GEC and Do You Really Like Them?

[roseskunk]

Quality and integrity. I'm partial to them because they're made in Pennsylvania, very near where my parents grew up and where my sense of home is. I've been to visit the company twice now, not a big deal but I drive from Texas to do so. I also camp for a week in the forest- a closer place to heaven you won't find... After seeing so many American companies close or move overseas, it's refreshing and hopeful to see a small start-up like Great Eastern do something right. They make a solid product with little compromise.

and since no GEC thread is complete without pics:

 

[sitflyer]

Frank, I believe you have nailed it. I assume you have guessed my undertones. Correct, I am a bit baffled and not exactly happy, with the proliferation of GEC threads in the Traditional Forum.

Baffled? well, I don't know of too many other startup companies based in the U.S.A. that are producing a good quality, traditional knife with hands on operations and traditional materials and craftsmanship as of late.

I am of the belief that there are many other topics and makers we could be discussing that would enrich all of us beyond the bootlegging of patterns, and dare I say, quite in-accurately, by GEC.

Perhaps there are other makers and topics that could be discussed, and yes, we can and do enjoy learning by reading and seeing photo's about knives from other makers, present, and past, but as for the really old stuff, it is few and far between that any of us will ever even be able to see or touch even a single example, so where are these discussions going to come from? I love it when folks share the rare old beauties on the forum here. As for the statements about bootlegging and inaccuracy, these words seem to be stemming from emotion, and on the other side of the emotion coin it may be put as paying homage to traditional patterns. Admittedly there is a certain shtick to GECs design and marketing, and it does seem to work.
And quite frankly, after watching Camillus and Schrade bite the dust, I am quite proud and happy to carry, and use, and talk about GEC's until the cows come home.

 

[kamagong]

I have a couple of GECs that I really like. Most of their offerings don't appeal to me however, the proportions are a bit off. They're getting better though.

That said, I don't share the seemingly common opinion that GEC is the only company who knows how to make a knife. They make very good, maybe even great knives, but they don't have a monopoly on the market.

I do appreciate what they're trying to do -- offer an American-made knife with quality steel and beautiful, natural handle materials. Ten years ago there was nothing like it available. Schrade and Camillus had the steel, but their knives came with faux bone covers (i.e., plastic...yuck! :barf. Case has the covers, but mates it with inferior steel. GEC on the other hand makes knives with 1095 blades with cover materials like sambar stag, ebony, cocobolo, and is even making the effort to recreate the jigging and saw cut patterns of yesteryear. That's a worthy endeavor and one I'll support as a customer.

Now if we could only convince them to get away from the far too widely used Un-X-Ld shields and start using more interesting alternatives like the yellow rose or the beaver, that'll be something.

- Christian

 

[waynorth]

Hey Christian! How about Diamond Shields?? Hmmmmm??

 

[kamagong]

I was actually thinking about the new diamond shields when I wrote my post Charlie. I'm really looking forward to them and am excited that you got GEC to use something classic, yet different (for them).

- Christian

 

[meako]

They employ about 20 people who are hard working Americans and I like giving them my money.
So yes.
I guess I like GEC

and I'm not even American!

 

[Hammer67]

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.

and

If you want to talk about something else than GEC, start a thread about it and have at it. If you like talking about GEC, post in one of the GEC threads.

I think these guiding comments sum things up quite well. Forums like this are essentially democratic - a topic of merit will tend to receive more responses, and stimulate more conversation, and thus float to the top. If it seems that there are a lot of GEC threads, then obviously its because the company is doing many things right, and appealing to many fans of traditional knives. Bemoaning that, if you're a fan of traditional knives and support their resurgence, seems a bit odd to me.

I am of the belief that there are many other topics and makers we could be discussing that would enrich all of us beyond the bootlegging of patterns, and dare I say, quite in-accurately, by GEC. Granted, they make an acceptable product for many, but being portrayed as the end-all-be-all, hardly.

Brad, I don't want to be argumentative, but I'm curious - if GEC is supposedly "bootlegging," than what current manufacturer of traditional patterns isn't? Beyond that, I continue to see a wealth of knowledge being shared on this forum about older, "original" traditional knives - not just those by current manufacturers. It's one of the reasons I enjoy this forum so much. Yes, offerings from GEC get a fair bit of attention, but there is plenty of other information and eye candy and historical examples being shared on here, imo.

 

[Toddwalla]

I think that the input so far has provided more than enough justification for the abundance of GEC threads, but I will add one thought before calling it a night: I was drawn to this forum because of knives that were abused, but still sturdy enough for me to inherit from my grandfather. And, while I love a lot of the old knives out there, as well as some of the customs I'll never be able to afford, I want to create heirlooms just like my most prized possessions from my grandfather are. Call me a romantic, but I want to use the heck out of a knife and then be able to pass it on to the next generation knowing that it will last their life as well. For me the quality, and general affordability/availability of GEC makes them instant contenders. I know that when I pass, my Boys Knife will have a lot more life in it, and hopefully sentimental value as well.

I didn't come to this subforum as a GEC fan, but I certainly am one now!

 

[Will Power]

I certainly don't like all their patterns, I don't like uncritical worship of anything (don't really see that here & I'm confident the Mods would frown on fanboism...)

When there are quality issues or disappointments with any knife however hallowed its origins, these should be discussed openly. They seem to be as well, that's the purpose of any decent forum.

With GEC there is almost always something to look forward to, this is unusual in this day & age for Traditional knives. Think about 10-15 years ago well before GEC and well after any supposed golden age of Traditionals, rather slim pickings I'd say. GEC has changed that and I'd argue galvanized other makers too. Hence the discussion explosion. Some very decent SFO knives put out by them, few can deny this. The quality is there, they are generally extremely nice knives to have in your pocket and to use, a major factor I'd say. In the age of internet buying, few of us can examine knives so we have to buy sight unseen, when a knife arrives it may be good quality etc but the dimensions might not suit. This may be why GECs get sold a lot, good thing too as with their limited numbers it's good to be able to pick up a knife you've missed out on. Note on those GEC sale threads, nothing stays up long so it shows they're sought after.

I do understand that some people could get a dose of GEC fatigue, very reasonable. But GEC put out a product that stirs people and this will generate discussion naturally enough. I would not like to see a forum just for GEC as this can hinder objective discussion of the knives and can promote an atmosphere of clanishness in some cases.

Thank you, Will

 

[akadave2]

Originally I thought they were a bit oversized for their patterns. They seem to have gone a long way toward changing that. There are some patterns they do that I dont care for but I can appreciate the work that goes into them and the fact that they dont mass produce like other makers. If the few other small makers would up their game like GEC it would be a true traditional boon!

 

[Jack Black]

I like old knives, but GEC produce modern renditions of the patterns I like, and of patterns I may not be able to get hold of, or might not even otherwise see. For the most part I like what they're doing (which is why it irritates me when I think they let themselves down occasionally). The quality of their product is generally extremely good, as good if not better than a lot of the old-time knives they're paying homage to. I'll certainly buy more GEC knives, and I think that they would be my No ! choice of US production cutlers.

Yes, there are a lot of GEC threads, and maybe at some point GEC will sponsor their own forum, but for the most part these threads are an interesting read. There have been a lot of (the knife is just an example) 'So I'm thinking of buying a Boy's Knife, but I might not' type threads recently, and for me these are tedious. Often posters can find the information they're seeking by a simple search, and they mostly seem to have no point to them at all. That however would be the same irrespective of the knife company concerned.

As to why people sell them, I don't know, being too disorganised and feckless to ever get round to selling a knife myself. Perhaps it's when people buy a knife that doesn't work for them or they find themselves not using it. I can understand that.

 

[jujigatame]

All of these things ebb and flow. Remember when the Queen Dan Burke barlows came out a few years back? Several folks here bought them and posted about them. It was a well received knife on this forum and for a time it seemed to me like you couldn't walk a few steps without seeing someone mention it or posting a picture of it. That was one knife. The same thing happened for a while when AG put out the regular production versions of his Texas Ranger knives. Lots of people here bought them and talked about them. GEC is putting out many knives that are appealing to many people here on a continuing basis so the amount of related talk seems destined to stay strong.

I think their popularity is helping to bring new people into these kinds of knives or bring people back who may have left the pack for a while. I put myself in the latter category. I looked at what other companies were putting out before GEC came along and a lot of it just didn't have significant appeal to me. A few knives here and there but that was it. GEC's production helped get my interest seriously steered back toward traditional knives because they were making stuff that was new and exciting to my senses. I only own two GEC knives at the moment and that is fewer than I have each from Camillus, Case or Victorinox. But GEC got me back in this game, so to speak, and then I branched out into other areas. Whatever else I may or may not have from GEC going forward I can legitimately say that I owe them something for reigniting my love for traditional knives.

 

[fatcorgi]

GEC obviously has found a good business model - they target the collector's market, making small runs with a lot of variations. As collectors (or accumulators) we are always interested in seeing what they will come out with next, and that is what keeps us talking. Sometimes the threads get a bit repetitive, I can understand some people's boredom, but as long as people are enthusiastic that is okay.

GEC probably dream of having a healthy market outside of collectors as well; that these noble old patterns would be used by the average tradesman, but realistically they cater to the collectors, and the ordinary non-knifeknut man will continue to buy cheap boxcutters from the hardware store. AG Russell said as much, when he said that most of his custom is from the man who feels he needs a new knife every few weeks, rather than the man who buys one knife to use until it is used up.

 

[quattromori]

Brad,
thank you for bringing this topic out, and thanks to everyone for personal insights and views. In most other places and forums, a thread like this would start a war; instead, it seems that, once more, respect is the leading theme here, even when discussing different opinions. I will add mine.
As for GEC knives, I like them, I think they deliver a nice product, but they're far from perfect, although I agree with Christian on the fact that they seem to be getting better. Their use of natural materials and knifemaking techniques is nice, although they do need to improve on some features, in my personal and humble opinion and taste. Also, it seems to me that most of their patterns are a little bit out of proportions. Recent models (Charlow's, Northwoods Norfolk, the #48) seem to be a big step in the right direction. I think the main reason why GEC "causes" the majority of topics on this forum is the fact that they seem to bring out new knives and patterns much more often than other companies, so there are new things (knives) to talk about. To name a few other companies on the matter, as far as I remember, since I started learning about slipjoints (not too long ago), Case introduced no new pattern (aside from the C/B collabs), nor did Buck, Canal Street introduced one, Queen a couple (hopefully they will speed up on this), and GEC at least a dozen, maybe more, and obviously every new pattern raises some interest and discussion. For the same reasons, many people seem to be attracted by the "new pattern fever" and get some, and later decide to sell them, not because they're flawed, but because they've changed their mind about them, or sometimes to make room for newer patterns.
Personally, I have owned a few GEC's; I liked them (as a general thought), but I ended up selling them. I only have one left, and I'm about to sell it as well, so I realize I'm not the first in line of the GEC fans, although I agree that they're having quite an impact on the world of traditional cutlery, and that surely is appreciated.
I agree that there have been some redundant threads about GEC knives lately (for example, on the #15 boys knife), but most of these threads do get answers and comments, so it's all good. Also, the "search" option is not the strongest point of BF I also wish for more threads about other topics. I do enjoy the "old knives" thread quite alot, for example, although I can't really contribute much. To be honest, I wish that other companies introduced more patterns and raised more interest (for example, I'd like Queen and Canal Street to "show us more").
As for the mods, I really appreciate their work and their line. Maybe it's up to use to widen a bit the range of topics discussed on our porch

Fausto

 

[Jack Black]

I agree that there have been some redundant threads about GEC knives lately (for example, on the #15 boys knife), but most of these threads do get answers and comments, so it's all good. Also, the "search" option is not the strongest point of BF

The Boy's Knife was just an example, but on reflection, it perhaps wasn't the BEST example

 

[zippofan]

1. Yes, I like them! I especially like, as a Pennsylvanian, that I have three native knife manufacturers to choose from :thumbup:
2. In the watch forums, we call them "flippers" Guys buy what they like, then see something that they like even better, so sell the first to fund the second. We have guys who have bought and sold the same kind of watch 3 or more times (Seiko "Monster", Citizen "EcoZilla" for examples)! There is probably a similar psychology at work with knife aficionados. I myself am on a "one watch in, one watch out" policy with my wife, and she may want to do the same with my knives as well, since I have too many of those too.
Since GEC is a very popular brand right now, it stands to reason that there are a few for sale in the sale forums. I imagine it's happened to other mfg's historically.

 

[VictorKilo]

Case got me interested in traditionals and as I slowly gathered more and more, I wanted a product that was more consistent so that I wouldn't have to worry about buying sight-unseen. I have a bunch of Russlocks all with some little quirk to them and, while charming, that wasn't enticing when I wanted to move from dyed jigged bone to stag. So aside from GEC's products themselves, it was more that a dealer had individual pictures of every stag handled model they received to personally choose from.

That sunk the hook and once I bought my first one, it was all I needed to shift focus away from Case (aside from the occasional glance to keep the Russlock family growing). Admittedly, I'm working with a small sample size but the consistency and quality per pattern is exactly what I was looking for. While Schatt & Morgan and Queen have caught my eye, for my money I'll stick with GEC.

I have nothing against the proliferation of threads extolling them, and suppose I've not given it much notice. It would be easy enough to write it off as customer-base hype if they didn't put out such a good product at a reasonable price. Looking forward to the forum knife!

 

[Old Hunter]

I do like the GEC products, they are very good quality knives, made in the USA; I buy their traditional pattern knives that are reproductions of discontinued, vintage designs. That said I own far more Buck and Case knives than I do GEC (maybe 5% of what I own are GEC) - I buy those brands for the same reasons I buy GEC. I like supporting USA industries and will continue to do so as long as I am financially able.

As to selling GEC knives on the forum; I haven't sold one of mine yet, but I imagine people sell because they don't need, or want, something anymore.

OH

 

[Jack Black]

I especially like, as a Pennsylvanian, that I have three native knife manufacturers to choose from :thumbup:

That's pretty good :thumbup:

In the watch forums, we call them "flippers" Guys buy what they like, then see something that they like even better, so sell the first to fund the second. We have guys who have bought and sold the same kind of watch 3 or more times (Seiko "Monster", Citizen "EcoZilla" for examples)! There is probably a similar psychology at work with knife aficionados. I myself am on a "one watch in, one watch out" policy with my wife, and she may want to do the same with my knives as well, since I have too many of those too.

Fascinating insight into a parallel universe! :thumbup:

So aside from GEC's products themselves, it was more that a dealer had individual pictures of every stag handled model they received to personally choose from.

That's pretty good :thumbup:

 

[Coonskinner]

Folks talk about what they are interested in.

This little corner of the internet is one of the very nicest there is.

In my opinion it shouldn't be messed with.