GEC #35 Churchill Thread

[marsturm]

Expecting my Ebony Churchill tomorrow. Ordered a second one in Maroon micarta today.

 

[nyrico]

How is the walk and talk on the Churchill's ?
Thank you ,
J.T.

I agree with the opinion already expressed that the pull is on the lighter side, but , I am thrown off by knives with no half stop. Most of my knives have half stops and so those without always feel very different and long. I really cant complain, but I do like a little more, talk, a nice thwack at the end.

 

[Jfowler]

Thanks Nyrico ! Yea I prefer solid walk and talk! Just something about that nice thwack when closing that I love . I really like the looks of the Churchill but might have to pass it up .

 

[Pàdruig]

I wonder if giving it a good flush will improve its talk some. I seem to recall that made quite a bit of difference with the recent 66s. My Churchill is out for delivery, I'll scoop it up on my lunch and assess it then.

 

[traumkommode]

I agree with the opinion already expressed that the pull is on the lighter side, but , I am thrown off by knives with no half stop. Most of my knives have half stops and so those without always feel very different and long. I really cant complain, but I do like a little more, talk, a nice thwack at the end.

Thanks Nyrico ! Yea I prefer solid walk and talk! Just something about that nice thwack when closing that I love . I really like the looks of the Churchill but might have to pass it up .

I wonder if giving it a good flush will improve its talk some. I seem to recall that made quite a bit of difference with the recent 66s. My Churchill is out for delivery, I'll scoop it up on my lunch and assess it then.

Not uncommon with GECs. What happens is that, at the factory, they tighten the pivots pretty good, and the metal fits together so snug that, even if you oil it, the friction inhibits the action, and therefore inhibits the walk and talk. I just had to to this to a 3-year-old like new Bullnose:

Wash the knife with hot soapy water to get everything out. Dry with gun cleaning patches or paper towels, then flush the snot out of it with your favorite mineral oil/3-In-1/whatever lubricant protectant. Work the action a good bit, watch for any black gunk coming from the pivot and out of the back spring. Wash and dry again, then repeat the oilling as many times as seems effective. I stop when I stop getting wipeable black gunk. Then I work the action a lot. We're talking 100 or 200 cycles. By this time the action and snap should have improved considerably. Then, I put it in my pocket and carry it and use it for a few days. The changing temperatures from being in and out of the pocket/hand, the oil - all of it works together, and now I have exceptional snap on this Bullnose. Any time you get a GEC like this, this kind of cleaning should do the trick for the smoothness and the "talk". As for the walk - lighter springs may make for longer break ins, but as long as the springs open and close the blades on their own after that certain sweet spot in the hinge's rotation, you're good, and it'll end up smooth after some use and cleaning.

Just be glad it's not a Case or a Queen... Cleaning those things can be like cleaning the throttle on a 30 year old truck, even when they're fresh from the factory.

 

[nyrico]

I had flushed the pivot some last night with Mineral Oil and didn't see much if any junk, but, I never tried the hot soapy water ting. What type of soap, dish soap?

 

[traumkommode]

I had flushed the pivot some last night with Mineral Oil and didn't see much if any junk, but, I never tried the hot soapy water ting. What type of soap, dish soap?

Yeah, just dish soap, some kind of degreasing agent to get the factory oil off. Working the action a lot does the most for smoothness and improving walk and talk.

 

[knifeswapper]

IMHO, these Churchill models look like they got a thorough oil bath during finishing. Much smoother and no discernible resistance other than pressure.

 

[Railsplitter]

I was hoping that the Yellow Rose's would be completed today. It's gonna be a long nine days.

 

[Pàdruig]

Well I ran home for lunch to find this beauty waiting in my mailbox. I spent the next hour doing all the things one tends to do on New Knife Day, usually involving a lot of... what are the terms? Coon fingering and Chicken eyeing? I thought I would lay out my initial impressions here along with some pictures, of course.

When I discovered that the Churchill knives were being produced, I wasn't initially all that excited. Part of it was the fact that its main blade was a clip style, which isn't my favorite, and secondly, the lackluster selection of available cover materials. However, my tastes have evolved before and I suspect they will continue to do so forever. After all, life is too short to limit oneself to just a few likes and dislikes. I warmed considerably towards the Churchill due to what you might say was a fantasy in my head. I have come to really like wood covers in general, with a good solid black Ebony becoming a fast favorite. Not only is it a classic knife cover material, but done right, it ends up being a handsome, no-nonsense working masterpiece.

That said, my vision for the Churchill was reminiscent of many of the antique equal end Jacks one tends to see when perusing the internet. Many of which have steel bolsters and inky black ebony covers. Already being a fan of the #35 Drover that was the 2016 Forum knife, I was already familiar with the size and heft that I might expect with the Churchill. As it is probably no secret that I have a lot of love for straight edged main blades like the Lambsfoot I regularly carry and the fact that I like carrying two or more knives, I thought the Churchill with its clip and small coping blade would make for a terrific companion to my straight edged beauties.

Fast forward to today when it finally arrived. Feels like forever since it was announced...

After popping the tube and removing the wax paper, I was immediately struck by how smooth and pleasant in a tactile sense it was in hand. Coupled with its nice heft, this knife just "feels" wonderful, I can't help but feel like this is just going to be a real pleasure to work with. Though it feels "girthier" than my Drover, the slimness of its single spring design is going to make this knife very pocketable and after playing with it a bunch, right into the pocket it went. Fit and finish are pretty terrific but I must admit, I am not the most discriminating when it comes to such things. I judge knives a lot by how they feel in hand and first impressions are everything. This one feels fantastic and the fact that everything seems tight and well fitted is a real bonus and indicative of the quality one should expect from an outfit like GEC.

I would say the blades have a medium, yet still decent pull and both blades have a good snap to them, with the main blade maybe being just a hair lighter than the secondary. I don't get the immediate impression that this knife needs any flushing, everything seems just about right and came with a fair amount of oil on the blades already, perhaps affirming what knifeswapper said a bit earlier. Though the fit is pretty tight, I don't see any potential blade rub but that could still occur if I am not being mindful of how I am deploying the blades. The satin finish on the blades is particularly awesome, I am actually really fond of how well it turned out.

A couple of things that I am going to nitpick on: I really don't understand why the shield isn't centered, it kind of throws the flow of the knife off and for an equal ender like this, I am not sure what their reasoning was. Also, I feel that this knife would have truly been superb had they done all steel construction; bolsters, liners, and pins. Though undoubtedly more expensive, I still think it would have made this knife really shine as a rock solid working knife. Although I am perhaps one of the few that actually like brass on knives, I still think there are times when its absence would be more appropriate.

Regardless, this is a very fine knife and I have absolutely no regrets. It feels fantastic, it looks tremendous, and I am hoping to put a lot of miles on this one in the not so distant future. BONUS! The ebony is a nice inky black, I couldn't be happier with it.

Enough of my babbling.... (wrote far more than I intended)

Time for some PICTURES!!!!

 

[H2O2HI]

Well I ran home for lunch to find this beauty waiting in my mailbox. I spent the next hour doing all the things one tends to do on New Knife Day, usually involving a lot of... what are the terms? Coon fingering and Chicken eyeing? I thought I would lay out my initial impressions here along with some pictures, of course.

When I discovered that the Churchill knives were being produced, I wasn't initially all that excited. Part of it was the fact that its main blade was a clip style, which isn't my favorite, and secondly, the lackluster selection of available cover materials. However, my tastes have evolved before and I suspect they will continue to do so forever. After all, life is too short to limit oneself to just a few likes and dislikes. I warmed considerably towards the Churchill due to what you might say was a fantasy in my head. I have come to really like wood covers in general, with a good solid black Ebony becoming a fast favorite. Not only is it a classic knife cover material, but done right, it ends up being a handsome, no-nonsense working masterpiece.

That said, my vision for the Churchill was reminiscent of many of the antique equal end Jacks one tends to see when perusing the internet. Many of which have steel bolsters and inky black ebony covers. Already being a fan of the #35 Drover that was the 2016 Forum knife, I was already familiar with the size and heft that I might expect with the Churchill. As it is probably no secret that I have a lot of love for straight edged main blades like the Lambsfoot I regularly carry and the fact that I like carrying two or more knives, I thought the Churchill with its clip and small coping blade would make for a terrific companion to my straight edged beauties.

Fast forward to today when it finally arrived. Feels like forever since it was announced...

After popping the tube and removing the wax paper, I was immediately struck by how smooth and pleasant in a tactile sense it was in hand. Coupled with its nice heft, this knife just "feels" wonderful, I can't help but feel like this is just going to be a real pleasure to work with. Though it feels "girthier" than my Drover, the slimness of its single spring design is going to make this knife very pocketable and after playing with it a bunch, right into the pocket it went. Fit and finish are pretty terrific but I must admit, I am not the most discriminating when it comes to such things. I judge knives a lot by how they feel in hand and first impressions are everything. This one feels fantastic and the fact that everything seems tight and well fitted is a real bonus and indicative of the quality one should expect from an outfit like GEC.

I would say the blades have a medium, yet still decent pull and both blades have a good snap to them, with the main blade maybe being just a hair lighter than the secondary. I don't get the immediate impression that this knife needs any flushing, everything seems just about right and came with a fair amount of oil on the blades already, perhaps affirming what knifeswapper said a bit earlier. Though the fit is pretty tight, I don't see any potential blade rub but that could still occur if I am not being mindful of how I am deploying the blades. The satin finish on the blades is particularly awesome, I am actually really fond of how well it turned out.

A couple of things that I am going to nitpick on: I really don't understand why the shield isn't centered, it kind of throws the flow of the knife off and for an equal ender like this, I am not sure what their reasoning was. Also, I feel that this knife would have truly been superb had they done all steel construction; bolsters, liners, and pins. Though undoubtedly more expensive, I still think it would have made this knife really shine as a rock solid working knife. Although I am perhaps one of the few that actually like brass on knives, I still think there are times when its absence would be more appropriate.

Regardless, this is a very fine knife and I have absolutely no regrets. It feels fantastic, it looks tremendous, and I am hoping to put a lot of miles on this one in the not so distant future. BONUS! The ebony is a nice inky black, I couldn't be happier with it.

Enough of my babbling.... (wrote far more than I intended)

Time for some PICTURES!!!!

Congratulations on your new churchill! My Yellow Rose can’t arrive soon enough! My #35 Harness Jack 10 from last year has more than sufficed to satisfy my #35 craving.
After many years of dealing in American horology, I have applied my experience to come up with a theory of brass vs. steel in pocket knives.
I think Charlie C. is right on about steel being used in Barlows. Traditionally Barlows were a cheap knife, used by the masses. I believe all steel Barlows used steel instead of brass because steel was a less expensive material. I have a Novelty Knife Co. Gene Autry jack which is all steel. I like it, but if used every day, it would surely end up a mess. Novelty had the prescience to flash chrome the steel.
Of course, Nickel Silver is also more expensive than steel and much more attractive. It is also much easier to keep shined, with a few rubs of the bolster up and down the pant leg.

 

[Pàdruig]

Congratulations on your new churchill! My Yellow Rose can’t arrive soon enough! My #35 Harness Jack 10 from last year has more than sufficed to satisfy my #35 craving.
After many years of dealing in American horology, I have applied my experience to come up with a theory of brass vs. steel in pocket knives.
I think Charlie C. is right on about steel being used in Barlows. Traditionally Barlows were a cheap knife, used by the masses. I believe all steel Barlows used steel instead of brass because steel was a less expensive material. I have a Novelty Knife Co. Gene Autry jack which is all steel. I like it, but if used every day, it would surely end up a mess. Novelty had the prescience to flash chrome the steel.
Of course, Nickel Silver is also more expensive than steel and much more attractive. It is also much easier to keep shined, with a few rubs of the bolster up and down the pant leg.

Oh, interesting! I wonder why I was under the impression that all steel construction was more expensive... It appears that I might be way off base with my above comments. I like the chilly, dull look that steel gets after some time and use and find it rather befitting of a working knife, at least in terms of aesthetics. However, the maintenance involved with brass and nickel silver is certainly far less involved.

I am kind of baffled as to why I was thinking along the lines that I was...

 

[btb01]

Thanks for the thorough write-up and photos, Pàdruig !

 

[Pàdruig]

Another thing I noticed: The main blade is quite stout. I compared it to the blade of a 15 and then my 35 Drover, it is noticeably thicker.

Compared to the 15:

Compared to the 35 Drover:

 

[NewBlades16]

Congratulations on your new churchill! My Yellow Rose can’t arrive soon enough! My #35 Harness Jack 10 from last year has more than sufficed to satisfy my #35 craving.
After many years of dealing in American horology, I have applied my experience to come up with a theory of brass vs. steel in pocket knives.
I think Charlie C. is right on about steel being used in Barlows. Traditionally Barlows were a cheap knife, used by the masses. I believe all steel Barlows used steel instead of brass because steel was a less expensive material. I have a Novelty Knife Co. Gene Autry jack which is all steel. I like it, but if used every day, it would surely end up a mess. Novelty had the prescience to flash chrome the steel.
Of course, Nickel Silver is also more expensive than steel and much more attractive. It is also much easier to keep shined, with a few rubs of the bolster up and down the pant leg.

Are the Yellow Roses out for delivery?

 

[H2O2HI]

Oh, interesting! I wonder why I was under the impression that all steel construction was more expensive... It appears that I might be way off base with my above comments. I like the chilly, dull look that steel gets after some time and use and find it rather befitting of a working knife, at least in terms of aesthetics. However, the maintenance involved with brass and nickel silver is certainly far less involved.

I am kind of baffled as to why I was thinking along the lines that I was...

As I said, it is just my theory. Dull is good. But I am very picky, and know a rusted steel liner would be harder to clean than brass. Me, I like bright and shiny objects. If I ever had possession of a rusted steel liner, it wouldn't be for long. Life is too short.

 

[H2O2HI]

Are the Yellow Roses out for delivery?

I dunnoe.

 

[joeradza]

Are the Yellow Roses out for delivery?

Not mine.

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

Are the Yellow Roses out for delivery?

I don't believe they've shipped to dealers yet.

 

[btb01]

Another thing I noticed: The main blade is quite stout. I compared it to the blade of a 15 and then my 35 Drover, it is noticeably thicker.

...

Compared to the 35 Drover:

Thanks for posting this side by side comparison, Dylan. I thought it looked that way in some of the other photos I'd seen, but that definitely confirms it -- that is one thick blade down there near the tang!!

I wonder why they didn't use a spacer (is that the right term?) like they did on the Drover. I mean, it still looks like they thinned it out pretty well once you get down to the edge, but it's incredible how fat that tang is! Wow!