2013 forum knife... Is this acceptable?

[Ace Krampus]

...for $130 you are not buying a knife where you can expect supreme fit and finish...

Is this the world we live in now?

Granted, it won't be a Chris Reeve knife at a buck thirty but I can expect something on par with say, a Spyderco Military considering the equal price point and materials involved.

 

[Ryan Sumner]

Thanks for all the advice guys, it's really helped me decide what to do. I think I'll try filing the kicks down on both blades, there is still a bit of room for the pen to go, and then I can sand the back flush without taking metal off of the springs, only the liners. I'm not really a stickler for polish, but I don't like it when there are scratches deep enough to show up after the knife has use, and is patina'd ect. It's mostly an easy fix but I was confused as to why this knife, being my most expensive GEC (or any brand) and it still came with more issues than the rest.

This is my current GEC collection. All are users except the single blade clip Charlow (a spare for my favourite knife, the 2 blade clip) I had heard Charlies factory orders might have better fit and finish than usual GEC offerings, so that might be it.



I'll try to list the tweaks I have done with my GEC's;

I tightened the rivet on the 2 blade clip barlow, not because of unacceptable play, but just personal preference.

I filed the kick on the secondary sheepsfoot on the congress, to get both blades to sit evenly in the handle. (the sheepsfoot blades do have there tip out off the blade well, but I don't mind it at all when other blades are stopping snags on the tip)

I still need to figure out how to fix the spey blade snapping on the backspring.


The single blade walnut Charlow didn't have a flush backspring when open, so I filed the kick a tiny bit and sanded the back flush.
the ebony charlow and the stag white owl didn't have issues, and the sigle clip barlow and diamond jack are as close to perfect as I can imagine. (although after repeated closings, the pen blade on the diamond jack did only just touch the backspring, until I put a sliver of scrap leather in the handle until the problem sharpens out.)

Thanks again guys, I genuinely wasn't sure what to do, it really helped seeing all of the different opinions presented.

 

[Ryan Sumner]

Just reporting back in, I filed down both kicks and the nail nicks are still in the same positions. (just lower in the handle).
I sanded the backsprings to make them flush again, and gave them some polish with some autosol.

the tip of the main blade isn't much lower in the handle, but it gives 1 or 2 millimetres extra sharpening. I didn't want to put them too low, or the tip might have started slapping the backspring.