GEC knives available at normal retail channels?

In my case, I don't have infinite time to sit and watch various dealer web shops to spot something in a reasonable pattern and reasonable scales that will sell out in hours or minutes.

I get buying a GEC at retail isn't like buying a Case or Rough Rider. I am looking for a knife to actually use, not collect so, I am a bit of an 'odd duck' in this regard.

With GEC "eBay" models typically running in the $300 range, give or take a bit, you really get to the point where a true CUSTOM becomes viable. In particular there is an African maker that runs ~$525 and will make patterns GEC is unlikely to produce at any point in time. I would like to keep my money in the USA though.
 
Sid Post said:
I have looked off and on for a GEC slipjoint for years without success at normal retail. I am looking for a user so, paying 200% or more at eBay or similar places isn't really viable.

Do GEC knives ever hit retail or, do knife flippers and their bots take them all to eBay?

TIA,
Sid
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Retire and spend your time watching for pocket knives to be released, and buy within a minute or two of release, or pay double plus, or buy the one a year from BF. Those are the options. Good luck!
 
Sid Post said:
In my case, I don't have infinite time to sit and watch various dealer web shops to spot something in a reasonable pattern and reasonable scales that will sell out in hours or minutes.

I get buying a GEC at retail isn't like buying a Case or Rough Rider. I am looking for a knife to actually use, not collect so, I am a bit of an 'odd duck' in this regard.

With GEC "eBay" models typically running in the $300 range, give or take a bit, you really get to the point where a true CUSTOM becomes viable. In particular there is an African maker that runs ~$525 and will make patterns GEC is unlikely to produce at any point in time. I would like to keep my money in the USA though.
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My suggestion is this:

Go to the GEC list of dealers.

Great Eastern Cutlery Distributors - Great Eastern Cutlery

Certified Distributors of Great Eastern Cutlery Pocket Knives, Manufacturer of Americas Finest Traditional Pocket Knives.
www.greateasterncutlery.com www.greateasterncutlery.com

Check out their web sites, contact them by whatever means they accept, ask them about their purchase process, getting on their notification lists or however they sell the knives today. Many of them list phone numbers in addition to e-mail and web site links.

Same as anything you want to buy that is not just sitting on the shelf at the corner hardware store: find out who sells them, ask them how to buy from them.

Plenty of people buy GECs to be users, or at least used to.
 
jc57 said:
I am already on the waiting list for a Belarusian Meteorite frame lock. Gotta have the right connections to get in on it, though. I especially like the one in chainsawcut tyrannosaurus bone handles.
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I'm holding out for the Belarusian tyrant bone frame lock 😉😁👍
 
Wrong place for this discussion. Moving this to Feedback.
 
birdsbeaks said:
They're a very small operation requiring highly skilled craftsman, operating in a part of the country where the turnover is high and replacements, especially highly skilled ones, are not readily available - and it's all driven by the vision of essentially a single very passionate man.

I work for a company with plenty of resources, both human and financial, and scaling up operations is still risky and difficult. I'd have nightmares if you told me I had to figure out how to scale a company the size of GEC up to what would be needed to fill the current demand while still maintaining the level of quality that the demand is contingent upon. And what are the long-term projections of the current demand - enough to meet ROI? When do they actually start making a profit after sinking all those resources into scaling up? What if, tomorrow, everyone decides that Belarusian Meteorite frame locks are the greatest thing since sliced bread and the traditional market dries up entirely?

I would love to live in a world where GEC-quality knives were cheap and plentiful and I will once again invite anyone who thinks they can do it to please make the attempt. I promise I will be one of your customers - if you can pull it off.

The fact is, anyone who wants or needs a good quality knife can get one within their budget. Not everyone wants or needs a GEC. A $20 digital Timex generally keeps as good time as a $20k Rolex - but for those who prefer a Rolex, it isn't really about that.
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The issue is that a significant portion of the demand stems from the scarcity and rarity of the knives. If they were plentiful, there are a lot of people who wouldn't collect them because for those folks, having something desirable and nice that others can't get is the greater joy of having these knives, not the knives themselves. So, Bill would most likely have a losing proposition on his hands if he attempted to ramp up production significantly in order to meet what on its face, appears to be huge demand.
 
Well now that we're here lots of dealers get GEC knives but they sell fast. Many of them are not supporting dealers so this is the only place on the forum where they can be "reviewed".

Some of them have a pre-order process like a lottery that guarantees you a place in the line. Others just do a full on lolly scramble when a new knife shows up.

The best thing to do is pick a few favourite dealers. Sign up for alerts, or watch their IG or Facebook, whatever channel they use for store news.

Or, Plan B. Just purchase the GEC company A la Remington Shavers and get first pick off the line.
 
I regret selling off most my gec. I kept 1 sunbrite beerscout and it's my absolute favorite slippy.

Damn unfortunate the bay scoundrels charging 500+ for knives I sold on here for 100.
 
shinyedges said:
I regret selling off most my gec. I kept 1 sunbrite beerscout and it's my absolute favorite slippy.

Damn unfortunate the bay scoundrels charging 500+ for knives I sold on here for 100.
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yup theres a whole bunch of folks that just watch the for sale section and scoop up deals just to dump em on ebay
 
The more people we tell the secrets to getting GECs, the harder it becomes to get them
:eek:


😃 This was posted as a joke - Note for the usually offended.
 
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