GEC Lumberjack Photo

Alright, don't get mad at me but I only have a few min before I head out. Unfortunately, my neighbor had already trimmed the bushes and they left them pretty sparse. It is basically the fence between us so I didn't want to cut anything that would leave major gaps. There was a nub that was maybe 1/2" in diameter that I found that I cut. The first pic was with a Vic Farmer. The saw on the farmer went through it in a few seconds (5 maybe?). The next one was a little thicker and I used the lumber jack blade. This one took closer to 20-25 seconds as it did not cut as well. The teeth were full of wood shavings but it made progress before it snapped.
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Not much lumber in the basement (that was mine to cut...) but I found this small piece. I really didn't want to cut all the way through so I just cut two notches. The one on the right was with the lumberjack and it worked surprisingly well for me. It didn't bind up and just kept going. The notch on the left was with the sak, well, started with the sak. The teeth on the farmer kept catching the edge and binding. I took the #45 and made a notch and then went back to the saw blade. It worked much better then.
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Obviously these cuts were really quick. Being a city dweller, I don't get out to the woods much. If I did, the #45 would not be my first choice to accompany me but that's not what I got it for anyway. I still think it looks really cool. I wouldn't go off my quick test for anything definitive. Hopefully someone will do a better job of putting it through its paces and catch it on video.
 
I didn't expect to see the saw tested out. Trand gets bonus points. The saw cut better than I thought but the important thing is that you'll look cool using a GEC Lumberjack. :)
 
So cool! I wonder how hard it would be to sharpen that saw up a bit.

Hopefully, now that they have this pattern, there are a few more options for blades.

I may still have to get a Whaler.


I bought a steel Sunfish, and just love it to bits!
Thinner than you expect (single spring). Not too bit or heavy for pocket carry.



To those who posted pics and reviews, thanks!
 
Trand, thanks ! As you say, not a definitive test, but it does show that the GEC saw blade does cut. Exactly how well or how poorly relative to other knife saw blades still needs to be tested. Your inclusion of the Vic. Farmer was a good idea. I had forgotten about that one when i mentioned the Schrade 97OT & Schlieper 99DS.
A comparison testing of all 4 of these knives would be really neat. I have all of these except the Lumberjack which i can't afford to buy at this point.
roland
 
Thanks guys. One thing I didn't mention on this one is the pulls. To me, the pull on the main blade is between an 8 and a 9 but because its so fat, you can pinch and pull it open which is much easier. The saw blade is closer to a 6-7.

Roland, no I don't have the Schrade or Schlieper. I have a couple of Farmers, a Leatherman Charge, and a folding saw (which I didn't feel would have been fair in the test). When I do go out upstate, I have a Farmer paired up with a small fixed blade (3 1/2", ESEE3) or with a larger blade (5 1/2", ESEE6). However, where I go isn't too far from civilization so really just the Farmer would work for me.
 
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2 #45 Lumberjacks showed up today, one two blade in micarta and a grizzly bone single.

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Both feel good in the hand, the two blade is a bit heavy though. The size and shape of the two blade does translate to a nice grip. The single has a thin profile and should carry well in the pocket just as the single blade Whaler does. Pull on both was pretty stiff and gritty out of the box but a few drops of mineral oil got things straightened out pretty quickly. I like the half stops on this frame, its the one thing I think the Whaler should have had. The blades are the same thickness as the Whaler blade but are a bit smaller, looking more like a traditional large sunfish style blade. It sits better in the frame also. That cutout in the top if the saw blade seems to be a relief for the forefinger, as that is where it rests naturally when gripped with the knife blade open. It should work as a functional stop, keeping your had from sliding down the grip when working the knife hard.

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Now, on to the saw thing-
Basically, its a saw in name only. Don't expect a lot. Its not too diiferent from what you would expect to find on a $10 1980s wannabe Rambo survival knife. A comparision with a similiar sized saw on a German Weidmannsheil kniie revealed serious deficiancies in cuttting power, as shown in the picture below. The cut on the left is the German saw, the right is the GEC, six strokes on a piece of dry white pine about 2" in diameter.

the two knives
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the two saw blades
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the cuts
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This knife might be better as a deer knife than a lumberjack knife. The blade size and shape is right, the handle and grip with the built-in stop on the saw blade should be excellent for field dressing, and the saw blade, while not really designed for cutting lumber as implied by the name, would work well for cutting the cartilage in the breast bone.
 
GEC might be willing to accept that the saw blade needs to be scrapped and a top-notch saw blade be designed and produced(or contracted out to maybe Schlieper) to make this #45 a true 'home run'.
A blade that does not do it's intended job is just extra weight and bulk. It's not just a 'neutral', it's a negative.
I hope they do bring out an "Improved #45" with a saw blade that cuts with ease like on the Schrade or Schlieper that i mentioned in an earlier post.
roland
 
Arathol, I'm interested in the single bladed version and part of me thinks that deep blade may be quite good as a slicer. Also for cutting green wood?

Would you mind posting some thoughts on that?

Cheers

Sam
 
A quick update from one of the dealers. That notch on the saw isn't a thumb rest but actually supposed to be a wire stripper.

Arathol, Have you tried using the saw on a 2x4? I found it worked a little better on that.
 
It seems strange to me that GEC would cheap out on the saw blade. Excellent saws are readily available on SAKs and Leathermans, I wonder why they went this route?
 
2Dead said:
A quick update from one of the dealers. That notch on the saw isn't a thumb rest but actually supposed to be a wire stripper.

Arathol, Have you tried using the saw on a 2x4? I found it worked a little better on that.
Click to expand...

That makes sense, the tooth pattern looks better suited to seasoned wood.

Sam
 
I wasn't planning on getting another #45 but jumped on this one when I saw it. This is one of the Dusk Buffalo #45s.
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