GEC's in Use

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Dieselashi

Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
98
Good evening (for me) everyone!

I have been admiring a lot of GEC's offerings and simultaneously looking for a clip-point lockback and have spotted the #72! I am a big fan of the Buck 112 (aside from the weight and blade steel) so you can understand why the #72's have got my attention.

I like these a lot and am just wondering how they will "hold up" under normal use -- normal use being letters, sandwiches, and some fruit or string; I certainly expect the blade will receive a nice patina and am not worried about keeping a mirror-finish. I intend to keep this in my pocket throughout the week.

If I use my knife to eat and just wipe the blade clean and dry can I expect any more problems with gunk or junk in the pivots/springs that I wouldn't already be familiar with on a SAK? This will be my first naked carbon steel knife. If I use warm soapy water to do a whole-knife cleaning periodically (weekly?), what might happen to the ebony or cocobolo wood handle scales, and how can I best protect them?

Does anyone have one of these who can report on what it's like to have a #72 in the pocket of your suit pants and how the action/lockup, handling, and F&F are? This will be my first real foray into traditional knives and I am excited but also cautious and I appreciate the support of my fellow enthusiasts!

Also, with the uses I have in mind, how often might I expect to want to sharpen that 1095 blade? I like my knives sharp as I imagine everyone else around here does...
 
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Well, lets start with the pattern.
Great choice, the #72 pattern is a really slick knife, it's much like GEC's #73 frame, but it offers a lock back and a lesser pull when opening the knife. Expect a silky smooth open with the knife, I have three and the pull is just perfectly smooth. I had some lock up problems with my first one, but the other two have been much better. The one that had movement went back to GEC for repair, I had it back in a couple months.

The Steel.
1095 steel is a really easy steel, IMO. Sharpening is usually very easy and maintaing that razor edge is also exceptionally easy, just a couple licks on a strop and your good to go. I have, in the past had some experiences with some really tough 1095, but it worked itself out.

The Frame.
Lint gathers in this one pretty easily, but if regularly maintained it's not a problem. I have never had a malfunction with the lock, so I don't see there being any problems with a clean knife failing. I have used a #72 for light work on a deer and some work on a squirrel. The knives stayed sharp and never wriggled. For normal Every Day Carry, this is a perfect knife, really a good fit for a lock back lover. I'm not a slacks guy, but this knife is super slim, so it would be a fine EDC at the office as well as in the field.

I carry this one everyday, it rides in my back pocket.
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I just got this one, it was made this year. It has a 1095 blade that just got wicked sharp.
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Even with the big blade this one is thin enough for pocket carry.
 
Keep it stropped and you shouldn't have to worry too much about sharpness, a strop loaded with green compound works wonders.
 
Been carrying mine around for a long time now and still like it a lot. I live in a hot humid tropical environment and have been surprised that corrosion hasn't been much of an issue as long as you do a bit of basic maintenance. The one I have is a Wharnie blade but otherwise the same in terms of steel, lock function etc. The blade is stained pretty badly but not rusted or pitted. Keeping it razor sharp is no problem.

The knife is usually carried in a leather pocket sheath that does a good job of protecting if from keys, coins and other pocket junk.

Here it is a next to an unused stainless model with a clip blade.

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GEC makes a great user! Mine all get carried and used. The 1095 is a great steel for maintaining a wicked sharp edge.

Lots of people toss about terms about the sharpness. But the GEC's 1095 has two different things going for it. It comes with a thin grind for slicing (typically a sharp edge too!), and the 1095 is very easy to get and keep sharp.


These are two GEC made Scharades. 1095 blades. This was a very quick sharpening job. Convexed the clips, and hit the edges on the spey blades with some 600 grit, then stropped.

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Wonderful, thank you all for your enthusiastic and promising responses! Johnny Twoshoes I am envious; I am waiting on the soon-to-be "production" run of that bull nose work knife as well! Good news on the 1095; I am pretty handy with my SharpMaker so this should be easy enough! Any other ideas on caring for the wooden handle materials?

Also, are there any more 440C GEC's floating around or have they long since been snapped up?
 
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Hmmm, the woods scales have me stumped as well. Most of my EDC collection is bone, so I never really worried about moisture affecting the scales.

I did do a neighborhood clean up once and we dealt with a ton of humid weather and very wet conditions. I had a #53 in my pocket the whole time and I never gave a thought to the scales being wood. At the end of the day I was soaked and so was my knife, the scales really sucked up the wood. I put it in front of a heater to dehydrate the scales a little, it got back to normal after that. The jigged wood seemed to wear down pretty easily, but so has the bone on my #72 after spending all it's time in the back pocket.

Here is my #53, I believe the wood is bubinga, but I could be wrong.
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Dieseleashi, I tried to e-mail you, but I couldn't figure out how.
We're not supposed to discuss dealers and finding deals, I believe. But, I could let you know in an e-mail. :thumbup:
 
That's ok johnny, I was just asking a general "if they are still out there somewhere" question, thanks though. If they are out there on the internet somewhere I figure I can find them. I think this knife will be in my pocket alone without any keys or anything, so I am not worried about wear, per say. I am glad to hear that even after a thorough soaking the scales were okay; maybe I just won't scrub the knife with the rest of the dishes though ;)
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the wood handles. If those woods were that troublesome to mainatain they wouldn't use them on guitars, leather working tool handles and knife scales. They are extremely durable materials. In my opinion, washing your knife once a week is way overkill. Unless you frequently cut things that gum up the joint, you can just wipe them off, oil the joints every so often and stick it right back in your pocket.

Ben
 
Dieselashi said:
Wonderful, thank you all for your enthusiastic and promising responses! Johnny Twoshoes I am envious; I am waiting on the soon-to-be "production" run of that bull nose work knife as well! Good news on the 1095; I am pretty handy with my SharpMaker so this should be easy enough! Any other ideas on caring for the wooden handle materials?

Also, are there any more 440C GEC's floating around or have they long since been snapped up?
Click to expand...

I use paste wax on the handles. It will darken the wood a bit though. If you remove the wax, it'll lighten up again though.

IMG_5284_4.jpg
 
Here is my 440C #72 lockback in elk stag. I think these sold out in about a week!

72Elk.jpg


There is still at least one 440C lockback available at a dealer website, but with a Wharncliffe blade.
 
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You won't find one much more use than this Ben Hogan. It rides in my back pocket most days. Has dressed 3 deer this year, (not field dressed) more squirell and rabbits than I care to think about and helps in the kitchen from time to time. It does need a real sharpening once in a while, but most times it only takes the strope to bring it back to hair poppin. In hard field work (Deer) it does take several touch ups from a DMT medium paddle and crock stick to complete the job. I have a bone handle with a spear blade that goes to work with me and it does salid, fruit, and sandwich duty on a regular basis as well.:thumbup:
 
supratentorial said:
I use paste wax on the handles. It will darken the wood a bit though. If you remove the wax, it'll lighten up again though.

IMG_5284_4.jpg
Click to expand...

I have worked with a lot of wood over the years. It seems to be a favorite hobby of mine.

I personally think it can be some very durable stuff.

I would tend to agree with Jake about a wax. The worry I would have with wood and washing it with soap and water and stripping most oils, natural or supplemented, would be leaving the wood to soak up moisture and expand. It could also dry out rapidly. Either one could lead to cracking around the pins.

Mineral oil is good for a food safe oil to put on wood. Wax will stay on there much longer though and help the wood hold at a more consistent level.

When I finish something like a walking stick even past the stain, I use a high speed bench rest buffer. I use greased/wax buffing compounds. This not only brings the wood to a mirror finish, it leaves a layer of protection that takes a while to wear off.

I mention a walking stick because it gets banged around in the dirt, rivers and etc in the woods. Holds up great and the wax keeps it pretty sealed.

Either way, some woods more then other are less prone to shrinkage and warping etc.

Just my 2 cents :)
 
My #33 Conductor in burnt stag gets EDC'd quite often the patina however isn't natural but forced vinager I get a little impatient sometimes.

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On all my wood, axes, knives, wooden spoons, etc. I use RAW linseed oil, aka, flax seed oil. Works for me.:)
 
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