F&F or W&T?

C

Carboniferous

Joined
Jul 15, 2015
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Which do you care about more in a knife? I recently had to make the choice between two knives, a Queen #06L and a GEC #56.

The GEC has much better F&F; the Queen has natural handle materials so I can forgive slightly less perfect transitions between cover and bolster, but the Queen has a pretty severe gap on the mark side pivot end bolster (~0.4 mm at the widest, you can see that one of the liners was ground poorly, normally I consider gaps a fit issue but I consider this gap a finish as it resulted from grinding as opposed to poor fit between liners
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). The tolerances all around are just a smidge tighter on the GEC, and the blade came MUCH more evenly ground than the Queen. Neither knife has any side-to-side play and the gap doesn't bother me immensely as it's 100% aesthetic, but on the basis of F&F I'd take the GEC every time.

When it comes to the W&T, though, it's completely the opposite. The GEC has what I'd call a weak backspring while the Queen is a solid 6.5 pull, and the Queen also has a smoother action (that's what I call the walk) and a very significantly better snap (what I call talk). All else being equal, I'd take the Queen every time on the basis of the W&T.

I ended up keeping the Queen; the GEC was more satisfying from a collecting standpoint because of the better F&F, but from a user standpoint I prefer the W&T of the Queen. I personally think that how the knife feels when I open and close it makes up a more significant chunk of the experience than being able to scrutinize the knife and appreciate the F&F. It reminds me of two cars, one with comfier seats and another with a fancier paint job.

Mulling all of this around in my head has me wondering what other people on the porch think. When you're considering a knife, or comparing two or more knives, which is the stronger consideration for you? Do you prioritize the W&T of a knife or the F&F of a knife?
 
waynorth said:
Tough choice. I might not buy either one!!
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Certainly one of the problems with buying a knife without seeing/handling it in person first, especially a company like Queen. I likely would have waited for another to show up for sale if I knew about a nearly half millimeter gap, but all else considered (knife is discontinued and Queen might be gone, not a functional issue, my favorite pattern with no good alternatives from other companies that match my preferences) I'm more satisfied than dissatisfied.

And hey, the knife made me think about some stuff that has taught me something about my own preferences. Bit of a silver lining.
 
Since you are asking for opinion I would of passed on the knife you pictured. That gap wraps around the entire bolster and continues to the other side. Knife buying is like asking what your favorite meal is. Whatever you decide on is what works best for you.
 
I think your sampling is very small; but if I had to choose between those two exact knives I would take the #56 and give it a spa to see if the action improved. It has not been a general problem with them. Although GEC has made a conscious decision to lighten the backspring tension as of late.
 
knifeswapper said:
I think your sampling is very small; but if I had to choose between those two exact knives I would take the #56 and give it a spa to see if the action improved. It has not been a general problem with them. Although GEC has made a conscious decision to lighten the backspring tension as of late.
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I'm certainly not trying to draw a general comparison between these two companies/patterns, my sample size is definitely too small for that. I already chose between them and sold the GEC (only for enough to break even, didn't sell it for a profit). I also wouldn't say the GEC had any particular problems with the action, the Queen just has an exceptionally smooth walk and an exceptionally snappy talk, and I just happen to prefer a stronger pull. I do miss the days of GEC bear traps, but I can't say a light pull is inherently problematic for a knife.

cbr1000 said:
Since you are asking for opinion I would of passed on the knife you pictured. That gap wraps around the entire bolster and continues to the other side. Knife buying is like asking what your favorite meal is. Whatever you decide on is what works best for you.
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It actually doesn't wrap around to the other side, not quite. It's widest where pictured and then narrows to nothing by the time it wraps around. I 100% agree with your point, though, whatever makes you happy is the right choice for you.
 
Without having both knives in my hands, I think I would have also chosen the Queen.

I've seen your other pictures of that knife and I think it's a real nice looking knife. That and it looks like the same knife I had on my watch list on Ebay the last weekend in January. If it's not the same knife it looks just like it. I didn't attempt to buy it because I spent all my knife funds at a knife show a couple days earlier. I kept it on my watch list just in case I could still afford it after the show.

I think I would have also chosen the knife that feels the best in use but I would have to have them both in my possession to know for sure. In the past I've tried to like knives that had W&T that were not to my satisfaction because I liked the knife otherwise.

That has never worked out for me despite the fact that I wanted it to.
 
For me it would be the knife with good walk & talk, and minor fit and finish issues. I have a beautiful knife, fit and finish wise, with a relatively weak snap. For that reason, it has never been carried. I can even accept minor blade play if the blades have a solid pull and snap. -Lance
 
I care most about a good blade preferably without blade play, and with decent walk and talk.

It doesn't need to have the finest fit and finish as long as it's functional, and in fact some knives without perfect fit and finish can have a bit of rustic charm.
 
I want both and most GEC’s have both. I almost sent back my recently purchased 56. It has a weak spring for a GEC. When I first got it I would rate it as a four opening, but a 2 on closing. After several rounds of flushing with soap and water, flushing with oil, and hundreds of openings and closings, I’d now rate the closing at a 3. The sound upon closing is weak but tolerable. I have to put pressure on it to the very end to get it to close with some snap. This is disappointing for a GEC. If this trend continues I will only be looking for earlier GEC’s.

The Northwoods Fayette Jack (built on the 56 frame) I have has excellent W&T with good snap on open and close.
 
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I would choose W&T over excellent F&F every time. I would describe your issue as moderate, not minor, but would still take the Queen with great snap. Opening and closing the knife is, to me, just as much a part of using the knife as the cutting is. Usage over looks every time.
 
I don't need an absolutely perfect knife, but gaps do bother me. Although I'm not keen on the lighter action that GEC has gone to lately, I would gladly take that over the large gaps that are common with Queen (at least the ones I have).

If you have to push the blade the whole way closed, on the other hand, I couldn't accept that.

The nice thing about that Queen's gap is it gives you a good place to hide a lucky coin, or a folded bill, or perhaps your cell phone:p

Ultimately though, I agree with your choice, because they are your knives.
 
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