Queens first new knife.

The Queen Cutlery Company manufactured knives in Titusville Pennsylvania for 96 years. The company opened its only factory there in 1919 and commenced to make some of the best US crafted cutlery you will find. Unfortunately, the Titusville manufacturing plant closed down in 2018.
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Old Folder
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Queens first new knife.

Post by Old Folder »

It looks as if Queen may be resurging since its 2018 bankruptcy. If it will become popular or common again depends on its future production, quality and of course sales.
It seems that many Queen followers (at least the members within aapk) have mixed feelings due to the quality of material used to make the 'Test Pilot Run' Queen (QN1)
I feel that I was fortunate to acquire 1 of the first 150 made. They sold out very quickly. I feel that Bear & Son produced a excellent little knife and I am happy with my $39.99 purchase. And yes, if it were my call, I would have chosen a bone or stag handle material and would have also increased the initial production to at least 300 (or more) to give more collectors an opportunity to participate in the resurgence.
Of course, my idea would have increased the cost, however, we are talking about "QUEEN" and I believe the majority of us would pay more for a higher quality first run.
I feel that Smoky Mountain Knife Company missed a golden opportunity. However, it's not too late to correct. Or is it?
What are your opinions?


You can view the most recent articles posted within the "Queen Cutlery" history website pertaining to the new owners of Queen Cutlery.

https://queencutleryhistory.com/

Is There a Future for New Queen Knives?

Queen City Cutlery Company ceased to exist in January of 1946. On the same day, with an exchange of dollars, a few strokes of a pen and a satisfied lawyer, Queen Cutlery Company was born. Nothing changed except the name and some tang stamps. The same quality knives were still made, on the same equipment, by the same people.
In 2018 Queen Cutlery Company died with a bankruptcy and asset liquidation. All of the materials, fixtures, machinery and other tangible assets were sold off, with much of them going to the same few buyers. A major recipient of Queen assets also acquired the trademarks. Some he kept and some were sold off, all in accordance with a new business plan.
We have yet to see the new products which will come off the dependable old machinery and tooling but we have reliable information these will be high quality and branded “Schatt & Morgan”. Already though, we collectors have had a peek of what we might expect of Queen-branded products. In late April Smoky Mountain Knife Works offered for sale a small, two-blade trapper, with composite handles, stamped Queen, with Pilot Test Run etched onto the main blade. SMKW had acquired the Queen trademark from the original buyer and evidently contracted with Bear & Son to make this small test run of knives. They sold out pretty quickly. Some buyers had objections to this or that element of the knife but overall it seemed to have been perceived as a collectors item. Why? Because it potentially marked the re-launch of a fine old knife company which had been given up for dead two years prior. Add to that, just a small quantity was produced and it was in fact a nice little knife for just $39.99.
The knife is marked Queen. SMKW, as the trademark owner, has every right to use that name on cutlery. Having made a so-marked knife, they have protected that trademark. Name aside, is this knife and anything similar which might be so branded, in the Queen Cutlery tradition? We don’t think so.
Over the years Queen knives sustained a reputation for quality, craftsmanship and premium materials. Blade steel was most often a high quality stainless such 440C, ATS-34 or D-2. Blades were punched, often tang stamped. sometimes etched, mirror of glaze polished and ground. Handles were usually distinctive jigged bone, stag, mother of pearl or wood. On budget knives plastic was also used.
If Queen knives were to be reborn, would the target market be the budget-conscious consumer? Unlikely. We think collectors would want a link with the Queen of old. We are, after all, a discerning bunch.

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Re: Queens first new knife.

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..... ::td:: ::td:: ::td:: ..............
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by cody6268 »

As a Bear and Son product, I have nothing wrong with it. But, it's supposed to be a Queen; and it's more expensive than the base Bear and Son equivalent, which has rosewood handles. The Bonestag version they make (India Stag) is not much more expensive. Delrin looks cheap, laser etch blade markings look cheap. As ground blades look cheap. Hopefully, if we do see another issue, it's got a natural handle material (or G-10), polished and stamped blades. This is as much a Queen as as the Dodge Stealth is a Dodge (which, in fact, it was a badge-engineered Mitsubishi).

Looks OK, but nothing that really should have the Queen name on it. I ended up finding a Queen-made Moore Maker 3 7/8 Trapper for the same price and bought it instead.
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by edge213 »

carrmillus wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:50 pm ..... ::td:: ::td:: ::td:: ..............
::td:: ::td:: ::td::, I agree with carmillus
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by Gunsil »

I am an old traditionalist and didn't like Queen reviving the Schatt & Morgan name, they were NOT Schatt & Morgan knives. Parker started the inane business of using old out of business knife company brands on modern knives, didn't like that either. The modern Chinese "Schrades" are a travesty to the name and I feel re-using the Queen name is the same. I don't even like all the KA-BAR club knives although some are handsome knives since they were made by Queen and I am a big KA-BAR aficionado. Silly "Case Classics" mostly made by Queen are not "real" Case knives to me either. Just another grumpy old guy I guess, but I do like tradition. In short, those are not Queen knives, they are Bears.
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by Mumbleypeg »

I’m with you Gene. Unless the new owners of the Queen brand name produce something representative of the old 20th century Queen product, I’ll have zero interest in it. I’m sickened by the Chinese-made Schrades, and the formerly respected brand names now found on Chinese-made knives produced by Frost. It’s not so much that they’re made in China but that beyond the name stamped on them they’re in no way remotely similar to those old brands. Miller Bros. never made knives with purple handle covers! ::doh::

I fully recognize the right of those who bought the brand names to use them as they see fit. I also have the right not to spend my money for them. I lost respect for Queen production over the past 10 years or so. I’ve seen nothing so far from “the new Queen” that interests or impresses me. Hopefully that will change but I’ll not be breathlessly waiting for the next release. Others may have different opinions, that’s just me. I think the last paragraph from the article Old Folder posted sums it up well:
If Queen knives were to be reborn, would the target market be the budget-conscious consumer? Unlikely. We think collectors would want a link with the Queen of old. We are, after all, a discerning bunch.
Regarding the Case Classics, I respect that they’re well made, quality cutlery and for the most part representative of the Case originals. I own a few myself. However I guess mostly because of the circumstances of their origin I don’t think of them as being “Case”. But that’s a subject for a different thread.

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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by Old Folder »

Thanks for your opinions guys. ::handshake::
It's always important to know what you don't know.
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by QTCut5 »

I am extremely disappointed in the QN1. As has been mentioned above, it's not really a Queen so much as a Bear & Sons product and even taking that into consideration, I feel it is sub-par. I've owned a few, and I really don't think much of or care much for B&S knives, but this one with the Queen name and $40 price tag is not even as good as less expensive B&S knives IMO. The one I bought (new from SMKW) arrived with scuffs and scratches on the dull black plastic handle. The master clip blade has OK snap but the spey has almost no snap at all (barely closes without having to be pushed to fully close). Looks cheap and feels cheap in hand. I have nothing good to say about this knife. For this travesty to be associated with Queen is a disgrace to the Queen legacy. YMMV
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by bighomer »

The one I received is better than the one Q got, that said it's not anything to write home about. It does not measure up to any of the RRs that I have at a third of the money. It is on par with the few Bear& sons I've handled and if I didn't know better (and I really don't know better.) I'd think a lot off the Bear and son knives came out of Pakistan. ::shrug:: ::handshake::
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by TripleF »

Looks very ho-hum.....
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Re: Queens first new knife.

Post by carrmillus »

....I think i'll leave off the "ho"............. ::td:: ...............
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