Photos #62 v. #34 v. #13 Comparo

[black mamba]

I am the fortunate owner of these patterns with a Wharncliffe main and a pen secondary on a single spring. These all carry beautifully and are extremely versatile with the two different blades.
I decided to compare and contrast the three different patterns with photos and precise measurements. First the photos.

#62 Easy Pocket Congress in stag, #34 Camel Back Congress in unicorn ivory acrylic and #13 Clerk Congress Jack in cocobolo rosewood, all closed.

Wharncliffe mains opened

Both blades opened

Thicknesses

Now the measurements in inches and grams:

Now some observations which stand out to me. All three knives are within an eighth of an inch in overall length, yet their weights vary by 25%. The acrylic, as usual, is the heaviest and the cocobolo wood is the lightest. Even though all three are on a single spring, their construction is different enough that the longest knife has the shortest main blade and the shortest one has the longest main blade, by a whopping half inch plus! Obviously, by the noticeable patina, the #34 has been the most carried and is a wonderful knife. But looking at the numbers, the slender #13 Clerk deserves more carry, with its lighter weight and longer main blade.

Owners of any of these three GECs, please chime in with your comments and experiences.

 

[RickHuf]

The congress is one of my favorite patterns and I like to find them from any company.


The bf34 is a really nice but to me it's just not a Congress. A Wharnie jack? I dunno. Regardless of it's name, it's a welcome addition. Good stuff.

The 13 is about the sexiest thing I've seen from GEC. The long main blade is a bit different for a half Congress. The frame is such a nice size, lightweight and useful. I have the clerk and whip in cocobolo and would love to find one of the previous sheepsfoot ones.

The 62, I only have the orange pocket carver but it is a very lovely pattern and I'd be interested to see one of the ones with nickel bolsters and wood/bone. I'll bet they are really good.

Overall my small selection of GECs are all nice and I'll have fun using them. Other than the big bull buster I grabbed to beat on, the congress patterns are the only ones I've picked up and GEC does a good job with them.

 

[RickHuf]

I suppose pictures would be nice.

 

[Chief]

Thanks for the comparison. 62 Easy Pocket is my choice of those three. It has more sway in it's back that I prefer and the main is big enough for my needs. Doesn't hurt your example in Northfield trim has great stag and I like the more rounded double lined bolsters too. As far as weight, IMO it's not so much determined by the material as it is the size of the covers. 62 is the thickest but only middle pack weight wise. The depth of the unicorn is 25% larger so not surprising it is about that percent heavier too.

 

[black mamba]

Thanks, John, excellent post! Yes, my 62 has very nice stag . . . almost up to your standard!