Category: Knife Information

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Making Serrations Disappear; Modifying a Spyderco Caribbean

I recently picked up a Spyderco Caribbean at a good price. It was about 40% off on what seems to have been an impromptu sale by a big online knife dealer through a much bigger online retailer. I wanted the plain edge version, but only the fully serrated was on sale. So I went for it!

The finished product with a Buck 119 I did some edge work on at the same time

The Caribbean is a knife I’ve had my eye on for a while. I’ve wanted to try LC200N steel as I’ve heard good things about it’s wear resistance versus the H1 steel Spyderco previously used on their Salt knives. I wanted a good knife for around the water (fishing, canoeing, boating, swimming, etc.), and the Caribbean’s highly rust resistant steel and accidental stab deterring sheepfoot blade made it a great choice. Plus the handle design is nice and simple in shape but loud in aesthetics, which I’m a fan of on both accounts. Finally, it has the compression lock which I find to be reliable and easy to use. Seems like a recipe for success, right?

The Caribbean’s design gives it a pretty recognizable outline

Well, I got it and at first I thought it was great! I haven’t had many fully serrated knives, but it cut through some sunflowers really well. Then I noticed the edge had come with some serious burrs. I had some household cardboard to cut, so I put it to work. Mind you, I’m not talking a full day, or even hour, of breaking down cardboard; more like 4 or 5 boxes. To my shock and dismay, the edge showed all kinds of damage after just that initial use. It had big rolls that almost turned into chips, and it even seemed to still have the burr (and no, I didn’t hit any staples). I suspected it had come with an edge that was burnt in the sharpening process, therefore ruining the heat treatment, and also possibly just too thinly ground. So after just a day of carry I decided to send it in to Spyderco.

Spyderco worked on it and another knife, and got it back to me in a reasonable amount of time. If you’re interested in the full story on that, check out the video above. Unfortunately, I noticed right away that the resharpened edge of the Caribbean seemed off. Not only was it overly sharpened, so that the points of the serrations were rounded off, there were still some of the rolls left and it had burrs (leftover from before or new, I don’t know). I have to say, I was rather disappointed. I can sharpen serrations with the tri-angle stones from the Sharpmaker, but I can’t fix large rolls and damage to the edge. If every time that kind of damage happens, especially if it happens as easily as it seemed to the first time, Spyderco has to take off this much of the serrations then I’m not sure serrations are for me. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I ended up deciding to take matters into my own hands.

Rounded serrations and leftover edge issues after a sharpening at the factory

I set upon turning it into a plain edged knife. I knew it wouldn’t be easy or pretty, but it was to be a user and I’ve done knife modifications before. First, I used a file to take out as much of the serration ridges as I could and shape the edge. I got the edge shaped, but decided I needed a little more power to work out the serrations completely. So I used a dremel with a sanding wheel (on a slow speed and frequently dipping the blade in water, to keep it cool) to fully flatten the serrations. Finally it was time to sharpen, but that turned out to be no small matter either. Because it was essentially a chisel ground edge by necessity, it took some work getting the angles set and the apex created. Once done it turn out to be, although not great looking, entirely practical and usable. Even though it’s not a professional quality modification, it will make the knife more usable for me and I am happy with that.

So, do I suggest you do this? Absolutely not. It, obviously, voids the warranty (for what that’s worth). If I really wanted a plain edge Caribbean I would have been much better off just paying the extra 40% for it… but where’s the fun in that?

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook!

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How to Pick the Perfect Knife for YOU!

People often ask me for knife recommendations, and I’m always happy to oblige. It gives me a legitimate excuse to pour over all the incredible knife offerings available to us in this golden age of pocket cutlery. In this article I will share my method of how to choose the perfect knife for YOU!

Budget

The first question to ask yourself is how much you want to spend on a knife. Knives come in all price ranges, from a couple bucks to thousands. As long as you stay within reason, you should be able to find a knife in your budget. Usually the upper limit is the focus, but I will give a recommendation of a lower limit of $7. There are some legitimately serviceable knives just above that bedrock price, but I haven’t found anything worth the price any lower and the options are sparse below $15. On the upper end, I think everyone has a price point past which the quality doesn’t increase enough to keep up with the cost. Everyone’s range is different, but I generally stay between $15 and $150 (with some exceptions down to $7 and up to about $225).

Knives of quite different price ranges: $225 ZT0561, $15 Kershaw Thistle, $7 Geralt

Intended Use

How you intend to use the knife is just as important as budget, because if you have the wrong knife for the job, the price won’t matter. You have to decide how you plan to use the knife; whether that’s as a wilderness survival tool, a work implement, a fidget toy, or anything in between. The uses for knives are unlimited, and it’s up to you to decide which are important to you in relation to this particular knife purchase and filter the choices accordingly.

Two knives with similar aesthetics but very different practical purposes

Aesthetic Preference

Practicality isn’t all that matters; if you don’t like the way your knife looks and feels you won’t be happy with your purchase. That’s why you should consider your own personal aesthetic preferences along with the practical characteristics of a knife. One of the main aesthetic choices for me is modern versus traditional. I enjoy both types of knives, but I more often buy traditionally styled knives. For you it could be tactical versus practical, or flashy versus subdued, or any number of other spectra within which knives fall.

A slipjoint, a double edged automatic knife, and a one hand open locking knife. All of these are legal some places, all are illegal some places… as silly as that might be!

Legal Considerations

Finally, the most unfortunate consideration of what knife is right for you are the relevant legal restrictions. Many places have automatic knife laws, blade length laws, laws regarding the locking mechanism, and even the edge configuration. I highly suggest looking into your local knife laws before making a purchase. There are several ways to do this, but one good source is the American Knife and Tool Institute.

As you have probably surmised, a lot of individuality goes into choosing the right knife for you. That’s one of the best parts of the exercise; it gives you the opportunity to express yourself in a meaningful but practical way. Although the method for choosing a knife I present here is vague, I hope it provides a useful framework in your search!

If you are planning to buy a new knife on Amazon, consider doing so through my affiliate store. It doesn’t cost you any more than buying through Amazon normally, and it helps support this blog and my other Knife Thoughts content. I appreciate your support either way!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook!

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Great Eastern Cutlery Restarts Production

Great Eastern Cutlery has been closed down since March 19, but are now restarting production! GEC was required to stop all business operations due to regulations put in place by the Pennsylvania state government to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Now the governor has moved several counties into the “yellow phase” wherein manufacturing businesses can restart production. One of those counties is Crawford, in which Titusville sits, so GEC is “back in business”!

Great Eastern Cutlery’s announcement from their site, as linked.

Production update photos indicate they are in the finishing steps of the Farm & Field Pocket Carvers, and have started initial steps on the upcoming #23 run. If you’re a fan of whittling, the Pocket Carver looks like a great tool for that hobby. Even if you’re not a whittler yet, it could be a good pursuit to occupy your time during quarantine! I am personally looking forward to the #23 run, GEC’s first pattern, because there are lots of cool versions being made like the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association 2020 club knife.

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook!

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Queen Reborn: SMKW Unveils New Line of Queen Knives with the Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper

Out of nowhere, Smoky Mountain Knife Works has reintroduced Queen Cutlery. Queen went out of business in 2018, and the future of the brand has been unclear since then. Recently SMKW posted a “Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper” for sale on their site, and this article will showcase that knife and what it means for the Queen brand.

This knife came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. There were no rumors of it on the forums and Smoky Mountain Knife Works did no advertising before its release. Even upon release, there was very little fanfare; at first it wasn’t even featured on the SMKW homepage.

Once the knife was available for purchase on SMKW, there was still little solid information available. The product page said it was a test run Queen knife made in the U.S.A. for Smoky Mountain Knife works with black composite covers and 440 steel.

With so little official information available, the online knife community was abuzz with interest and speculation on the knife’s specifics.

The main question in discussion was; who made the knife? In this area, a consensus seems to have been reached that it must have been made by Bear & Son Cutlery. Here we can apply the old saying “read the knife, not the tang”. This means the best way to know the origin of a knife is to look at its characteristics and how it’s made, rather than what the tang is stamped or etched. In this case, due to the pattern’s similarity to Bear & Son’s Mini Trapper and other manufacturing hallmarks, it looks most likely to have been made in a Bear & Son factory. That said, SMKW has not identified the manufacturer, even when directly asked during a live video.

Another much discussed question was; why is SMKW coming out with a Queen knife? After the Titusville Queen factory closed and its assets were sold off, most believed that Bluegrass Cutlery had bought the machines and trademarks with intention to restart the brands. However, in a video SMKW said that they purchased the Queen and Queen City trademarks and plan to do a full line of knives under each brand. In the same video they explained that this knife was rushed to market because they had to use the trademark to keep it active. They said they have to do the same with a Queen City branded knife. Unfortunately, when asked if the future Queen and Queen City lines will remain made in the U.S.A., the SMKW representative said they didn’t know yet.

Queen collectors might ask what about Schatt & Morgan, Queen’s other well known and respected in house brand? A reputable source told me that Gilbert Cooper purchased the trademark and Queen’s machinery, and has promising plans for the brand. Cooper himself has posted on All About Pocket Knives forum about reintroducing the Schatt & Morgan brand with the goal of restoring its former place at the top quality tier of American pocket knives.

As for this Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper, it’s certainly well enough made for being rushed to market. This knife is not made with the same quality level as a GEC made knife; I would put it in the same realm as Case knives. The blades are pretty well centered. The action is nice with about a 5.5 pull on both blades. The action was a little gritty at first, but after a little oil they’ve broken in to be relatively smooth. Neither blade has any wobble. Neither blade seems to have any rap or proud tips. There are some slight gaps between the springs and liners, and a gap between the pile side liner and cover. So the fit is pretty good. The finish leaves a little more to be desired. The transitions between the covers and bolsters, as well as the edges of the covers, are a little rough. The blades have something between an “as ground” type finish and a satin finish, while the bolsters are between a satin and polished finish. Unfortunately, the etch is not a particularly tasteful font and seems imperfectly placed and is very raised (enough so that it’s easy to catch your fingernail on it). The tang is not stamped, which I would prefer but adds an extra step and cost, but rather etched very plainly. The front tang is etched “Queen” and the back tang is etched “QN1 / U.S.A.”. I am glad they went with no shield instead of an unpinned (glued only) shield, like Case and others use. Overall, it’s a decently made knife for the price that would make a good user knife.

Although this SMKW Queen QN1 would be a great using knife, I anticipate it will become collectible. In the video I have referenced above, SMKW said that only 300 of these were made. Although that’s not a tiny number of knives, it’s a pretty small run compared to recent GEC general runs, let alone compared to Case runs. If SMKW handles the reintroduction of Queen and Queen City well (which I’m rooting for), this will have been what started it all and therefore sought after. If they don’t handle it well, or if they move production overseas, this might be the last American made Queen knife, and therefore sought after. Either way, it has sold out on Smoky Mountain Knife Works’ site so its value will soon begin to be established through the secondary market. That said, SMKW did say they have to bring a knife to market under the Queen City brand to retain the trademark and that it’s coming soon. So keep an eye out for that if you’d like to get one! In conclusion, I’m happy to see the Queen brand living on while being produced by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and I hope to see great things in the future!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook!