How's Queen's QC these days?

Thanks, Rick. I liked the amber carved stag bone from Culpepper. Not sure of the source but they also had some really nice jigged bone on other knives as well. In particular, I really liked the the "Brown Berry Worm Groove Bone" on the sowbelly and "Golden root jigged bone" on one of Charlie's harness jacks.
 
Good looking Railsplitter Rick!
Let's hope what I see in your pictures, and what you are describing become the norm with Queen. The new bone scales look pretty nice as well.
 
Hey Rick how are the blade grinds? hard to tell from your first photo. Also no rub with the spey and coping?
 
Hey Rick how are the blade grinds? hard to tell from your first photo. Also no rub with the spey and coping?

I'm still at work but I happen to have the knife in my pocket right now.

Thanks for asking about the blade grinds. I was thinking after my review yesterday that the blades on this model seem thinner than my other Railsplitters. I only compared it to one of my other Railsplitters because it's the one I had sitting out but they are noticeably thinner than that particular example. Very noticeable at the tang where the blade is at its thickest and also noticeable on the rest of the blade if I pay close attention to detail.

They still aren't as thin as most Case knives, for example, but they are definitely thinner than the 2014 D2 Railsplitter that I compared them to. I didn't mention this in my review because I wasn't sure yet and had no photos of blade thickness. I'll try to remember to get some comparison pics in a little while when I get home.

Looking down from above the blades with the knife closed I can see that none of the blades are touching each other or the liners. Pics of this to follow as well. The Clip blade comes very close to the liner but it doesn't touch. The only blade with a rub mark on it is the Clip blade but that had to have come from either me or someone who handled it before me pushing the Sheepsfoot blade against it when opening. I find that very odd because there is a huge gap between the Clip and Sheepsfoot blades. Nevertheless, the Clip blade is the only blade with a rub mark on it.
 
OK, here are the comparison pics as promised. It's freezing rain outside so my apologies for the less than stellar pics. The top knife is the 2014 Railsplitter that I used for comparison. Bottom knife is the 2016 Railsplitter that I received yesterday.



As can be seen in the next three photos, each blade is a little thinner than the 2014 model. Not by a long shot but noticeably so. (2014 is on the left)

Clip blades



Sheepsfoot blades



Pen blades



None of the blades are touching each other in the closed position. Clip blade rests close the liner but doesn't touch.



I didn't notice it until taking these pics just now but the blades on the 2016 model have a higher polish. Not a big deal to me as I didn't even notice it but if I had my choice I would take the blade finish on the 2014 model. (See first pic)
 
I have another update but I'll be brief this time. I like the 2016 ACSB Railsplitter I reviewed above so much that I bought another one as a back up just in case.

The knife I reviewed above is the top knife and the one I just received is the bottom knife. I would say that the ACSB covers are pretty consistent in appearance and workmanship on these two examples.



The only issue I can see with the new knife is that I am not 100% certain that the shield is pinned. The photo below is the first knife and clearly shows the shield's pin on the inside of the liner just opposite the shield.



The photo below is the new knife (also a 2016 model). I don't see a pin there. Ryan Daniels told me at a show in January 2016 that all Queen shields would be pinned in 2016 so unless I discover otherwise, I'm going to assume that the shield is pinned and I just can't see it.



I'm happy to report that the blades are thinner on this new knife as well. Using these two 2016 Railsplitters as an example, it does looks like Queen is grinding their blades a little thinner.
 
Queen's 2017 catalog is up on their website. A few new patterns that look interesting. I particularly like the File & Wire Cattleman with ATS-34 steel. Looks like there's a 3 5/8" inch version and a 4 1/8" version.

The Allegheny Jack looks interesting too. Presumably a Stag Bone and D2 version of the Indian River Jack.

Maybe I'll see some of these new offerings at the Queen table at the knife show this Saturday.
 
Queen's 2017 catalog is up on their website. A few new patterns that look interesting. I particularly like the File & Wire Cattleman with ATS-34 steel. Looks like there's a 3 5/8" inch version and a 4 1/8" version.

The Allegheny Jack looks interesting too. Presumably a Stag Bone and D2 version of the Indian River Jack.

Maybe I'll see some of these new offerings at the Queen table at the knife show this Saturday.

Those do look interesting. I kind of like the looks of the Harness Jack as well. Oh, this could be an expensive spring... :eek:
 
Thanks for the great info and pics Rick. I've been following this thread because I've never owned a Queen or a Schatt & Morgan and I'm curious about the quality. The railsplitter looks like it's a great size and I've been looking at a stag version but I've been wary. The site I've seen them on doesn't list the year of manufacture, so I can't really inquire about the QC based on that. Looks like it might not be a bad idea to try one out and see if I like the brand...
 
Nice review of the railsplitters, Rick :thumbup: Did you see the "Schatt & Morgan 63 Rail Splitter Double Shield Brown Bone"? Looks like a nice and slim single spring 2-blade version of the railsplitter.

Seeing the 2017 catalog reminds me that I never saw the File and Wire knives from the 2016 catalog. Not sure how I missed them.

I'm surprised to see the lockback whittler back on the roster. It's a complicated pattern. The railsplitter, carpenter's whittler, "pint" cattle knife, and sowbelly are a few of their cooler patterns so it's good to see them in the catalog.
 
Nice review of the railsplitters, Rick :thumbup: Did you see the "Schatt & Morgan 63 Rail Splitter Double Shield Brown Bone"? Looks like a nice and slim single spring 2-blade version of the railsplitter.

Seeing the 2017 catalog reminds me that I never saw the File and Wire knives from the 2016 catalog. Not sure how I missed them.

I'm surprised to see the lockback whittler back on the roster. It's a complicated pattern. The railsplitter, carpenter's whittler, "pint" cattle knife, and sowbelly are a few of their cooler patterns so it's good to see them in the catalog.

I missed that one, Jake. I'll have to take another look. I did see the 1095 carbon Railsplitter in what looks like Winterbottom Bone. Thanks!
 
the carpenter whittlers are showing up at storefronts now and look pretty solid in photos. The horrendous coles whittler i got last year still gives me pause tho. :-/

edit: originally wrote courthouse whittler, definately meant S&M coles whittler.
 
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I just picked up a new QDFC #63 Railsplitter in the Carved Stag Bone. It is pretty much perfect. Tight, no wobble, great snap, no blade rub. Similar to the ones pictured above. The only minor flaw is that the blade action out of the box is a bit gritty, but not too bad. The shield is definitely pinned.

On the down side, it looks like this one is now discontinued (at least in the CSB and D2) - does not seem to be shown in the 2017 catalog.
 
I noticed the booth for Queen Cutlery was empty at SHOT this year. That kind of sounds like the company isn't doing well.
 
I just picked up a new QDFC #63 Railsplitter in the Carved Stag Bone. It is pretty much perfect. Tight, no wobble, great snap, no blade rub. Similar to the ones pictured above. The only minor flaw is that the blade action out of the box is a bit gritty, but not too bad. The shield is definitely pinned.

On the down side, it looks like this one is now discontinued (at least in the CSB and D2) - does not seem to be shown in the 2017 catalog.

Thanks for the feedback, Steve.

I noticed the booth for Queen Cutlery was empty at SHOT this year. That kind of sounds like the company isn't doing well.

Queen has a table reserved at the show I'm going to this Saturday in St. Louis. That would be a real bummer if they didn't show up.
 
That blue bone splitback whittler looks nice. I wouldn't buy one without handling it first though. Been burnt twice before.
 
I just picked up a new QDFC #63 Railsplitter in the Carved Stag Bone. It is pretty much perfect. Tight, no wobble, great snap, no blade rub. Similar to the ones pictured above. The only minor flaw is that the blade action out of the box is a bit gritty, but not too bad. The shield is definitely pinned.

On the down side, it looks like this one is now discontinued (at least in the CSB and D2) - does not seem to be shown in the 2017 catalog.

Was yours a current or recent production? I was looking at a stag railsplitter, but it makes me nervous because I've heard good and bad things about the QC.
 
Just checked out the new catalog, and she-oot! there's gonna be some tough choices. The cattlemen and the hj are both calling to me. Idk, the locking whittler is pretty nice as previously mentioned too. But having a cattlemen, even one, in a nice steel like ATS-34 might just be too tempting-especially as they will have two sizes! If they also have thinner blades like Railsplitter's um, railsplitters that would be enormously difficult to pass up. Decisions , decisions. Thanks for the updates everyone. :D
Thanks, Neal
 
Was yours a current or recent production? I was looking at a stag railsplitter, but it makes me nervous because I've heard good and bad things about the QC.

Well, Queen does not stamp the year on these CSB knives. It does have the QDFC tang stamp, which I believe was started in 2016 or maybe late 2015.
 
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