2026 Pattern #98 Texas STOGIE

sf fanatic

sf fanatic

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Forgive me if someone has already started a thread but I haven’t seen it and since this one just arrived I thought I’d post. First it’s a BIG knife! The fit and finish is typical GEC quality. The W&T is very snappy, the pull on the main blade is a 5-6 and the pen is 7-8 and has a gator snap! Years ago I had a #98 Texas Whittler and passed it on because I felt that it was too big in terms of girth. In comparison the Stogie is much thinner and feels like it will be more comfortable in the pocket but time will tell. If you like big folders get one you won’t be disappointed. 😀
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sf fanatic said:
Forgive me if someone has already started a thread but I haven’t seen it and since this one just arrived I thought I’d post. First it’s a BIG knife! The fit and finish is typical GEC quality. The W&T is very snappy, the pull on the main blade is a 5-6 and the pen is 7-8 and has a gator snap! Years ago I had a #98 Texas Whittler and passed it on because I felt that it was too big in terms of girth. In comparison the Stogie is much thinner and feels like it will be more comfortable in the pocket but time will tell. If you like big folders get one you won’t be disappointed. 😀
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Congrats, Dan. Very nice action on mine, as well, and I also like the relative slimness compared to the Texas Cattle Knives.

Here’s mine in purpleheart wood…

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Postie Mike was very good to me today! Like my orange micarta one the W&T is nice and snappy and the pulls are quite stout. The Bengal Indian Bone handles are very attractive. There’s only one small issue, some minor blade rub on pile side of the pen blade. It’s another keeper!
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This #98 is a definite user. I like bigger traditionals so this re release of the 98 pattern was right up my alley. I always wanted one of the first releases of the pattern but didn’t want to shell out the cash required to get one. This release though good had two issue for me. The first is I’ve never gotten a GEC where the shield had a lot of gaps around it as displayed here and lastly the wood seems really dry and no amount of mineral oil fixes it. That might just be the nature of the wood though. All in all I’m a fan of the knife and will be carrying it for the foreseeable future.
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Ive been inactive for quite a while, but i had to get off the "back-bench" and pick up one of these stogies. I just happened to get lucky this go around with the Latham SFO.

My first GEC was purchased in the GEC store in 2015. It was a 53 pattern TK Cuban. In 2015, a popular run stayed availabe for a couple weeks with the dealers. Unpopular patterns like the #16 Little Indian Girl Canoe stayed in stock with Bob Andrews for almost a year. Yeah, the canoe pattern that many wish they had now... Of all the great knife releases from 2014 and 2015, and most were availabe that day in the GEC store, I picked the 53 cigar pattern and it is still one of my favorite knives.

The 53 was a single spring with an offset ground main blade, allowing for a tight fit with the secondary. The offset ground main made the main blade more thin that of a 53/54 moose or 3 spring whittler, or 3 blade stock knife. The thinness makes it slice like a laser beam. The closed knife is so thin, it disappears in my front pocket. I have not seen how this 98 cigar pattern is ground. But hoping for the same. I like big knives, so i couldn't watch the run pass me by. Those that already have their's, is the main offset ground? Can't wait to put this one in pocket...
 
Rockon75 said:
Ive been inactive for quite a while, but i had to get off the "back-bench" and pick up one of these stogies. I just happened to get lucky this go around with the Latham SFO.

My first GEC was purchased in the GEC store in 2015. It was a 53 pattern TK Cuban. In 2015, a popular run stayed availabe for a couple weeks with the dealers. Unpopular patterns like the #16 Little Indian Girl Canoe stayed in stock with Bob Andrews for almost a year. Yeah, the canoe pattern that many wish they had now... Of all the great knife releases from 2014 and 2015, and most were availabe that day in the GEC store, I picked the 53 cigar pattern and it is still one of my favorite knives.

The 53 was a single spring with an offset ground main blade, allowing for a tight fit with the secondary. The offset ground main made the main blade more thin that of a 53/54 moose or 3 spring whittler, or 3 blade stock knife. The thinness makes it slice like a laser beam. The closed knife is so thin, it disappears in my front pocket. I have not seen how this 98 cigar pattern is ground. But hoping for the same. I like big knives, so i couldn't watch the run pass me by. Those that already have their's, is the main offset ground? Can't wait to put this one in pocket...
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Rockon, I believe that we have DM'd before and you have one of my absolute grails, the 53 TK Cuban in Mustard yellow bone covers. The 53 TK Cuban is one of my favorite GECs, I have been lucky enough to find 2. For me the pen pattern traditional is probably my favorite, for the reason that you expressed, the thin profile with 2 different blades. I received one of these 98s so far, I have another on the way and so far it has the same thin feel, but obviously the 53 53 TK is a more manageable package. I love these 98s but would for GEC re-release a 53 TK Cuban.
 
Yes, we have definitely horse traded in the past. Great to hear from you. Could you take a close look at your 98 stories main blade grinds for me? Is the entire blade offset before profile grinding? As was performed on the 53 TK Cuban?
 
nyrico said:
Good to hear from you as well, I do not understand your question, but maybe this answers it; 2 98 Stoagies with one of my 53 TK Cubans, let me know.

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If you look at the spine of the main blade, you will see that the entire blade was ground only on the right side, before the taper was ground downward to the knifes edge. This is seen via the double step. The picture of this TK Cuban's spine shows what a full thickness of a main blade would be (at the tang before the any step downs). What the double step is an offset ground blade. Now you can see why it's so thin. If you look at one of your 98's from the main blades spine, if you see a double step on the right side only, it is offset ground...
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There she is, absolute beauty! I have managed to grab 2 with stag covers, love them, but that was the one from that run. Oh and thanks for the clarification I will take more pics.
 
nyrico said:
Not a great pic, but this is the spine down view of a 98, looks, to my eyes to be similar
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That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so very much. The 98 is offset ground. It will be a thin blade and great slicer. That also means it should be very slim in the width department. Definitely long though! Can't wait.
 
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