2022 Lick Creek Barlow #14 thread

brownshoe said:
$40 slimline trapper IS a hardware store knife...where do you see GEC in hardware
stores? Don Hansen of Sunfish forge carried a slimline trapper when he used to post here. I think he switched out for a Bose he traded one of his to Tony for.
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I'm now sure I'm all wrong on what I've been seeing..... I appreciate your input....
 
I thought this was a #14 Barlow thread, seems to have drifted. But...the mailman brought me a GEC Tom's Choice 14 Barlow today. Not Lick Creek I guess, but Waynorth wearing Cocobolo clothing and it is a beauty. It is small and the pull is light, neither of which bothers me. It reminds me of a Boker barlow I have with ebony scales that is very petite also. Anyway, I thought the last couple of years I would never get my hands on a Tom's Choice Waynorth barlow so the pocketknife gods smiled on me this time!14 Tom's Choice Barlow 2022.jpg
 
Rockcutter said:
I thought this was a #14 Barlow thread, seems to have drifted. But...the mailman brought me a GEC Tom's Choice 14 Barlow today. Not Lick Creek I guess, but Waynorth wearing Cocobolo clothing and it is a beauty. It is small and the pull is light, neither of which bothers me. It reminds me of a Boker barlow I have with ebony scales that is very petite also. Anyway, I thought the last couple of years I would never get my hands on a Tom's Choice Waynorth barlow so the pocketknife gods smiled on me this time!View attachment 1824432
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Tom's Back baby! and a beauty of an example to boot! very nice character on that wood! Congrats
 
I received my little standard run TC today. The blade is pretty far off center and the pull is fairly weak to my personal standards. The knife showed up right before lunch so I thought I would check to see if it does what it’s suppose to…and it does! They did a fantastic job on the covers and the darn thing cuts great for a tiny knife.
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I also received a sawcut today, hoping against hope I’d enjoy a smaller sized barlow. Alas, I just can’t seem to enjoy a three finger knife. If anyone missed out just shoot me a pm. I’d rather the knife go to someone who is interested in the Forum and following the thread than a flipper on the Exchange.
 
JTB_5 said:
I also received a sawcut today, hoping against hope I’d enjoy a smaller sized barlow. Alas, I just can’t seem to enjoy a three finger knife. If anyone missed out just shoot me a pm. I’d rather the knife go to someone who is interested in the Forum and following the thread than a flipper on the Exchange.
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It is a small knife. At one time I only carried watch pocket sized knives (approximately 3 inch closed). It took me a few years to warm up medium and larger knives. Now, I often carry a GEC Whaler.
 
Travman said:
It is a small knife. At one time I only carried watch pocket sized knives (approximately 3 inch closed). It took me a few years to warm up medium and larger knives. Now, I often carry a GEC Whaler.
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That’s funny because I always admire your pictures and have often wondered how you manage to carry both the biggest and smallest GECs and use them frequently. I guess my skills are still limited 😁
 
I’ve had quite a day! My Cocobolo Barlow arrived today - wasn’t supposed to arrive until Monday.

I actually like the 14s way more than expected. Originally I thought they’d be too small. This one also has a pretty soft pull but is a bit tighter than the Chestnut. No gaps, rap, or wobble on either of them so I’m thrilled! I’ll be carrying the Coco for the next couple days.

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My goldenrod sawcut arrived today, and I'm pretty happy with it. Like others have said, the pull is weak, maybe a 2. The fit and finish is excellent by GEC standards: no major gaps, centered blade, and nicely matched covers. I'm going to see if an oil flush helps with the pull and walk and talk. Definitely a keeper for me either way. The covers have the deepest sawcut I've ever seen on a GEC which gives them a really nice grippy texture.

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Viper84 said:
My goldenrod sawcut arrived today, and I'm pretty happy with it. Like others have said, the pull is weak, maybe a 2. The fit and finish is excellent by GEC standards: no major gaps, centered blade, and nicely matched covers. I'm going to see if an oil flush helps with the pull and walk and talk. Definitely a keeper for me either way. The covers have the deepest sawcut I've ever seen on a GEC which gives them a really nice grippy texture.

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Bill mustve changed the saw blades 🤣
 
JTB_5 said:
Those of you with poor pulls—any improvement after flushing?
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On my 2, it improved slightly but is still soft. It snaps to open after flushing whereas it did not upon arrival. I’m not the best judge but even after flushing it’s a 3-4.
 
A soft pull is not a quality issue is it? It is rather a user preference?

Gaps and blade play, I understand. My 77 had blade play and I had it corrected under warranty immediately.
 
I’d argue that small gaps and minor blade play are also “user preference,” as they don’t affect function. For my own part (and preference), a too-soft pull is a larger flaw than the other two.

I debated breaking my rule to chase one of these down, as I have most of the 14s from the 2016 and 2018 runs, and I love them. This makes me (selfishly) glad to have skipped this one.
 
Blade play directly affects function. Pull strength does not affect function unless it is zero.
 
I’d say that neither blade play nor spring strength affect function unless they are severe, but we can certainly agree to disagree.
 
I wouldn’t call pull a manufacturer error unless the pull was so heavy or light that it made operating the blade dangerous. Blade play seems like a similar consideration since minor blade play doesn’t really affect the function of the knife.
 
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