2022 Ben Hogan #65 thread

I only got this one to try out the pattern, and probably would not have gotten it if I hadn't been on telegram at the right time.šŸ˜‰. Anyway, I really like how the coloring mimics the IPB flower with the yellow transmission at the bolsters. F&F is spot on save a couple of rough spots on the jigging that will take care of them selves. It has a medium pull and the action is super smooth. It rides nice in my pocket so I guess I need to carry it awhile and get to know it.
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Getting the bone, IPB, and Osage 65s gave me the opportunity to try out different steels and covers. I didn't think much of the pattern until I saw some photos here of the 65 in-hand.

I love all three. There's some slight texture to the white 65 that reminds you the cover is bone. The coloring of the front of the IPB is nice and even - the back having more hints of bone coming through. Lastly, I love the Horse Apple / Texas Osage the most. The way the eye wraps around to both covers and the character the wood has really appeals to me.

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im sure this has been asked before and i probably asked before, but what is the point of that copperhead bolster? it cant be an effective guard
 
mrknife said:
im sure this has been asked before and i probably asked before, but what is the point of that copperhead bolster? it cant be an effective guard
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Somethings are just there to look pretty, like you Jack. šŸ˜‰
 
Got my Osage and really like it, would have liked to try for the smooth white bone but I was a bit late on the day.
 
mrknife said:
im sure this has been asked before and i probably asked before, but what is the point of that copperhead bolster? it cant be an effective guard
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I can't speak definitively, but I did note two things after your comment led me to take a closer look at mine:

When closed, the slight bump of the bolster flows pretty naturally to the back square:
IMG-0504_sm.jpg

And when open, it presents a nice balance to the shape of the handle and a slight rest for a finger:
IMG-0505_sm.jpg

*Edit: To summarize, examples of both an aesthetic and (possible?) ergonomic benefit
 
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dennishy said:
I can't speak definitively, but I did note two things after your comment led me to take a closer look at mine:

When closed, the slight bump of the bolster flows pretty naturally to the back square:
View attachment 1874057

And when open, it presents a nice balance to the shape of the handle and a slight rest for a finger:
View attachment 1874058

*Edit: To summarize, examples of both an aesthetic and (possible?) ergonomic benefit
Click to expand...

not bad eh? someone was letting one go at a fairish price in one of the groups and i was tempted to buy it sand off that little bump
 
I think that with enough courage that it could(?) be feasible to grind down the bolster without having to dissemble the blade (though I personally like the look):
65_bolster.jpg

I would happily recommend it as an 'around the house' option - mine sits at my desk tasked with lacerating letters. That isn't to say it isn't pocketable but it's certainly larger than a 14 barlow. The pull is on the lighter side but compared to the bear trap that is my 71 I very much enjoy it in its own way.
 
dennishy said:
I think that with enough courage that it could(?) be feasible to grind down the bolster without having to dissemble the blade (though I personally like the look):
View attachment 1874071

I would happily recommend it as an 'around the house' option - mine sits at my desk tasked with lacerating letters. That isn't to say it isn't pocketable but it's certainly larger than a 14 barlow. The pull is on the lighter side but compared to the bear trap that is my 71 I very much enjoy it in its own way.
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indeed, 14s are a nice watch pocket knife. recently seized the opportunity to add an S 14 Barlow for my users bunch. should be in soon.
 
I told myself I wouldnā€™t like them so I ignored all the drops, then this guy showed up and I thought Iā€™d try one in hand to see if I like it. Nope.
Itā€™s well made with good walk/talk but itā€™s bigger than I normally like.
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I had pretty much given up on obtaining any more GEC's and then I saw this Fish Keeper and had to try for one - and scored! Pictured here on its first fishing trip yesterday:
jLvG9Ft.jpg


And yes I'm leaving the whistle on.

A story about that - when I was about 8 or 9 years old I was obsessed with gadgets, and had a great imagination, and loved picking up pieces of trash and pretending they were cool tools... like Batman's utility belt or all the gadgets that Data had in the Goonies. One day I found an old set of wind chimes that a neighbor was throwing out, and used my Swiss Army Knife to cut the strings holding the tubes together and slipped a few of the hollow tubes or chimes into my pocket for later.
A day or so later I was out fishing with my dad on the dock and I had one of the chimes in my pocket. I took it out and showed it to my dad.
"Look dad, its at my new fish whistle"
I put it to my mouth and blew hard on it. Of course it didn't make a whistling sound since it was basically just a hollow metal tube... it just made the sound of air blowing through a hollow metal tube. I figured it was probably something fish could hear and we humans couldn't though.
And lo and behold, it worked! I caught a fish right away! I put it back in my pocket because I didn't want to wear it out right away, but I was ecstatic about how well my new fish whistle worked.
That night after I got home (and had likely forgotten all about this) my parents sat me down and had a serious discussion about how stealing was wrong. I was super confused, until it came out that my dad was also convinced by the performance of my fish whistle earlier that day, and since he knew he didn't buy it for me he thought I had stolen it from a tackle shop!

So this knife coming with its own fish whistle attached brings back all these memories and its a very special piece for me.

-Mike
 
I recently acquired the 4th #65 of the 2022 run.... I removed the lanyard and whistle on the earlier models because I prefer the knives without the accessories.....

There is a lot to like with this series.... A wide variety of handle materials along with varied usage themes.... The knives fit my hand nicely and the long blades are a joy to use...

My copies have been top notch insofar as construction and attention to detail.... Another great offering by GEC!
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mrknife said:
im sure this has been asked before and i probably asked before, but what is the point of that copperhead bolster? it cant be an effective guard
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My understanding of the copperhead bolster is that it shrouds the tang to protect the pocket, without having to fully sink the joints.

I just scored a white bone. Wasn't even looking for one. Just sort of happened. Looking forward to receiving it.
 
mbkr said:
I just scored a white bone. Wasn't even looking for one. Just sort of happened. Looking forward to receiving it.
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My wife never believes that new knives ā€œjust sort of happenā€ sometimesā€¦ Glad Iā€™m not the only one it happens to!
 
mbkr said:
My understanding of the copperhead bolster is that it shrouds the tang to protect the pocket, without having to fully sink the joints.

I just scored a white bone. Wasn't even looking for one. Just sort of happened. Looking forward to receiving it.
Click to expand...

celticrogues said:
My wife never believes that new knives ā€œjust sort of happenā€ sometimesā€¦ Glad Iā€™m not the only one it happens to!
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You don't have to get ready to buy a knife if you stay ready to buy a knife. šŸ˜‰
 
Well, late to the party, as usual, but it is really hard to land a GEC in Europe these days (yes, even harder than in the US). I collect GEC stainless, so I was excited to hear about the 65s. I missed the drop on the EU distributor's website for both the Horse Hogan and Fish Keeper, but, luckily, a US-based collector sold me one at a reasonable price, and agreed to send it to my sister's house in PA to boot. A lot of gratitude for that.

The knife is great! A little longer than usual for me, but the slender depth and height make it seem smaller. The pull is a a bit light (4.5?), but that makes it easily pinchable. The blade is very slightly off-center (not even close to rubbing), but there are zero gaps, bumps or play. Perfectly flush spring open and closed, but slightly proud at the half-stop (which has been common on my recent GEC purchases). Nicely done, in my opinion.

Apologies for the poor photo; I just returned from a long trip (~ 22,000 miles in total) and hope to post something better when I am a little more cogent...

gec65SS_small.jpg
 
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