GEC 25s - Gots 'em?

[pertinux]

Just added a couple more 25 Barlows to the collection

Holy moly, those are nice.

I like the "Swedish" pairing, as well.

Thanks for posting them here. :thumbup:

Ah, such a beauty. I'm glad it's in such good hands.

I just realized, I don't think I have a picture of the stamped blade as it is is now, used, and patina'ed.

Only one as a new, shiny blade!



I'll have to try to get a new pic this weekend.

No hurry, but I'd love to see an updated picture whenever you can get to one. Thanks!

The bocote sure looks good on this pattern. I also love the 3-lined bolsters. I thought I would prefer the UN-X-LD stamped bolsters in a runaway, but am taken again and again about how 'right' these bolsters are for these knives.

~ P.

 

[pertinux]

Well, it was time to upgrade the display a bit, the $5.00 shotglass holder from Goodwill just wasn't cutting it anymore...

Sorry for the less than stellar photography, they just came in and I wanted to see how they looked.

Yes, "they". I ordered two, good thing too, as three didn't make it in. (Well, two actually. The black micarta is the pocket pal at the moment)

What are you waiting for? Hop to. You have an extra display to fill. Two, if you count the old shot glass one.

Has a door and latches even, Hooo, da fancy, yeah? Helps with dust and twitchy tails. Fortunately, up to this point, the collection doesn't seem to have garnered much feline interest.

Let's see how many of the new ones Sarah can spot...

There's nothing for it; I have to come see for myself.

*Sigh*. Would that one of us was on the correct coast. I would love to come ponder (and click and clack and compare) your incredible collection of these little powerhouses. I marvel again at my own good fortune at being able to draw together a modest selection of the same while they were still more readily available, and would enjoy identifying their counterparts and complementary pieces within your array.

I do hope GEC returns to the #25s in barlow form, someday. Not that my applejack (white wharncliffe jack) isn't one of my favorite knives, but the barlows have it all going on.

Thanks so much for stopping in with these pictures, Alan!

(drool.)

~ P.

 

[Cassander]

Woohoo!! Finally tracked mine down!!Been hunting it for a while and passed on a couple cause of less than stellar and/or uneven chunky stag. And man did that patience pay off. #49 of 50. Literally the penultimate burnt stag EO sheepsfoot #25. And no matter what you may think penultimate means, it's apt.

 

[singin50]

The stag on that one is exquisite indeed!

 

[yatsunil]

Woohoo!! Finally tracked mine down!!Been hunting it for a while and passed on a couple cause of less than stellar and/or uneven chunky stag. And man did that patience pay off. #49 of 50. Literally the penultimate burnt stag EO sheepsfoot #25. And no matter what you may think penultimate means, it's apt.

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Those pics look familiar Mik
It's going out tomorrow morning when the Post Office open.

 

[Cassander]

Those pics look familiar Mik
It's going out tomorrow morning when the Post Office open.

😆🙏💥💃💃

 

[Baldy McBalders]

Here is my single pattern 25 representative. Either this or my 26 in cocobolo is always in the bottom of my left pocket, while the slip in my right contains the knife of the day. Love the enormous variety of these!
B.

 

[Tenacious D]

Holy moly, those are nice.

I like the "Swedish" pairing, as well.

Thanks for posting them here. :thumbup:

Thanks Sarah! Yeah, didn't ya know that Ikea just ran an SFO?

Woohoo!! Finally tracked mine down!!Been hunting it for a while and passed on a couple cause of less than stellar and/or uneven chunky stag. And man did that patience pay off. #49 of 50. Literally the penultimate burnt stag EO sheepsfoot #25. And no matter what you may think penultimate means, it's apt.

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That's some nice stag Mik! A real fine specimen.

Here is my single pattern 25 representative. Either this or my 26 in cocobolo is always in the bottom of my left pocket, while the slip in my right contains the knife of the day. Love the enormous variety of these!
B.

I like the shield on that one Baldy

 

[pertinux]

Here is my single pattern 25 representative. Either this or my 26 in cocobolo is always in the bottom of my left pocket, while the slip in my right contains the knife of the day. Love the enormous variety of these!
B.

If you only have one? That's a terrific choice. It's long been on my hanker list, even though I have, er, more than one #25. I love the jobillo on my #79 Workhorse, and it looks great on this smaller pattern, too. [I was concerned the grain might be a little much on this smaller-scale knife, but the ones I've seen, including yours, look fantastic.] The fleur-di-lis-let shield-- one of my favorites from GEC-- takes the whole thing up a notch. Nice one!

Thanks Sarah! Yeah, didn't ya know that Ikea just ran an SFO?

I knew they were getting close.

Back to your yellow beaut:

So fine.

I know I'm repeating myself, but that's one of my favorite blade combinations in this pattern: pinchable, eminently useful wharncliffe main, swoopy clip secondary. :thumbup:

~ P.

 

[5K Qs]

I've never paid much attention to these 25s, and then started looking at this thread when I had some idle moments. Lotta gorgeous knives!!
Are these guys all 3 inches closed? How long are the blades? I try to do some beginner's whittling when I have the chance, and I've found that short blades work well for me. Have any of you used these 25s for whittling? If so, did you like how they performed? Thanks for any insights you're willing to share.

- GT

 

[Tenacious D]

..

 

[pertinux]

Are these guys all 3 inches closed? How long are the blades? I try to do some beginner's whittling when I have the chance, and I've found that short blades work well for me. Have any of you used these 25s for whittling? If so, did you like how they performed? Thanks for any insights you're willing to share.

Yes, all the #25s (and #26s) are 3" closed.

The main blades of the #25s are all of 2" long (with slight variations between the types, clip, wharncliffe, sheepsfoot, spear, the elusive drop point-- the clip is a hair under, the spear a tad over, etc.). The secondary blades are about 1 3/8" long.

As you note, short blades work (very!) well for whittling, and these are no exception.

Whether or not a #25 is suitable for long(er) term whittling, however, will be very subjective. I have smaller hands relative to most of you, and find both the blade-to-handle ratio and the handle size itself just about perfect.

I know of some with much larger hands also find the knives to be surprisingly comfortable (the "weird stubbiness" of these WLSTs* contributes to bulk and purchase belied by the wee frame), but for the most part I believe their smaller handles will be a detriment to most. It all depends on one's own grip and where the handle falls in one's palm.

~ P.

*Weird Little Stubby Things

 

[5K Qs]

Thanks for the informative response, Sarah. Your take on the comfort of the relatively short handle for long-term whittling was especially helpful. I often hear that a longer handle is desirable for whittling because of the "fatigue factor", but that hasn't seemed to be a problem for me so far, even though I have larger than average hands. Of course, much of my whittling occurs in short sessions (no more than 15-20 minutes) waiting for the bus or taking the dogs out to do their thing in the back yard etc. But I also tend to "choke up" on the knife while whittling, so I haven't noticed much difference in comfort between using, say, a Peanut and a much larger Vic Tinker or Electrician.

So I guess another knife MUST be added to my wish list. Let me write it down: Weird Stubby Little Thing

- GT

 

[wlfryjr]

I also love the 3-lined bolsters. I thought I would prefer the UN-X-LD stamped bolsters in a runaway, but am taken again and again about how 'right' these bolsters are for these knives.

~ P.

I agree Sarah.Elegance is most often simplistic.

 

[Cassander]

Anyone have the Northfield tan Sawcut bone 3-line bolster barlow? Would love to see some pics.

 

[philllll]

Don't you already have one? I saw you had it listed as "For Trade" in your signature last night?

 

[Cassander]

I want to see some pics of a few others. I couldn't find any pics on a quick search. All that comes up on google image search is the sweet unXld drop point barlow from 2011, and lots of charlows . I'm specifically looking for the Northfield run from 2008, 252208.

 

[philllll]

There were only 3 of those made as far as I know.

 

[Cassander]

That's the Tidioute. The Northfield had a full serialized run of 50 with 22 unserialized, and looks identical. 3-line bolsters and all.

 

[philllll]

I thought the 3-line bolsters come on the Tidioute models. Oh well.