GEC Lumberjack Photo

One of the dealers already has them for sale on his site. As I said; "I don't like them" but when one of you guys posts your pictures of your Lumberjack, I'll sing it's virtues. Like others, I hope the sales of this new knife from GEC are robust so as to contribute to the prosperity of the company.

And who knows, maybe they'll take on a completely different appearance when photographed by the members under various lighting conditions etc..
 
A 2 blade folder with one blade being a saw is one of the most useful patterns. Many times sawing through a branch is easier than tring to slice through it. When doing a bit of finish carpentry there are times when you need to trim off just a bit from the inside surface of a piece of trim to get it to seat properly. Etc.
But, it has to be a saw blade with a well designed teeth pattern. I have tried many and the best 2 are: Schrade USA 97OT and the Schliepper 99DS. Both these saw blades cut smoothly, fast and don't bind.
It is very important that GEC get the saw blade right. Just an edge made up of a bunch of pointy teeth won't cut it !
roland
 
Cool design - already placed an order. If I need to cut something large I'll pull out my Stihl. :D
 
Cool design. The Victorinox Farmer is a perennial favorite among SAK enthusiasts. Maybe this will achieve the same status amongst Traditional enthusiasts?

It's a very outdoorsy knife, but I still don't like these clownishly wide blades they're pushing lately.
 
Those of you that don't like the saw might think that this Lumber Jack is... OK. ;)

452112-L-STL-ebony-wood.jpg
 
Since this is the "Tradional" Forum,I'd like to give some background on the "Clownishly Wide Blades" that Great Eastern Cutlery has been "pushing" lately. In 1865 the first Commercial Oil Well was brought in, in Titusville,PA. This started a boom in drilling and oil exploration that rivaled any gold rush this country has ever seen. With in a few months,the skyline for miles around Titusville,all of Western PA. for that matter,was a forest of oil derricks. Much of this oilfield material and equipment,not to mention the thousands and thousands of workers and fortune hunters arrived there via riverboat,on the Three Rivers of Western,PA. The oil field hands and roustabouts,needed a strong,hard working knife to cut cables and bull-rope while working the derricks. The rivermen and deckhands needed a strong heavy bladed knife for use on the heavy lines they handled every day on the riverboats. They used these "Sunfish" and "Elephant Toe" knives to good effect. These were a working mans knife! Not for some City Slick to trim his finger nails! And these "Clownishly Wide Blades" that GEC is "Pushing Lately" are copied from the most famous of these working knives, the Charles Platts "Swell Center Sunfish". Originally made in,I believe,the 1880's by Charles Platts. The most famous and most sought after collectible knives of this type. Just try to buy one! Heck,just try to find one!! There aren't many around to be had. Why? Because these knives were used in a hard day's work,every day,by hard working men!
 
rma100 said:
Since this is the "Tradional" Forum,I'd like to give some background on the "Clownishly Wide Blades" that Great Eastern Cutlery has been "pushing" lately. In 1865 the first Commercial Oil Well was brought in, in Titusville,PA. This started a boom in drilling and oil exploration that rivaled any gold rush this country has ever seen. With in a few months,the skyline for miles around Titusville,all of Western PA. for that matter,was a forest of oil derricks. Much of this oilfield material and equipment,not to mention the thousands and thousands of workers and fortune hunters arrived there via riverboat,on the Three Rivers of Western,PA. The oil field hands and roustabouts,needed a strong,hard working knife to cut cables and bull-rope while working the derricks. The rivermen and deckhands needed a strong heavy bladed knife for use on the heavy lines they handled every day on the riverboats. They used these "Sunfish" and "Elephant Toe" knives to good effect. These were a working mans knife! Not for some City Slick to trim his finger nails! And these "Clownishly Wide Blades" that GEC is "Pushing Lately" are copied from the most famous of these working knives, the Charles Platts "Swell Center Sunfish". Originally made in,I believe,the 1880's by Charles Platts. The most famous and most sought after collectible knives of this type. Just try to buy one! Heck,just try to find one!! There aren't many around to be had. Why? Because these knives were used in a hard day's work,every day,by hard working men!
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Well said. There's a number of Youtube vids which discusses these knives by a channel called CutleryNewsJournal. Very interesting particularly when he shows you his Platts. Here's a link to the swell center:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9XiLABQ0KQ&feature=related
 
I admit to being curious about Toenail/Sunfish patterns in general. I just picked up a modern Primble Toenail (Queen made ?) to play around with. I like the outdoorsy feel to the knife. I like the choice of scales in the picture (canvas micarta). I'm just not sure I can buy another knife to sit on the shelf.

Mark
 
Williamb said:
Wait - they will fly off the shelves. Personally I can't wait to get one. You either feel it or don't.
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Love all y'all, but no, just ain't feelin it. I mean......just........I don't even know. More power to ya.

Jon
 
rma 100 Many thanks indeed for the historical foot-note, extremely interesting. I can see those type of workers needing a special wide blade, bit like a Rope knife at sea. Wonder where they kept it though? Pretty bulky carry!

I like the fact GEC takes on these projects, we all wish them well, but it's not really for me this one.
 
The old Platts knives might be rare because Scott has them all. ;) It's certainly an interesting pattern with a rich history.
 
I LOVE wide blades. Still gotta' get me a sunfish/toenail at some point here.
 
willgoy said:
rma 100 Many thanks indeed for the historical foot-note, extremely interesting. I can see those type of workers needing a special wide blade, bit like a Rope knife at sea. Wonder where they kept it though? Pretty bulky carry!
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Not as bulky as you might think. It looks a lot bigger than it is. Its a lot thinner than it is wide, and as a result it fits well in your pocket despite how large it looks. I carry one all the time and hardly notice it.
 
willgoy said:
rma 100 Many thanks indeed for the historical foot-note, extremely interesting. I can see those type of workers needing a special wide blade, bit like a Rope knife at sea. Wonder where they kept it though? Pretty bulky carry!

I like the fact GEC takes on these projects, we all wish them well, but it's not really for me this one.
Click to expand...

I would assume,that in the oil boom days,many tradesman other than drillers came to the oil fields. The drillers and roustabouts needed all manner of supplies and truck to keep them working. Among these would have been many cobblers and harness makers. I would imagine that these tradesman would be happy to make a belt sheath for the roustabout out pieces of scrap leather. In these pre-industrial days people wasted very little of anything.
Also,in a little side note,the technique for cutting bull-rope and cable with these knives was not to lean on the knife very hard and slice,but rather to place the knife where you wanted to make the cut and drive it thru with a hammer or mallet. A wooden mallet was prefered on the oil derricks,no one wanted to strike a spark near an oil derrick. And many of the antique knives of this type found today have a flattened blade spine because of this pounding.
 
One of the fantastic Great Eastern Distributors just posted on his "BLOG" a quick comparison and review of the Lumber Jack...just one of the photo's

top to bottom.....Whaler.Lumber Jack.#36 Sunfish....check out the blade thickness

DSCN1520.JPG
 
Thanks for showing that Jim.

I looked into it and found out the WEIGHT of this Behemoth 8.6 ounces! Half a pound !! Or in metric, nearly a quarter of a kilo of knife!!:eek:
 
Is that a folding knife or folding prybar O.o ... That being said, I like it... I like single blade #45 too, nice clean lines :D
 
I really like the look of that Nat Micarta, suits Traditionals very well indeed, tough as well.

Very bold&unusual pattern, full marks for that, but it won't go in my pocket....
 
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