2018 BF Traditional Knife

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cbr1000 said:
Respectfully pointing out that Charlie's first post in this thread said he was "burned out on the subject". That's possibly why you see people talking about that. Another way you could look at post of people saying he's burned out is that it's positive (not insulting) in that people are trying to convey his wishes?
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You may have missed page 48. Let's just move on though.
 
cbr1000 said:
Respectfully pointing out that Charlie's first post in this thread said he was "burned out on the subject". That's possibly why you see people talking about that. Another way you could look at post of people saying he's burned out is that it's positive (not insulting) in that people are trying to convey his wishes?
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Thanks for that, and my apologies. I did search for Charlie's posts, but I guess I missed that one. Sorry folks :thumbsup:
 
afishhunter said:
Yes. There would be enough demand.

Even at the $100 price point for the previous GEC Blade Forums knives they were still out of reach for a lot of folk on the porch who are on a fixed income or don't have a high paying job. (for example, after paying the bills, I have roughly $320 a month for food, Skoal, knives, and bicycle repairs/component upgrades. (thankfully I don't have a motor vehicle, so I can avoid those costs.)

If the Buck is less expensive, those who could not afford the prevoius Forum knives might be able to order one this year, making it less "exclusive" for the people who hang out here in the porch; it won't be just the "rich" folk that can get one.
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I am currently in this camp. A series of unexpected bills has pretty much shot any knife budget I might have had for the foreseeable future. I have been a Buck fan since I bought a 110 in 1976 and I would love to see a 301 with flat ground blades and CPM-154 or 20CV, and would try to find a way to pay for one. Or a 501 or 55 for that matter.
 
The price could shoot up quick with all of the customizations that have been discussed. If the rules are changed to allow a dealer profit, that would also add cost. Until things are cleared with Spark, I don't think we can assume that it will be done for profit. That may change which dealers will participate.
 
NJBillK said:
There have been plenty of GECs with proud tips. I personally have owned three (3) GEC knives that had proud tips. Two 71s, and a 48. Would this stop me from buying those models? Not. At. All.

I look at it as an oversight for that particular knife, not indicative of an issue with the pattern.
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I don't think so. Now, I don't have other 301s to compare it to, but it looked like a design issue to me. I don't think the kick could have been dropped enough to get the tip below the frame without making the nail nick too difficult to access. The whole issue could have been avoided if the frame had just been reversed so that the hump or higher part in the handle was on the other side of the handle (as in on the other side of the center end to end).

Believe me, I've had lots of GECs with proud or close to proud tips. I've filed the kicks on more than a few. But I'd always prefer not to have to do so.

supratentorial said:
This would require new dies/tooling for each of the new blades. I don't think it's realistic for many reasons, including Buck is reducing the number of 300 patterns made in the USA. But if they did agree to new dies and tooling just for our little order, it would substantially increase the cost.

Buck's only canoe is made in China.

Could drop the spey blade and spring. Just clip blade and sheepfoot. Would be cool. 300Bucks had been wanting them to make a 301 without the spey.
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I would be very into a Buck 301 without the Spey blade. It's really the two most useful blades for me, and would be cool alongside the 2015 Canal Street knife. As long as they're flat ground. I'd also be into a solitaire 302.
 
supratentorial said:
The price could shoot up quick with all of the customizations that have been discussed. If the rules are changed to allow a dealer profit, that would also add cost. Until things are cleared with Spark, I don't think we can assume that it will be done for profit. That may change which dealers will participate.
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I don't think the rules are going to be changed, and now that I know what and why the forum knife stands for and exists, I do not plan to pursue the profit route. If the expenses involved can be covered, then I'm in as far as it concerns the Forum Members. What I need to determine with Spark is the excess knives. Can those still be sold for profit with the BF name on it?

There are some obvious places where money can be saved or added to the cost of the knife. For example, if CPM-154 was the steel choice, it would be a significant saving over CPM20CV. There is the added benefit of a tang stamp as well at that point. If the base model can sit at nickel silver/brass and CPM-154, then we'll gain some good wiggle room for the handle material. The special box adds between $5-7, and although very cool, could be another bit of savings if nixed. I hope it isn't nixed, but that is an option.

What is going to be brutal is shipping for the overseas fellas. It is $26 for flat rate international whereas the States will see just over $7.
 
Just a question I'll throw out. I know people are trying to keep the tradition of a tang stamp, but depending on the knife what about engraving on the bolsters? For example, if Buck was chosen, could it be "BF" on one side/or bolster and "2018" on the other? That might look nice on a 501.....
 
skblades said:
What is going to be brutal is shipping for the overseas fellas. It is $26 for flat rate international whereas the States will see just over $7.
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Maybe Barry could chime in on the shipping aspect, since he handled that on some of the prior Blade Forums knives.

I thought the price of the forum knives were "plus shipping".
 
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afishhunter said:
Maybe Berry could chime in on the shipping aspect, since he handled that on some of the prior Blade Forums knives.

I thought the price of the forum knives were "plus shipping".
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That would be my understanding as well. Cost of knife alone, then cost of shipping.
 
skblades skblades I just wanted to say thank you for stepping up and working to make a forum knife happen. My previous posts in regards to a prospective GEC knife weren’t meant to imply that I want nothing to do with Buck. On the contrary, I think it’s a very interesting development. I really just want to see what GEC has to offer and think a lot of other people would as well.

I’m not dead set on any particular Buck pattern, but I will say that I don’t want the 303, just because it’s too small. I would also lean towards omitting the Spey blade as well. I like CPM 154 and would prefer a tang stamp as opposed to any sort of bolster etching. That always looks cheap to me, even if it isn’t cheap. FFG blades, pinned covers and no plastic shield would be a must. Other than that, I would be on board for the 301.

Thank you to @Leslie Tomville for stepping up as well!
 
As much as a part of me wants a full stockman, because I don't have one, I really like the idea of dropping the sort. I know we are getting ahead of ourselves, but that is what this thread is for ;)

Without the spey, because of the linerless design that Buck uses, a 301/3 could manage a slimness and pocketability that would rival the 2015 knife. And that certainly appeals to me.

And as far as steel goes, my preferences would be CPM154, 154cm, and 440C (in that order) for an optimal (in my unasked for opinion) balance of performance characteristics, ease of maintenance and sharpening, cost, and most importantly stamp-ability.
 
skblades said:
I don't think the rules are going to be changed, and now that I know what and why the forum knife stands for and exists, I do not plan to pursue the profit route. If the expenses involved can be covered, then I'm in as far as it concerns the Forum Members. What I need to determine with Spark is the excess knives. Can those still be sold for profit with the BF name on it?

There are some obvious places where money can be saved or added to the cost of the knife. For example, if CPM-154 was the steel choice, it would be a significant saving over CPM20CV. There is the added benefit of a tang stamp as well at that point. If the base model can sit at nickel silver/brass and CPM-154, then we'll gain some good wiggle room for the handle material. The special box adds between $5-7, and although very cool, could be another bit of savings if nixed. I hope it isn't nixed, but that is an option.

What is going to be brutal is shipping for the overseas fellas. It is $26 for flat rate international whereas the States will see just over $7.
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Good for you :) Excess knives haven't always been an issue, and the issues which led to them (eg high price (in the case of the 2013), or excessive volume) may be possible to avoid. Ensuring that the pattern is democratically chosen probably helps :thumbsup: Alphabet soup steels have not previously been an issue here. Personally, I'd prefer 1095 - or else O1, D2, or 440C in that order ;)

Don't worry too much about us overseas fellas, we've had brutal before! ;) :D :thumbsup: Some of us get stung with import taxes too! :eek: :thumbsdown:

skblades said:
That would be my understanding as well. Cost of knife alone, then cost of shipping.
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Yes, that's right, can't expect members in the US, where the knife will be made, to subsidise shipping overseas :thumbsup:
 
I've remained silent on the subject and planned to do so until options were presented and a vote was organized. As we approach that scenario, there are a few points on both sides( Buck/GEC) worth mentioning from a none biased point of view.

An upgraded stainless/ super steel Buck ( undetermined pattern) has a vast appeal here because high-quality stainless traditionals are not widely produced. Undoubtedly many members ( myself included) will be interested. Already there is an excellent debate about which pattern/ blade configuration would be ”best,” so this will be a point of contention. Buck is very open to customizing a knife, but the exact options and their bearing on price are yet to be determined.


The call for stainless in this thread is representative of many reoccurring personalities .This is reflected in over 50 pages of comments, which is understandable as it's human nature to get excited about something you desire which you have the ability to effect.


To generalize GEC with comments that suggest we get whatever they are producing, or they don't want to work with us is simply untrue. While any knife they would make falls in line with their production schedule they offer us the ability to take an upcoming pattern and make it a one time unique run which suits us. The options always include new patterns or customizing an existing pattern.

Just to stay current let's analyze the last two forum knives produced by GEC.

The #35 Drover was a brand new pattern; it was made with a spear and needle punch on a single spring, PPP etch, bar shield, worm groove jigged bone handles, custom tang stamp, tube artwork and bladforums story. This is nowhere near a standard factory production GEC knife.


The following year we had the #15 TC Barlow, one of the most sought-after traditional knives in today's market. Everyone wants a TC Barlow; most folks ( especially newer members) are not lucky enough to get one or able/willing to pay the secondary market prices. Charlie gifted us the use of his pattern and time, producing a hard-working, highly desirable knife in a material (Micarta) which goes against the traditional mindset used on all other TC’s. This knife also had the custom tang stamp, tube art, and bladeforums story. This also is not a standard production run.

Keep an open mind, consider all the facts and try not to get wrapped up in matters of opinion. So long as we can present all viable options while remaining factual members will be able to vote from an educated position.
 
The previous four years price included shipping costs with additional cost added to ship internationally.

Last year's knife was a lot of trouble due to the popularity of that particular pattern. Flippers began selling them on that big auction site before I had even shipped a single knife! I had to cancel and refund many, many orders that were for 5 knives or more. Many of these buyers of multiples had to be contacted as I needed to be assured that they were not buying them to flip, and as it turned out, I was lied to several times. I could go on, but suffice it to say that the whole procedure was a severe headache!

As to the knives sold after the pre-sale; the run was limited to 500 pieces and that is what costs were based upon and that is the number originally sold to members; as it turned out, there were actually 513 total, and I paid for the additional knives with my own funds and sold them at normal mark-up in my store, which was still about $50 less than the going price on the secondary market. When these are sold on a pre-sale basis, where the cost is covered before the run is completed (hopefully), there is a significant cost savings for everyone involved. Remember, I told you that there is significant financial risk involved, and I would not have attempted it had not CC had my back financially.

Good luck to whomever accepts the challenge!
 
gunstockjack said:
The previous four years price included shipping costs with additional cost added to ship internationally.

Last year's knife was a lot of trouble due to the popularity of that particular pattern. Flippers began selling them on that big auction site before I had even shipped a single knife! I had to cancel and refund many, many orders that were for 5 knives or more. Many of these buyers of multiples had to be contacted as I needed to be assured that they were not buying them to flip, and as it turned out, I was lied to several times. I could go on, but suffice it to say that the whole procedure was a severe headache!

As to the knives sold after the pre-sale; the run was limited to 500 pieces and that is what costs were based upon and that is the number originally sold to members; as it turned out, there were actually 513 total, and I paid for the additional knives with my own funds and sold them at normal mark-up in my store, which was still about $50 less than the going price on the secondary market. When these are sold on a pre-sale basis, where the cost is covered before the run is completed (hopefully), there is a significant cost savings for everyone involved. Remember, I told you that there is significant financial risk involved, and I would not have attempted it had not CC had my back financially.

Good luck to whomever accepts the challenge!
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Thanks Barry!:thumbsup:
Thanks for everything you have done and thank you for explaining that!:thumbsup:
 
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