Case vs GEC

In the unlikely event I should want a bubba gum stockman with a Brooks and Dunn blade etch, Case is the only game in town. However; I prefer GEC.
 
If I just wanted a knife that cuts, I'd probably get a case yellow cv or a USA made buck, heck I might even get some import brand. I wouldn't be afraid of getting it dirty or abusing it because its a tool, I use it to get things done.

I like GEC because of the craftsmanship, the time taken to get everything right, the special attention to form AND function, I appreciate all the little details in GEC knives.
 
Stelth said:
In the unlikely event I should want a bubba gum stockman with a Brooks and Dunn blade etch, Case is the only game in town. However; I prefer GEC.
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This did make me laugh ...but the joke works both ways... if you want a French Kate ladies leg knife with Pink Awabi Shell handles...
 
I've got a Buck with a missing shield and its driving me crazy to use it. Like walking around with no socks in my boots.
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LOL!

if you want a French Kate ladies leg knife with Pink Awabi Shell handles...
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On one hand, they look :barf: . On the other hand, if you want one, GEC has that market cornered. :D

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I only have one GEC cutlery knife so not much of a sample size for statistical analysis, but hands-down the quality is better than any of the Case knives I own. Some other brands are as good as, or almost as, good as GEC. Among them I'd count Boker, Schatt and Morgan, and AG Russell. But not Case, sorry to say.
 
Usually, there is a "diminishing returns" factor when looking at more expensive knives. A $60 Delica isn't twice the knife as a $30 Byrd, and a $120 Benchmade isn't twice the knife as a Delica.

But from the few examples I own, I think it's safe to say that a $100 GEC is twice the knife as a $50 Case. Better steel, better F&F, better quality control. You pay more, but you get what you pay for. The exceptions would the the Case/Bose collaborations.
 
I can find reasons to praise and criticize both companies. There are knives that I like and don't like from both companies. There are significant price differences between knives from the two companies... and there are significant differences in production numbers --GEC's production runs are tiny even compared to Case's limited production runs... so they are going to fill difference niches. With such small production numbers, it's in GEC's best interest to cater to certain collectors... the type of people that would hang out in a forum discussing knives. ;) ...but things would be very different if they produced and sold the same numbers as Case.

I'm just happy to be able to buy knives from both companies.
 
supratentorial said:
I can find reasons to praise and criticize both companies. There are knives that I like and don't like from both companies. There are significant price differences between knives from the two companies... and there are significant differences in production numbers --GEC's production runs are tiny even compared to Case's limited production runs... so they are going to fill difference niches. With such small production numbers, it's in GEC's best interest to cater to certain collectors... the type of people that would hang out in a forum discussing knives. ;) ...but things would be very different if they produced and sold the same numbers as Case.

I'm just happy to be able to buy knives from both companies.
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Exactly my sentiments. Long live BOTH Case and GEC.
 
I think it would really depend on the pattern IMO. For example- sodbusters. With a Case soddie and a Redneck Farm Tool, I think a Case would win. But with smaller jacks, GEC has it all the way. if price comes into consideration, Case wins hands down (excluding the exotic handles and Bose collabs) every time. I'm a Case person myself, it's the heritage for me. My dad carried a red Canoe for a while, his dad had his pen, and I believe his father before him had a Case as well although I'm not positive. That lineage in my own family as well as the history of the brand itself is something that GEC just doesn't have. I can say that Cases do have their drawbacks, and they do have more drawbacks than GEC, but I'm willing to deal with them.
Oh, and if we throw Queen and Canal Street in there we have a real competition! :D
 
thatotherguy said:
I think it would really depend on the pattern IMO. For example- sodbusters. With a Case soddie and a Redneck Farm Tool, I think a Case would win. But with smaller jacks, GEC has it all the way. if price comes into consideration, Case wins hands down (excluding the exotic handles and Bose collabs) every time. I'm a Case person myself, it's the heritage for me. My dad carried a red Canoe for a while, his dad had his pen, and I believe his father before him had a Case as well although I'm not positive. That lineage in my own family as well as the history of the brand itself is something that GEC just doesn't have. I can say that Cases do have their drawbacks, and they do have more drawbacks than GEC, but I'm willing to deal with them.
Oh, and if we throw Queen and Canal Street in there we have a real competition! :D
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I would respond to this with a very well thought out retort, but I feel as if you are only trying to stir the pot.
 
I'm glad to c u guys are havin fun with this thread! That's the reason I started it so u could go silly if u wanted to!
 
Rick said:
If the comparison was between GEC and pre-1970 Case, it would be a tough choice, but for my tastes, GEC has rendered current (standard) Case offerings irrelevant. Case is still surprisingly competitive in terms of value, but IMO, their knives look and feel like toys compared to their equivalent GEC patterns.
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This sums it up nicely for me, especially the first sentence.
 
supratentorial said:
I can find reasons to praise and criticize both companies. There are knives that I like and don't like from both companies. There are significant price differences between knives from the two companies... and there are significant differences in production numbers --GEC's production runs are tiny even compared to Case's limited production runs... so they are going to fill difference niches. With such small production numbers, it's in GEC's best interest to cater to certain collectors... the type of people that would hang out in a forum discussing knives. ;) ...but things would be very different if they produced and sold the same numbers as Case.

I'm just happy to be able to buy knives from both companies.
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black mamba said:
Case makes a very good knife for the money.

GEC makes a better knife for better money.

It would be hard to find two knives from these two companies to make a fair comparison, there is very little overlap between them. Case makes a very useable knife that will rarely come up short of performance on everyday tasks. GEC uses better (harder) steels which hold an edge longer, better handle material, plus you may get a, "Wow, what is that!" when you pull one out of your pocket. If that is worth $30-$50 more, then go with the GEC. I usually do.
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I agree with these statements although I think Case CV holds an edge better than GEC's steel. Case makes a great knife for the money and they sell them at more retailers like pro" trout" shops and GEC caters to collectors and make premium qualit pieces, ie pinned shields and such. Given that, things I don't like about Case are things like tumbled blades and overly dreamed up bone jigging like snakeskin or barbed wire. They do make a nice hollow ground blade and their grinds are not wavy. GECS are nice, but there is one problem I have seen just from my experience of owning just one and handling a few others. There tangs are half stop, and if they make a cam tang, they make it from a half stop. With that said, when they grind the cam tangs the radius ends with a small flat at the end, so when you open the blade there is a small soft "half stop" feel when you open it. someone correct me if I'm wrong, if you have any GEC's that are butter smoothe like an old Cammilus or Case let me know. Queen has this same problem with their line. Another topic perhaps, but Queen has fallen by the wayside IMO.
 
thatotherguy said:
Oh, and if we throw Queen and Canal Street in there we have a real competition! :D
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Queen is so far down the scuppers these days that I'd have to pinch my nose and put on a pair of rubber gloves before I'd touch their current models. Canal Street is a hit one day and a miss the next.

Neither compares to GEC overall or to Case on a piece by piece basis.

My .02¢
 
Modoc ED said:
Queen is so far down the scuppers these days that I'd have to pinch my nose and put on a pair of rubber gloves before I'd touch their current models. Canal Street is a hit one day and a miss the next.

Neither compares to GEC overall or to Case on a piece by piece basis.

My .02¢
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Ed my las Queen stockman #19?, in wood was fantastic. One day I took it out of my box to use, opened the blades, put it in my pocket and when I took it out both springs were broken. I was devestated. The steel was great, no blade play, f/f was great. I sent it back and got a knife with blades that wobbled, poor wavy grinds and the scales were all wavy and horrible looking. I was a big advocate for them for a while but no more. Sorry for going off topic.
 
Navihawk,

The only GEC I have with a cam tang is the 57 whittler. The action on the main blade is very smooth and almost made me convert from a half stop guy to a cam tang guy. No pause, just a really awesome action IMO. Not many people like the 57's though and I can understand that.

Kevin
 
richstag said:
Navihawk,

The only GEC I have with a cam tang is the 57 whittler. The action on the main blade is very smooth and almost made me convert from a half stop guy to a cam tang guy. No pause, just a really awesome action IMO. Not many people like the 57's though and I can understand that.

Kevin
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Thanks Kevin, I stand corrected, and GEC will remain as one of my favorites. I have the 56 dogleg and despite the little pause in the action the blades are tight as a drum and the knife is one tough puppy. It's my usual EDC, although I have been carrying a Mooremaker Camillus made stockman in buffalo. It's like going back to an old girlfriend,lol.
 
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