Tuna Valley all fished out?

Tuna Valley Cutlery Co., Excelsior Knife Co., & Napanoch Knife Co. are three popular brands currently controlled by The Daniels family. These are old names that went dormant for years, but have since been brought back to life with modern offerings. This forum is here to discuss & show off knives & related items with brand names under the Daniels Family umbrella.
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flynbulldog
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Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

I'm a newby so please excuse my ignorance. I've been looking at some pics of a couple a good looking tuna Valley knives but the last post here was over a year ago and Courtney Daniels hasn't posted since 2012.

Are there any fish left in Tuna Valley? Whats happening? Do they still exist, are they making knives? and if so how has the quality been lately? I know there were a few complaints about QC a few years ago.

Thanks for bringing me up to speed
flynbulldog
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

I also emailed Knives ship free and although they still carry knives from Queen etc they no longer sell Tuna Valley. That is a head scratcher ::shrug::
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by RalphAlsip »

If you go to the AAPK Stores and search on Tuna Valley you will see several knives for sale. Tuna Valley is still producing knives. They recently released a nice Cattle Knife.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/aap ... /index.php
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by big monk »

flynbulldog wrote:I'm a newby so please excuse my ignorance. I've been looking at some pics of a couple a good looking tuna Valley knives but the last post here was over a year ago and Courtney Daniels hasn't posted since 2012.

Are there any fish left in Tuna Valley? Whats happening? Do they still exist, are they making knives? and if so how has the quality been lately? I know there were a few complaints about QC a few years ago.

Thanks for bringing me up to speed
Try this Link** http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/aap ... tegory=112
I'm not young enough,____to know everything !!!!!!!!!!!!

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flynbulldog
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

Yeah I saw Franks offerings while searching around online. He seriously needs to find a better photographer or do something about the lighting in his studio. those yellowy pics are not flattering and do not help me to want to buy from him. :wink: I honestly wasn't sure if those were old stock or what.

So, what has been the general experience with the TV knives?
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

Tuna Valley knives are made by Queen, and are still coming out with new patterns. They had 3 knife patterns released in 2016, with 3-5 handle materials for each pattern.

There are 2 other main TV dealers besides Franks. Those are JSR Sports, and Blue Creek Cutlery. Courtney is still in charge, in terms of choosing each new release pattern, and handle materials. Her and Ryan aren't online as often as they used to be, occasionally I see Ryan talking in one of the Facebook knife groups. But they are always out at knife shows around the country. That's the best place to pick up a knife in my opinion, you get to hold it and look at it before you have to pay for it. :D

I love the Tuna Valley line, lately the are the main focus for my collection. The handle materials chosen are premium grade, and I like the steel choice, and nickle pins and liners. Quality on them is usually outstanding, only a couple issues I've noticed. One thing is that the blades are not usually razor sharp out of the box, but they are sufficient. My Tuna knives are not users, so the sharpness is not an issue for me.

Here are the 3 handle materials for the latest release from Dec 2016, the Cattleman. Let me know if you have any questions about any specific patterns.
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2016-tuna-valley-cattleman-burnt-stag.jpg
2016-tuna-valley-cattleman-amber-stag.jpg
2016-tuna-valley-cattleman-buffalo-horn.jpg
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flynbulldog
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

Beautiful knives. Thanks for sharing rookie.

I just took delivery (today actually) of two knives from Queen, one a Queen brand and the other a Schatt&Morgan, Neither knife looked to me to be as good as the GEC products that I've collected so far and I dont know how they do it but it still seems to me that the high end Case knives are finished better, have tighter tolerances and operate better than the stuff coming out of Titusville. Look I'm not really a Case fanboy - their knives are made by the truckload but they still seem to do a better job than just about anybody on the market right now and at half the price in some cases. Maybe thats just among the knives that I've accumulated so far, I don't know.

Anyway I got off track. I wish I could hold one. Some of the TV knives are pushing $500 and that's a little out of my price range but I have found a couple that although the prices are in my uncomfortable zone I could swing it if I fell in love. I guess that's why I'm trying to gather as many opinion as possible before I close my eyes and jump...

Here are the 2 knives I got today, (Love the coping blade on the Railsplitter):
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DSC_3886 small.jpg
DSC_3879 small.jpg
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

I know what you mean. I have heard a few stories of people not being happy with their Tuna for as much as they paid, and returning it to the dealer for another one. However, out of the 20+ I own, I'm happy with every one of them.

I love that railsplitter, they are a really cool pattern. Speaking of that, there is a common flaw with every Tuna Valley railsplitter that I've held/owned. The pen blade has some side-to-side wobble. I have 3 different ones, and they all have it. I've picked up 5 or so at shows, and they all have it. How are the blades on that Queen one you have?
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

Rookie wrote:I know what you mean. I have heard a few stories of people not being happy with their Tuna for as much as they paid, and returning it to the dealer for another one. However, out of the 20+ I own, I'm happy with every one of them.

I love that railsplitter, they are a really cool pattern. Speaking of that, there is a common flaw with every Tuna Valley railsplitter that I've held/owned. The pen blade has some side-to-side wobble. I have 3 different ones, and they all have it. I've picked up 5 or so at shows, and they all have it. How are the blades on that Queen one you have?
No, both the pen and the coping are very solid but the walk is a tiny bit gritty. However the Main blade does have a very slight click click. Nothing that would bother me if I were to carry this knife yet even with its relative looseness its still not ultra smooth. It's such a solid feeling and substantial knife made with high quality materials but its just not quite finished nor does it operate as well as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, I'm trying to hold it to the standards of knives 3 times its price. I highly recommend this knife to anyone to carry or collect, its a great value and I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

One thing I found odd is that neither of the Queen made knives has a pattern or identification stamp anywhere on the knife.


BTW do your photos have a little HDR processing going on? 8)
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

flynbulldog wrote:One thing I found odd is that neither of the Queen made knives has a pattern or identification stamp anywhere on the knife.

BTW do your photos have a little HDR processing going on? 8)
I think Queen only etches the pattern number onto their blades, and that is only sometimes. They don't stamp numbers onto the blades like Case or GEC.

Yeah, I started dabbling with HDR/Photoshop it to try to get better photos of my knives. I set up a tripod and take 5 photos with different exposure times on each, and then let Photoshop compile them together with its HDR processing. I think what I need to do is get a better camera though to really take advantage of it.

Sometimes they turn out pretty nicely. Here is one I like a lot.
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2016-tuna-valley-teardrop-ivory2.jpg
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

I thought so. Your pics look fantastic and the HDR processing isn't over-done. I tend to over process.

My pics so far have been for cataloging purposes only. I might have to give some thought to shooting a few with more interest sometime. Your shots are inspiring ::tu::
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Xyphos »

The Tuna Valley I own, I believe it's a Cattleman (I'd have to check), is what I would call an "okay knife". It is built like an old-school work knife which is to say underfinished, heavy, knotty in hand, and with a hard pull. That would be fine if the knife was not around $500... but it is, and that's unacceptable. Also the prices seem all over the place, some going for under 200.

Suffice to say I would not buy another unless I could check it in person, and even then, why. The best feature was the tube it came in.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

Xyphos wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:53 pm The Tuna Valley I own, I believe it's a Cattleman (I'd have to check), is what I would call an "okay knife". It is built like an old-school work knife which is to say underfinished, heavy, knotty in hand, and with a hard pull. That would be fine if the knife was not around $500... but it is, and that's unacceptable. Also the prices seem all over the place, some going for under 200.

Suffice to say I would not buy another unless I could check it in person, and even then, why. The best feature was the tube it came in.
I assume for the $500 price that it is mammoth ivory? I have a cattleman in ivory and it is flawless. Also for the higher vallue, my knife is a collectible safe queen, not a user work knife.

I haven't seen any mammoth Tuna Valley knives selling for $200, that would be quite a steal. Here is a pic of my knife.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by edge213 »

Rookie wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:24 pm
Xyphos wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:53 pm The Tuna Valley I own, I believe it's a Cattleman (I'd have to check), is what I would call an "okay knife". It is built like an old-school work knife which is to say underfinished, heavy, knotty in hand, and with a hard pull. That would be fine if the knife was not around $500... but it is, and that's unacceptable. Also the prices seem all over the place, some going for under 200.

Suffice to say I would not buy another unless I could check it in person, and even then, why. The best feature was the tube it came in.
I assume for the $500 price that it is mammoth ivory? I have a cattleman in ivory and it is flawless. Also for the higher vallue, my knife is a collectible safe queen, not a user work knife.

I haven't seen any mammoth Tuna Valley knives selling for $200, that would be quite a steal. Here is a pic of my knife.
Beautiful knife Rookie.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by 1967redrider »

That's Tony Bose quality right there.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

Thanks guys!
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Xyphos »

Rookie wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:24 pm
Xyphos wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:53 pm The Tuna Valley I own, I believe it's a Cattleman (I'd have to check), is what I would call an "okay knife". It is built like an old-school work knife which is to say underfinished, heavy, knotty in hand, and with a hard pull. That would be fine if the knife was not around $500... but it is, and that's unacceptable. Also the prices seem all over the place, some going for under 200.

Suffice to say I would not buy another unless I could check it in person, and even then, why. The best feature was the tube it came in.
I assume for the $500 price that it is mammoth ivory? I have a cattleman in ivory and it is flawless. Also for the higher value, my knife is a collectible safe queen, not a user work knife.

I haven't seen any mammoth Tuna Valley knives selling for $200, that would be quite a steal. Here is a pic of my knife.
Sure but on the other hand I want my collectibles to be checked-out, fit and ready for use, even though they may never see a day of work. It adds to the inherent value of the knife (at least to me).
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

Xyphos wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:46 pm Sure but on the other hand I want my collectibles to be checked-out, fit and ready for use, even though they may never see a day of work. It adds to the inherent value of the knife (at least to me).
I can agree with that. For high dollar collectible knives, I expect top notch quality. Sorry to hear yours was below expectations. Did you reach out to the dealer when you received the knife and were not satisfied?
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Xyphos »

^ No because it's not the dealer's fault Tuna Valley does not have consistent QC.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by tunefink »

Sorry you have a lemon. I have a bunch of TVK's and have been satisfied.

Could you post some pictures of your knife?
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

I have over 90 TV knives and have never bought one that I was unhappy with. I don't think their quality is inconsistent. Surely by chance I would have bought a lemon by now.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Adog »

Rookie, I agree with you 1000%, I have well over 100. Tuna Valley knives, and every one is beautiful, I would not have kept buying them if I ever received a lemon. Only one, the first Timekeeper, the file work was left raspy, but that was done by Feeney custom knives I believe, I have never complained about the pricing and they have been a very good investment for my Grandsons , recently I saw two of the Lockback Trappers sell for well over &600.00, and there's no shortage of bidders. They are very well finished and have extremely BEAUTIFUL STAG, aloof mine are tight and right.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

Adog wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:04 am Rookie, I agree with you 1000%, I have well over 100. Tuna Valley knives, and every one is beautiful, I would not have kept buying them if I ever received a lemon. Only one, the first Timekeeper, the file work was left raspy, but that was done by Feeney custom knives I believe, I have never complained about the pricing and they have been a very good investment for my Grandsons , recently I saw two of the Lockback Trappers sell for well over &600.00, and there's no shortage of bidders. They are very well finished and have extremely BEAUTIFUL STAG, aloof mine are tight and right.
Adog
Yes, they have a pretty high following of collectors now. Almost every knife sells on the secondary market for more than the original dealer price. There are still a few that I have not tracked down yet to complete my collection, and the TimeKeepers are among those. I enjoy the hunt, and I enjoy the knives.
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by flynbulldog »

It's been 4 years since I started this thread. I did finally find and buy a Tuna Valley knife, a very special (at least to me) rail splitter pattern with scrolled bolsters and mammoth bone handles. It's a thing of beauty and one of the highlights of my small collection
20190331_104501.jpg
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Re: Tuna Valley all fished out?

Post by Rookie »

flynbulldog wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:12 am It's been 4 years since I started this thread. I did finally find and buy a Tuna Valley knife, a very special (at least to me) rail splitter pattern with scrolled bolsters and mammoth bone handles. It's a thing of beauty and one of the highlights of my small collection
20190331_104501.jpg
Looks great. Really pretty mammoth handles.
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