2022 GEC Bayou Trapper #88 Thread

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r8shell r8shell - Rachel . Any joy yet on your end about your knife? I'll be putting a USPS Priority Mail package in the Postal System in about an hour and I'm already concerned about it's safe arrival. USPS has been going down hill for some time.
 
waynorth said:
Thanks for the quick response, Jiki!! Was it revealed in any way in GEC's packaging - just curious!
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About a month ago we all scrambled for the transaction when the knives were on the cover shot.
 
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The #88 Bayou Trapper is officially the first two blade GEC to stay in my collection. I really did not expect to like it this much. The black spade is just classy and matches all my black folders. It is a pleasant addition to my GEC collection indeed. Gna try for the jigged bone as well but I’ll be happy with just this one.
 
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Modoc ED said:
r8shell r8shell - Rachel . Any joy yet on your end about your knife? I'll be putting a USPS Priority Mail package in the Postal System in about an hour and I'm already concerned about it's safe arrival. USPS has been going down hill for some time.
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I understand your trepidation.
I just got home from the post office, where I had to get a clerk to go back and convince a supervisor to look around and find it. Whew!
I'm too beat to go out and take pictures right now (92 degrees and sunny), but it's quite a big, heavy knife! I knew the specs, but looking at everyone's photos, my brain kept seeing it as closer to a #66 frame. I have so many small knives, I think I'll enjoy the variety.
I'll flush out the works and carry it a little while before I decide if I want to file down the clip's spine peak. There's also a sharp spot where a bit of jigging chipped, that I can buff smooth with some polishing compound on leather. I don't want this gator to bite. ;)
 
r8shell said:
I understand your trepidation.
I just got home from the post office, where I had to get a clerk to go back and convince a supervisor to look around and find it. Whew!
I'm too beat to go out and take pictures right now (92 degrees and sunny), but it's quite a big, heavy knife! I knew the specs, but looking at everyone's photos, my brain kept seeing it as closer to a #66 frame. I have so many small knives, I think I'll enjoy the variety.
I'll flush out the works and carry it a little while before I decide if I want to file down the clip's spine peak. There's also a sharp spot where a bit of jigging chipped, that I can buff smooth with some polishing compound on leather. I don't want this gator to bite. ;)
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That's great news Rachel !!!! I think you'll find the knife quite useful with as you say; "the clip's spine peak." Just remember, once you've trimmed the peak and taken the Rat out of the Muskrat, there's no going back.;)
 
r8shell said:
I understand your trepidation.
I just got home from the post office, where I had to get a clerk to go back and convince a supervisor to look around and find it. Whew!
I'm too beat to go out and take pictures right now (92 degrees and sunny), but it's quite a big, heavy knife! I knew the specs, but looking at everyone's photos, my brain kept seeing it as closer to a #66 frame. I have so many small knives, I think I'll enjoy the variety.
I'll flush out the works and carry it a little while before I decide if I want to file down the clip's spine peak. There's also a sharp spot where a bit of jigging chipped, that I can buff smooth with some polishing compound on leather. I don't want this gator to bite. ;)
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Glad they found it!
 
Modoc ED said:
That's great news Rachel !!!! I think you'll find the knife quite useful with as you say; "the clip's spine peak." Just remember, once you've trimmed the peak and taken the Rat out of the Muskrat, there's no going back.;)
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I'm not much of a Trapper fan normally. Is it the peak that makes it a Muskrat? I feel like I've seen some that were a little swoopier, but maybe those are "California Clips"...I never knew if there's a difference or just different terms for the same thing.
Prester John said:
Glad they found it!
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Thanks! It's a relief.
 
Rachel r8shell r8shell Although the knife illustrated is a GEC #38 Special the blades are a very good representation of what I consider a Muskrat Blade to be. I took this from a thread about various clip blades that was posted some time ago.

Traditional vs. Turkish/California/Muskrat Clip Blades - What's Yer Pleasure?

Howdy Y'all, I'm interested to know who prefers which type of clip blade, and why. Personally, I've always just loved the look of a muskrat clip (or Turkish, California, I know there are subtle differences with each). Not to mention that it slices like crazy. But, I can also see how it might...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

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Another article - http://orionn49.com/muskrat_pattern_knife.htm
 
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r8shell said:
I understand your trepidation.
I just got home from the post office, where I had to get a clerk to go back and convince a supervisor to look around and find it. Whew!
I'm too beat to go out and take pictures right now (92 degrees and sunny), but it's quite a big, heavy knife! I knew the specs, but looking at everyone's photos, my brain kept seeing it as closer to a #66 frame. I have so many small knives, I think I'll enjoy the variety.
I'll flush out the works and carry it a little while before I decide if I want to file down the clip's spine peak. There's also a sharp spot where a bit of jigging chipped, that I can buff smooth with some polishing compound on leather. I don't want this gator to bite. ;)
Click to expand...
After handling mine a bit, I'm considering taking the curved swedge off the end of the lambsfoot... I think it will make holding the knife while using the clip blade a little nicer... still haven't decided yet, though... it feels pretty good as is. I just think it might be a touch smoother with the swedge smoothed down a bit.
 
r8shell said:
I'm not much of a Trapper fan normally. Is it the peak that makes it a Muskrat? I feel like I've seen some that were a little swoopier, but maybe those are "California Clips"...I never knew if there's a difference or just different terms for the same thing.

Thanks! It's a relief.
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I have always thought the muskrat or California clip was just a longer angle and shorter spine, but I could be wrong.
 
Modoc ED said:
Rachel r8shell r8shell Although the knife illustrated is a GEC #38 Special the blades are a very good representation of what I consider a Muskrat Blade to be. I took this from a thread about various clip blades that was posted some time ago.

Traditional vs. Turkish/California/Muskrat Clip Blades - What's Yer Pleasure?

Howdy Y'all, I'm interested to know who prefers which type of clip blade, and why. Personally, I've always just loved the look of a muskrat clip (or Turkish, California, I know there are subtle differences with each). Not to mention that it slices like crazy. But, I can also see how it might...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

View attachment 1814759

Another article - http://orionn49.com/muskrat_pattern_knife.htm
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Cool. I'll give that a read.
The spine of that #38 illustration looks much less pointed to me than the #88. Or maybe my eyes are just tired.

hornetguy said:
After handling mine a bit, I'm considering taking the curved swedge off the end of the lambsfoot... I think it will make holding the knife while using the clip blade a little nicer... still haven't decided yet, though... it feels pretty good as is. I just think it might be a touch smoother with the swedge smoothed down a bit.
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I wonder if, rather than changing the swedge, you could file the kick and drop the lambsfoot blade down lower in the well. Some careful inspection is in order. I'd have to consider how that can affect the nail nick placement and blade clearance to avoid blade wrap.
Perhaps I'll just leave it all alone.
 
mb> said:
I think you might’ve taken your photography game up a notch Mr Dog… even when I thought it was exceptional before. Great shots!
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Thank you for the kind words Mark. There are so many great images here. The bonus is how much I’ve learned here.
 
r8shell said:
Cool. I'll give that a read.
The spine of that #38 illustration looks much less pointed to me than the #88. Or maybe my eyes are just tired.


I wonder if, rather than changing the swedge, you could file the kick and drop the lambsfoot blade down lower in the well. Some careful inspection is in order. I'd have to consider how that can affect the nail nick placement and blade clearance to avoid blade wrap.
Perhaps I'll just leave it all alone.
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it's an idea... both of the blades on mine sit pretty high in the wells... almost to the point of the tips being proud. I looked at dropping the lambsfoot a little, then saw that I'd likely have to drop the clip blade at the same time to keep enough clearance for the nail nicks.
Going that route might eliminate the need to smooth off the swedge on the lambsfoot... more study tomorrow...

edit.... I think you'd have to drop it down until the nail nick was in the well, to be in danger of rap... but I could be wrong on that...
 
hornetguy said:
it's an idea... both of the blades on mine sit pretty high in the wells... almost to the point of the tips being proud. I looked at dropping the lambsfoot a little, then saw that I'd likely have to drop the clip blade at the same time to keep enough clearance for the nail nicks.
Going that route might eliminate the need to smooth off the swedge on the lambsfoot... more study tomorrow...

edit.... I think you'd have to drop it down until the nail nick was in the well, to be in danger of rap... but I could be wrong on that...
Click to expand...
I'm used to carrying Stockmans and Whittlers, so I'm used to multi-bladed knives. Maybe I'm overthinking this one, but it just seems like a few adjustments would make it much more comfortable in use.
I'll make myself carry it for a week before doing anything. (except probably buffing that one sharp spot in the bone jigging)
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