GEC Rendezvous 2023 Announced

Just for laughs, I wonder if anyone who pulls out a knife that is not a GEC to cut their food will be hounded? :)
 
Maybe to change the event just to a fun time, maybe those coming have to register and pay a fee to get one of event knives, and the Rendevous knife will be sent to them so no acquiring the knife at the event. Would that deter the flippers? Maybe the small fee coupled With the inability to acquire the knife out right may change who attends the event back to a friendly get-to-gether and tradng at at a different location nearby.
 
cbach8tw said:
Just for laughs, I wonder if anyone who pulls out a knife that is not a GEC to cut their food will be hounded? :)
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not really, no one does that. Its all about knives in general that weekend. Hell, if you are lucky you can find Bill chatting about old knives with the guys who bring the classics like waynorth waynorth wlfryjr wlfryjr Augie Augie and a few others. You might find this surprising but Bill doesnt even carry a knife let alone one of his. He doesnt like stuff in his pocket, iirc. Even the one he used to use for the tour, and he has remarked upon just comes from a pile of random gecs he has in a drawer in his office.
 
cbach8tw said:
Maybe to change the event just to a fun time, maybe those coming have to register and pay a fee to get one of event knives, and the Rendevous knife will be sent to them so no acquiring the knife at the event. Would that deter the flippers? Maybe the small fee coupled With the inability to acquire the knife out right may change who attends the event back to a friendly get-to-gether and tradng at at a different location nearby.
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thats why the evening out at Cross Creek Resort is a lot of fun. Bill, William, Randy will show up and drink beers with us and hang out on the patio

here is Randy, Jesse and Josh

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there is William and his wife!

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a few other characters are also seen here if they wish to reveal themselves

Thats dinner time at Cross Creek, before the drinks on the patio.
 
Old Engineer said:
I would sure like to make it Jack , but don't hold your breath . Great Times that I will never forget my friend .

Harry
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Well, I wasn't sure either, Harry, but I just booked my flight, and I've got a motel room!!
So I am going, and I hope to see some of my old friends and acquaintances there!!
Hope you are coming Jack!!!?? mrknife mrknife !!!
 
Ron Sabbagh said:
I’ve never been to a rendezvous, but with the recent advent of voracious GEC scalpers, I’m kind of turned off by what sounds like the mob “mad dash”

I think it would be amazing if GEC held a rendezvous of sorts where no new Knives were available for purchase - just a gathering of folks - chattin’ and trading among the attendees and GEC employees/enthusiasts. That might turn off the scalpers…😊
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No reason we can't do that anyways, Ron!! I'm just coming to visit this year!;) I won't have a table, and most likely won't wait in line to purchase the Rendezvous knife!!
I'm not up to camping on the porch!! :rolleyes:
 
waynorth said:
Well, I wasn't sure either, Harry, but I just booked my flight, and I've got a motel room!!
So I am going, and I hope to see some of my old friends and acquaintances there!!
Hope you are coming Jack!!!?? mrknife mrknife !!!
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unfortunately, I will be sitting this one out sadly. The drive back nearly killed me last year, im lucky to have made it back to Brooklyn with the breaks in the car going out midway on the I-80
 
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mrknife said:
not really, no one does that. Its all about knives in general that weekend. Hell, if you are lucky you can find Bill chatting about old knives with the guys who bring the classics like waynorth waynorth wlfryjr wlfryjr Augie Augie and a few others. You might find this surprising but Bill doesnt even carry a knife let alone one of his. He doesnt like stuff in his pocket, iirc. Even the one he used to use for the tour, and he has remarked upon just comes from a pile of random gecs he has in a drawer in his office.
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Have spent quite a bit of time with Bill and the others over the years talking vintage knives. Watching Bill study and comment on the construction of a hundred year old knife is a learning experience.
5 or 6 years ago I showed Bill an unusual Queen made barlow and asked him if he knew anything about it, he looked it over for a second and said yup he knew about it and walked away. Surprised me a little for sure. Later on after we had eaten and a lot of us were sitting at the table Bill sat down and proceeded to tell us all about his time in the cutlery business including Queen and starting up GEC.
It was fascinating and all of us there were hanging on very word, when he got close to the end he said " and that brings us to your knife". He stated they had a customer that always demanded prototypes, Bill stated they hated making prototypes because it was a pain to set the machinery for only a couple knives. Apparently the customer was the one involved with the black box Winchesters and wanted a barlow so they made some prototype Winchester barlows that never went in production.
When I asked Bill how many were made he did not remember but it was never more than 5 and if they could get away with less they would.
I'm pretty sure all of us that were there at the table that day will agree that was one of the most interesting encounters we have ever had at the Rendezvous, listening to Bill recount his time in the cutlery industry was fascinating and we were hanging on every word.IMG_4404.jpegIMG_4398.jpeg
 
Augie said:
Have spent quite a bit of time with Bill and the others over the years talking vintage knives. Watching Bill study and comment on the construction of a hundred year old knife is a learning experience.
5 or 6 years ago I showed Bill an unusual Queen made barlow and asked him if he knew anything about it, he looked it over for a second and said yup he knew about it and walked away. Surprised me a little for sure. Later on after we had eaten and a lot of us were sitting at the table Bill sat down and proceeded to tell us all about his time in the cutlery business including Queen and starting up GEC.
It was fascinating and all of us there were hanging on very word, when he got close to the end he said " and that brings us to your knife". He stated they had a customer that always demanded prototypes, Bill stated they hated making prototypes because it was a pain to set the machinery for only a couple knives. Apparently the customer was the one involved with the black box Winchesters and wanted a barlow so they made some prototype Winchester barlows that never went in production.
When I asked Bill how many were made he did not remember but it was never more than 5 and if they could get away with less they would.
I'm pretty sure all of us that were there at the table that day will agree that was one of the most interesting encounters we have ever had at the Rendezvous, listening to Bill recount his time in the cutlery industry was fascinating and we were hanging on every word.View attachment 2182831View attachment 2182832
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it makes me slightly concerned about the future of traditional slipjoint knives once guys like Bill and Randy retire. as waynorth waynorth eloquently put it, Bill has so much history in the industry, that podcast barely scratches the surface.
 
waynorth said:
Which podcast???
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i think it was your part 2 on the Catch Bit, where you mentioned briefly, Bill absorbing information or technique some cutlers early on in his career. I think it would be really cool to get Bill in for one of those chats, though knowing Bill, he would likely never agree to it. The combined knowledge and history you two have would make for some interesting study 🤓 Im still waiting on a bit about end caps 😂
 
mrknife said:
i think it was your part 2 on the Catch Bit, where you mentioned briefly, Bill absorbing information or technique some cutlers early on in his career. I think it would be really cool to get Bill in for one of those chats, though knowing Bill, he would likely never agree to it. The combined knowledge and history you two have would make for some interesting study 🤓 I'm still waiting on a bit about end caps 😂
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I barely scratched the surface. If Bill would talk, he'd fill a book!!

He might even mention End Caps!!! 😲
:cool:
 
A little over a week away now, it's a bit of a drive for me as I don't stay the night but drive back same day so that's a full day of just looking out a windshield.
But it would be good to see some of the folks there and it is also about the only event anywhere close to me too so...
G2
 
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