Decided to do a short review of the latest arrival from Queen.
Apologies for the basic photos but it get's light at 10am here and dark by 3.15 and getting darker so I have no opp to get any 'twilight pix'..
This is a Keystone sawn bone based on the 69 Barlow frame, so it's a Swell End single-blade.
THE GOOD
I like the 3 3/8" size, really ideal and Swell End mean a comfortable in hand effect. The Sawn Bone which is basically natural colour bone with black dye is good to look at. Well fitted around the liners and bolster. Nice small bolster too. Pinned shield, well inlet. All 4 pins nicely done. All stainless construction, no brass yes! Arrived sharp and good cutter out of the box.Hard to find any gaps, this is good, spring flush on open and close, brisk snap, no half stop.
THE BAD / UGLY
Decided to wash the knife as I always do, it shed a huge amount of dye colour staining up the sink, looked like potash based colour as a brown purple stain was evident., took a while to stop it from shedding. Did not expect this, although the colour of the bone was not greatly reduced when dry, but a mess and would stain hands, pockets and food if not washed off first. The blade has a swedge that is actually sharp and feels unpleasant when closing the knife, should not be. Long pull is somehow crude, doesn't sit with the blade well. Lot of blade-play and the blade is very near but not touching the liner, looking down the bolster/spring there's a distinct gap between the blade and bolster-hence the play but it looks as if it were done to stop the blade from being jammed in the liner, for if the gap were closed the knife likely wouldn't open. A QC and build fault I feel.
THE VERDICT
All in all disappointing, the faults should be avoidable, the blade itself looks and feels rather cheap, the etching, this sharp unfinished spine on the swedge, and this pattern would look a whole lo better with a Spear blade. Queen knives under the 'new' (4 years?) ownership just don't look or feel up to GEC or CASE standards for the main. It's ironic that the 69 Workhorse Barlow, (which is this knife's frame) in humble delrin, brass & carbon with a good long Sheepfoot is a vastly better thought out AND finished knife than this limited edn (50) knife. It also cost less than half of this one too. It just seems to me that here's another example of Queen missing an opportunity, there may not be so many more in the future...