1976 Queen Folding Hunter? Maybe the Alaskan edition ?

[Randy]

I've owned this knife since I was a teenage but don't remember how I came by it. It had to be either new or really close to it when it came to me. It took a bit of looking on the webz to even find one picture that looked like it. Of course since it was user (and pretty much owned by a kid) it has been somewhat abused and sharpened incorrectly and otherwise not taken care of. Sorry that the tang stamp picture is upside down, no way to spin it on my computer that I'm aware of. I carried this in a sheath for at least 10 years. It was one of three that I switched between over the years. The other two were the Bucks 110 and 112, I still have both of those but I broke the 112 at the neck somehow. Still have it however.

The leather has been there since I got the knife.

[jerryd6818]

Does this help?

[Randy]

Hahaha! Not me, but I spose it does. Thanks!

Any other factual info anyone can tell me to improve my knowledge on what this might really be or how accurate I am with my supposition in the title (Alaskan model)?

Not looking to get rid of it, just looking to find out all I can about it. Thanks. I've looked all over the webz and I've found very limited info and fewer pictures of this style. That tells me one of two things; it's a rare version (very doubtful) or it's not collection worthy.

[treefarmer]

Randy,
I don't know about the Alaskan name, but it looks like a Queen pattern #39, folding hunter. I have 2 of them, one I've had for years and has a lot of blade loss. The other still has the blade etch showing the pattern number 39, I purchased it from an AAPK member several years back. Neither of mine have a hole in the bolster as your does. Good old knives, skinned a pile deer with the well used one! (if I were not having computer issues I would post a pic of my #39's)
By the way, Welcome to AAPK !
Treefarmer

[jerryd6818]

Hahaha! Not me, but I spose it does. Thanks!

Randy -- All Microsoft operating systems come with Paint (not what I used, but...) which has the capability of flipping and rotating images. Check it out and give it a try. Paint can be found in Accessories and in Paint, the flip/rotate feature can be found under Image.

By the way, welcome to AAPK. Glad to have you aboard.

[Randy]

Randy,
I don't know about the Alaskan name, but it looks like a Queen pattern #39, folding hunter. I have 2 of them, one I've had for years and has a lot of blade loss. The other still has the blade etch showing the pattern number 39, I purchased it from an AAPK member several years back. Neither of mine have a hole in the bolster as your does. Good old knives, skinned a pile deer with the well used one! (if I were not having computer issues I would post a pic of my #39's)
By the way, Welcome to AAPK !
Treefarmer

Thanks for welcome!
From what little I have found out about it that hole is what I believe makes it the Alaskan model. Thanks for the pattern number, I'll add that to the pictures for safekeeping.
The etch on the blade is only partially visible and then it's only the very top crown part. The rest I have somehow ruined over the years with sandpaper most likely. I am now in the process of hand polishing the blades since it I'm certain it has no real collectors value but to me it is priceless. I just sit here with a flat piece of leather and put red rubbing compound on the leather and rub end to end. Then occasionally I move to another piece that I have white polishing compound on to see how I'm doing. Sanding scratches take a long time to polish out. I spose I could use the polishing machine in the basement and speed the process up some but that I think might overheat it and I'm in no hurry. The problem I see is there is a slightly different colored area near the tang where it looks like I've worn through a surface hardness. I never would expect a knife like this to be surface hardened? Actually I would never have thought any knife would be surface hardened. Especially when I'm pretty certain it's made of stainless. Speaking of the difference between stainless and carbon steel blades I also have a Old Timer that is very similar in shape to this one (model 250T) that I believe is not SS and after I sharpened it it slips all the way across a piece of notebook paper side to side and separates it clean as a whistle. This Queen, no matter how I sharpen it, about two inches before it stops cutting. I sharpen free hand with a dry stone of unknown origin or grit. I finish with either 800 grit silicon carbide wet/dry paper on glass or leather and polishing compound and a hardwood stick. The stick is to work the roll off if one formed. It's always worked on HC steel, doesn't seem to do so well on SS.

[treefarmer]

Randy, Here's the two I have, the user with the easy open modification and the #39 that hasn't been used very much. (Got the computer issues taken care of.)
Treefarmer

[Randy]

Nice couple of knives for sure Treefarmer!

I was wondering what date the good one was?

My etch apparently only had the crown but I don't know what was below it on the edge side.

It seems the users might have that dark pitted area in common on the tang because mine was almost identical to that. However, the blades on mine were so scratched up and nasty looking I had to try make it look better so I've been polishing them up, which rubbed out what remained of the etch anyway. Like I said it's a keeper not a collector; sad but true. At least it will look good when I'm done even if it has no collector value. I hate ruining collector value on most things, but this knife; I've just owned it too long. Besides, I don't even know what it could have been valued at in pristine condition (which it hasn't been in since about three days after I got it).

I was also under the impression these blades were SS. But I had never actually checked them until last night. There is a good strong magnetic attraction so they must be a good HC steel? Mine have small pits but I've never seen any actual rust on them? And when I wore it when riding it got wet many time riding in the rain and left to dry in the leather sheath.

[treefarmer]

Randy, Take these responses with a grain of salt as they may not be the most accurate info:

After an interesting beginning (read up on how they got started ), Queen City Cutlery started using Stainless steel around 1926. SS was invented around 1914+/-.

Stainless steel must contain at least 11% chromium - some SS will rust to some degree, example some restaurant equipment will rust because of the grade of the SS. My #37 user was lying on the dirt under my house for at least 6 months when I recovered it, it had some rust that caused the little pits on the blades. So they will rust but not as bad as carbon steel when left in a moist place for the same length of time. Depending on heat treatment and a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo some SS does not attract magnets and some do.

The mfg. dates on both of my #39s fall in the 1961-1971 years. During this time tang stamps were omitted as a cost cutting measure . Your knife is easily identified as a 1976 model.

I used to detest SS blades but after I learned to sharpen the older Queens that I have acquired, I like them. Been carrying a #49 Queen stockman ('58-'60) for about 9 months, use it all the time and it holds a great edge.
Treefarmer

[Randy]

Thanks Treefarmer, I knew SS could rust depending on the grade (the construction company I worked for for over 23 years did a lot of waste water plant work) but what I wasn't certain of was the magnetic capabilities of all SS. I was under the assumption that if it was SS it was non-magnetic. These blades snapped the magnet out of my fingers the attraction was so strong, so I just assumed they were HCS. Good to know! Now I don't feel so bad about not being able to get a fine edge on them like I can on a HCS blade. My wife has an Old Timer (Shrade Model # 250T) that is nearly identical to these Queens except for the scales and it will cut a hair lengthwise (yeah, a little bit of exaggeration). It's not an exaggeration to say it will slip from one side of an ordinary piece of notebook paper to the other without using the full length of the blade holding the paper with just one hand. That is sharp enough for me although not sharp enough to shave with maybe. But this Queen, I've never been able to sharpen like that. I only have rudimentary sharpening equipment though. I don't have it down to a fine science. I was taught to sharpen blades by a chef a long time ago at a high dollar restaurant where I worked as a dishwasher as a kid. He wanted someone to keep his favorite knives sharp so all he had to do was steel them before use. I volunteered for the job, besides, it paid extra LOL. He told me to never steel a knife before it on the endgrain of a hardwood block first. it's always worked for me so I've never had to upgrade to a newer system, which is why I don't sharpen SS very well I guess. A completely different animal than HCS.

[brucegodlesky]

High carbon stainless steel will attract a magnet.
I believe Queen 's first ss blades were 440c. They later went to lesser grades of 440, then on to 420hc for it's polishing characteristics.
One thing to remember, back in the 30's, 40's and 50's, cutlery steel (as far as ss went) was in it's infancy. Nothing like what is attained by heat treaters today.

[Randy]

I didn't know SS was heated? I was under the impression it was all in the metallurgy. That may actually explain why I see a softer steel in parts of my blade now. Just like the shears and moldboards on my plows, the surface steel gets worn off and the steel under it is much softer for flexibility.

[brucegodlesky]

Heat treating is part of metallurgy. Blades are hardened and tempered. Thgen the blade tangs are tempered again a bit softer so the blade scan be adjusted during assembly.