Queen Cutlery Company Closes

I have a Microsoft Word file with the Nos. I-XX S&M Keystone Series knives shown. If anyone would like a copy, email me and I'll send it along.
papa jeff 27 at g mail dot com (no spaces, of course)
 
I came across this knife, and had my suspicions! It was cheap so I bought it!!
A couple of our esteemed members were trying to do some quality re-birthing of some respected old cutlery names. JBF Champlin for one.
A much-delayed model finally made its appearance, only to be rejected by our two disappointed members!!
I often wondered what happened to that order, with its distinctive tangstamps etc. Rumors abounded, about the knives being lost, stolen, sold on shady markets, on and on.
Here is the one I found!!
Mikes reject.jpg Mikes reject B.jpg Mikes reject C.jpg

Interesting at first glance, the knife has many symptoms of the reasons that the Queen factory failed. 1 of 50, it has a poorly fitted shield, awkward grinds, terrible walk and mediocre talk. There are visible chunks/flaws in the tang cams!! Makes me shudder!! Murky provenance ices the cake for this one. I'll keep it as an example of what not to do, and never sell it. Might give it away some day, after marking it. Note, it came in a box that is not the original!!!
It's another chapter in a sad tale! Maybe it would be better if the Queen building changed its usage to something more respectable!!??
 
Whew!! After a sort of depressing tale (above), I thought I'd better help to balance the universe, and post something uplifting! A fairly recent Queen knife (I think? - - - Anyone know for sure?),
here is a real nice Serpentine Jack in D-2. Densely dyed Orange bone, perfect and smooth walk and talk and a pleasing pattern all around, this is a nice remembrance of recent Queen history!!*
Made on a good day!!
Queen D2 Serp Jack 1.jpg Queen D2 Serp Jack 2.jpg Queen D2 Serp Jack 3.jpg


*The beads are Copal, a kind of young Amber
 
Not seen a Queen Utility in that type of bone before Charlie. Got a couple of the Stag Bone versions WCSB and ACSB and they represent Queen as we would all like to remember them, really well finished attractive knives. They were from the early years of this century and like most of the D2 Stagbones, represent quality, looks and value.:cool:

My last recent Queen was from two years ago, a kind of Barlow but not as it has a small bolster, so why did they call it that??:rolleyes: In all ways this knife was abysmal, dye running from the handles when wet..no W&T as such, just pull open stiff knife and close again, tight pivot feel no spring. Not helped by massively off centre blade, Gaps galore, and the blade itself very cheap tinny feeling stainless that looks and feels like aluminium- cheap blade etch. Yet it cost about what a GEC ran to at the time :thumbsdown: If a novice user or collector had started their Intro to Traditionals with a knife like that I doubt they would ever have looked further again :eek:
 
But here's another beaut they got exactly right: QCCC Teardrop in carbon, quite a hefty carry this one but a 'worthy' :)

64L2xwG.jpg
 
The issue for many years was consistent good quality. They could do quality but were inconsistent - except about pretty consistently dull edges. I loved some and sent others back.
 
waynorth said:
I came across this knife, and had my suspicions! It was cheap so I bought it!!
A couple of our esteemed members were trying to do some quality re-birthing of some respected old cutlery names. JBF Champlin for one.
A much-delayed model finally made its appearance, only to be rejected by our two disappointed members!!
I often wondered what happened to that order, with its distinctive tangstamps etc. Rumors abounded, about the knives being lost, stolen, sold on shady markets, on and on.
Here is the one I found!!
View attachment 1026444 View attachment 1026445 View attachment 1026446

Interesting at first glance, the knife has many symptoms of the reasons that the Queen factory failed. 1 of 50, it has a poorly fitted shield, awkward grinds, terrible walk and mediocre talk. There are visible chunks/flaws in the tang cams!! Makes me shudder!! Murky provenance ices the cake for this one. I'll keep it as an example of what not to do, and never sell it. Might give it away some day, after marking it. Note, it came in a box that is not the original!!!
It's another chapter in a sad tale! Maybe it would be better if the Queen building changed its usage to something more respectable!!??
Click to expand...



Charlie, these have been popping up on that famous auction site, one seller has had about three up one after the other, you can see in the pictures how bad they really are. I can understand why this SFO was rejected.

Russell
 
Rusty1 said:
Charlie, these have been popping up on that famous auction site, one seller has had about three up one after the other, you can see in the pictures how bad they really are. I can understand why this SFO was rejected.

Russell
Click to expand...
I assume you mean the "Electric"!!
What a difference!! When GEC makes a few flawed SFO knives, I insist on buying them all!
A discounted GEC that has cosmetic flaws is a great buy for EDC!!
If there are mechanical flaws they either fix them or cannibalize them for repairs.
 
Yes I meant the Electric and totally agree with GEC’s way of dealing with what seems to be minimalistic flaws on their EDC offerings.

Russell
 
Will, I had one of those green bone teardrops from Queen, and mine was serial number 100 of 100. It was a beautifully made knife with one exception . . . it was dull as a butter knife. I wondered if they got to the end of the run and forgot to sharpen it! It did take a nice edge though, eventually.
 
Mine is OK Jeff but did need some sharpening, not reprofiling fortunately.

A fine series mind, I 'm lucky enough to have the Ebony and Red Winterbottom as well.

Thanks, Will
 
The only Queen made knife I currently (and will probably ever again) own is the 2014 Indian River Jack they made for Northwoods. It is nice, came with a lousy edge and super proud tip - I took care of those issues. I like it.

Old pic:

IMG_1444.JPG
 
JB in LV said:
The only Queen made knife I currently (and will probably ever again) own is the 2014 Indian River Jack they made for Northwoods. It is nice, came with a lousy edge and super proud tip - I took care of those issues. I like it.

Old pic:

View attachment 1030491
Click to expand...

My only Northwoods also JB. I have used the heck out of it & it shows but it has not fallen apart yet. Mine came as dull as a butter knife & the tang where it rode the backspring looked like it was finished with a hand file.
20170411_171822_zpsjjk3oa1a.jpg
 
oldtymer said:
My only Northwoods also JB. I have used the heck out of it & it shows but it has not fallen apart yet. Mine came as dull as a butter knife & the tang where it rode the backspring looked like it was finished with a hand file.
View attachment 1030570
Click to expand...

That's a really nice looking IRJ, OT. Glad it has served you well. I agree the covers are very nice on both, thank you @JohnDF . I still like it a lot, have used it over the years and will continue.

Regards,
JB
 
The first time I ever bought a slipjoint off the Internet it was a Queen. I'd heard of all the quality control issues and was leery but I had read that there Tuna Valley knives were done with the very best of care. It ended up being quite awful actually I had just started collecting and didn't know very much but I knew a $125 knife shouldn't have the blade hitting the back spring or the bone handles shouldn't have 3 different cracks in them. To top it off there was moderate blade play and it was off center. Needless to say I swore to never buy another Queen made knife again!! However as time went on and so did my hunt for all things sharp and pointy I saw some awfully beautiful looking Queen made knives. Eventually I decided to take a chance after reading on here the time in which Bill Howard worked for Queen. So I went hunting for something in the easy open pattern because I could never find a GEC 85 to save my life. I ended up with this beautiful example of the pattern and I mean beautiful. In my opinion it was every bit as nice as any of the GEC knives I've owned. I eventually parted with this knife to another member of the porch and the story behind that is a funny one that I plan on sharing eventually but that's for another day I've got on long enough lol. 1527099230_51_1-228x228.jpg 1527099230_51_5-228x228.jpg 1527099230_51_6-228x228.jpg
 
T.willy, I agree completely with your assessment of that teardrop. 1999 was about as good a year as any for Queen/S&M production. I have several that were made between the early '90s and the mid '00s that are exceptionally well made knives. Here is a single blade from 1998 that shares the same frame as yours, minus the EO notch. It's one of my best.

8xIGVQA.jpg
 
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