It has to be rigged. The same people get all the knives. It sucks. Not to mention the cas knives I have gotten have been great
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Case vs GEC and why?
- Thread starter TattooBlade
- Start date
I am not a big collector of any of the brands, but I have a few of each. I find that the GECs I have, have a better balance between the blade and the handle. For example, comparing my GEC Beagle to a Case Peanut, the Beagle have a more secure feeling while using it. Same goes for bigger patterns. But as a knife lover I will not reject one over the other 
Take satisfaction there will be no great generational stories about GEC knives. No first hunts, camping, etc. They will be more like my Dad carries it around in a slip, never let anyone touch it and took tons of pictures with it for the interwebs. Meanwhile Case will still have those nostalgic stories for future generations to create.
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- Aug 3, 2019
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I wouldn't go that far, plenty of GEC customers use their knives. I use mine here and there, granted my sons see me use a CRK or Hinderer by far more.
GEC sells Thousands every year, a good portion of them are not forum users or people who put them in safes.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2014
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- 127
Case quality is nowhere near GEC, but it's hard to compare as GEC is 2-3x the price. I will say I have never had a GEC with an issue. Pretty much every Case I order sight unseen has issues with liner gaps, blade play, centering, and even blade rap, not too mention not great walk and talk.
I went to buy a Case at a large knife store in TN, and couldn't because of the 3 knives they had in stock, they all had blade play and other various issues. When you DO get a properly QC'd Case, they will rival GEC in quality. I just wish Case offered more Carbon blades, but I understand why they don't. I wouldn't mind paying more for Case if there QC was kicked up a notch. They have a lot of great patterns and covers, and are available. At this point, it's not worth the hassle to buy unseen. Now I will say if you have an issue with a new knife and can't exchange it where you bought it, Case will fix it, and they will do it relatively quickly.
But, like I said, it's hard to compare the two. I buy both brands, but I'll buy GEC sight unseen, Case I need to inspect first. Overall I'm grateful for Case, and I'm happy they exist and will happily support them.
Also, Case knives are sharper out of the box.
I went to buy a Case at a large knife store in TN, and couldn't because of the 3 knives they had in stock, they all had blade play and other various issues. When you DO get a properly QC'd Case, they will rival GEC in quality. I just wish Case offered more Carbon blades, but I understand why they don't. I wouldn't mind paying more for Case if there QC was kicked up a notch. They have a lot of great patterns and covers, and are available. At this point, it's not worth the hassle to buy unseen. Now I will say if you have an issue with a new knife and can't exchange it where you bought it, Case will fix it, and they will do it relatively quickly.
But, like I said, it's hard to compare the two. I buy both brands, but I'll buy GEC sight unseen, Case I need to inspect first. Overall I'm grateful for Case, and I'm happy they exist and will happily support them.
Also, Case knives are sharper out of the box.
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- May 9, 2010
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actually, Bill has a son named William whose been there getting ready. It also takes guys like Randy, a chief engineer at GEC among others to make the vision work. What William will do with his father's legacy remains to be determined.
TheIncredibleHoke
Gold Member
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- Dec 23, 2022
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- 545
I love old Case knives from the late 60s through early 80s. That’s the bulk of my Case collection - buying all of those knives I couldn’t afford when I was younger. Really love the Case Bose collabs as well. I’m not as keen on the newer Case knives though. They always seem to have one thing that seems/looks/feels off to me.
I definitely enjoy my GEC knives a bit more. They seem more of the complete package between feel, action, and looks. I pick and choose with GEC. Don’t need everyone of them. And I use mine just like I use my other knives. They are tools to cut and open things after all.
I’m glad we have both to choose from. And I’m looking forward to the Bill Ruple Case colabs. The Case Bose are phenomenal knives. I feel like they are a bit better than most GECs and approaching custom level.
I definitely enjoy my GEC knives a bit more. They seem more of the complete package between feel, action, and looks. I pick and choose with GEC. Don’t need everyone of them. And I use mine just like I use my other knives. They are tools to cut and open things after all.
I’m glad we have both to choose from. And I’m looking forward to the Bill Ruple Case colabs. The Case Bose are phenomenal knives. I feel like they are a bit better than most GECs and approaching custom level.
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- Joined
- Aug 11, 2014
- Messages
- 127
You need lots of free time to sit around and refresh your phone quite often, or software to tell you when a knife becomes available on a site that doesn't send notifications. An office workee that works from home has a better chance to get a knife than someone in the trades who cant be on a computer all day. However I am sure there are GEC dealers that have regular customers that they prioritize/let them do pre-orders. Having lots of disposable income to buy from sites with higher costs helps, as they don't always sell out instantly. One of the bigger issues is GECs dealer pools. Each one operates differently with such a huge range of pricing strategies. It's a weird situation to say the least.
This is certainly a negative about GEC. On the other hand, they hold their value well in case you get tired of one and want to get something else (which can also be a negative)
Edit: another "Pro" that I would like to mention about Case is their superior options of small patterns. One of my favorite traditional is a small stockman in Red Stag, as well as their swell center Jack. I know this has already been mentioned a time or two but it's a significant advantage that Case has.
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- Jan 5, 2006
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Just me, but I have never gotten really attached to any of the Case knives I have bought, GEC on the other hand seem more true, less gimicky. My only real problem, other than price and availability, is that they have stiffer blade pulls than my old finger nails can handle.
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- May 16, 2018
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Well speaking for myself, I think mine are building quite the story. Also just to be clear my budget means these are pretty much irreplaceable for me. I lost my all time favorite knife,my micarta 85 caplifter. If not for the generosity of a good friend here I wouldn't have been able to replace it. That makes the replacement even more irreplaceable, I still carry and use the crap outta it. Because at the end of the day its still my favorite pattern.
A quick look through some threads here would reveal a great deal of GEC users, especially the patina thread.
