern somewhere and it's made perfect for that handle's stop position but not the 69 barlow pattern.

EDIT: Also, I'm not gonna try misleading anybody here... most of the tasks I do with the flathead screwdriver are likely to be light prying tasks... not twisting screws.

 

[TsarBomba]

After criticism that folks were too harsh on other aspects of the knives, I do find it surprising this is the deal breaker.
The original Portage had a major design flaw and I was the only one that spoke up about it. If the knife was sharpened you'd eventually have a blade that was exposed by the easy open notch. And eventually you'd need to grind the spine directly through the nail nick. That didn't seem to bother folks though. Now that does blow my mind. It's the worst design flaw that I've ever seen on a knife.

I think the criticisms that were levied against the knife were all criticisms that had magically become criticisms when Queen and Trestle Pine decided to release the GP. Before that, they were all somehow "positives". One need only refer back to the initial KaBar Coppersmith Barlow thread to see what I'm talking about.

I didn't have much interest in the original Portage. Frankly, a trailing-point skinner blade on a Barlow just doesn't make sense to me.

Quirks, eh?

 

[rockgolfer]

Agreed, it does seem like an afterthought unfortunately.

The hammer would be a big stretch as the face would probably need to be slanted like so / to slide off and hit your finger but I think the picture I was trying to paint came through.

I just have a hard time accepting mediocre work and a harder time spending money on it. Doesn't matter if it happens in design, the dye maker, or the grinding bench. At some point in time, someone had to see this flaw, or any flaw for that matter. When you do something for a living, you know if it's right or wrong. It also doesn't matter at this point if they simply ignored it or actually never saw it, to me, it speaks volumes of the detail work the company provides. It's not like we need these knives to make a living in most cases so pleasing customers should be pretty high on the list. Maybe I am over thinking this but it just pushes a lot of my buttons the wrong way. What happened to taking pride in your work?

 

[TsarBomba]

I just have a hard time accepting mediocre work and a harder time spending money on it. Doesn't matter if it happens in design, the dye maker, or the grinding bench. At some point in time, someone had to see this flaw, or any flaw for that matter. When you do something for a living, you know if it's right or wrong. It also doesn't matter at this point if they simply ignored it or actually never saw it, to me, it speaks volumes of the detail work the company provides. It's not like we need these knives to make a living in most cases so pleasing customers should be pretty high on the list. Maybe I am over thinking this but it just pushes a lot of my buttons the wrong way. What happened to taking pride in your work?

I'm interested to know if Trestle Pine had the option of final QC on these knives. I have no interest in yet another Queen-bashing thread, but you'd think based on sheer reputation (deserved or not) someone with TP would have thought to inspect the first knives out of the run. Or perhaps it was decided that the shape isn't a problem?

I'm inclined to do a little research and reach out to Trestle Pine when I get home.

 

[supratentorial]

I don't know if they used the same die on other patterns. It's an insightful question though. It might explain why it's a mm off.

Just joking around about your hammer analogy. I was teasing since it is an unlikely scenario but your point is clear. Ideally, the tools would work perfectly without any tinkering. Ideally, factory edges would be well formed and sharp also. Etc.

 

[rockgolfer]

I certainly am not trying to bash and I have no bias to any company. I may own a lot of one brand but I have no problem calling a spade a spade with any of them.

The good or bad press any company gets on this forum is all open to interpretation based on your own knowledge and sometimes skill. People get to read all points of view of those who choose to speak. I am just never one to bite my tounge and let things go. Believe me, my kids, ex wife, and employees/coworkers probably wish I would tone it down. I am a stickler for detail and just don't let thIngs slide. Spending 5 minutes more at any stage or all stages of the game can make a huge difference with the quality of the finished product. I hang my reputation on the quality of my work and it has kept me employed since I got into the trade. Doesn't matter what you do though, pride is pride. Sloppy work is just that and ignoring it does nothing to fix it. Taking action and not accepting it does!

 

[TsarBomba]

I certainly am not trying to bash and I have no bias to any company. I may own a lot of one brand but I have no problem calling a spade a spade with any of them.

The good or bad press any company gets on this forum is all open to interpretation based on your own knowledge and sometimes skill. People get to read all points of view of those who choose to speak. I am just never one to bite my tounge and let things go. Believe me, my kids, ex wife, and employees/coworkers probably wish I would tone it down. I am a stickler for detail and just don't let thIngs slide. Spending 5 minutes more at any stage or all stages of the game can make a huge difference with the quality of the finished product. I hang my reputation on the quality of my work and it has kept me employed since I got into the trade. Doesn't matter what you do though, pride is pride. Sloppy work is just that and ignoring it does nothing to fix it. Taking action and not accepting it does!

I know the feeling. :thumbup:

Pending what I can find out about TP (probably not tonight, I'm still at the office waiting on a courier), I may decide to pass on the GP. I've found a certain 'zen' regarding the next great Barlow acquisition and I don't feel like I need to rush into a decision. There are dozens of 'em already waiting for me at home (and more than a couple within arm's reach ).

 

[supratentorial]

I think the criticisms that were levied against the knife were all criticisms that had magically become criticisms when Queen and Trestle Pine decided to release the GP. Before that, they were all somehow "positives". One need only refer back to the initial KaBar Coppersmith Barlow thread to see what I'm talking about.

I didn't have much interest in the original Portage. Frankly, a trailing-point skinner blade on a Barlow just doesn't make sense to me.

Quirks, eh?

I have no idea what you mean about the criticism changing. I also have no idea what happened in the Coppersmith barlow topic. Maybe there was magic involved. I really couldn't tell you. I do know that there's no conspiracy involved with my own posts.

In my opinion, this new Grand Portage is a step in the right direction compared to the original Portage... the original Portage being a design that I (only me) criticized as being flawed. The Grand Portage design omits those flaws. It may have other flaws but they are very small compared to the original Portage. I did say that the Grand Portage was not as refined as another barlow. And I stand by that comment as well.

 

[TsarBomba]

I have no idea what you mean about the criticism changing. I also have no idea what happened in the Coppersmith barlow topic. Maybe there was magic involved. I really couldn't tell you. I do know that there's no conspiracy involved with my own posts.

I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about. Nobody claimed a conspiracy is afoot. The "problems" with the GP were, at one time when the Coppersmith was new, lauded as groundbreaking and amazing and fantastic and every bit the effusive praise as they are stern criticisms of the GP. Perhaps I missed a post?

In my opinion, this new Grand Portage is a step in the right direction compared to the original Portage... the original Portage being a design that I (only me) criticized as being flawed. The Grand Portage design omits those flaws. It may have other flaws but they are very small compared to the original Portage. I did say that the Grand Portage was not as refined as another barlow. And I stand by that comment as well.

I am definitely "missing" posts or there's some sort of language barrier going on. I wasn't addressing the Portage at all except to say (in an earlier post) that I do not much care for the idea of a trailing-point Barlow blade.

Could you quote the points of contention so I can understand what's going on?

 

[supratentorial]

I'm didn't understand this quote, especially in relationship to your prior post. No positives magically became criticisms in my posts. I made the original comment about "refined". I also made "brutal" criticisms of the original Portage because there was not sufficient room for sharpening. I don't know if my comment lead to a blade change on the Grand Portage but I hope that my criticism was helpful to both TP and buyers. They have omitted that problem on the GP.

I think the criticisms that were levied against the knife were all criticisms that had magically become criticisms when Queen and Trestle Pine decided to release the GP. Before that, they were all somehow "positives". One need only refer back to the initial KaBar Coppersmith Barlow thread to see what I'm talking about

I just realized while skimming this thread that I completely misread this comment yesterday. And to Cannonball970, I'm only using your comments as a jumping-off point -- I am not singling you out at all. That being said...

I don't know if I agree that people are being less critical of the knife just because it's a Queen build instead of GEC. I see it as quite the opposite. When the Portage came out, the reviews were nothing short of brutal. The blade didn't ride high enough, the tang was too sharp, the knife didn't look enough like a #69, or it looked too much like a #69, or it was derivative, or it was too different,m or it was just more of the same, or or or...

Then the GP came out in a dazzling array of wonderful woods and all I saw was more criticism.

"Anything but nickel steel bolsters is no good with a stainless blade!" Where was the criticism of CSC for copper+steel or Schrade for slapping bronze bolsters all over their carbon serpentines for Craftsman back in the day?

"The tree stamp is too shallow!" An opinion, sure, but there is clearly a lot of detail to it and I've never once seen someone complain about the variance in the Bokers over the years or the shields on the Kabar copper Barlows.

"Too trendy with a Wharncliffe!" Seriously? People fell all over themselves when GEC jumped the sheepsfoot trend. It bordered on severe cheesiness for quite some time. And how many TCs were released with full-sized Wharnie secondary blades? Or Vipers? Or Coyotes? C'mon, people.

"Too much going on!" Seriously?!? It's wood, brass and steel. If that's too much for you, I've got a bunch of Delrin-handled single-blade Barlows for you. Nice, uniform colors and sawcut. No scary burl or variations in color. And I could probably choke on the number of posts in this subforum that have positively begged GEC for matchstrike pulls.

"Not as refined as the TC!" OK. I've held two TC Barlows in my life. One had a blade that veered almost entirely to one side, to the point where I was shocked that it didn't rub the liner (and this is on a single-blade non-crinked knife). The other had what I'd term "only adequate" F&F. Refined? These aren't customs we're talking about, a point I find myself bringing up repeatedly to answer the people who think $350 is a fair price for a TC on the secondary market.

"The Wharncliffe looks weird!" I am massively inclined to do a little Photoshop work using one of my Coyotes and superimposing a photo of the GP's master atop the GEC's Wharnie. From my (admittedly unscientific, at least to this point) observations, including holding my own up to a dead-on perpendicular photo of the GP, the proportions are nearly identical to both the Coyote and the Viper. Not one time in either the #18/#47 threads or the GEC thread itself did I see a complaint about the Wharncliffe on those knives looking "weird".

Anyway, excuse the extended length of my post. I've just become highly disillusioned with the free passes GEC gets on so many of these "complaints" and the pile-on other makers get for the same thing. Let slip the dogs of rebuttal; I can handle it.

 

[TsarBomba]

I'm didn't understand this quote, especially in relationship to your prior post. No positives magically became criticisms in my posts. I made the original comment about "refined".

Unless you were involved in the Coppersmith thread, waxing effusive over CSC's efforts with copper and steel, I wasn't referencing anything you wrote. I'm frankly disinclined to go back over the thread and see just which posters were complaining about the juxtaposition of brass and steel; as I said before, I had no intention of naming names, merely addressing criticisms.

And my statements about F&F issues with GECs and the fact that we're not talking about customs still stand. Regarding "refinement", I'd argue that the boxelder-handled GP could easily be considered more refined than any single TC that's ever been produced. You know what they say about opinions.

That being said, the apparent carelessness evident on the flathead of the cap lifter might speak to a lack of refinement, in some ways. I think it's more a QC issue, though, which concerns me because this isn't a typical Queen run.

 

[supratentorial]

I don't remember being involved in the coppersmith barlow topic. I'm not interested in buying a knife with copper or bronze bolsters though. ...partly because the old knives that are the reason for my interest in traditional knives have steel or nickel silver bolsters. And I have no interest in the color changes that occur when metal oxidizes. I like 1095 for the properties of the steel, not the ability to form patina. There are long discussions about patina so I may in the minority.

For me, refined can be used to describe anything. As mentioned earlier, I wouldn't compare customs and production knives. To me, it's sort of like comparing your mom's cookies to store bought. But the language for describing knives of any sort is the same for me. Quality control is a separate thing but sometimes overlaps.

 

[jrawk]

letting my issue with the screwdriver grind angle stop you from buying a Grand Portage is crazy! lol
its still a solid workhorse with premium materials. worth every penny. Those Old Growth Ash variations are priced very fairly, im considering nabbing another one.

 

[jrawk]

here are some more glamour shots . oh and i did not get the chance to correct the driver yesterday. Should have plenty of free time this weekend.

i absolutely love this brass bolster. Hope this isnt a one time deal for TSA.

 

[Relee1]

here are some more glamour shots . oh and i did not get the chance to correct the driver yesterday. Should have plenty of free time this weekend.

i absolutely love this brass bolster. Hope this isnt a one time deal for TSA.

I agree with you on the brass bolster. Looks great and has a nice patina after a few days of using. I also really love the steel (CPM 154). Definitely a superior steel. This knife feels really solid, and will be a workhorse. Definitely a user. Mine came razor sharp. A premium price, yes, but a premium knife IMO.

 

[TsarBomba]

letting my issue with the screwdriver grind angle stop you from buying a Grand Portage is crazy! lol
its still a solid workhorse with premium materials. worth every penny. Those Old Growth Ash variations are priced very fairly, im considering nabbing another one.

Well, it's an actual issue with function from the manufacturer. Easily-remedied, sure, if your grinder didn't recently take a dump. I get hives thinking of taking a file to CPM-154 to level out a factory flaw but it's been years since I worked somewhere with easy access to a machine shop.

I did think good and hard about it last night, to the point where I can swear a very similarly-apportioned knife appeared briefly in a dream of which I have some faint recollection. Couldn't quite identify the finish, but it was on the lighter side. Might have been boxelder burl.

 

[Cannonball970]

I did think good and hard about it last night, to the point where I can swear a very similarly-apportioned knife appeared briefly in a dream of which I have some faint recollection. Couldn't quite identify the finish, but it was on the lighter side. Might have been boxelder burl.

I'll just leave these here...

 

[brownshoe]

You guys are a hoot. You take a good thing, a new player in the world of knives with a different twist, and criticize it to death. Much of the criticism is still the same old Queen bashing, just with a slightly different twist.

I thing some of you are a little put out since Trestle Pines has obviously picked up some of the design trends from GEC. There is nothing wrong with that...welcome it since it makes the traditional knife world more interesting. If nothing else competition will help keep down GEC prices

To me the "standard" in pocket knife construction is the Case/Bose yearly issues, not any Great Eastern knife. Case in point, the Case Tribal spear vs. the GEC zulu...which would you rather have in your pocket?

I try not to compare knives or companies, since each knife is unique in the world of traditional production knives. I'll take home any knife if it is cool, even if it has design flaws or less than perfect construction. THe only thing that makes me reject a knife out of hand is safety.

I have found that every maker has their turkeys and every maker has their hidden gems. The fun is finding the gems, don't dwell on the slight imperfections and leave the turkeys on the table

 

[jrawk]

Well, it's an actual issue with function from the manufacturer. Easily-remedied, sure, if your grinder didn't recently take a dump. I get hives thinking of taking a file to CPM-154 to level out a factory flaw but it's been years since I worked somewhere with easy access to a machine shop.

I did think good and hard about it last night, to the point where I can swear a very similarly-apportioned knife appeared briefly in a dream of which I have some faint recollection. Couldn't quite identify the finish, but it was on the lighter side. Might have been boxelder burl.

The cap lifter is 420HC not 154CM.

 

[jrawk]

I have found that every maker has their turkeys and every maker has their hidden gems. The fun is finding the gems, don't dwell on the slight imperfections and leave the turkeys on the table

Huzzah! well stated Brownshoe.