GEC Northfield Half Congress- First Impressions.

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SteelSnob

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Sep 7, 2009
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Well I just got my Half Congress and I figured I would do a quick review of what I've noticed so far. Please excuse the iphone pictures hahah.

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It's a very nice knife. 1095 steel that took a great edge. It feels very solid and has absolutely no wobble when either blade is open. Weighing in at 60.3 grams or 2.125 ounces and 3 5/8" closed.

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The small blade has a nice little cutout in the stag for easy access

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The scales are well matched with no visible cracks. The shield is pinned.

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It has semi sunk joints. Neither of the blade tips are exposed like reported with some of the Sleeve Board models.

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There are no gaps that I noticed

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And it's pretty compact

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It's not a nail breaker. It feels good in the hand.The main blade has good strong snap but the small blade isn't as strong.. The blades weren't as sharp as I would have liked but I fixed that pretty easily, the backspring isn't flush in half on both blades they protrude a little but they're flush in open and closed. It had some scratches on the blade but I don't care because it's going to be used.

My opinion is that this a great production knife and while it has a few small flaws, no knife is perfect and these flaws are common to production slip joints from what I understand. I think it's a great knife and definitely worth the money.
 
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Thanks for setting this thread up and the review.

I like the look of this knife a lot, it has appeal due to being single spring and semi sunk joints,adds up to a very good pocket experience.
You say it's not flush at half stop-very few production knives are,though CASE achieves it with the Swayback.So long as it's flush open and shut that's what I need,can't stand raised springs on open.

Very good Old School look to the knife and a neglected pattern.The stag looks of decent calibre,usually the case with GEC knives. Primitive Bone would be top on this pattern.

I have to have one!
 
SteelSnob said:
Well I just got my Half Congress and I figured I would do a quick review of what I've noticed so far. Please excuse the iphone pictures hahah.
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I just wanted to say: Excellent review. Very informative. Thanks! :thumbup:
 
good review of a good product. although much of gec production has been more robust folders not all of us are blue collar in city & ranchers & farmers. while i'm a guy that tends to need heavy duty knives, many attorneys, physicians, pharmacists, & white collar people can benefit from a smaller knife that can easily be carried in slacks. slimness is paramount in knives carried in slacks. boxes need to be opened, envelops & tape cut.thanks for the pics.
 
Nice writeup! It seems like a very fine knife with a good choice of useful blades and steel that is slim and quite pocketable.
 
I own a GEC Sleeve Board. a warncliff blade for the main blade and coping blade for the small blade. Very finely crafted knives. This may be inpart to one of the two men that started this fairly new company. He was the Chief knife designer for Queen Cutlery for many years.

I love to look of your new knife and I know it will hold up for years and years.

Regards,

Daniel

Edit. My sleeve board suffered from the quality issue you mentioned. You would certainly get a bite if you picked it up or pulled it out of your pocket the wrong way. I groung a little off of the stop on the tang of the blade and no problem. And I must add I love your Half congress and thanks so much for the review. Now you see what you did? I have to have one now. My Falkniven U2 is my in-pocket knife and I also clip a Spyderco Cat carbon fiber handles to the top of pocket. Small blade in length but I use it for things I do not want to cut with that scapel sharp blade on the U2 right from the factory. I will certainly be looking for a good deal on this half congress you have. I do not have a congress and have always have had a yearning for one. And I think it may find it being well used in rotation with my U2. I mainly carry the U2 to show off anyway (grin)-- cutting paper like butter in front of non knife affectionodes and impressing them LOL> ---

Thanks again for sharing.
 
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SteelSnob -

Very nice knife. The stag handles are especially nice. One thing I'll say about GEC is that their stag is outstanding.

I don't look for perfection in any knife -- even the custom ones. If you look hard enough, you can find a flaw of some type in any knife.

Your knife is a keeper for sure.
 
Thanks, SS. Nice job.

I've been watching these since they first appeared on GEC's new releases page. I've always liked the swayback-like feel of the Congress pattern, but...have you ever watched a duck with four breadcrumbs floating right in front of him? He'll go nuts trying to decide which one he wants! That's me with a four-blade Congress :o. The svelte two-blade would seem to solve my 'problem' nicely, but I keep holding out for a Wharncliffe version (GEC makes a Wharncliffe four-blade, but I may have a looong wait for a two-blade :().
 
Rick - It wouldn't hurt to write or e-mail GEC and ask them about making a series with a Wharncliffe Blade.
 
Thanks all for looking, reading and responding.

Since this is a new model I figured a quick review of what to expect would be helpful. I'm on break at work so I better get back to work hahah
 
Well, it caused me to get on with it and buy one:D

Now the restless wait begins....
 
DennisStrickland said:
good review of a good product. although much of gec production has been more robust folders not all of us are blue collar in city & ranchers & farmers. while i'm a guy that tends to need heavy duty knives, many attorneys, physicians, pharmacists, & white collar people can benefit from a smaller knife that can easily be carried in slacks. slimness is paramount in knives carried in slacks. boxes need to be opened, envelops & tape cut.thanks for the pics.
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That is one reason I love this pattern-I have the yellow bone on the way!!!
 
^ same. I don't have a congress so I am not sure if I want my first one to be "half". None of the handle materials in the half-congress have jumped out at me (well, the stag is nice, but that's a touch pricey for me right now).
 
I like the half because it is much thinner and doesn't weigh as much. I prefer it to the full congress which is overkill on blades for my taste.

BTW. When I was a kid, I always liked knives with a bunch of blades--the more the better. That way I could likely find one that was sharp. :) Now I just keep them sharp and don't need as many blades.
 
I really like this knife, I'm a fan of the pattern because of the blade selection and the size, not too big and very thin-both blades on the same spring, here is the Green Banana bone version:
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jive daddy your pics show the knife in a new grandeur. site pics do'nt do it justice. i really like your bone selection & it makes the knife very desirable. thanks for posting.dennis
 
SteelSnob said:
I like the look of that plain shield. I wish they offered that on the stag model.
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Nice review. I've never owned a congress and I've always wanted one. I like the look of the Northfield on the shield. It fits.

I agree with willgoy. the springs have to be flush openand shut.

That Iphone takes pretty good pictures, I must say.
 
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