GEC and Do You Really Like Them?

I had close to 100 GEC knives. Just too many as I collect Case knives and accumulate others as they come along but I kinda got caught up in the GEC craze so to speak and found myself swimming in a pool of knives I didn't need. I sold 13 knives to a dealer, sold another 27 through a sporting goods store and gave away most of the rest to friends, family, and some guys at the range and down at another local sporting goods store. I've left myself with 16 GEC knives.

I didn't get rid of any because of flaws, etc.. They were all very good knives. Frankly, another reason for getting rid of them was that I had GEC tubes coming out of the ying-yang whatever that is but for my .02¢ definitely an obstacle to collecting GEC knives.
 
I love GEC for several reasons. I love the variety of both patterns and handle material. I love the quality. I love the people at the company.

I also love Queen. Their quality is good and getting better. Their knives are good-working knives. I like that Queen is not afraid of other steels.

I also love Canal St. I think they are about the most elegant on the market. Their quality is good.

Overall, right now GEC is my favorite. I have and use all of them.
 
Several people have mentioned the high (90% +) resale value of GECs. Well, I have sold more than a couple at well below that figure, but the reason some command those prices can be summed up very easily: they don't make very many. How often have you seen threads where someone is wailing because they missed the boat on a new release. I have seen some releases sell out in as little as one day. I know when I have missed a knife I wanted, I would gladly pay 110-120% of the original price to get one. How much better to find one on the exchange, little used or not at all, for 5-10% below the original price?

Of course, if a pattern has not sold out, and you can find a new one easily at a dealer for retail, then it's not so easy to get more than 70% for your used, although like new, knife. GEC is following the Pappy Van Winkles marketing scheme: make less than you can sell, and keep the market humming for your product. It works!
 
I've used and collected slip joint pocket knives since boyhood... I'm a relatively old coot now (...67...) and ive handled and collected lots of knives; most of 'em old time cases and boker tree brands (...the german ones...). Of late ive picked up several of the GEC knives in wooden handle materials... I like the old time wooden handle thing because they are so individual in character... I also like the 1095 carbon steel blades in these knives, as ya can sharpen them quickly and very well...

I tend to like bigger knives; and several of the GEC patterns are pretty large... The GEC knives are every bit the quality of any of the old time brands like case or the german bokers... The fit and finish is excellent...

I think the reason that there are bunches of GEC's out there for resale is that lots of them are being sold, used a bit, and passed on to new owners... I think that is a good thing...

The GEC's and the Schatt and Morgan (...queen...) knives are the equal of any of the original knives from the "golden era" of slipjoints... Ive got several pristine case usa and xx knives that are no better quality than what GEC and Schatt and Morgan is producing now; and as a matter of fact, i think we can quibble a bit about whether the old knives are as good...

Dont believe the marketing hype typically put out by the old time classic collector/sellers that says that knives made 60 years ago are better than the ones made now... It simply aint so...

Pick up a few of them and try 'em yourself...

leroy
 
Paul, take care of that baking! I love you man. Thanks for all of the input that this topic has received. Not being a GEC person I was curious. Did not know if it was promotion or quality that was driving this.
 
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i like gec's selection of single blade knives. i'm not heavy into whittling, other than making spears out of sticks, so i stick with the single blade.
 
Yes, I like some of their patterns real well.

I own five or six, and only one has had any kind of issue.

When I closed it, a tiny spot on the blade made contact and got a shiny place in the edge.

After a few sharpenings, that tiny bit of edge sharpened away and no more problems.

People sell them usually because they either need the money, get bored with the knife, or want to fund other purchases.
 
Trying not to start a fire here, Brad.
I may have, ahem, a little prejudice for the brand, but if I count the number of knives I have sent back to have some flaw corrected over the last twenty years, that count alone adds up favorably for GEC, relative to the number of knives purchased. I don't consider myself over-fussy, and am willing to allow some production conditions to stand. These are not custom knives, any of them.
I have gone through my Case phase, and my Queen phase, and allowing a little for GEC's startup status in 2006 - 2007, fit, finish, and desirability of design are the considerations/criteria I use. Canal Street has done some nice pieces, but have not managed to keep my attention, yet.

I know for a fact that a lot of the knives sold in the For Sale thread, are offered to raise funds for more knife purchases; and of course for other financial reasons. It is hard to accept that someone would sell a flawed knife to a fellow BF subscriber, but I supposed it has happened.
 
I pretty much agree with everything that has been said in this thread so far.

I know that I would be selling a lot less of my GECs if I could afford to keep them all! I also have fun buying and selling, always looking for the 'one'. I feel like it is part of what makes up my knife obsession/hobby, and it allows me to check out, handle, and admire more knives than I would be able to otherwise. I've never owned more than 8 or 9 GECs at one time, and right now due to my financial situation, I only own 3 (all of which are keepers after many months of going through different GEC patterns). None of the GECs I've sold on the exchange have issues or defects, and the three that I own now were all bought on the exchange and they are my favorites after a year of buying and selling.

GEC is hands down my favorite traditional knife company, and I think it is a reflection of their continually growing success that so many people are buying and selling their knives on the secondary market. Would you think that the Benchmades, Spydercos, and CRKs that are being sold on the exchange is because they are defective? I personally think that all of their frequent sales on the secondary market is actually a side affect of their successful marketing and because they make quality knives.
 
Compared to other manufacturers GEC doesnt make a whole lot of any one pattern. So there is the exclusivity thing and they make their knives the old way with pinned shields and traditional materials. Case for instance makes probably many many times more knives than GEC, they shortcut their process (glued shields and covers) and will often come out with a color that doesnt exist in nature. Queen has consistency issues and has adopted the glued in shield which is a shame. They do the best bone I have seen in a modern traditional though and if they up their standards ala GEC they will be a powerhouse! I have only gotten 3 of my 25 or so GECs that needed any attention from the factory and all of it was blade wobble. All fixed and I carry all of em!

I still love Case. Much fewer or their models appeal to me only because of materials. I love the CV models. Most of my Case knives are pre-1980.
 
I have a few GEC's. I love them a lot and, like all my knives, I carry and use them. The build quality is good and I find the variety of patterns and handle materials is diverse. One of the things I think that appeals most about the company is that due to the limited runs, you can actually get a relatively individual and somewhat unique knife. The likelyhood of me ever actually meeting another person who has the same GEC in the same handle material as I do is very slim. I like that.

As to the exchange, I don't look at it all the time and always miss the ones I want so I can't comment on it.

However, I do think that GEC are trending at the minute. Or certainly there are certain GEC patterns that are the in thing to have in the traditional forum. Not a day goes by without a Charlow or a #15 appearing in the daily picture (edit - within the last 24 hours: 5), t-bone or wooden Wednesday threads. Evidently they are extremely popular and I'm sure that it's for a good reason.

I take great delight in looking at the old knives and the obscure finds. The interesting customs and European offerings. I must admit, although I have been very impressed with GEC and frequently carry several, I do get bored of GEC threads that continually appear saying the same things and covering the same topic time and time again. The fact of the matter is, GEC is popular and so they feature more than most, but the beauty of a forum is that if I'm not interested in it, I don't have to read it. I take great enjoyment from this forum.

Paul
 
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I am primarily into older knives pre '70 case and many others.

I have several GEC's as well because IMO they make knives like the older knives I love. Well built, good carbon steel, nice covers, pinned shields etc. etc.

They are making knives like they use to be made and making them 100% in the USA.

I would imagine the secondary market is probably to fund some newer addition to a collection, it has been my reason. Never because of a F&F issue in my personal experience with GEC.

So yes, I really like them:D
 
waynorth said:
Trying not to start a fire here, Brad.
I may have, ahem, a little prejudice for the brand, but if I count the number of knives I have sent back to have some flaw corrected over the last twenty years, that count alone adds up favorably for GEC, relative to the number of knives purchased. I don't consider myself over-fussy, and am willing to allow some production conditions to stand. These are not custom knives, any of them.
I have gone through my Case phase, and my Queen phase, and allowing a little for GEC's startup status in 2006 - 2007, fit, finish, and desirability of design are the considerations/criteria I use. Canal Street has done some nice pieces, but have not managed to keep my attention, yet.

I know for a fact that a lot of the knives sold in the For Sale thread, are offered to raise funds for more knife purchases; and of course for other financial reasons. It is hard to accept that someone would sell a flawed knife to a fellow BF subscriber, but I supposed it has happened.
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Thanks Charlie, this is relevant input that I value highly. I was not trying to put anyone, or their endeavors, down specifically as I am sure you know. Just a curiosity that I have .
 
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IMO there is indeed a bit of excitement with GEC right now, and with good reason. They are a breath of fresh air in a stagnant, declining traditional market. Lots of new patterns, cover choices and limited availability keep people talking, buying, selling and generally enjoying the hobby. All good things. As far as liking them, I certainly do. Collect a few special ones, use the majority of them. They are the closest thing being made like the old classics. Flawless, hardly. Desireable, you bet.
 
Perhaps I can speak from a slightly different perspective.

Gary and I have discussed the proliferation of GEC threads. Our opinion is that, as long as the topic is within the Traditional Forum guidelines, the BF membership decides what they want to talk about. If there are a bunch of threads about GEC knives and there are a bunch of posts in the threads, well then apparently GEC is what folks want to talk about. The only limitation is that threads which are plainly about another brand not be hijacked to talk about GEC. In such a thread, we will attempt an on-course correction.

 
I like them alot. They make quite a few different patterns. They have great handles (jigging, woods, dye). I like the use of carbon steel. In my experience, they are consistently better put together than the other American production makers.

I think they get sold to fund other knives. Even though I like GEC, I still like Case, Queen, Buck..... etc. Some day, I may get a good custom, semi-custom, or Bose/Case collaboration.... I might even sell a GEC or two to afford it. Maybe GEC is coming out with a new pattern I have to have more than on I have otherwise.

Some of us are real collectors, some of us just like to wheel and deal and try something new. Some are both.

Is GEC perfect? I've sent one back, some patterns don't speak to me, but they do a wide variety.

That's more words I've wrote since I've knowed ya. ;)
 
I absolutely love my GECs. Solid as hell, beautiful craftsmanship, wonderful materials & steel. My favorite production knives easily.
 
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