All About Pocket Knives

I recently saw Queen City knives advertised with logo, abalone scales for $25. Has the name and rights to Queen been purchased? It is obviously produced overseas as no Queen has gone for this price for 50 or 60 years. I hate to see a classic knife go the same way that Camillus has.

OSCAR wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:36 pm I recently saw Queen City knives advertised with logo, abalone scales for $25. Has the name and rights to Queen been purchased? It is obviously produced overseas as no Queen has gone for this price for 50 or 60 years. I hate to see a classic knife go the same way that Camillus has.

SMKW bought the name.
They look like Rough Ryder patterns with a higher price.

Did you miss your answers here...
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68122&p=848589#p848589
viewtopic.php?f=79&t=68168&p=849658#p849658

So a period of time has gone by since the demise of Queen. Many have said they're overpriced Rough Riders. Maybe so. I've never bought a RR because of the perpetual warnings that the handle material might be cracked.
But I have bought one of the Chinese SMKWs Queens. I'm thinking of using it as an EDC. I never would have done this with an original Queen.
In your opinion, do you think these are well made? Do you think these are better made than the original Queens?

Cayuga wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 4:39 pm So a period of time has gone by since the demise of Queen. Many have said they're overpriced Rough Riders. Maybe so. I've never bought a RR because of the perpetual warnings that the handle material might be cracked.
But I have bought one of the Chinese SMKWs Queens. I'm thinking of using it as an EDC. I never would have done this with an original Queen.
In your opinion, do you think these are well made? Do you think these are better made than the original Queens?

No way are they better than the “original” Queens. By that I mean the old Queens. Are they better than what Queen was putting out near their end? Possibly, depending on which of those Queens you got - the quality was hit or miss the last several years.

JMO

Ken

Why wouldn’t you carry an original Queen?

I have a couple Queens from the end, I sure cant find anything wrong with em? Its just my opinion, but buying a China knife is like buying a german knife when Hitler was working to end a race of people, not unlike what is happening in China now, as well, they re trying to bury us now.There are plenty of old, rough queens for a good EDC piece and not much more $$$s than a new communist china one. I was carrying a small stag queen pen with a warncliff blade until I discovered its quite rare and carries some good value.
.

eveled wrote: ↑Sat Jan 01, 2022 2:12 am Why wouldn’t you carry an original Queen?

I started to collect knives in the late 1970s. I also carried knives with me since I was in HS.
So I would be picking up knives with all the spare money I had. Queen, Camillus, Case, Ka-Bar, Western along with Schrade, Imperial and Frontier. All made in USA. When it came time to change up my EDC. I'd lay the knives out and realize it would break my heart to ruin a good, pricey knife. Personally I treat my knives brutally - using them often for what you're not supposed to use them for.
When I started to pick up German knives like Hen & Rooster, Eye Brand, Boker and Kissing Crane the same happened. I'd go searching for Japanese knives like Browning or knives made in Taiwan.
Looking back today I'm glad I did that. The knives are pristine, gorgeous, "take your breath away" examples.

I’ve always been the opposite. My motto is “Life’s too short to carry cheap cutlery”. I’ve generally carried the best I can afford, and I don’t abuse them even though I work daily on a ranch. If I need a screwdriver, a hammer, a pry bar, I get one. Maybe it’s the result of carrying a good knife and not wanting to ruin it - one begets the other. I use my knives for what they’re designed to do. Cut!

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:58 pm I’ve always been the opposite. My motto is “Life’s too short to carry cheap cutlery”. I’ve generally carried the best I can afford, and I don’t abuse them even though I work daily on a ranch. If I need a screwdriver, a hammer, a pry bar, I get one. Maybe it’s the result of carrying a good knife and not wanting to ruin it - one begets the other. I use my knives for what they’re designed to do. Cut!

Ken

Excellent post Ken!!
I won't carry a cheap knife.
Leave the RRs in a drawer, carry the GECs.
Today I'm carrying 2 GECs and a Chris Reeve.

Im with Ken. Its not in my nature to abuse anything. But i like using nice knives.

To each his own.

I've got several EDCs, a couple Case knives and a couple of "real" Queens. My favorites are the large stockman, the 75 pattern Case and the #49 Queen, you can count on them! What I've seen of the new Queens doesn't interest me at all and I've found the original Queens are really increasing in price on the sites like eBay.
The old ones with the Winterbottom bone handles are a pleasure to carry!
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:09 am I've got several EDCs, a couple Case knives and a couple of "real" Queens. My favorites are the large stockman, the 75 pattern Case and the #49 Queen, you can count on them! What I've seen of the new Queens doesn't interest me at all and I've found the original Queens are really increasing in price on the sites like eBay.
The old ones with the Winterbottom bone handles are a pleasure to carry!
Treefarmer

Treefarmer, I’m a huge Queen fan and genuine Winterbottom bone (not as much the synthetic copy) is a beautiful handle. I believe that the Winterbottom bone company closed its doors in the mid 60’s. It’s getting harder and harder to find.

I greatly favor "Mumbleypeg", Ken's argument - carry a good knife, keep it sharp, and use other tools as required.

I will just say the two Queen Cutlery collector knife websites both refuse to talk about China-made versions -ABSOLUTELY NO COVERAGE! Queen and Schatt & Morgan were longtime American brands and their knives will continue to go up in price. Buy whatever you want, of course - not my business, but the more you know, you will want to keep an American Cutlery Industry (corporate or custom) healthy. I think we are learning a lot about "supply chain" problems and International politics affect knives as well.

DanQueencutlerycom wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 7:44 pm I greatly favor "Mumbleypeg", Ken's argument - carry a good knife, keep it sharp, and use other tools as required.

I will just say the two Queen Cutlery collector knife websites both refuse to talk about China-made versions -ABSOLUTELY NO COVERAGE! Queen and Schatt & Morgan were longtime American brands and their knives will continue to go up in price. Buy whatever you want, of course - not my business, but the more you know, you will want to keep an American Cutlery Industry (corporate or custom) healthy. I think we are learning a lot about "supply chain" problems and International politics affect knives as well.

The Queen name and logo was bought by SMKW. Since SMKW has the Rough Rider factory, I’m guessing that Rough Rider is probably producing the China made Queen knives.
I agree with you 100% on buying American made Queen knives. While Rough Rider makes good knives at a cheap price, they don’t compare to American Queen knives in quality of construction nor the quality of the steel used.
It’s sad that even some of the Buck knives are made overseas. Queen, Camillus, Schrade and many others have either been bought outright by foreign companies or are made overseas due to pure greed.
It’s also sad that most American made knives have gone up exponentially in price. I shop for good deals on the older American mades, as well as European mades. Their quality far exceeds Asian made cutlery (Japan being the exception).