That really is a beauty!Love the smooth blue bone. Wheat stalks from our 3rd generation farm in out of the middle of nowhere Kansas. So peaceful there, can't even buy a gallon of gas or soda pop for over 10 miles.
Johnnythefox
thanks for the video on tightening the rock lock but he is incorrect about GECs having a coil spring at the 1:22 point. Here is my GEC 83 taken apart, the only spring is the backspring, no little coil spring. The split in it allows you to press the lock release. 
According to Randy Bell, the spring changed slightly on new run of GEC 72s which had the unintended side effect of improving the lock if I understood correctly. Not exactly sure how yet, something to do with where the spring contacts the lanyard hole. One of the burlaps will be taken apart to find out.
I have never seen one taken apart before, now I understand a little bit more how it works and how simple it seems to be.
According to Randy Bell, the spring changed slightly on new run of GEC 72s which had the unintended side effect of improving the lock if I understood correctly. Not exactly sure how yet, something to do with where the spring contacts the lanyard hole. One of the burlaps will be taken apart to find out.
Thank you for the explanation.His tightening tip works for up and down "rock lock" as peening it at the angle shown lengthens the side of the tang that presses it into the lock, tightening the engagement. Won't fix side to side play, have to peen the pivot slightly to fix that. I have carried this 83 a lot. A local maker friend disassembled it to pattern it. Another local maker friend patterned the parts then reassembled it for me using slightly larger pins. After reassembly, it has the best lockup of any GEC lockback I own but after almost of year of use it has loosened slightly. Doesn't matter, it has never hinted at failing and I don't cut it any slack. Couple more pics of the lock up close. There is more going on than meets the eye. Every dimension is critical to a perfect lockup. Factory produced peened pocketknives are normally slightly different.
Steel liners would improve the lockup IMO. Same model GEC knife, one with steel liners, one with brass liners, the difference in flexibility is noticeable. Brass is more malleable, by far.
Nice line up have you a favourite?
My favorites are in order from right to left - Rosewood 1st, then jigged green bone, micarta, and finally burnt Sienna.
Wanted to bump this video and highlight how useful it was. My 72 had play up and down and side to side and this took care of it and now it is rock solid!
This blue looks greatLove the smooth blue bone. Wheat stalks from our 3rd generation farm in out of the middle of nowhere Kansas. So peaceful there, can't even buy a gallon of gas or soda pop for over 10 miles.
They sold these as an SFA at the 2024 rendezvous.Noticed this natural canvas micarta version of the 72LB on the GEC blog under the "Just Finished" sidebar. I haven't seen anyone post pictures of one though, I wonder if this was a kind of SFO as it wasn't on the production schedule. Was it one of the patterns of a previous run?
