Queen Cutlery Gunstock Jack

Earlier commentary:

[www.cliffstamp.com]


Concluding Thoughts:

The Gunstock Jack could be a really nice knife, but it will take a fair bit of work to get there. The primary issues I have with this knife are:

-Ridiculously thick blade grind

-D2 blade steel

In regards to the first point, the blade required a fairly extensive regrind to wind up with a blade that could actually cut, let alone cut well. After blending the bevel into the primary, the blade is now capable of doing what you would hope that a pocket knife could do.

Now as for the steel choice, D2 was probably the worst choice for this particular knife. Due to its low grindability, this knife took significant effort to regrind, as well as requiring fairly high end abrasives to make the task a bit more manageable.

As for the steel under actual use, I understand why a lot of people dislike D2. For whatever reason, I couldn't get a satisfactory edge on this knife unless I left it at a coarse finish (DMT 320 grit) or a highly polished finish like the 6K King. Once in use, D2 performed well for low wear cutting, but readily took damage when use to cut less than ideal materials like metal or on plates.

Furthermore, the lack of corrosion resistance that D2 affords also means that corrosive edge loss seemed to occur if not regularly cleaned or oiled, as well as some limited corrosion on the blade.

In all honesty, I wouldn't have minded a higher carbide stainless steel (154CM or 440C), simply due to the fact that they would be stainless. I have never had issues sharpening those steels either. However, a low carbide steel still would be preferred due to the ease of sharpening when used for non-cutting tasks.

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Bill22252 on YouTube. "See you space cowboy"

Resident Emerson Fanboi

Folding knives are fun, fixed blades are important.

Some Commentary on Ergonomics and Public Perception:

Due to it's elegant appearance, small size, and non-locking nature, this has been my preferred knife for carrying either in a professional setting or in not terribly knife friendly places, along with my Leatherman Wave.

Simply on the basis of public attention, the Gunstock Jack amusing gets noticed more than my leatherman wave. I currently do stock work for a large national retailer and unless I know I will just be opening boxes all day, my leatherman is my preferred cutting tool due to it's serrated blade. In front of other employees and customers, the Leatherman seemingly gets passed over as a knife either due to its very boxy, tool like shape or due to the fact that it is recognized as a multitool.

When I have used the Gunstock Jack, it usually elicits bemused commentary from coworkers. I don't really have any concerns about using it as the company merely has a no weapons policy, not an explicit "no knives" rule. Furthermore, as I have provided my own box cutter since day one, I have some history of bringing my own tools, so I can effectively argue that this is merely another one of them.

As for the Jack knife in use, ergonomics have proven to be something of an issue. In a hard sabre grip (something that is normally adopted when slicing cardboard), the back tang of the pen blade has an unfortunate tendency to dig straight into my index finger. Furthermore, I have managed to close the main clip blade on my finger when engaging in some dynamic cutting of a cardboard box. I just pinched myself by the ricasso and I knew what I did wrong, but it was still disconcerting.


In conclusion, I generally prefer the Leatherman for utility use as it is simply a more effective and safe tool for my uses, but still carry the Jack for situations when I want to have some class.

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Bill22252 on YouTube. "See you space cowboy"

Resident Emerson Fanboi

Folding knives are fun, fixed blades are important.

Bill,
Thanks for the write up on this knife. i like to read things like this.

It takes a little adjustment moving between non-locking blades and locking blades.

"Gotta love living in 2019 baby, (63rc too soft on a production knife)"
--Shawn Houston

"I am still discussing issues of steels and performance at this stage."
--Cliff Stamp

"Cause geometry cuts, .....steel determines the level and the duration"
--Roman Landes

"But in general, I'm all about high performance, Ergos, safety. That's why I've been accused of 'designing in the dark' "
--Sal Glesser

Jason: With modern slip joint designs, I think that is a lot less of an issue.










Compare modern slipjoint designs. You have either high ergonomic security or handle design that will limit any issues under dynamic cutting. You don't really have that with a jack knife.

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Bill22252 on YouTube. "See you space cowboy"

Resident Emerson Fanboi

Folding knives are fun, fixed blades are important.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with the traditional.

Bill-
You are right, I should have been more clear.

"Gotta love living in 2019 baby, (63rc too soft on a production knife)"
--Shawn Houston

"I am still discussing issues of steels and performance at this stage."
--Cliff Stamp

"Cause geometry cuts, .....steel determines the level and the duration"
--Roman Landes

"But in general, I'm all about high performance, Ergos, safety. That's why I've been accused of 'designing in the dark' "
--Sal Glesser

Jason: ha. No problem. I think it is just an interesting point of comparison.

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Bill22252 on YouTube. "See you space cowboy"

Resident Emerson Fanboi

Folding knives are fun, fixed blades are important.