Got my first GEC, a #57 :)

O

Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
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Never would have happened without your guidance so a huge thank you to you guys first off! Oh, and to my wife too. ;)

My brand new halfwhitt was waiting for me when I got home from work last night.

I took a few pics that I'll put at the end.

I'm in a big hurry, but a couple of things that I noticed right off the bat...

This knife is dull(!) BUT that's okay! I love sharpening, and these look to be some of the most sharpen-able blades I've ever seen. The main in particular looks like it'll be a joy with its full flat ground geometry terminating to a fairly acute (nearly) zero ground apex.

The pen blade is also very interesting to look at. I've never seen asymmetrical blades like these. I presume they are the way they are in order to fit in the tiny form factor, which itself is a bit of a marvel. The black buffalo horn is plain, but pretty.

I was told that the action might be fairly light on this model. The only other knives I have to compare to are a couple of SAKs and a nail breaker Camillus Rough Cut tobacco. This GEC is much heavier in pull than either SAK and just a bit lighter than the Camillus. Both blades snap shut on their own with authority. I must have gotten an odd ball?

I'll continue to post thoughts and comments as I go. So far I really like the knife! Definitely one of my favorite knives already, and I can see adding more in the future. :)

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Oh, last thing. The pen blade IS very thin as reported. It should work fabulously for carving. The very tip has a touch of heat coloring so hopefully there isn't any problems with retention, but it should be an easy fix even so.
 
The asymmetrical swedging is indeed to eliminate, or at least limit, the blade rubbing that might occur on knives where opposing blades ride on the same spring.

Congrats on your first GEC. It won't be your last.
 
NICE! I just got my first GEC not too long ago, too. They're on another level, aren't they? Quick question, though, is that buffalo translucent in places, or is it solid black, all the way around? Seems like all the buffalo scales I've seen have had a lot of depth, but I've never seen it on a GEC in person. Thanks for posting pic, that's a sweet knife!
 
Congratulations on a fine choice. Great pics too. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
Congrats Strigamort on your first GEC!
Sweet looking knife, love that buffalo horn, very classy :thumbup:
And I'm betting it won't be your last....
 
I love my 57 halfwhitt. Probably the most pocket friendly GEC I own. The wharncliffe does everything I need a knife to do. Feel really good and solid in the hand. Your buffalo horn is very classic. Enjoy it.
 
Thanks guys, I'm actually a little bit pleased that it's dull because it'll be fun to choose my own edges. Btw,when I say dull I mean dull. Almost as dull as my Opinel was, with both I could run my finger down the edge without worry. :o

Couple of questions.

Regarding the shield, would it be feasible to have "Alms" (my last name) engraved on it? If so, are there any places or people that you recommend?

Also, there is a small gouge in one of the covers. It's not deep, but it can be felt if you drag a fingernail over it. My knife was advertised as having been gone over personally by the seller for quality and f&f. Obviously I'm new to these knives, I'm also new to most forms of natural scale materials. Are small defects like this normal, or should I have been expecting more? I really don't want to send the knife back. I just got it, and I already feel a bond with it. If it's abnormal, would it be fair to ask the seller for a discount on the next knife, that is, if I decide to purchase from him again?

Thanks for your help. This knife has a very specific purpose. I may edc it a little, but really its life will be led as a pocket wood carving machine. It *feels* like it could excel at this task.

I'm thinking that if I start adding to my collection of two I'll stick with whittlers for a while. I wish that I could handle the other brands because now that I've seen how nice and thin they can be I'm afraid I won't want to spend the hours manually thinning blades anymore!
 
Strigamort said:
Also, there is a small gouge in one of the covers. It's not deep, but it can be felt if you drag a fingernail over it.
Click to expand...

Stop dragging your fingernail over it, duh.




Just kidding! No answer to your immediate questions, just my appreciation for your thread and a fine first knife. I hope your concerns are alleviated soon. I look forward to seeing what you create with wood next. :)

~ P.
 
pertinux said:
Stop dragging your fingernail over it, duh.




Just kidding! No answer to your immediate questions, just my appreciation for your thread and a fine first knife. I hope your concerns are alleviated soon. I look forward to seeing what you create with wood next. :)

~ P.
Click to expand...

Haha, got me for a second. I thought, crap... I'm already irritating the natives! :D

Um... Under threat of showing my ignorance... Can someone please tell me how "Tidioute" is pronounced? I've mumbled it countless times under my breath, and no matter which way I try it it still comes out sounding idiotic. :o
 
That is a real beauty, thanks for sharing it.

Are you sure the color is from heat and not just a patina?

Just hoping patina for your sake :)

Kevin
 
richstag said:
That is a real beauty, thanks for sharing it.

Are you sure the color is from heat and not just a patina?

Just hoping patina for your sake :)

Kevin
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm sure. I'm at work right now but I'll try to get a pic of it later. I've done a number of forced patinas, and I've seen natural occurring patinas too. This has that multi color burn that I'm too familiar with from getting overzealous with my belt grinder. :(
 
Planterz said:
The asymmetrical swedging is indeed to eliminate, or at least limit, the blade rubbing that might occur on knives where opposing blades ride on the same spring.

Congrats on your first GEC. It won't be your last.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I don't see any Swedge on these blades.
 
Strigamort said:
Thanks guys, I'm actually a little bit pleased that it's dull because it'll be fun to choose my own edges. Btw,when I say dull I mean dull. Almost as dull as my Opinel was, with both I could run my finger down the edge without worry. :o

Couple of questions.

Regarding the shield, would it be feasible to have "Alms" (my last name) engraved on it? If so, are there any places or people that you recommend?

Also, there is a small gouge in one of the covers. It's not deep, but it can be felt if you drag a fingernail over it. My knife was advertised as having been gone over personally by the seller for quality and f&f. Obviously I'm new to these knives, I'm also new to most forms of natural scale materials. Are small defects like this normal, or should I have been expecting more? I really don't want to send the knife back. I just got it, and I already feel a bond with it. If it's abnormal, would it be fair to ask the seller for a discount on the next knife, that is, if I decide to purchase from him again?

Thanks for your help. This knife has a very specific purpose. I may edc it a little, but really its life will be led as a pocket wood carving machine. It *feels* like it could excel at this task.

I'm thinking that if I start adding to my collection of two I'll stick with whittlers for a while. I wish that I could handle the other brands because now that I've seen how nice and thin they can be I'm afraid I won't want to spend the hours manually thinning blades anymore!
Click to expand...

I believe your handle scales are Black Buffalo Horn? if they are, as a natural handle material, Buffalo Horn may, or may not, have natural texture, fissures, striations, and/or variations in color. It's natural horn, not man made plastic. If you don't like it send it back. Discount on the next knife, are you kidding?
 
rma100 said:
I believe your handle scales are Black Buffalo Horn? if they are, as a natural handle material, Buffalo Horn may, or may not, have natural texture, fissures, striations, and/or variations in color. It's natural horn, not man made plastic. If you don't like it send it back. Discount on the next knife, are you kidding?
Click to expand...

Well, that's why I asked. ;)

In all honesty it looks like a flaw, but as I'm otherwise happy with the knife (except maybe that darned heated tip) I'll be glad to keep it. Thanks for your input.
 
Try soaking it in mineral oil. Natural handle materials dry and shrink. Don't have much familiarity with horn as a material, but the rejuvenating power of mineral oil on bone can be remarkable. Might swell it up and out.
 
MarkPinTx said:
Try soaking it in mineral oil. Natural handle materials dry and shrink. Don't have much familiarity with horn as a material, but the rejuvenating power of mineral oil on bone can be remarkable. Might swell it up and out.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, I'll try exactly that. I read in the buffalo horn thread that oiling is a good idea anyway, so I may as well get started right away. :)

Well, I tried to capture the discoloration at the tip of the pen blade. I utterly failed. I'll go ahead and post this pic anyway, but it's not really representative of how it looks in person.

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What you can't see is that the very tip is actually black. I don't have that much experience with this kind of thing but I'm thinking it's not a big deal? Anyway, I'm going to sharpen her up and just use the heck out of it. If it folds over and dies I'll go crying to GEC, but not before. ;)

Btw, I had the knife in my pocket for a little while and I totally mistook it for my bic lighter. If it weren't for the spine of the blade sticking out the side I may have tried to flick it! I'm use to pocket clips. I really hope that I don't lose this!
 
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