GEC Huckleberry Boy's Knife

[pertinux]

I dont understand the Scout engraving either. I think I can learn to live with it anyways. The Scout on the shield kind of makes it unique, although I would still prefer it with a blank shield. The EZ open notch is what has me sold on this one.

what would be even more interesting, would be the Northfield version with a much closer copy of the original Remington prototype- with pen, scout hat shield, and bale.

I showed the Remington picture to Bill Howard yesterday, and while it's definitely of the same ilk it's not actually the knife (or even brand) which inspired this new GEC release. Bill says he can't remember exactly which one he drew from specifically, as he's looked at so many different examples along the way (he tried to find it while we were there, but to no immediate avail). The one the #15 most closely resembles has a similar simple SCOUT shield, not the Smoky the Bear hat.

I was skeptical when I first spied the in-progress pictures of the covers only, but having seen the finished knives I think they look great.

Almost every time I walked into the GEC store and saw one of these in the display, I did a "What's that?!" double-take (in a good way!), only to re-realize I was looking at the new #15.

I'm admittedly predisposed to liking the #15s (no, really), but am liking this presentation very much.

~ P.

 

[fatcorgi]

that's very informative Pertinux. It is interesting that the boy's 'scout' knife is not just based on one model, but on a general type of knife that must have been popular at one time, I assumed that the remington was just arbitrarily called a scout, or maybe it was for a particular contract. However, it seems as if the scout symbol was more generally associated with a small sheepsfoot EZ.

 

[waynorth]

If memory serves I think Scouting was a bigger part of young peoples' lives many years ago than it is now. (Many more Scouts per capita??)
Just the word Scout was more evocative when I was 10-12 than it is now at 68.
But saying it still often flashes a picture of whittling a stick for some constructive reason, or throwing up a lean-to to hang out in, in my mind.
Whether an official "Scout" knife, or just labeled "scout", there was no doubt the purveyor was intimating that here was a knife you could use for survival practice, or other non-city activities.
It was good for sales I am sure, and the custom goes back a long way; certainly 100 years. I don't mind a reference to Scouting, with or without a capital "S", and think it does indeed have a place on a modern iteration of a young person's knife, if only as a nod to that custom.
Here is a pair of actual old knives with the non-official scout marking. Pre-WWI, likely from 1910-1915.

I liked what I saw at GEC, and ordered a couple of (small s) scouts!
I wish they did have bails, but they are more pocketable without.

 

[nphelps4130]

Thanks for the scout info ~P and Charlie. Interesting stuff. I also wish they had bails. Maybe a Northfield as fatcorgi said, or a future run?

 

[puukkoman]

I really like the looks of these, regardless of the shield. I also with they had bails, but hey... this way, it only serves to make it a tougher choice between this one and the walnut Charlow...!! AAHHH!!!

 

[jujigatame]

Empire - don't see those every day. Well, maybe you do Charlie but the rest of us...not so much.

 

[rma100]

According to Bill Howard ,the addition of a Bail on this knife,#15 EO Boy's Knife, would have been prohibitively expensive or at the least significantly raised the price point.

 

[pertinux]

Great pictures, Charlie. Thanks!

It is interesting that the boy's 'scout' knife is not just based on one model, but on a general type of knife that must have been popular at one time, I assumed that the remington was just arbitrarily called a scout, or maybe it was for a particular contract. However, it seems as if the scout symbol was more generally associated with a small sheepsfoot EZ.

It's interesting stuff, isn't it? I had no idea about that last part, either.

Just to be clear, my understanding is that many patterns were perused, but there is evidently a specific knife that inspired the new scout more directly than others. In the midst of everything else going on Bill couldn't remember exactly which one while we were there, not even brand/production company. He just knew it wasn't the Remington.

According to Bill Howard ,the addition of a Bail on this knife,#15 EO Boy's Knife, would have been prohibitively expensive or at the least significantly raised the price point.

And can you imagine all the (other) responses?

"Oh, man. If only it didn't have a bail!"



~ P.

 

[rma100]

I love that Sheepsfoot Boys Knife with the Scout Shield! If it only had a Clip Main Blade and No Shield!

 

[MerryMadMonk]

I love that Sheepsfoot Boys Knife with the Scout Shield! If it only had a Spear Main Blade and Bowtie Shield!

 

[Sonnemann]

So, I wonder at what point GEC will just have a list of drop-down menus for a 'build your own boys knife.' 1 or 2 blades; main blade style; barehead or bolster; bail or no bail; EO notch or not; shield or not; wood or bone or acrylic covers. They can raise the price slightly to account for the fact that they are making them individually, but at least we can get all the outlandish combinations we want!

I know that goes against their current production model but I am as always pining for a GEC custom shop and this seems like the ideal pattern for it. Carry on...

 

[JustinR]

Now that is an idea. I can see it now. Single blade, long matchstrike pull on a spear point with two bolsters and EO notch with rotten bananna bone.

 

[rune1279]

For what it's worth, here's a closer picture of mine (having a GEC dealer in town is dangerous and awesome):

It was so easy to sharpen, I went ahead and made it scary sharp

I did have to knock a smidgen off the kick to get the edge down below the bottom of the EO notch, but other than that it's perfect. I admit to feeling a tiny little bit silly carrying a knife that says "scout" on it when I am not and never was one, but I like the detail it adds to the shield. (Edited to add: Now that I think about it I shamelessly carry a knife that says "OLD TIMER" on it even though I'm only middle-aged, so yeah, whatever. I'll get over it )

--Mark

 

[gunstockjack]

Thanks for posting the photo, Mark. I like that knife a lot, personally, and will probably keep one of that model for myself.

 

[pertinux]

I admit to feeling a tiny little bit silly carrying a knife that says "scout" on it when I am not and never was one, but I like the detail it adds to the shield.

Great picture! Thanks. It was hard to walk away without one last week end.

As for the shield? I've come to think of it like this: the knife itself is the Scout, not its owner. At least, not necessarily. Just like your other knife is the Old Timer, not you. ;-)

~ P.

 

[JB in SC]

Well, I ordered an antique yellow jigged bone. My skepticism was unwarranted after Charlie's posting.

 

[rma100]

A note in passing. The "Scouting Movement" (the PC term for Boy Scouts), was originally started in The British Isles circa 1907. It rapidly spread throughout Europe and was in existence in the US by 1910. Prior to that, the term "Scout" was a generic term referring to all types of hunters, guides and bordermen along the American Frontier dating back to Colonial Days. My point is,the original "Scout" knives and the "Scout" Inlay Shields probably pre-dated the founding of the"Scouting Movement" and had a somewhat different meaning.

 

[Parke1]

A note in passing. The "Scouting Movement" (the PC term for Boy Scouts), was originally started in The British Isles circa 1907. It rapidly spread throughout Europe and was in existence in the US by 1910. Prior to that, the term "Scout" was a generic term referring to all types of hunters, guides and bordermen along the American Frontier dating back to Colonial Days. My point is,the original "Scout" knives and the "Scout" Inlay Shields probably pre-dated the founding of the"Scouting Movement" and had a somewhat different meaning.

Excellent post, Bob. I really like the thought of that.

-Dan

 

[gunstockjack]

Thanks for that information, Bob. I did not know that.

 

[blademan 13]

I knew the ebony would be nice so I had one preordered. I wasn't prepared for how nice the red bone turned out. Of course had to order one of those when I saw the pic. Geez, and the yellow bone has always been my favorite.....