2016 GEC Rendevous Dates

This was my 3rd Rendezvous, 2nd with my sons (my daughter decided to keep grandma company), and 1st with my dad. As always, I loved the tour, and moreso enjoyed watching my oldest (9yr old) son becoming increasingly more interested in the processes as well as the product. My youngest son of course was more concerned with planting himself between two box fans:)

I came away with great knives (though I JUST missed the Rendezvous knife). My sons were appreciative of all of the pins Charlie gave, and my 9yr old was enamoured by Lyle's stories, Donald Duck voice, and the fact he signed the story insert of a #14 for us. My father was most impressed by Bill's hands-on approach and example he set as a boss who could do any job.

I'll be back next year with even more knowledge gained from Blade Forums, and hopefully get to know more folks here, that I can meet in person.

The knives are amazing, but the people are better.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
Sabercat said:
This was my 3rd Rendezvous, 2nd with my sons (my daughter decided to keep grandma company), and 1st with my dad. As always, I loved the tour, and moreso enjoyed watching my oldest (9yr old) son becoming increasingly more interested in the processes as well as the product. My youngest son of course was more concerned with planting himself between two box fans:)

I came away with great knives (though I JUST missed the Rendezvous knife). My sons were appreciative of all of the pins Charlie gave, and my 9yr old was enamoured by Lyle's stories, Donald Duck voice, and the fact he signed the story insert of a #14 for us. My father was most impressed by Bill's hands-on approach and example he set as a boss who could do any job.

I'll be back next year with even more knowledge gained from Blade Forums, and hopefully get to know more folks here, that I can meet in person.

The knives are amazing, but the people are better.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
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Haha my girlfriend Casey and I walked out of the store area to see (apparently) your son between the two box fans. She thought it was hilarious. He was probably the smartest person there, with that idea!

I was also really impressed by how hands on Mr. Howard was working with the 72 lockbacks. I'd seen him work before, he tuned a pivot for me at a previous Rendezvous (talk about great customer service!), but he was really going to work on those 72s.
 
gunstockjack said:
Here's another past example from 2013; a 64 pattern indigo blue camel bone w/ swing guard :

uCgwntP.jpg
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Barry that my friend is a nice #64.....I have a few but not this one...great score!
 
While once again feeling like I was in a pinball machine for most of the time, I had a fantastic, restful, fun time.

While the people make the event, I am blown away all over again by how much GEC accomplishes with (relatively) so little, in a world market in which a traditional pocket knife is a decidedly niche item. I took the Tour again, finally (huzzah), in which pocket jewels abounded (the Northwoods Fremont, a #72 in grizzly bone, and the shall-not-be-named Bone #45s)-- all put together piece by piece, hand to hand to hand, in a non-airconditioned factory.

I am impressed, and grateful for the knives, and for GEC's gracious hospitality. :thumbup:

The knives:

2016 Rendezvous Knife, #74 stainless steel clad in Primitive Bone
IMG_1542.jpg~original


I don't prefer single-bladed knives (until I do!), or stainless steel (until I do!), or the #74 pattern off-hand (until I do!) but one look at this knife and I knew it was something special.

IMG_1543a.jpg~original


IMG_1550a.jpg~original


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[Thank you again, Parke1, for showing me this knife-- before I'd even made it to the GEC factory steps!-- and then obliterating the stress that was already beginning to mount as I started reckoning what it would take to acquire another one, in time and worry and the sacrifice of some of the Rest I was so determined to embrace this time 'round.]

I have regretted passing up the white bone version of the #15 sheepsfoot barlow for lo these past three years.

Not any more!

IMG_1613.jpg~original


My new #14, also in white bone (because I done LARNED):
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The size and presentation of the #14 are somewhat of a puzzle to me (I had expected them to be different, but I'm not sure how?). During the week end, Charlie and Augie each showed me barlows of yore that are decidedly smaller than the #14-- this wee size is way traditional! In which Charlie and Bill (and Co) have once again done a great job bringing forth a traditional knife, reimagined. :thumbup:

I call it the TC Mini Me:
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:D

I also found Charlie's Navy Knife irresistible in person. This is some of the best bone I've ever seen...
IMG_1598.jpg~original


(Augie, tell Donna that, having not yet shown my son the Navy Knife, I am now.... well, she predicted it. Does leaving it to him in my will count? :confused: :cool:)

Thank you so much, Charlie, for all you bring to all of us, and for making these knives available for me. :)


Finally, this was the breath-taker of the week end for me, courtesy of a trade with of Parke1 (again, this man!-- he o'erturned my focus this week end, for true):

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The bone, the form factor, the size, the tapered main blade, the shield-- and all this before viewing the tang stamps:

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IMG_1597.jpg~original


!

[Consensus among the knowledgable is that the knife was likely assembled from remaining parts sometime after Northfield Knife Co's 1919 closing, but still.... ]

What a wonderful knife!

~ P.
 
Wow, very, very. I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that BF knife was something that would catch your fancy. Congrats on the productive trip ~P.
 
Great post and photos Sarah, I saw some of those at the Rendezvous but missed out on the Navy knife, they do have some of the best bone GEC has done. Donna got a laugh and said the will counts:D
 
LastRodeo said:
Wow, very, very. I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that BF knife was something that would catch your fancy. Congrats on the productive trip ~P.
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Thanks! You're right, there's nothing on paper regarding this knife that would bring me other than relief (one less knife to Want!).

But, once I saw and handled it, and gauged for myself how its appointments work together...? I was very happy to bring this one home-- confirming once again that a knife can only be truly understood in hand. That's one of the reasons gatherings such as these are so great. I am grateful for the opportunity to handle knives that are new to me, and it's fun to be able to provide others with the same. There's really nothing else like it.

An aside: GEC's primitive bone is processed/stabilized with some sort of superglue-ish medium before being attached to knife handles. [Bill Howard briefly explained it to me, but I forget now if the bone is completely saturated via a vacuum, or simply soaked-- I believe it is the latter?] My Rendezvous knife was more 'coated-looking' than I prefer. I used some Scotch-brite to lightly take the gloss down to the smooth, natural look and feel I prefer. :thumbup:

Augie said:
Great post and photos Sarah, I saw some of those at the Rendezvous but missed out on the Navy knife, they do have some of the best bone GEC has done. Donna got a laugh and said the will counts:D
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:-D

-- Have you (or anyone else) posted up a spine shot of a #45 yet? I have a Lumberjack clad in ebony, broad and sleek. The new ones are a lit-tle different on that score. ;)

~ P.
 
Regarding the treatment done to the primitive bone, I appreciate that information, I have passed on primitive bone in the past because it looked too "fragile".
 
Very nice finds P, you done larned good kid! ;) :thumbup:
 
LastRodeo said:
Regarding the treatment done to the primitive bone, I appreciate that information, I have passed on primitive bone in the past because it looked too "fragile".
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Some primitive definitely appears 'flakier' than other, so I too appreciate knowing that it's been tended to. This also solves a puzzle for me regarding a primitive bone whittler I owned, on which there appeared to be a streak of cyanoacrylate. Evidently, that's exactly what it was, a slight strip of the soaked bone that had missed the buffing the rest received.

~ P.
 
Pertinux, I think your Rendezvous Knife has great covers. Very "crackly".

I am watching the videos posted from the Apostle P right now, and it's just making me look forward to next year when I'll hopefully be able to spend more time and get to the picnic. I got a chance to talk to Randy (sorry, don't know his last name) last year and it was very interesting. I would have liked to ask him about the engineering of the Texas Camp Knife, and such.
 
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