Post by Pete1977 on Mar 2, 2009 11:34:00 GMT -5
Saturday I recieved my Queen Cutlery Congress with cocobolo scales, nickel-silver bolsters and D-2 blades. So, for my three hundredth post, I decided to do my first review on the forums.
I've never owned a congress pattern before so I did not know what to expect. It has some heft to it, but it is not heavy. I keep it in my back pocket and it is unobtrusive, and not uncomfortable at all. I have small hands, so the knife is quite comfortable to hold, both with the edge up, and down.
This is the two blade congress with one large sheepsfoot blade, and a small pen blade. They both have half stops, which I usually do not care for, but I don't mind them with this knife. The spring has some snap to it, both opening and closing the knife. The action is smooth for both blades, not gritty like some slipjoints I have encountered.
Fit and finish is good overall. The metal seal in the handle is somewhat offset and there are chips in the scales around it, but the knife is a user, so I don't sweat it much.
What I was definately unimpressed about was the edge on the blades. The sheepsfoot wasn't too bad, but the pen blade was, and after close to four hours on stones of different grits, a diamond rod, and the sharpmaker, it still is quite blunt. Why sell a knife with dull edges is beyond me, but what the hell....
Well, I got the sheepsfoot blade to a razor edge, and put it to my standard cutting tests.
I made ten cuts on 5/8 inch polypropylene rope, and nine of those cut through with one or two strokes. This has dulled a plain edge VG-10 spyderco impala after two or three cuts, so I was impressed.
I then made thirty cuts through 1/4 inch polypropylene rope, and every one was one stroke, and the knife still shaved a patch of hair from my forearm.
Then I made about 50 cuts through 1/8 inch nylon twine. no difficulty with that either. and it still shaved
Next, I cut up a usps priority mail videotape size box into little pieces. I lost count of how many cuts, but D-2 cuts cardboard like butter. And it was only slightly less sharp that when I began.
I sharpened a pencil, and then opened some letters. The knife was still sharp enough to slice through the paper with no effort whatsoever, and did not hang up once.
I don't plan on using this knife for heavy cutting, but for the mundane cutting chores we face every day. I am quite pleased, and once I find the motivation to finish reprofiling the edge of the pen blade, I am sure that it will remain as one of my edc's for quite some time.
Cheers
Peter
I've never owned a congress pattern before so I did not know what to expect. It has some heft to it, but it is not heavy. I keep it in my back pocket and it is unobtrusive, and not uncomfortable at all. I have small hands, so the knife is quite comfortable to hold, both with the edge up, and down.
This is the two blade congress with one large sheepsfoot blade, and a small pen blade. They both have half stops, which I usually do not care for, but I don't mind them with this knife. The spring has some snap to it, both opening and closing the knife. The action is smooth for both blades, not gritty like some slipjoints I have encountered.
Fit and finish is good overall. The metal seal in the handle is somewhat offset and there are chips in the scales around it, but the knife is a user, so I don't sweat it much.
What I was definately unimpressed about was the edge on the blades. The sheepsfoot wasn't too bad, but the pen blade was, and after close to four hours on stones of different grits, a diamond rod, and the sharpmaker, it still is quite blunt. Why sell a knife with dull edges is beyond me, but what the hell....
Well, I got the sheepsfoot blade to a razor edge, and put it to my standard cutting tests.
I made ten cuts on 5/8 inch polypropylene rope, and nine of those cut through with one or two strokes. This has dulled a plain edge VG-10 spyderco impala after two or three cuts, so I was impressed.
I then made thirty cuts through 1/4 inch polypropylene rope, and every one was one stroke, and the knife still shaved a patch of hair from my forearm.
Then I made about 50 cuts through 1/8 inch nylon twine. no difficulty with that either. and it still shaved
Next, I cut up a usps priority mail videotape size box into little pieces. I lost count of how many cuts, but D-2 cuts cardboard like butter. And it was only slightly less sharp that when I began.
I sharpened a pencil, and then opened some letters. The knife was still sharp enough to slice through the paper with no effort whatsoever, and did not hang up once.
I don't plan on using this knife for heavy cutting, but for the mundane cutting chores we face every day. I am quite pleased, and once I find the motivation to finish reprofiling the edge of the pen blade, I am sure that it will remain as one of my edc's for quite some time.
Cheers
Peter