GEC Beer Scout

mmarkh

mmarkh

Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
2,150
Just got my new GEC Beer Scout and it is sweet. Razor sharp and beautiful finish.
2fa15b726d36a0660341985a802e2309.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I love that knife! The Beer Scout is on my short list for a new folder. I know I shuttle back and forth with my carry options, but this one has some features I just love, besides the classic design and quality. I especially love the bail. How long is the blade on it? And am I right that the cap lifter / screwdriver is a bit elongated, along the lines of an old style electrician's knife?

Zieg
 
I totally agree. The new Beer Scout is absolutely amazing. It's the first GEC that I didn't feel the need to sharpen before using. Great fit and finish, and the maroon micarta is deep and luxurious looking.

vibRH5Qh.jpg


And am I right that the cap lifter / screwdriver is a bit elongated, along the lines of an old style electrician's knife?
Click to expand...

It is a bit elongated, but not as long as an electrician's knife. It's more like the long cap lifter on the older Camillus scout knives.
 
I'm rather disappointing with the fit and finish on my beerscout. The blade's edge is very wavy and uneven, with a very noticeable sloping upwards towards the base of the blade. (I don't think this is acceptable for a straight edged blade.) There is a substantial enough gap between the cover/bolster on the shield side that you can fit your fingernail in it. The knife looks as it had been dropped; there is a slight scuff and discoloration on the acrylic near the bail, and a chip/indent of some sort on the cover/bolster transition. All in all, I think I got something that is more inline with case's or rough rider's quality standards, not a $90 GEC in my opinion.



This is the first GEC knife (my 11th!) that I have ever considered returning.
 
Last edited:
Sales policies aren't usually discussed in the discussion area but I do believe that he does accept returns. Never had to return a knife to Mike but his return policy is here: https://www.collectorknives.net/policies-faqs/

Can you post a photo of the wavy edge? Usually they remove minimal material. I'm curious if that's changed. Personally, I like that they don't spend much time sharpening the knives since I prefer to sharpen them myself. I'm always surprised when people say that they are sharp but expectations can be very different.
 
supratentorial said:
Sales policies aren't usually discussed in the discussion area but I do believe that he does accept returns. Never had to return a knife to Mike but his return policy is here: https://www.collectorknives.net/policies-faqs/

Can you post a photo of edge? Usually they remove minimal material. I'm curious if that's changed. Personally, I like that they don't spend much time sharpening the knives since I prefer to sharpen them myself.
Click to expand...

I'm having a hard time getting a picture in my phone that shows what I'm talking about. Essentially, towards the rear of the blade the edge curves out a mm or two, and if I observe the edge under a lamp there are sections that dont reflect the light evenly. (The edge is mutch thicker in these spots.) I only have a sharpmaker, so fixing these issues would take a LOOOONG time. I've noticed on my last couple GEC's that the edge near the back feels a bit thicker, or is ground more on one side. This one is by far the worse offender though.
 
Sounds like the bevel isn't consistent but not much material was removed. If that's the case, it's not surprising since they are sharpened by hand on a stone wheel (see quote below). It requires a steady hand. On bench stones, a straight edge blade is quick to get to the right angle.

The gap between the bolster is small but I can understand not being happy with it. I've seen some older Queen and Buck knives with similar gaps between the bolster and handle material that were filled with clear epoxy instead of rehafted. I've seen the fill much more often with shield inlays.

supratentorial said:
Thank you, Neal. Here are some photos of the automated process for sharpening at Victorinox.

Victorinox



I have a booklet from Victorinox that shows their sharpening and manufacturing before their production became so heavily automated. Their manufacturing process has changed a lot.

Case, GEC, and Queen sharpen manually. I think Buck probably does as well but I haven't looked it up. GEC sharpens on a slow stone grinder and Case uses a belt grinder.

Setting up an automated process might be more difficult for GEC and Case compared to Victorinox. GEC and Case both work with a much wider range of knife blade shapes and sizes.

Could the manually sharpened edges be considered part of the charm and tradition of a hand made traditional knife? Or is a highly uniform and consistent edge from an automated process more important? What do you guys think?

GEC


Case
Click to expand...
 
supratentorial said:
Sounds like the bevel isn't consistent but not much material was removed. If that's the case, it's not surprising since they are sharpened by hand on a stone wheel (see quote below). It requires a steady hand. On bench stones, a straight edge blade is quick to get to the right angle.

The gap between the bolster is small but I can understand not being happy with it. I've seen some older Queen and Buck knives with similar gaps between the bolster and handle material that were filled with clear epoxy instead of rehafted. I've seen the fill much more often with shield inlays.
Click to expand...

I'm aware they are sharpened by hand and there are inevitable inconsistencies, but this one is particularly bad. I'm also not pleased with the chipped and scuffed acrylic.
 
I understand. Sorry if my post wasn't helpful. There are folks with different amounts of experience on the forum. My own interest is whether GEC is keeping consistent, if this was a single slip, or if they having issues with the run since I may be buying one (already have some from the first run but I might pick up more). They seem to have some issues with another run as well. Hopefully they can keep the quality high. I don't like that gap and chip but the edge probably wouldn't even be noticed by me since I'd sharpen it anyway-- just as long as they didn't chew up a bunch of the steel (that's usually a greater risk with a belt grinder though).
 
BlockPsycho said:
I'm rather disappointing with the fit and finish on my beerscout. The blade's edge is very wavy and uneven, with a very noticeable sloping upwards towards the base of the blade. (I don't think this is acceptable for a straight edged blade.) There is a substantial enough gap between the cover/bolster on the shield side that you can fit your fingernail in it. The knife looks as it had been dropped; there is a slight scuff and discoloration on the acrylic near the bail, and a chip/indent of some sort on the cover/bolster transition. All in all, I think I got something that is more inline with case's or rough rider's quality standards, not a $90 GEC in my opinion.



This is the first GEC knife (my 11th!) that I have ever considered returning.
Click to expand...

Wow, you have good eyes. I say send it back to the bum you bought it from for a refund. Factory can retry to suit you on the edge, but doubt they can do anything with that flake without buffing it down a bit.
 
Recieved my Maroon Micarta beer scout today and it's definitely a keeper 👍
88a9af3e557549fdcbcb4ae58ecf7059.jpg


Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
I haven't bought a beer scout yet. They are intriguing. I'd like to see one in person and hold it before I pull the trigger on one.
 
Rookie82 said:
I haven't bought a beer scout yet. They are intriguing. I'd like to see one in person and hold it before I pull the trigger on one.
Click to expand...

Just do it before you miss out. The bottle opener works great, as does the easy open notch and bail. If it ends up not being for you, send it back. I sent back my acrylic for a maroon micarta.
 
Testing 123 Testing 123 ..passed 😆
476d560bb135178ac9541dd76b399e1f.jpg


Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top