- Joined
- Jun 7, 2002
- Messages
- 3,411
sorry, no pics yet. really a first impression. it just arrived ---an incredible 7 days from clicking my paypal, from halfway round the world. and it landed on my doorstep, not in the parcel section of the post office. now that's royal treatment for me!
my mailing address is my office so officemates got a taste of my knife addiction. when i opened the blades they all gasped. "it looks like a folding bayonet!" they said and i agreed. the nickel silver capped end was as big as a bayonet pommel. and the swedging on the 1095 blades made them look formidable. everyone said it looked beautiful. what is it with traditional knives that makes people around you say that?
now a hard look. like many perhaps, i expected everything with my first GEC, especially a poster-boy model like a bone pioneer. i wanted to be blown away by the famous quality of the northfield unxcld's. well, not entirely. first let's go back to the size of that monster. i wanted to be reminded of those gigantic slip joints our father and his friends used to let us hold when we were little. yes, the pioneer brought me back to that. the fit and most of the workmanship even surpassed those from memory of long ago. but what disappointed me were the brass liners. they were too thin. for a knife as big and heavy as the pioneer, i wanted to see brass more than 2mm thick. the thin brass liners somewhat deflated the sturdy and formidable look.
and then who started that thread about different quality of inserts from the shield side to the blank side? spot on. the jigging on the blank side was sharp and very uniform. that on the shield side had a part that was worn and ground (aligned with the unxcld shield.) was that intentional? the knife actually looks better on the blank side!
the grooves on the bolsters are thin on some parts, threatening to fade out at one spot. i'm thinking of enhancing them with a triangular file.
point height was a tough call. the spey point was just above the liner edge. i saw the grindings on the kick meant to adjust the height. i can actually feel the points while closed if i press my finger against the butt. nothing serious. i already had enough experience with that from my case knives.
and speaking of current case knives, the ones i have simply don't compare with this unxcld. the non-knife people immediately pointed that one out. one even asked me, "is that the best (traditional) pocket knife there is right now?" and i said smiling, "yep, my 50th birthday gift to myself."
so, the day's suddenly sunny and beautiful. i'd like to thank GEC for a fine piece of work. to that free knife shipper: thanks (removed non BF dealer reference)! your 7-day doorstep delivery was incredible.
and thanks to the traditional forumers for all the advice and the ribs. best forum in BF, you betcha!
my mailing address is my office so officemates got a taste of my knife addiction. when i opened the blades they all gasped. "it looks like a folding bayonet!" they said and i agreed. the nickel silver capped end was as big as a bayonet pommel. and the swedging on the 1095 blades made them look formidable. everyone said it looked beautiful. what is it with traditional knives that makes people around you say that?
now a hard look. like many perhaps, i expected everything with my first GEC, especially a poster-boy model like a bone pioneer. i wanted to be blown away by the famous quality of the northfield unxcld's. well, not entirely. first let's go back to the size of that monster. i wanted to be reminded of those gigantic slip joints our father and his friends used to let us hold when we were little. yes, the pioneer brought me back to that. the fit and most of the workmanship even surpassed those from memory of long ago. but what disappointed me were the brass liners. they were too thin. for a knife as big and heavy as the pioneer, i wanted to see brass more than 2mm thick. the thin brass liners somewhat deflated the sturdy and formidable look.
and then who started that thread about different quality of inserts from the shield side to the blank side? spot on. the jigging on the blank side was sharp and very uniform. that on the shield side had a part that was worn and ground (aligned with the unxcld shield.) was that intentional? the knife actually looks better on the blank side!
the grooves on the bolsters are thin on some parts, threatening to fade out at one spot. i'm thinking of enhancing them with a triangular file.
point height was a tough call. the spey point was just above the liner edge. i saw the grindings on the kick meant to adjust the height. i can actually feel the points while closed if i press my finger against the butt. nothing serious. i already had enough experience with that from my case knives.
and speaking of current case knives, the ones i have simply don't compare with this unxcld. the non-knife people immediately pointed that one out. one even asked me, "is that the best (traditional) pocket knife there is right now?" and i said smiling, "yep, my 50th birthday gift to myself."
so, the day's suddenly sunny and beautiful. i'd like to thank GEC for a fine piece of work. to that free knife shipper: thanks (removed non BF dealer reference)! your 7-day doorstep delivery was incredible.
and thanks to the traditional forumers for all the advice and the ribs. best forum in BF, you betcha!
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