GEC and Do You Really Like Them?

[silenthunterstudios]

Like the old saying about pizza.

I feel that there is no problem with constructive criticism of a company. I also understand that some people might perceive a complaint as an attack on their favorite company. Ideally, most of us would know a good knife if it jumped up and bit us. I know I am still learning, even though I have forged ideas about what constitutes a good knife.

Buck, Canal Street, GEC, Queen, Boker, Victorinox and Case all have their following, their clique and their pros and cons. Everyone here is human, and has human emotions. Some stick to one company. Some buy a little bit from each. As long as these companies produce a well made product, listen to our constructive reviews (there are a few out there , none mine however), they have a good chance at being around for a long time.

I thought of something, bear with me on this. Most of the knife buyers 80 years ago were men and women who used their knives. I am guessing that some collected swords and bowies, but no pocket knives. I believe that the average joe's actions would be different back then than ours. They would have talked about a good or bad knife back then inside the general store, at the lunch counter, while they waited for work in the lines. Lots of companies started to go out of business then. A knife company with a juggernaut of a firearms manufacturer behind it was the best manufacturer at the time. Did those guys sit around and debate whether Remington, Case or any of the other knife companies from back then were the best? What would you have chosen? I would go with either Case or Remington. Today, I would go with Queen or GEC. I don't know, I'm rambling a lot more than usual.

 

[wouldestous]

I have for sometime privately rallied against the proliferation of GEC threads in the Traditional Forum. I have kept this to myself largely, and a few confidants, because they are apparently the preeminent American knife, slip joint anyway, knife maker. I have also noticed another proliferation of threads concerning GEC made knives. This is occurring in the Traditional's For Sale Forum. Are all of these GEC knives being offered for sale due to their proliferation in the marketplace or because they have manufacturing flaws? I do not start this discussion to inflame but rather to see what you all think. I have owned enough examples of GEC production to make my mind up but would like to here from the aficionados. No need to convince me one way or the other. Thanks. Remember, not to start a fire!

sometimes i think to myself 'another great eastern thread? lol'. but folks sure seem to like great eastern and want to talk about them and i can (and do) just not open threads that dont look interesting. having only ever handled exactly one great eastern knife i can offer no insight as to why so many of their products are offered for sale on the exchange. i speculate that there is some sort of acquisition/collector/hoarder dynamic going on.

might as well go on to say that im not part of great easterns market demographic; i have a number in my skull that im willing to pay for a knife and most all their offerings are outside. they make some pretty knives, though, and one day they may catch me lol.

 

[Modoc ED]

Among traditional slip joint collectors/accumulators/users, GEC seems to be the hottest selling line of knives on the market today. Hence, there are more threads started about them than other brands. I think GEC has peaked and may be leveling out as far as their sales go. I base most of that assumption on the fact that I am tiring of them and am not buying them on a regular basis anymore.

I think one thing that may bother some people, such as the OP, is that there are multiple threads about the same GEC knife or other GEC related questions on the same page of the Traditonal forum front page. It seems fewer and fewer people are using the "search function"; therefore, the same questions/comments are being posted over and over again.

If all of a sudden, Canal Street starts selling like hot cakes, you can bet that the number of threads about them will come to the fore front quickly.

It's all good though - afterall, were just a bunch of knife guys and gals hanging out talking about knives.

 

[2Dead]

I think one thing that may bother some people, such as the OP, is that there are multiple threads about the same GEC knife or other GEC related questions on the same page of the Traditonal forum front page. It seems fewer and fewer people are using the "search function"; therefore, the same questions/comments are being posted over and over again.

That bothers me too and you can say I'm a GEC fan )) but hardly unique to GEC or this forum/Bladeforums. It does get tiring answering the same questions over sometimes just days since it was last asked or sometimes answered already, sometimes even in the same thread a few posts earlier.

 

[jth250]

I think case is still the most collected knives at least here in Kentucky because there are no stores around that sell GEC knives and are several that sell case. Sometimes I will carry a GEC knife to work and almost everyone that I have shown a GEC knife to around here have never heard of the company and know nothing about it because they don't get on the forums or anything like that. Most people have heard of queen and everyone has heard of Case and most say that they think case are the best knives. They would not trade a $50 case for a $100 gec because they no nothing about gec.

 

[22-rimfire]

Originally Posted by kdstrick

I'm a fan of many brands of knives, traditional and otherwise. But the one thing they all have in common is quality.

GEC is a great blend of form and function. Although not inexpensive, I consider them to be a value based on the quality of their knives.

But the popularity is beyond just those factors I believe. They update their website 'what's happening' daily, keeping their customers interested and engaged. Also, listing 'what's coming up next?' including interesting photos of the next knives to be made and photos of the manufacturing process. I find it all pretty interesting. One last factor I'll mention that adds to the popularity of the brand is that one can easily go to their website find just about any information a 'collector' could ask for including productions schedules and totals.

In short, they make being a customer very easy, interesting and even fun (for me anyway). But it deserves repeating that none of that would mean anything if the production quality of the knives were not held to high standards of quality by GEC.

I also think this sort of nails the whole topic. You don't see folks talking about the latest Bear & Sons offering and I think I have been to their website once. Where as I have been to GEC's website many times and probably more times than any other manufacturer of any product or type of product I'm interested in. They do a good job with the website catering to the very folks that buy their products.

I've been reading through the various posts. People post or start threads about the stuff they are interested in and hope that others are interested and have constructive comments if they are posing a question of some sort. GEC is the current big dog. I think GEC makes the Traditional Knife Forum here much more viewed with higher participation.

If there is one thing I could pick about GEC is the limited or seriallized editions with dealers charging extra for their limited production or exclusivity. Sometimes I just want a good slip joint knife and I don't particularly care if it has serial number #5 on it if I am going to use it.

I have been very pleased overall with GEC's knives and have had few negative things to say about them. I still believe a new knife should be sharp when you get it out of the box. I like their handle materials but tend to have a preference for stag and jigged bone.

I have trouble finding newer knives at the various GEC dealers and frequently just give up looking. If I stumble into one that I like and I have the funds, I buy it. But I tend to limit my slipjoint purchases to ones I am likely to use versus some sort of collector urge. I like the trapper pattern in general and I prefer ones that are larger (3.5" overall length closed) and larger; and generally 4" or more. I would like to see more Wharncliffe blade offerings.

I'd like to see a larger canoe pattern (call it the Big Canoe), something with an overall length of 4" or slightly larger.

I do buy other slip joints made by Case, Queen, Canal Street Cutlery, and even a couple Bear & Sons. I tend not to buy Buck slipjoints.

 

[midnight flyer]

Among traditional slip joint collectors/accumulators/users, GEC seems to be the hottest selling line of knives on the market today. Hence, there are more threads started about them than other brands. I think GEC has peaked and may be leveling out as far as their sales go. I base most of that assumption on the fact that I am tiring of them and am not buying them on a regular basis anymore.

I think that is an important observation. My personal experience is that if you aren't a member of this forum, AAPK or Jerzee Devils, you probably don't know who GEC is, much less their PA sisters. I lurked here off and on for a couple of years before I joined, and for the longest time I actually thought this was a GEC forum of some type. Toss in an occasional Buck or Case, and the rest of the posts were GEC oriented. If the forum traffic slows down as proponents of the product, it will be interesting to see just how much market penetration GEC has, or if they are indeed a niche collector's knife.

As marketers, they have done a great job finding their audience. Constant references to farmers, grandpa, boys ( a la Huck Finn ), lumbermen, the railroad, etc., when they name their knives is genius. The graphic design department that develops the ad copy for each knife deserves and A+. In some way, they have made folks feel connected to the past (at least someone's...) by buying their knives. People feel good about buying the knives.

When that will start to die down a bit is when the market is saturated and the nostalgic collectors that want a piece of "the way things used to be" need the money for something else, or realize that in the end they just have a large collection of nice knives.

I think one thing that may bother some people, such as the OP, is that there are multiple threads about the same GEC knife or other GEC related questions on the same page of the Traditonal forum front page. It seems fewer and fewer people are using the "search function"; therefore, the same questions/comments are being posted over and over again.

My goodness, how true is that. When I am reading the general discussion threads, it never fails as I read the threads I have marked that someone reads the header, maybe skims the OP's post, then hammers out a reply. No problem that the answer has been addressed 35 posts previously, debated, and the matter settled. I have found that I post less and read more as the archives to this forum are just incredible.

It's all good though - afterall, were just a bunch of knife guys and gals hanging out talking about knives.

Right? And who wants to be the one to kill someone's enthusiasm for a new knife. I have to admit that I think after the first 25 or so pictures of a certain knife posed with food, a gun, old ammo, an old magazine, on weathered boards, etc.,... in other words, looking like an old LL Bean catalog, it can get tiresome.

On the other hand, a lot of times I enjoy seeing the new/old models in an environment I can relate to, especially an in the hand shot. This shows me much more about the knife than a picture shown surrounded by advertising folklore.

Robert

 

[Will Power]

Very true Robert.

Thanks, Will

 

[akadave2]

You know...maybe it is time for a GEC sub forum. That would help alleviate some of the "issues" that some have with the proliferation of the GEC threads.

 

[RevDevil]

I think it's as simple as this...

1) There are lots of GEC's being made.
2) Lots of folks here are buying them.
3) Folks sell off knives they no longer need or want, often to fund more knives.
4) If GEC is the company currently making the biggest splash in the pond that is the BF Traditional community then their knives will tend to predominate the resale market here.

If all those GECs were going on the block because they had legitimate quality problems then GEC would be suffering for it and there would a groundswell of feedback from the community about it. I don't see either of those things happening.

Excellent summary. I would also add that this phenomena is not limited to GEC, it happens quite often as Steve mentioned. When. Long awaited knife appears for sale, there are the usual Ooo'ing and Ahh'ing threads, replete with pictures, first impressions, and the nitpicking. Some love them, others not so much. Thie next phase is for sale threads, usually the scalping style. Limited edition knives going for twice what the person initially paid. If the knife is indeed an exceptional piece, you see the secondary market price easily triple retail. Oh, and yes I like them. It's a high quality pocket knife, and can see these lasting into the next century quite easily.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

I am always hesitant about buying anything when it comes to two things, newer companies and quick followings, I like a solid company history in things (not confined to knife companies). GEC seemed to be both. However, I found it hard to deny picking one up after seeing so many that looked so well made. I fought the temptation at first, but finally picked up a #57 Whittler. Though mine came with a less than desirable bevel, once I put my own on it is an amazing knife. I have been whittling walnut which is no easy or safe task and the 57 has done great. It feels great in the hand and in my experience, the f&f is better than any case that I have. I plan on picking up a #15 that just might replace my gunstock winchester black box that has permanent residence in my front pocket. In short, I have been a hesitant convert, but found the quality undeniable, regardless of hype.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

You know...maybe it is time for a GEC sub forum. That would help alleviate some of the "issues" that some have with the proliferation of the GEC threads.

Then a Case forum, then a Canal Street forum, then an Imperial forum.... GEC is just hot right now.

I think it would hurt this sub-forum more than help.

 

[joeymoey]

If the poorly fit scales in that picture are par for the Canal Street course, I would say yes, they really are.
Nicely centered blade though, if your into that kind of thing.

That's exactly what I thought when I saw that pick.
Canal Street makes some good looking knives but the quality of craftsmanship is severely lacking.

But this is a discussion about GEC not about CSC so I won't go on.

 

[Will Power]

Then a Case forum, then a Canal Street forum, then an Imperial forum.... GEC is just hot right now.

I think it would hurt this sub-forum more than help.

Absolutely, a fragmentation.

 

[Hammer67]

Then a Case forum, then a Canal Street forum, then an Imperial forum.... GEC is just hot right now.

I think it would hurt this sub-forum more than help.

Agreed. I think that fragmenting into a bunch of manufacturer sub-forums would rob this forum of a lot of its life. If a thread doesn't interest you, it's simple - don't open it and move on to one that does.

I also agree with the thoughts regarding redundant threads by folks who aren't willing to take the time to do a little searching - it gets tiresome. Please take a few moments to use the search feature prior to creating a new thread with a question that was just answered last week.

 

[waynorth]

You know...maybe it is time for a GEC sub forum. That would help alleviate some of the "issues" that some have with the proliferation of the GEC threads.

Dave, I have to disagree with this idea. Improve the search function maybe - OK.
Consolidate some threads - possibly.
But another internet Forum separated to manufacturers subforums, and it really killed a lot of enthusiasm IMO. You have to go to ten places to have a discussion.
I think there are a lot of new people here who are asking old questions over and over, and with all respect to new people, they should search, hunt and lurk for answers. Sometimes someone will remember where the answer is, and link to it. But think twice before you start a thread that says "Which is Better - GEC or Queen?" Trying a little harder to be interesting is the key.
Starting a thread carries a responsibility.

 

[okbohn]

Dave, I have to disagree with this idea. Improve the search function maybe - OK.
Consolidate some threads - possibly.
But another internet Forum separated to manufacturers subforums, and it really killed a lot of enthusiasm IMO. You have to go to ten places to have a discussion.
I think there are a lot of new people here who are asking old questions over and over, and with all respect to new people, they should search, hunt and lurk for answers. Sometimes someone will remember where the answer is, and link to it. But think twice before you start a thread that says "Which is Better - GEC or Queen?" Trying a little harder to be interesting is the key.
Starting a thread carries a responsibility.

I agree--the idea of a subforum would kill the discussion and really invites it to become a cult of fanboys. I like having a forum dedicated to the traditionals and it is dominated by the knives that dominate that particular market.

 

[Jack Black]

Then a Case forum, then a Canal Street forum, then an Imperial forum.... GEC is just hot right now.

I think it would hurt this sub-forum more than help.

Yeah, you're right Woodrow :thumbup:

"Splitters!"

 

[DrPenguin]

But think twice before you start a thread that says "Which is Better - GEC or Queen?"

Hahahaha, that is so true. After a while you see so many threads with interchangeable titles. 20 years ago when I was a strapping young man and the net was still in its formative years you'd see all of these "Remington vs Winchester" threads on outdoors sites... which morphed into today's "Kimber vs Cooper" threads.

My EDC is a GEC and I really love it. But I started collecting because of growing up around Case knives. And falling in love with Queen knives later on. I won't criticize anyone (especially newbies) for gushing over about their latest new knife purchase. But I will say that ~if~ you confine yourself to only the newest offering by GEC (or whomever) you are really cheating yourself. Maybe go out and buy yourself a nice, cheap, beat up knife with 50 years under its belt and spend a few weeks trying to learn about what you purchased. Knife collecting is a very broad field and you can miss out on a heck of a lot by confining yourself to one company or style or whatever.

Will

 

[Flint Hills]

I don't have a problem with seeing a lot of threads about any one particular manufacturer. This is a free place for people to talk about what they want to.

I do think that some are more critical about fit and finish of some brands than they are of GEC but maybe that's just me. I've had bad examples from several different brands. I've only ever had one GEC knife, an #85 Easy Open SFO Jack in Buffalo horn. It was a beautiful knife, but it came with one of the blades (don't remember which one) unsharpened. I don't mean it was just a little dull, it had not been sharpened. This is the only time I've ever bought a knife with no edge on it. The other blade wasn't what I would call sharp but it would cut (barely). I've heard people defend them for not sending out sharp knives, but come on...to spend that kind of $ on a knife that won't cut without a considerable amount of time/work? The blades also sat well below the springs when opened.

If I do buy another one and it comes unsharpened, I would probably send it back and not buy another. I know they're a small company and as a business owner, I know that things slip through. I'm not judging them and I hope they do well in their business. They have a lot of really interesting knives. I haven't bought another GEC yet but I would/will if I see one that I like for (what I consider to be) a reasonable price. As evidenced by their popularity here, I'm sure they're seeing increased demand at their facilities and experiencing some growing pains. I'm sure they are a pretty small company and I hope they continue to thrive and grow.