Sasquach wrote:Of course my wallet has a loud voice in that decision making process!
Loud as in "Buy it at all costs" or loud as in "Too expensive, let it go"?
Reason I ask is because when it comes to buying a knife I really want but really can't afford, the plastic blood-sucking parasite inside my wallet almost always overrides the cautious voice of reason of my otherwise empty wallet and convinces me to get the knife now and worry about how to pay for it later.
I have solved the plastic monster problem......I don't have a credit card. I cut mine up into plastic confetti about 10 years ago. I use a debit card so if I don't have the cash or means to generate the cash.....I don't buy. I only use credit for houses and automobiles. Sometimes it causes me to pass on some fine deals but in the long run I do much better financially. When one of those knives comes along that I can't bring myself to pass up I look at my collection for those knives that don't bring me as much joy and start selling/trading. In a real tough case of knife insanity I have put my precious Martin guitar in the pawn shop until the next pay day to generate funds. However the 20% interest compounded monthly is a strong deterrent and it doesn't happen very often. It's a system that keeps me solvent!
A GOOD KNIFE IS LIKE A GOOD FRIEND, IT'LL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.
“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
~ John Wayne ~
Thank ya Big H, it is an attractive knife for sure and when I saw it listed with that sf blade I knew I had to have it. I think I'm gonna like having it but I'm not pleased with the action on the blades. It has that gritty opening and closing thing that I've found on a few other S&M knives I've ordered.
A little oil helped somewhat but not much. Anyone know of a way to correct this short of sending it back to the maker? It's not a deal killer to me but
is a bit annoying and had I been able to handle the knife instead of mail ordering it I might have spent my money on something else.
Sunknife,
You can root through some of these threads and find that sometimes folks are successful getting the grittiness out of knives with a short soak in some water and dish soap, Dawn I think is most often recommended. This has worked for me several times. After soaking and working the blade, rinse with very hot water, blow it dry with compressed air and lube with your favorite knife oil. My daughter and her boys gave me a new Case Canoe a couple of years ago and it was awful but then when I washed it out every thing was great. Maybe it'll work for you and maybe some one else will have a better way to get the grit out and share it with us.
Treefarmer
A GUN IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN A COP ON THE PHONE.
Sunknife if you don't have any Quick Release oil, get some. It's the best stuff I've ever found for lubricating blades and it's amazing what a difference it makes in knives with "issues". Treefarmer gave you excellent advice on the cleansing and BLOW drying of your knife. Sometimes it's almost unbelievable how much crud you can blow out of a new knife with compressed air. Good luck!
Thanks Phil. I put in an order on the quick release oil, have a few knives that could use some help so it will be put to good use. I let you guys know how it goes.
sunknife wrote:I'm not pleased with the action on the blades. It has that gritty opening and closing thing that I've found on a few other S&M knives I've ordered.
Schatt & Morgan knives are notorious for having a gritty walk. The strange thing is that not all S&M knives have it, but enough do that it has been mentioned frequently and commented on quite a bit on AAPK. I have pretty much come to expect it as a disappointing yet normal characteristic of S&M knives...which is why I have pretty much stopped buying them altogether. I'm actually finding Queen City knives to be much better quality. For example, this Queen City Stag Canoe has a perfectly smooth open/close action, and I just ordered a Queen City EZO Stag Barlow that I'm anxious to get in hand to see if it's as nice as my canoe.
I've been neglecting this thread lately because I haven't acquired any new canoes. A series of unexpected expenses have kept the kitty low. My best friend Duce the dog got sick and died at the beginning of the month. The vet bills were high but they were nothing compared to the emotional cost. He was my constant companion and I'm feeling like I lost a close family member.
You guys have been posting some mighty fine canoes since I last stopped in! Keep up the show, I need the entertainment!!!
In the absence of any new acquisitions, here's a repost of my one and only custom canoe. I had this one made to my design and specifications to express my fondness for my home state.
Attachments
A GOOD KNIFE IS LIKE A GOOD FRIEND, IT'LL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.
“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
~ John Wayne ~
I posted this S&M canoe knife here a few weeks ago and asked for some advice regarding the rough and gritty action on the blades and wanted to respond with a big thank you for your help Tree farmer and Philco, I somewhat new to this and appreciate the insight.
So I soaked it in dawn dishwashing liquid, dried it with compressed air and lubed it with the quick release oil. The results are that the pull on the main blade went from a 8 to a 4, easier to open but only slightly less gritty feeling. I suppose I should have contacted the dealer when I got it a month ago and asked for an exchange but I didn't and I'l just live with that decision. Also have to say that the main blade has a good deal of play in the closed position and needs to be pushed to the side before closing the secondary blade or it will get hung up on the tip of the main blade. This has happened to me 3 times now and put a small burr and slight bend on the very tip of the main blade that I've had to remove with a fine file.
I have one other S&M knife and one Queen knife that have the same gritty feel to the blade action but several others that are fine. May be awhile before I feel like buying another S&M knife even though the good ones are very good and among my favorites.
sunknife wrote:I posted this S&M canoe knife here a few weeks ago and asked for some advice regarding the rough and gritty action on the blades and wanted to respond with a big thank you for your help Tree farmer and Philco, I somewhat new to this and appreciate the insight.
So I soaked it in dawn dishwashing liquid, dried it with compressed air and lubed it with the quick release oil. The results are that the pull on the main blade went from a 8 to a 4, easier to open but only slightly less gritty feeling. I suppose I should have contacted the dealer when I got it a month ago and asked for an exchange but I didn't and I'l just live with that decision. Also have to say that the main blade has a good deal of play in the closed position and needs to be pushed to the side before closing the secondary blade or it will get hung up on the tip of the main blade. This has happened to me 3 times now and put a small burr and slight bend on the very tip of the main blade that I've had to remove with a fine file.
I have one other S&M knife and one Queen knife that have the same gritty feel to the blade action but several others that are fine. May be awhile before I feel like buying another S&M knife even though the good ones are very good and among my favorites.
Sorry to hear about the issues with your S&M. I have owned a pile of them over the years, and I own NONE now. Without exception, all of them had issues bad enough that wouldn't have been acceptable for a far lesser priced Case ... for what S&M's cost, the QC just isn't there - I'll never own another one.
pffffft that's not a knife ......... now THAT'S a knife !! Crocodile Dundee
I've gotten so many Queen made knives with gritty action that I now consider it a signature or trade mark of the Queen brand.
My experience is that the gritty action has more to do with poorly ground cam tangs than dirt or grime in the joints. I'm still a fan of Queen and embarrassed as I am to admit it, I've come to accept the gritty action on Queen knives that I really like otherwise.
Back to Canoes: I see that Queen has released a Schatt & Morgan Canoe with a single Sheepsfoot blade. It looks just different enough that I might have to pick one up.
Thats a beautiful knife by the way. 
