Back at the Ranch!

[waynorth]

The question is, can I, a city slicker, test a knife intended (or at least implied) for a Rancher!?
Well, I can certainly give my opinion! Free country, right??
This knife came a couple of days ago, and I was quite impressed right from the start.
We all know that GEC produces some great work these days. But this knife is exceptional. It has nice Stag, and a classic blade set for a trapper, A clip and a marmala. . . .er, spey, yeah that's it, a spey! (city slicker-ness showing through)

The fit and finish are near flawless, as close to custom quality as a production knife can be, as the FFF shows below! But we seem to say that a lot about GECs! Not much news here!

The snap it good, not as nail-challenging as the 73 and 23 patterns I have, but firm, especially a open where you want it.
The blades are well centered, and sit just right into the knife.
The knife weighs about an ounce more than a two-blade TC Barlow, 3.88 ounces vs. 2.80. It is 3 7/8" long, a bit over what I usually carry, but nice because all 4 fingers fit on the handle, nice when your hands get old and stiff (I'll be 70 this year - yikes!), and also good if your tasks are a bit more than letter opening, and fruit slicing/peeling.
So I am going to pocket this purty thing when I set out onto the Ranch (read "Yard" here), and see how she does!
I will report back, but in the mean time, show us your Ranch Hands please!
And tell us all how you like them!

 

[black mamba]

Wonderful stag on that one, Charlie, for texture, thickness and matching mark to pile.

Did Bill hand pick it for you?!

 

[paulhilborn]

Charlie, beautiful knife!!! I don't have one to show but just wanted to comment on it. Love the "Ranch...er, yard" reference

Paul

 

[waynorth]

Jeff, I asked Chris for a nice one, so I assume someone looked at it before shipping. If you order direct from them, they will make sure you are happy, just like any good dealer. I think it was more likely one of the people in shipping. It has my birth date on it, so I guess I lucked out in general!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Lucked out you did Charlie, that's a very handsome knife!
Is this the proper name for this model "Ranch-hand"?
Like most GEC's Charlie I very much like this knife, the Stag as you say is right up there -the Bolsters look good as well.

I think ( depending on the persons job ) us CS's ( City Slickers ) can do just as good job on giving a knife a knife a good workout.

In all, I think any body would be blown away ooening up their package to find this knife -just a beauty :thumbup:

 

[waynorth]

Thanks for the comments, Jeff, Paul and Duncan!
I think we CSs can indeed give a knife a rigorous test, Duncan.
I'd still like to hear from our more Rural brothers and sisters!

 

[kamagong]

That is a nice one Charlie. The stag is especially good. Some customs don't have stag that fine.

- Christian

 

[tonystl]

Purchased this blood red version last week, I believe.

Charlie is right about the pull; much easier than a 73. In fact, when I first received this knife the pull was nice (about a 5) but the talk was pitiful. And, as you all know, when you receive a knife and its got something wrong straight out of the USPS Priority Box it's depressing. So, the spay blade wouldn't snap closed. I would close it like normal and it would hang about 1/4 of an inch above the handle. I could push it closed but it felt like a really cheap knife, not a GEC.

Now, getting something you've waited for only to possibly have to send it back to the dealer or send it to the manufacture isn't great (nothing like waiting on top of waiting). I thought, maybe it's filled with polishing compound or something. So I cleaned it like I've never cleaned a slipjoint before. Multiple washes with soap and water. Then an ocean of oil. Working the blades (work, work, work, work). Then back into the soap (clean, clean, clean). More oil and time to sit. And, finally, after a day or two of this the blades close like they should.

I'm really happy with the knife. I love the big clip blade, I could do without the spay, but it's not a deal breaker. A single clip in this style would be nice.

 

[Jack Black]

Very nice Charlie, a great-looking knife with wonderful stag

 

[waynorth]

Thanks, Christian, and Jack!

I admire your perseverance, Tony! It must be satisfying to solve the problem yourself!
It looks good in red also.
Now spread some Marmite, peanut butter or marmalade with that spey, and life will be complete!!

 

[tonystl]

I admire your perseverance, Tony! It must be satisfying to solve the problem yourself!
It looks good in red also.
Now spread some Marmite, peanut butter or marmalade with that spey, and life will be complete!!

Thanks. I figured a few days work was better than the weeks of waiting for a fix at the GEC plant. I was happy to fix it myself

 

[arizonaranchman]

Purchased this blood red version last week, I believe.

Charlie is right about the pull; much easier than a 73. In fact, when I first received this knife the pull was nice (about a 5) but the talk was pitiful. And, as you all know, when you receive a knife and its got something wrong straight out of the USPS Priority Box it's depressing. So, the spay blade wouldn't snap closed. I would close it like normal and it would hang about 1/4 of an inch above the handle. I could push it closed but it felt like a really cheap knife, not a GEC.

Now, getting something you've waited for only to possibly have to send it back to the dealer or send it to the manufacture isn't great (nothing like waiting on top of waiting). I thought, maybe it's filled with polishing compound or something. So I cleaned it like I've never cleaned a slipjoint before. Multiple washes with soap and water. Then an ocean of oil. Working the blades (work, work, work, work). Then back into the soap (clean, clean, clean). More oil and time to sit. And, finally, after a day or two of this the blades close like they should.

I'm really happy with the knife. I love the big clip blade, I could do without the spay, but it's not a deal breaker. A single clip in this style would be nice.

Glad you were able to get the gunk cleaned out to free up the springs and blade walk. Would you say it's now as it should be? Must have been dragging from compound that got caught up inside at the factory? I love that Blood Red bone!

A similar pattern and one you may recognize - I love spey blades.

 

[tonystl]

Glad you were able to get the gunk cleaned out to free up the springs and blade walk. Would you say it's now as it should be? Must have been dragging from compound that got caught up inside at the factory? I love that Blood Red bone!

Me too. Would have hated to send it back. I think the cleaning really helped. Plus the constant working of the blades. I mean that's pretty much all I did so I assume it was that. Or slipjoint fairies.

The aggressive cleaning did lighten the scales a little as well.

 

[markpmc]

Always nice to see the #74's getting some love. I don't have a Rancher yet, but I do have the ST. Mostly carried on the weekends in the wilderness (read yard).

 

[wlfryjr]

Slipjoint fairies,I like it.:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[wlfryjr]

Beautiful stag on that one ,showing right up to the bolsters, Mark.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Very nice!

I got the chance to use a spey blade on a ranch last year! 250 calves. Rounded up, branded, tagged, banded and cut (where banding was not possible due to size).

My conclusion was that the spey blade having much less point was to keep me from sticking myself, as much as it was to prevent me poking a cow!

The calves we cut had to be cut because they were too big for the band to fit! This also meant they were awful "kicky" and were not at all pleased!

 

[ranchmanben]

Charlie, that is one great looking trapper. I especially like how the spey blade is on the shield side and having the nail nicks on the same side. The nicks on opposite sides of the knife is something that has bothered me about the GEC trappers I own. Yours is a knife I'd be proud to pull out and cut some calves with.

 

[waynorth]

This is my favorite blade layout also, Ben.

That stag is real nice and aging well, Mark!