Recommendation? GEC Fit and finish? One of my Barlow pins is sticking way up.

[Astr0boy]

Hi there. I’m new to GEC and traditional knives generally. Very nice to meet you all.

I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a GEC 152121 in Rough Sawn Osage Wood. It is my first GEC knife and I’m enamored with it. I probably paid a little too much for it but was in the right place at the right time to get it from an authorized dealer.

It arrived earlier this week and I was a little taken a back with fit and finished. I took to notice that one of the pins on the wood scale stuck out way more than the other. To the point where if I run my finger over it, my finger can get kind of “caught” on it.

The other side also protrudes but not so much (something I later learned was called a “domed” pin).

Is the pin too high?
Is it worth sending back to GEC to get it spun in a little bit further?

I sent an email over to Joan at GEC and she requested photos and I sent them but haven’t yet heard back.

thank you all for your time.

 

[Tuna]

If it were my knife, I wouldn’t let it bother me.

 

[sf fanatic]

Welcome to the forum! I’ve had very good experiences with GEC customer service. On several occasions I’ve sent knives back to the mother ship for repair and have never been disappointed in the results. Hope that you can have your issue resolved.

 

[huntnfishin]

I kinda like a proud pin. Up to you though it’s yours

 

[jrawk]

Per Wikipedia: In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature.

 

[Dadpool]

I'd just roll with that one, personally.

 

[Viper84]

Every GEC knife I own has some type of imperfection. I've learned my lesson to not spend more than retail on the secondary market on these knives.

 

[Mistman68]

From what I understand Navaho intentionally weave a flaw into their work, allows evil spirits to depart.

Personally I would be ok with it, shows it's not cookie cutter and has had some individual attention, looks nice and smooth.

 

[willard0341]

Grip purchase

 

[afishhunter]

{{{shakes head}}} If that was a Case, Boker, or Rough Ryder, there'd be gnashing of teeth, pitchforks, bonfires to be burning some at the stake, plenty of "you get what you pay for" and "send it back, totally unacceptable ..." "You should have gotten a GEC..." etc., etc....

Personally, I find it at least a little odd that of the 60 plus Roughly Ryder, 5 or 6 Marbles, 10 or so offshore Schrade, 6 or 7 Case, and 5 domestic and offshore Buck slipjoints and 4 brass and wood 110's all have the cover pins set equally, and flush.

GEC messes up and gets a PASS from the fan-boys who would complain and send it back if it were it any other brand.

Not that it matters, but here is my opinion:
If a company like Rough Ryder, that sells at full retail for about 1/8 to 1/10 as much as a GEC can get it right, there is no reason or excuse to accept sub standard work like that. I'd send it to GEC for repair.

Yes, I am aware the fan boys are going to hate and fry me on that bonfire, for telling the truth about their reaction if it were any other brand, and/or for not making excuses and giving GEC a pass.
I'm sorry, but shoddy workmanship is shoddy workmanship, no matter what name is on the tang stamp.
I'm not "bashing" GEC, no matter what they say or think.

And yes, I do have a GEC. A 852211 Stag Harness Jack was in my pocket last week, and again this week.
I gave away the 610211 Congress I had (I don't care for the pattern) and the 06 pattern I had (at peanut size it was/is way too small for me to carry or use.) Both the 61 ad 06 were "too nice" to sit in their tubes and collect dust. They went a couple ladies here at the Assisted Living Facility I'm at, who will use them ... provided their boyfriends don't steal them, anyway ...

The cover and center pins on my 85 are more or less set equally bad; Four (two each side, and across from each other) are sunk, two (one each side, and across from each other) are sunk, but almost flush and the backspring center pin is sunk, but almost flush on each side, as well.
Since it don't bother me when I use it, or affect the functionality of the knife, I consider these "cosmetic defects", and don't worry about that, or the need a bright light to find them gaps or barely detectable ridge at one of the bolster/cover joints. (I'm not sure if the cover is roughly 0.0005 proud or sunk and the bolster is proud, where it meets that bolster.)

 

[Camillus]

Thats the trouble with selling a GEC at above their retail value. They may be worth more than a $100 knife but they aren’t made at higher than the $100 standard.

So I think it is an acceptable flaw. But GEC would probably attend to it if you sent it in, they are good like that.

 

[Magizm7]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Too many folks getting hung up on small issues like this. You can't expect absolute perfection on a handmade item like this.

 

[Will Power]

I don't mind it on this knife actually. It's wood scales so the pin may be a little proud due to fear of cracking a scale or some very minor shrink. If you take a leather strop loaded with green and buff the pin it will round it enough I'm sure.

Having said that, GEC often produces knives with one extremely sunk pin (sink-hole ) which I personally dislike the look of, spoils the aesthetics in my view. But often they do produce 3 or 4 nicely rounded domed pins or flat ones, CASE I have to say, are better at pin finish and consistency than GEC though.

The OP is new to GEC so his question is very legitimate and given he's had to pay a considerable sum for one. Collector 'interest' or frenzy has driven up prices exponentially and with it, expectations but it will not have the same effect on finish or methods. I suggest taking an extensive look at GEC knives in What are you toting or GEC knives thread to SEE the variance in pin finish and to draw his own conclusions accordingly.

Regards, Will

 

[JohnDF]

It's a $70.00 knife, I'd be just fine with that little flaw.

 

[knifeswapper]

{{{shakes head}}} If that was a Case, Boker, or Rough Ryder, there'd be gnashing of teeth, pitchforks, bonfires to be burning some at the stake, plenty of "you get what you pay for" and "send it back, totally unacceptable ..." "You should have gotten a GEC..." etc., etc....

Personally, I find it at least a little odd that of the 60 plus Roughly Ryder, 5 or 6 Marbles, 10 or so offshore Schrade, 6 or 7 Case, and 5 domestic and offshore Buck slipjoints and 4 brass and wood 110's all have the cover pins set equally, and flush.

GEC messes up and gets a PASS from the fan-boys who would complain and send it back if it were it any other brand.

Not that it matters, but here is my opinion:
If a company like Rough Ryder, that sells at full retail for about 1/8 to 1/10 as much as a GEC can get it right, there is no reason or excuse to accept sub standard work like that. I'd send it to GEC for repair.

For someone who spends a lot of time here on the porch, you sure have a devious view of all the good folks around. Matter of fact, this is almost a slap in the face of folks that would have never said anything this negative about another - even if they were thinking it.

But there are a couple things wrong with your observation, in my opinion. 1) Look at the picture again and then go round up links to all the Case, Boker, RR, etc. threads where such a small issue was approached by these good folks in the way you just portrayed them; I would like to see what I have been missing all these years. 2) Comparing Case, Boker, RR factories with their technology, updated equipment, and employee headcount is like going out and whipping a farmer with a cat of nine tails because his tomatoes are not as perfect as those in the grocery store.

And to be completely honest, I always wonder about how much the folks that use that "if the chinese children can do it for 50 cents a day, why can't American craftsman" argument. Do you really have a tight grasp on what the governmental structure, human rights, and overall components of your argument entails?

Being a "fanboy" may be meant as an insult to some 20 year old that blindly trolls anything negative said about a brand; but personally I take it as a complement. Why? Because I have handled more knives than most people of any age. I have handled more than most before I ever started "peddling" them. I don't understand every underlying aspect yet - but I would probably not be talked down to by many regarding traditional American slipjoints. So, at some point, I should be able to be a fan because of the merits instead of a blind following! My favorite brand, at one point in time or another have been - Winchester reproductions, Case Classics, Case Cutlery, Queen Cutlery, Schatt & Morgan, Moki, Bulldog, Fight'n Rooster, Henckels, and probably more that slip my mind before my morning Dt Mountain Dew kicks in. So, I don't think I will let anybody group me in as a GEC "fanboy" just because it is the best overall 2021 made traditional slipjoint. And, I'm sure there will come the snide comment about the fact that I'm a dealer; but I will not recuse my opinion simply because I have handled more knives than most.

------------------------------

To the OP - the pins do seem a bit uneven. If this bothers you, you may have chosen the wrong brand to collect. The draw for most of us is the fact the GEC is the last American company using 80 year old equipment and actual craftsman to produce a traditional knife. With this, there will be some small issues such as the one you have spotted. Buy yourself some Case, Boker, etc. etc. knives and measure them up to the price/value of your GEC. If you don't feel the GEC measures up then you already have a head start on your new brands. And you can swap your barlow for several of the others. Many times, folks falling victim to this addiction come here and read all the praises of GEC's and take that as a testament that they are perfection. Not at all. It is just that most of us have handled most other brands and admired / despised them for what they are on their own merits - and came to the conclusion that we are, overall, very impressed with what GEC stands for. And someone will feel the need to chime in that I am telling you "if you don't like it, go somewhere else" - not at all. What I am saying is that you personally have to set your criteria for what you consider a value.

Is a knife the same value regardless of the price? No. A knife GEC dealers (should have) sold for $69; probably was sold to them for $50. If it was sold to the dealer for $50, the factory probably made $10 on it. So, let's talk about the knife in regards to what the factory produced versus what you paid for it. Now, if you feel that the factory should have done a better job on a $50 knife that they made $10 profit - and will eat that $10 to perfect your pin height - then send it back to them. You may get a perfect knife back. It is mostly about your personal expectations versus the deliverable.

 

[CVamberbonehead]

GEC makes good stuff generally, but I dont know how their warranty is. Try to send it back. It IS a defect, though its a little cosmetic thing and that happens sometimes with traditional knives.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Some pins are like children and are just begging for attention, looks like this one is getting a great deal of it

Myself if it protruded high enough to bother me during use, I would tape around it and take a small file and file it down a little and then sandpaper it down to smooth but not so close as to mar the scales
I’d be happy to help out if you don’t want to risk it yourself just let me know
G2

 

[CVamberbonehead]

{{{shakes head}}} If that was a Case, Boker, or Rough Ryder, there'd be gnashing of teeth, pitchforks, bonfires to be burning some at the stake, plenty of "you get what you pay for" and "send it back, totally unacceptable ..." "You should have gotten a GEC..." etc., etc....

Personally, I find it at least a little odd that of the 60 plus Roughly Ryder, 5 or 6 Marbles, 10 or so offshore Schrade, 6 or 7 Case, and 5 domestic and offshore Buck slipjoints and 4 brass and wood 110's all have the cover pins set equally, and flush.

GEC messes up and gets a PASS from the fan-boys who would complain and send it back if it were it any other brand.

Not that it matters, but here is my opinion:
If a company like Rough Ryder, that sells at full retail for about 1/8 to 1/10 as much as a GEC can get it right, there is no reason or excuse to accept sub standard work like that. I'd send it to GEC for repair.

Yes, I am aware the fan boys are going to hate and fry me on that bonfire, for telling the truth about their reaction if it were any other brand, and/or for not making excuses and giving GEC a pass.
I'm sorry, but shoddy workmanship is shoddy workmanship, no matter what name is on the tang stamp.
I'm not "bashing" GEC, no matter what they say or think.

And yes, I do have a GEC. A 852211 Stag Harness Jack was in my pocket last week, and again this week.
I gave away the 610211 Congress I had (I don't care for the pattern) and the 06 pattern I had (at peanut size it was/is way too small for me to carry or use.) Both the 61 ad 06 were "too nice" to sit in their tubes and collect dust. They went a couple ladies here at the Assisted Living Facility I'm at, who will use them ... provided their boyfriends don't steal them, anyway ...

The cover and center pins on my 85 are more or less set equally bad; Four (two each side, and across from each other) are sunk, two (one each side, and across from each other) are sunk, but almost flush and the backspring center pin is sunk, but almost flush on each side, as well.
Since it don't bother me when I use it, or affect the functionality of the knife, I consider these "cosmetic defects", and don't worry about that, or the need a bright light to find them gaps or barely detectable ridge at one of the bolster/cover joints. (I'm not sure if the cover is roughly 0.0005 proud or sunk and the bolster is proud, where it meets that bolster.)

I agree, if this knife was a Case (which have very nicely done pins I might add) then people would be talking about how Case is but a shadow of former glory, and you should only buy in store so you can handpick from all the awful knives.

I like GEC but they have issues too (like having sometimes ugly jigged bone, or in my case jigged bone thats roughly done (maybe from the worn out, oh sorry, I mean "vintage" equipment ) and catches on the inside of your pocket and always has pocket material stuck to your knife, or pin issues, or the spine and corners of blades being nearly sharper than your new blade edge and scraping your leg while carrying and hand while whittling lol). People will make an awful lot of excuses to justify something they love (or payed $300 on the secondary market for, that will never see any real work...)

Im not roasting your sacred cow people, no pitchforks needed here. Im just saying that other companies dont get the same excuses that knife collectors give GEC. If a Rough Rider brought hundreds on Ebay, they would get the benefits of fanboyism too.

If you like something then it should be fair game for criticism to improve it, and I like GEC (other than the fanboyism that comes with them and the reselling scalpers)

 

[CVamberbonehead]

{{{shakes head}}} If that was a Case, Boker, or Rough Ryder, there'd be gnashing of teeth, pitchforks, bonfires to be burning some at the stake, plenty of "you get what you pay for" and "send it back, totally unacceptable ..." "You should have gotten a GEC..." etc., etc....

Personally, I find it at least a little odd that of the 60 plus Roughly Ryder, 5 or 6 Marbles, 10 or so offshore Schrade, 6 or 7 Case, and 5 domestic and offshore Buck slipjoints and 4 brass and wood 110's all have the cover pins set equally, and flush.

GEC messes up and gets a PASS from the fan-boys who would complain and send it back if it were it any other brand.

Not that it matters, but here is my opinion:
If a company like Rough Ryder, that sells at full retail for about 1/8 to 1/10 as much as a GEC can get it right, there is no reason or excuse to accept sub standard work like that. I'd send it to GEC for repair.

Yes, I am aware the fan boys are going to hate and fry me on that bonfire, for telling the truth about their reaction if it were any other brand, and/or for not making excuses and giving GEC a pass.
I'm sorry, but shoddy workmanship is shoddy workmanship, no matter what name is on the tang stamp.
I'm not "bashing" GEC, no matter what they say or think.

And yes, I do have a GEC. A 852211 Stag Harness Jack was in my pocket last week, and again this week.
I gave away the 610211 Congress I had (I don't care for the pattern) and the 06 pattern I had (at peanut size it was/is way too small for me to carry or use.) Both the 61 ad 06 were "too nice" to sit in their tubes and collect dust. They went a couple ladies here at the Assisted Living Facility I'm at, who will use them ... provided their boyfriends don't steal them, anyway ...

The cover and center pins on my 85 are more or less set equally bad; Four (two each side, and across from each other) are sunk, two (one each side, and across from each other) are sunk, but almost flush and the backspring center pin is sunk, but almost flush on each side, as well.
Since it don't bother me when I use it, or affect the functionality of the knife, I consider these "cosmetic defects", and don't worry about that, or the need a bright light to find them gaps or barely detectable ridge at one of the bolster/cover joints. (I'm not sure if the cover is roughly 0.0005 proud or sunk and the bolster is proud, where it meets that bolster.)

 

[JohnDF]

You can't examine GEC knives through the lens of secondary market values.
This is a $70 dollar knife and little issues should be expected at that price these days.
Case knives are close to that price range and come with small liner gaps and sometimes rough pins.
As long as the action is solid, the knife is sturdy, and the issues aren't wearing a neon sign, we have a good cutting tool.
I for one like the little flaws found on GEC knives, and even more so that new buyers are being bothered by it.
Maybe they'll all think twice before spending so much on them in the future and bring the market back in balance.