GEC 42 and other back pocket knives?

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pinnah

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Jul 28, 2011
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I'm looking for recommendations for a traditional back pocket sized knife about the size range of a GEC 42 or large Sodbuster.

Here are some of the things I'm looking for..
- Single blade
- Blade length around 3.5" +/-
- Full flat or thin convex grind. NO HOLLOW GRIND
- Drop or spear point or very slight clip (e.g. GEC 42 or Opinel)
- Wood scales
- Single bolster or no bolster
- Lockback is somewhat preferred but would consider a slip joint

The GEC 42 would be an option but they're basically gone and I've no idea when/if they'll be made again. Anyone?

Au Sabot Garronais. Hmmm....

Eye Brand locking Sodbuster

Others?
 
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What about the GEC 21 bull buster(?) in Osage orange? Then again that might be a tough one to track down.
 
Also, there is the Smith and Sons mud bug. Which was made for them by GEC. I'm not sure if they made one in wood, though.
 
23 in the features you want are around..

edit, ... nevermind... it's a 2 blade.
 
GEC has made single blade #23s with single bolsters and wood scales but I imagine they're hard to find. They made them both in slip joint and liner lock form. The blade length is right at 3 1/2" inches tip to bolster.
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There are also the #23 Bull Locks which I believe are lock backs but with the lock up by the bolster instead if the rear of the handle like normal.
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Ill second the Queen Mountain man. Larger lockback with d2 blade. Great work knife!
 
You can purchase a Buck 110 drop point with rosewood handles for approximately 1/2 the cost of a GEC #42. The Buck is available, the #42 only on the secondary market. I have both the 110 and #42. The #42 has the usual wobbly blade and, in my opinion, only fit for light-duty. The Buck locks up solid, it is heavy, but a heavy-duty folder.
 
marsturm said:
You can purchase a Buck 110 drop point with rosewood handles for approximately 1/2 the cost of a GEC #42. The Buck is available, the #42 only on the secondary market. I have both the 110 and #42. The #42 has the usual wobbly blade and, in my opinion, only fit for light-duty. The Buck locks up solid, it is heavy, but a heavy-duty folder.
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I've come close to pulling the trigger on a 110 drop point since they added it to the custom shop and my understanding is that DLT may do another run of the SFOs they did last year with drop point S30V blades.

Two problems....

Buck doesn't do full flat grinds. I've "flattened" enough hollow ground blades, including one of my several 110s. It's a pain to do and still not as good as a true full flat grind.

The 110 is a brick. At least they could offer a bare head option in the custom shop. I could do a drop point with bare head black G10 and then flatten the blade. Heck of a lot of work though.
 
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I wouldn't recommend the Queen 3L because the four I've handled all had severe vertical play, but the slip joint Model 3, like mine above, is a great back pocket knife and can be found with wood covers.. The Boker shown, with Bubinga covers and 440C steel, is what the Queen 3L should've been - a very solid lock back design.
I fully understand that, if you have to have a Custom Buck - then you should get a Custom Buck. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Edited to add: Forgot to mention that I've seen an SFO Buck 110 clip point with D2 and a full flat grind lately. Look around in the Buck sub forum for more information. Comissioned by SK Blades.
 
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deskil said:
Edited to add: Forgot to mention that I've seen an SFO buck 110 clip point with D2 and a full flat grind lately. Look around in the Buck sub forum for more information.
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The "flat grind" blades that Buck has been producing lately are not what I would call "full flat grinds". They have a very clear shoulder and unground flat to the spine.

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Edited to add the more recent SK Blade SFO. Note the shoulder line.
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That Boker Plus knife looks excellent. Thanks to posting it. Just the sort of thing I'm looking for and really, the sort of thing that you would think Buck could do if they put their mind to it. Full flat grinds and bare head construction should be options in their custom shop.
 
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I'd check out the Mountain Man for sure but wouldn't it be nice if GEC made another run of 42's with more options in 440C now that they've really perfected their lockbacks. I'd buy a dozen.
 
I think some Ben Hogans were made with spear blades. I'm not sure if the spearpoint Ben Hogans also coincided with the lockback Ben Hogans, or the barehead Ben Hogans, however. Either way, the pattern might be of interest to you, as it seems to tick most of the boxes and is about the same length as a GEC 23 -kind of a cross between a copperhead and slim trapper variant thereof, but always single blade.
 
shipwright said:
Case Backpocket is also very good, a nice looking Bose design
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Absolutely. I believe Tony Bose coined the phrase and it is purposely designed back pocket carry. IIRC nobody used the term until he came out with his design. You can get it in carbon and stainless with a variety of covers.
 
Of the knives mentioned so far, I'd suggest going with the Boker or the Case Backpocket.

The Boker is a decent knife (my nephew swiped mine, it managed to survive a year over in the Sandbox and went back for another tour). Quality of those I've seen has been decent, and remarkably consistent. Blade hardness tested out at about 57-58 RC if I remember right, averaged over several blades.

The Case is just a nice little knife. Quality not as consistent as the Boker but usually decent/usable. Blades are either Case's CV or their stainless. For use--especially if you are going to hone it to low angles like an Opinel, go with the CV.

Of the other 1306 copies, the GEC 42 is usually nice. I've handled about a dozen of these, been inside several tuning them up. The ones with wood covers are usually nicely finished, the stag/bone often have some edges or corners you'd want to finish off. Good luck finding one.

The Queens are a knife I've tried hard to like, but after wasting >$500 trying to get a good one, and after a total non-response on a warranty issue from the current regime, I've given up. Maybe you could find a good one at a show somewhere, but buying sight-unseen seems unnecessarily risky.

A number of copies (Alcas/Cutco, Bowen, Camillus, Cold Steel) are only available on the secondary market.

Alcas/Cutco and Bowen (some made by Alcas, some by Camillus, some by ???) can be inconsistent in fit and finish, but a good Bowen can be nice--440C blade and good lockup.

Camillus are consistent, and wood covers were done but are harder to find; they also have blades made of what I think is 420--rather soft and gummy on the stone, and not the best edge-holding.

I've only seen one of the Cold Steel copies, so I can't say much about it. I'd grab one to study, but don't yet know if it would be a good using knife.

Of the folks I know who carry/use such knives, the Boker seems the favorite. The GEC 42 would probably be more popular if it were actually, you know, available. Lots of folks seem to have the various Camillus versions, no one really seems to carry or use them. Most get carried in a belt case rather than a pocket.

I only know of a few people who carry/use the Case Backpocket (a shame, it is a nice knife but I've never seen one for sale around here). Mine is on-track to arrive tomorrow.
 
I carry & use a Queen 3L quite a bit, and *really* like it. The D2 steel is awesome (could possibly be my favorite cutlery steel), and I treated mine to a convex edge using some sandpaper.
Mine has a little bit of vertical movement, but that in no way affects the function, security, or reliability of the tool.
The one I've got is the ACSB (Amber Carved Stag-Bone), and I think it looks really classy too. Wish I'd gotten one in cocobolo when they were being produced.... Dangit. ;)

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