EDC replacement from GEC

Will Power said:
Very decent Stag on that Cody jd! But, key, coins and knives in one pocket? Not I :eek:

Regards, Will
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Thanks! The stag was def a selling point. Moderns just can't quite pull it off.
The loose change thing does highlight a small adjustment that comes with traditional edc. The 72 fits very nicely in my watch pocket though.
 
Old Engineer said:
I always carry my 73 Stag in one of the Slips that CK sells . Keeps it scratch free and reduces the amount of moisture that could bringing on VERDIGRIS . You really do not want that to get into your very nice Stag . It will also reduce the Rust risk that you are worried about.

Harry
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I use a victorinox sak medium leather belt sheath with a snap closure to carry my 73's and my 72' lockback and 71 bull nose and small sebenza. all fit perfectly. can be had with or without a sharpener
 
I know that this is asking quite a bit,but please humor me.
-For those that have already posted, would you be able to edit your posts to state your glove size (width) so the OP might get a feel for the "in hand" sizing?

I wear XL width gloves and I find that a #71 lands right in a sweet spot for me.
I can grip it multiple ways and it just seems to agree with me. I am a Butcher by trade and ergonomics during use and how a knife agrees with my hand when relaxed is a rather sensitive issue for me.
As far as how I carry it?
Often upright along my wallet. It easily is forgotten about until I need it.

Example: the GEC 71 is near perfect and the 47 which is Very close (but mot exact) to an inverted veraion of the 71 doesn't work for me at all...
 
Old Engineer said:
I always carry my 73 Stag in one of the Slips that CK sells . Keeps it scratch free and reduces the amount of moisture that could bringing on VERDIGRIS . You really do not want that to get into your very nice Stag . It will also reduce the Rust risk that you are worried about.

Harry
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Thanks for the advice. I had no idea about verdigris. [emoji33] Talking to the great people at R. Grizzle leather right now about sheath/slip options. I'll probably jump on a CK one while I wait.
Much appreciated.
 
jdspaw said:
Thanks for the advice. I had no idea about verdigris. [emoji33] Talking to the great people at R. Grizzle leather right now about sheath/slip options. I'll probably jump on a CK one while I wait.
Much appreciated.
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You are very welcome !! My very first Stag handled knife has the verdigris , so I always worry about it . Brass liners or Brass pins or both will do it.

Harry
 
hi there Padruig. first, welcome to the forum. i made the same switch to traditionals about 2 years ago. and, i have tried a number of GEC's.

i read your wants, and they mostly coincide with mine. i wear a L size glove but do not consider my hands "large". but like you, i prefer a larger folder...something with substance. i also found i prefer a lockback. so, the 42 is about perfect for me. they are getting pretty hard to find, though. my runner up is the 72, and you should be able to find one of this year's models in the OD micarta, which was a material you had in your list.

someone else mentioned a 99. the 99 Farm & Field (lockback) may be my favorite knife that i have tried from GEC (i go back and forth between that and the 42). the handle length is actually a bit smaller, but the scales themselves are thicker. my hand loves it, so to speak. as an fyi, this model has the spear point blade.

the best advice i could give is to find a retailer that has a bunch in stock, if possible. i know that's easier said than done. i don't know of any that are out near you, but maybe someone else does. if not though, GEC's are desirable enough that you can get one, and if you find it is not for you, you can resell it and not lose too much.

anyway, happy hunting. as someone else mentioned, the looking is half the fun. cheers.
 
oh yeah, back to your thoughts on the 14. i have not tried one. i really, really wanted to like the 15. they are beautiful, but ultimately too small for me. as others have said, the 77 is a larger version. i also tried that and really liked the pattern. however, i just didn't like the feel of the bolster. if GEC ever made a full micarta/bone cover version of that pattern, i would be all over it.

sorry for all the words. :o
 
Another GEC made knife (made for KSF, Knives Ship Free) you might consider is the Presidential. KSF no longer has stock but you might find one on the Blade Forums Exchange or the secondary market.
The Presidential is a 4" equal end with a spear at one end and a small Wharncliffe on the other.

Pic is from the KSF website. They did make one in red jigged bone.
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If I wanted a big and heavy GEC with a wide blade I'd look for a Northwoods Madison Barlow or a Mudbug with the Smith and Sons label.
 
Here's my two cents and I apologize if someone has already said what I'm going to...

I've been using traditionals for about 4 years now. Like you, I prefer fairly large, beefy modern knifes. Same holds true for traditional knives but they tend to be quite a bit smaller than modern ones. Initially, I was all about single blades but after a lot of use, I find that I prefer two blades, partly because the handle is thicker with more heft, and also because the secondary blade is generally used for the nastier work.

The 14 is a very small knife. As for finding a 15 with a long pull spear, good luck. They show up on the exchange occasionally for about 30 seconds. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes peeled for a spear 77. They seem to be more common than the spear 15 and they're larger. They are available in different handle materials, but here's two of them with an 85 in the center.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 
Old Engineer said:
You are very welcome !! My very first Stag handled knife has the verdigris , so I always worry about it . Brass liners or Brass pins or both will do it.

Harry
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This regrettably true Harry, Stag mates better with all steel or stainless steel liners. Brass is not really a friend of this material despite its common use. several of my Stags have the green disease.

Thanks, Will
 
Good morning all,

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer me suggestions and advice both here on this thread and via PM, you are all very much appreciated. Being that I am unable to handle these knives in hand as I am unaware of any local retailer nearby (according to GEC distributor list, there is one in Portland, OR, but they don't currently have stock), I have to rely on first hand experience from the community here. Some of the patterns suggested are ones I had an eye on already, so I really appreciate the affirmation in regards to size and what not.

I also appreciate the reminders from a few of you to not limit myself to just GEC and that there are other makers who have good offerings of their own. I will undoubtedly soon have many new knives both from GEC and others (the bug has already dug in deep, despite not purchasing anything new yet), I just want to be sure that my first one is one that I can immediately use and be happy with before continuing down the "rabbit trail".

I will address a couple of things that have been brought up below:

  • I am partial to the spear point blades, I just think they are aesthetically pleasing, yet are still very functional. That being said, it does not mean that I don't like other shapes as well. In fact drop points are a close second with clips and lambsfoot being contenders themselves... So though I am eager to acquire a spear point, it is not a set in stone requirement.
  • I am very fond of ebony, it just makes every pattern look absolutely amazing, even if it is a pattern I wouldn't typically care for. That being said, there is beauty to be found in just about any material used in traditionals, though I am not overly fond of brightly colored acrylics... Micarta just screams "user/work knife", a very functional material. I like OD simply because most of my outdoors gear and clothing is the same, I like green I guess...
  • I usually wear an XL size glove, though sometimes a L will fit ok, depending on who made the glove.
  • The forum knife is beautiful and I have actually considered it. As I do a lot of leatherwork, the awl could come in handy. However, I am a new member here and I do not feel good about scooping up a knife that a more established member would potentially desire and appreciate more. Also it is Christmas and I do not tend to shop for myself, friends and family come first.

It certainly seems that there is a science behind finding the "one" and learning that science is very much as enjoyable as acquiring the knives I seek. I will certainly be increasing my efforts after the New Year and hopefully before too long I will be the proud new owner of a GEC or others even. I have more research to do in regards to some of the patterns you folks have suggested so I will continue with that.

Again, thank you so much for your time and suggestions.
 
Get a forum knife ya goof! You post here and even if you didn't that's no bar! Since you opened it up a bit might I recommend that you look at some of Schatt and Morgan's File and Wire series, preferably from the late 90's through the early 2000's. Plenty of spear blades, but others as well, and most come in ATS-34, which I find to be a very nice steel. (No offense intended by the goof comment, but grab a forum knife while you can!) Queen's from the previously mentioned time period are usually quite good as well, although stinkers crop up too, but the Queen Cutlery lines come with D2 steel that is a phenomenal cutter, once you've thinned it out behind the edge some, at least on the bigger models.
Thanks, Neal
 
There has been a good long window for people to pick up their forum knife, I would not worry about depriving anyone.

It might be a particularly good fit for you since you like the spearpoint, and you are looking for something that isn't a pocket brick (this years knife is very unobtrusive in the pocket), and the awl is really subtle when folded which gives the knife a single blade feel when sung the spear, particularly with the slim single spring design, plus, if you do leather work than it really suits you.

And of course I recommend the forum knives because participating in the process and buying the forum knives has been a huge part of my connection to this forum.
 
abbydaddy said:
There has been a good long window for people to pick up their forum knife, I would not worry about depriving anyone.

It might be a particularly good fit for you since you like the spearpoint, and you are looking for something that isn't a pocket brick (this years knife is very unobtrusive in the pocket), and the awl is really subtle when folded which gives the knife a single blade feel when sung the spear, particularly with the slim single spring design, plus, if you do leather work than it really suits you.

And of course I recommend the forum knives because participating in the process and buying the forum knives has been a huge part of my connection to this forum.
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There's a dozen left and it'd be nice to see them all sell. Nice knife too!
 
There are so many choices with traditional knives it can be mind boggling. I love 15 and 77 frames and have a few of both but they may be a bit smaller than you are looking for. Here are a few more for consideration. The GEC Farm and Field 47 Hayin Helper is a great EDC IMO. It has a sheepsfoot instead of a spear. I also like Case very well both the back pocket and the large copperlock may fit the bill for you. Good luck and be sure to let us know what you decide.
 
Another large knife with a great spear blade is the newer Schatt & Morgan Shiner Quart @ over 4½" closed.
 
r redden said:
There are so many choices with traditional knives it can be mind boggling. I love 15 and 77 frames and have a few of both but they may be a bit smaller than you are looking for. Here are a few more for consideration. The GEC Farm and Field 47 Hayin Helper is a great EDC IMO. It has a sheepsfoot instead of a spear. I also like Case very well both the back pocket and the large copperlock may fit the bill for you. Good luck and be sure to let us know what you decide.
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You aren't kidding! So many choices....

The thing I am finding interesting is that models don't tend to stay in production long with some of these makers. I guess it adds to the fun in a sense, to be able to get a hold of something that is otherwise discontinued. So different from the world of modern folders...
 
Ok, so here's some more choices....

I wear a size large in gloves and I tend to think I have rather large hands.... maybe not quite as big as your extra large hands! One of the first GEC's I set my sights on was the #65 Ben Hogan. The #64 and #63 are the same size, each measuring at roughly 4 1/2" closed. Very long for a traditional knife. They are very slender as well.


The top two are #64's. They have a straight bolster, all were lockbacks and the Northfields were all swing guards. The middle two are #65's. They have what is called a copperhead bolster. They were made in both lockback and slip joint. There are also a few sabre ground models floating around as well. The bottom two are #63's. All were slipjoint versions.


Here's a comparison photo. Bottom to top: #15, #65, #53, #89


One more knife to consider is the #74 which is coming in January so you'll be able to actually have a choice in handle covers. Just don't wait too long. The DLT version will sport a drop point blade and oak leaf shield. I believe they are still available for pre order. Here's a pic of another #74 with the drop point blade.



The upcoming standard run of #74's will have the Muskrat Clip single blade. Imagine this knife with just the clip blade.
 
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