GEC, is this normal?

T

Tomahawk1088

Joined
Jun 26, 2014
Messages
48
Hey everyone, I've been a long time lurker and decided to join today. I really enjoy all the threads on this forum.

Now for the question. I recently bought my first GEC, a #71 red linen micarta. It came last Friday and I examined it and it looked great. I carried it in my pocket at work on Saturday (about 5 hrs.) When I got home the micarta looked as if the top layer had worn off, showing a lot of white and I could feel thread texture in the white area much more so than the area that remained a deeper red. Is this normal for micarta?

I emailed collectorknives.net on Saturday about it through the website contact page and still haven't gotten a response.

On a side note, it also appears the tang of the blade is cracked but I don't have a camera to take the pictures.

Should I keep it and send it to GEC if more problems appear or just send it off now? What should I do?
 
The tangs sometimes look cracked due to them being stamped I believe. Somebody who knows more than I will chime in I am sure. Pictures would help of course
 
The possible crack is behind the spine in the area where the spring rests when the blade is open. It might also just be tool marks. That's why I'm debating over what to do.
 
Welcome to the forum.

I don't own any GEC knives in LM ( I collect mostly stag). But I do own quite a few knives covered in LM.

Each company has their own way of doing LM. Some are very solid with only a hint of the linen beneath and some feel rough , are porous and stain.

However, I wouldn't be happy with a cracked blade ( if it is really cracked) and I'd return it.

I've ordered quite a few knives form collectorknives , just ask them to exchange it and handpick one for you.
 
Not very good pictures, but they may be better than nothing.

DF7misD.jpg
[/IMG]

WFKGAlx.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Kinda looks like shear mark when the blade was stamped out of the die

G2
 
Last edited:
It looks to me like the tang is fine. I think it is a tool mark.

The micarta is totally normal as well. When micarta is polished, the maker will use some sort of polish (usually a wax based) and it wears off very quickly and the micarta will get a more textured feel. It will continue to change in color with use. All normal.

Any time you want to restore it to its original color, it just takes a little work polishing it up. For mine, I just let them develop the character and enjoy. (Same with patina)

Enjoy!
 
It looks to me that the "crack" you are referring to is where the stamping die punches the blade out of a sheet of 1095. When the die hits the 1095 material the bottom half shears (clean cut) and the top tares away (a little roughness) from the 1095 sheet leaving the blade blank cleaner on one side. This is TOTALLY NORMAL if that is what I am seeing...pic's are a little fuzzy.

Thanks Derrick for the answer on the micarta. :thumbup:
 
It is not a crack. It is normal. The majority of my GECs have the same thing going on with them. Don't worry about it.
 
Thanks for the welcome JPD!

Thanks Derrick, Tribial, Gary, Makesharp and Joey. I guess I don't have to worry anymore and can enjoy this beautiful knife. It just seemed odd to me that the color and shine of the micarta wipes off with a damp cloth.

What kind of wax or other coating can y'all recommend to periodically restore the shine?
 
Color should not wipe off with a damp cloth. Can you show us pics of what you are talking about with the handles?

I use Renaissance Wax on some of my pocket knives, but I have had poor results when using it on some linen Micarta where it made the handles look worse. If you have dye that is coming off with water, Ren Wax will remove it too.
Works great on natural materials like bone, wood, and stag though.

I agree that the mark on the tang you showed is normal and is not a crack, just an artifact of how the blades are made and polished. I have many that look much worse than that in that section of the tang. It is in an area where a smooth polish isn't particularly needed so there are often some marks left behind from the stamping process.
 
the color shouldn't wipe off, and I can't imagine that it did. I am pretty sure you are seeing the change in luster that happens when you first change that top coat of wax.
 
Sorry, been in the garden all day...

You posted the question via the form on 8/21 and 8:29PM and I responded at 8:44PM - but I just noticed you typed in your email address as XXX@yahooo.com (with an extra "o"). Sorry I didn't catch that earlier. Must actually be a website called yahooo because I have not yet gotten any "failed email" message from my response.

I think you have some good responses here, which are similar to what my response was. I also would venture a guess that sweat does funny things to composites and you might have just discolored it a little that way. (Since you said in the note that it was only one side)
 
Micarta tends to be one of those composites that stains and patinas very quickly. All it takes is a day in your pocket and its already well on its way.
 
Thanks for the replies Jc, Derrick, Berkley, Mike and Thieves. I'm getting some good info here.

Here is another bad picture. The "fading" can sort of be seen towards the butt end at the top of the scale. The pin end whiteness is just glare.

CyDUMoK.jpg
[/IMG]

When I wipe down the scales with a cloth with gun oil on it, the bright red returns. It must just be how the shine changes as Derrick said. I just didn't know if this was normal or not.

Also, thanks for trying to email me Mike. When I didn't get the message, I had a feeling I had entered my address wrong. (And thanks for ordering a Bullnose in my favorite color)

Does anyone know what size I should shrink my pictures to? They seem way too big.
 
Red linen micarta is white linen with red epoxy, so the threads aren't actually red. With pocket carry, cleaning, and general use you will wear the top layer and white spots and even threads might pop up. Really old, heavily used micarta tends to look super frayed and faded from my experience. If you never wash it then it will get darker with age.

If you want to see more pics of this, look at the pictures of Bark River's red linen micarta versus their "matte" red linen micarta. The matte version looks like a white-red combo while the shiny version looks more like red-red (different shades).

You will get the same result with GEC's green linen micarta. I carry a green linen Talon and the color is white and faded greenish brown. It looks more "olive" after exposed to my sweaty hands, but a quick rinse brings it back to its faded glory.
 
Last edited:
Thanks. Now I know this is normal. I'm just glad that with a quick wipedown I can restore the bright red. I need to look into some waxes to put on it. I saw a mention of some wax in one of the traditional carry threads but who knows what page that was on. I'm also glad that my Bullnose is now in my pocket instead of sitting on my desk for a week while I was trying to decide what to do about it!
 
With some use and carry, micarta seems to settle in and take on a pretty consistent color. This is a Bull Nose with OD green canvas micarta that I've carried quite a bit over some time and this is the way it has looked for the past couple of months with no polishing or maintenance other than to wipe some foreign substance off of it with a dry rag or paper towel from use and of course oiling the joint as necessary.



Just settle back, use your knife, enjoy it, and see the various changes in appearance it takes on over time.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top