GEC's Metal Mix: Brass Bolster and 1095 Carbon Steel Blade ... What else?

[JoKr]

What combinations of Metals or metal Alloys are there in the GEC knives?
How does GEC combine the components of their knives in which metal variations?

Bolster in Nickel Silver, Carbon Steel, Brass, ...?
Liner in Brass, Carbon Steel, ...?
Backspring in 1095 Carbon Steel, ...? (i guess all GEC Backsprings are made in 1095 Carbon Steel?!)
Blade in 1095 Carbon Steel, 440C stainless Steel, ...?

How about the Liners, do they come in Nickel Silver too, or other metal alloy?

Some GEC Knives come with the STL abreviation on the Cap, what means Steel... does that mean that all metal parts of the knife are made of (1095 Carbon) Steel?
Some GEC Knives come in Brass and Steel combination like the #749113 Cotton Sampler Antique Amber Jig Bone (Backspring and Blade in 1095 Carbon Steel the rest in Brass.

 

[Barbababa]

I have no absolute answer, but if there is Nickel Silver bolster there is Nickel Silver pin, and the same goes for brass. But I think it´s common practice with brass pins in the scales and brass liners. Stainless bolsters should mean stainless pins and liners too

 

[Will Power]

Interesting questions

I don't know if the backsprings are 1095 but possibly another more malleable type of carbon and the liners too? I do know that the all steel ones have really tight fit on the backsprings, it's a superb job and one reason I prefer them-- gap free zone. Steel pins too, but there may be exceptions, think Farm&Field Bullnose et al. they sport brass pins and lanyard tube. Tool steel was used in early examples rather than 1095.

A few knives have come with NS liners and pins (but this is really white brass but much less prone to verdigris) The Forum 2011 knife that I sold had NS liners as did the Forum Knife 13 pins too.

GEC stainless 440C knives are uncommon but all seem to have brass liners and pins, pity as they could really benefit from NS optioning in my view.

Brass being soft is easier to machine than steel and can add a nice decoration to knives no question. However, on many people it 'reacts' something in the sweat? Producing an unpleasant odour and brass bleed, verdigris staining the scales on Stag or lighter bone, with many other people there's no reaction. Let's just say many of my knives are greener than I'd like.....it may also be the reaction with carbon springs & blades causing this funky smell and taste on food or just me..

Curiously, CASE have used stainless backsprings for years on their cv/now carbon models after abandoning NS liners in the 70s, does help keep the well of the knife rust free mind.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I have a few all steel, with mild steel bolsters and liners. Love them.

 

[JoKr]

Interesting questions

I don't know if the backsprings are 1095 but possibly another more malleable type of carbon and the liners too? I do know that the all steel ones have really tight fit on the backsprings, it's a superb job and one reason I prefer them-- gap free zone. Steel pins too, but there may be exceptions, think Farm&Field Bullnose et al. they sport brass pins and lanyard tube. Tool steel was used in early examples rather than 1095.

A few knives have come with NS liners and pins (but this is really white brass but much less prone to verdigris) The Forum 2011 knife that I sold had NS liners as did the Forum Knife 13 pins too.

GEC stainless 440C knives are uncommon but all seem to have brass liners and pins, pity as they could really benefit from NS optioning in my view.

Brass being soft is easier to machine than steel and can add a nice decoration to knives no question. However, on many people it 'reacts' something in the sweat? Producing an unpleasant odour and brass bleed, verdigris staining the scales on Stag or lighter bone, with many other people there's no reaction. Let's just say many of my knives are greener than I'd like.....it may also be the reaction with carbon springs & blades causing this funky smell and taste on food or just me..

Curiously, CASE have used stainless backsprings for years on their cv/now carbon models after abandoning NS liners in the 70s, does help keep the well of the knife rust free mind.

thank you so much Will!

you raised a lot of things that are important for me to discuss!
the material mix of soft and harder metal connections on moving components that rub against each other can become a problem if the harder metal has unclean and uneven surfaces, because then the hard metal digs into the soft metal and an unsightly and not so soft blade run.
(bronze washers are often installed in modern knives, the surface of the components is very smooth and precisely worked)

the walk & talk of my Bunny Knife with the brass and steel components is not as smooth as that of my #15 Boys knives made of steel, for example. yes, especially in the case of antlers and bones, the oxidation of the brass components shows unsightly greenish discolorations which are given off by the copper of the brass alloy to the handle material. the coloring is noticeable and unattractive, especially with light lucent materials such as light stag and bones.


I would be interested to know if and on which knives GEC NS liners are installed and what the hardness of this NS liner is.


Bunny Knife Details:





#77 WJ Brass Copper verdigris:

 

[Will Power]

Good close-ups.

Brass being softer will allow other harder materials to 'chew' against it, this can be desirable say in the case of washers on nuts & bolts so that gaps get sealed tight.

Certainly the 15 and other knives having all steel construction have very tight tolerances indeed, as I noted before the backsprings are almost like one piece allowing no light through which is impressive. Also with the first run 92 Eureka which were all steel, it has a swell centre or hump which is difficult to achieve, the backs on these are like glass! Later models had brass liners implying that it is easier to manufacture? These models certainly have inferior W&T. So I've found W&T generally smoother but not always, brass can 'allow' a very smooth opening because of its softness. Not a metallurgist or engineer so I can't speak with authority merely experience-that's often valuable though. I suspect the machining tolerances on all steel are much more demanding as you don't have the softer brass to compensate for less stringent work?

As for verdigris reactions, two points of interest: it seems more virulent in the case of carbon blades & liners, brass with stainless seems a lot less prone to verdigris. Secondly, it may well have something to do with a chemical reaction with the individual's sweat - some people get a rash from certain plants others don't.

This Crown Lifter 15 (no longer shiny it's led an active life) has a very nice smooth back being all steel and great action, but it does have brass pins, very nicely domed no sink-holes and they offset the darker bone very well. My Beer Scout in Ivory Bone has stood up much worse, pin cracks (never been dropped or banged) plenty of verdigris colour on the light bone from the brass pins & liners, it's been used to open bottles and cut fruits but it doesn't look to good in contrast to the Crown Lifter.