Got a GEC 65 Ben Hogan? Post it here!

BMCGear · Nov 20, 2015

This one has been on my radar for a while. Got pics or a story about this one? Post it here.

mrknife · Nov 21, 2015

i got one, and my story is that, earlier in the summer when i joined the traditionals i sought long and hard for clip points cause thats one of my favorite blade shapes. i got the 48 in stag and others eventually. and i was looking at the mako and thought hmm slimmer clip, interesting, no love for that end cap maybe i can shape that down a bit. so i being thinking about the ben hogan and the babylon hill special. i got the 65 in stag, and most recently just paid a member who had a 64 lock back no swing guard 64 that hes been trying to sell since almost september. Shame my 65 ben hogan came with some marks on the end cap tho. its a long slender knife. there was a used one for sale i was thinking about buying for edc but decided against it

Alchemy1 · Nov 21, 2015

I own two. One in in antique Amber jigged bone and one in natural stag. The color of the bone struck me when I was looking around and saw the knife. The size is a + and - for me. I wear xxl gloves so the knife is plenty big enough for me. However, I think it could be taken down an inch (.5" on the blade and .5" on the handle) and it'd be the perfect carry. It's too long to carry in my slacks that I have to wear 5 days/week and a little big to pull out in an office environment. I do love the knife though.

22-rimfire · Nov 21, 2015

I have a burnt stag Ben Hogan with a spear point. My story goes this way.... I was looking for my ultimate slip joint and really didn't have a feel for the overall closed length and how it would work for my regular carry function. The trapper (#73 I believe) forum knife pushed me into looking. I thought that this knife was smaller than I wanted. Had a couple other GECs that were in the 3.5" size area. Not big enough. I knew that the Big Daddy Barlow was too large for me (have a couple) and the 73 too small. The search began.... first acquisition to fill this need was the #23. Carried it and decided it was too large and heavy for my pocket carry. Then the #36 Sunfish appeared.... after some carry, decided it was too heavy but liked the size. Then I got the Ben Hogan which I still like a lot but wanted a trapper. The #42 (at closed length of 4.25") was next and that is where I settled size wise as my preferred using slip joint. The Ben Hogan does not get used, but I really like the knife.

bozack · Nov 21, 2015

Bloodwood, Bone and Stag.

BrotherJim · Nov 21, 2015

I have this lock back in ebony (651112) No.13 of 25
It's a user as are all my knives. I really like this one a lot and have no complaints. Fit and finish is better than some GEC knives I have too.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is this pattern is what was traditionally known as an English Jack and the length of the Ben Hogan is typical.

Will Power · Nov 22, 2015

I've been brooding about one for ages, the Bloodwood, Stag , Jigged Bone and Ebony ( I think there was Primitive Bone too??) all look really worthwhile. I like the lockback version particularly but at the end of the day I think the frame would be too big for my carry style. It's a quandry as these are fine looking knives and seem to have very good F&F from pictures and user reports, however, I have a lot of unused knives and it's time to be more realistic as I don't want o add to them. always nice to look at beautiful knives and handle them but they need use and I don't think I could give it.

Of course, If somebody fancies sending me one for evaluation I'll be delighted...

Bro.Jim, I'd say you are correct about that English Jack analogy, it certainly looks very much like the Queen Cutlery QCCC English Jack except it only has one blade. I had one of these QCCCs for a day or two (dealer sent me the wrong knife and I had to return it at my cost, international, to get what I paid for! he got struck off my list unsurprisingly :barf

it was a large and very beautiful knife but I couldn't see myself carrying it.

Thanks, Will

cutchu · Nov 22, 2015

mrknife · Nov 22, 2015

Will Power said:
I've been brooding about one for ages, the Bloodwood, Stag , Jigged Bone and Ebony ( I think there was Primitive Bone too??) all look really worthwhile. I like the lockback version particularly but at the end of the day I think the frame would be too big for my carry style. It's a quandry as these are fine looking knives and seem to have very good F&F from pictures and user reports, however, I have a lot of unused knives and it's time to be more realistic as I don't want o add to them. always nice to look at beautiful knives and handle them but they need use and I don't think I could give it.

Of course, If somebody fancies sending me one for evaluation I'll be delighted...

Bro.Jim, I'd say you are correct about that English Jack analogy, it certainly looks very much like the Queen Cutlery QCCC English Jack except it only has one blade. I had one of these QCCCs for a day or two (dealer sent me the wrong knife and I had to return it at my cost, international, to get what I paid for! he got struck off my list unsurprisingly :barf it was a large and very beautiful knife but I couldn't see myself carrying it.

Thanks, Will

its the bolster for me. that and its a long slender knife. i too have a lot of unused knives, but i suppose thats collecting

i like the squared bolster offered by the 64 more than the copperhead looking thing

2Dead · Nov 23, 2015

mrknife · Nov 23, 2015

2Dead said:

im totally confused now, there were lock back 65s that are not 64s but some 64s have lock backs and swing guards while others dont?

bigbore.45 · Nov 23, 2015

#64

#65

the rest

No story, just from GEC distributors/dealers exept the Camel bone.

draggat · Nov 24, 2015

Ben Hogan #65? Yeah, I have a few of those. One of my favorites......

I constantly see confusion between 64's and 65's here on BF. As of now:

All 65's have copperhead style bolsters. Some are lockbacks, some are slipjoints. There have been 3 blade styles.... clip, spear and saber.

All 64's have a straight bolster. All of the ones produced thus far are lockbacks. The Northfields have swing guards and the Tidioutes do not.

Hope this helps!

mrknife · Nov 24, 2015

draggat said:
Ben Hogan #65? Yeah, I have a few of those. One of my favorites......

I constantly see confusion between 64's and 65's here on BF. As of now:

All 65's have copperhead style bolsters. Some are lockbacks, some are slipjoints. There have been 3 blade styles.... clip, spear and saber.

All 64's have a straight bolster. All of the ones produced thus far are lockbacks. The Northfields have swing guards and the Tidioutes do not.

Hope this helps!

Sabre and clip? But they look almost the same tho

draggat · Nov 24, 2015

IMHO, the saber blade is distinctively different than the standard flat ground clip. It was only offered in Northfield and the blade has a long pull and a nail nick.

mrknife · Nov 24, 2015

draggat said:
IMHO, the saber blade is distinctively different than the standard flat ground clip. It was only offered in Northfield and the blade has a long pull and a nail nick.

but essentially that clip is the same on the 63,64,65 right?

draggat · Nov 24, 2015

mrknife said:
but essentially that clip is the same on the 63,64,65 right?

Well, I guess so. The standard flat ground clip is probably interchangeable on the three knives. For people who are just users, the 64 and 65 are essentially the same knife. For someone like me, who gets more enjoyment from collecting, it's the small details that are interesting.

mrknife · Nov 24, 2015

draggat said:
Well, I guess so. The standard flat ground clip is probably interchangeable on the three knives. For people who are just users, the 64 and 65 are essentially the same knife. For someone like me, who gets more enjoyment from collecting, it's the small details that are interesting.

amen to that, i almost bought the 63 a while back someone had dropped the price to almost $60 trying to get rid of em, but i saw it as highly repetitive. managed to get the 64 lockback the other day because that op dropped the price and theyve been trying to move those for months.

markpmc · Nov 24, 2015

You know it's bad when you're pretty sure you have one, but need to dig it out for a pic.

Pretty sure I have a blue camel like Trand's also have a blue camel mako. Guess I'll go digging this weekend.

btb01 · Nov 24, 2015

I love the look of these knives, especially that Northfield with the Antique Autumn Jigged Bone, but I'm hesitant to buy one because I'm in the same boat as Will Power - these are significantly larger (longer) than anything I normally carry, and I'm afraid that it would just end up sitting in a drawer. I do like how slim they look, though. Certainly tempting.