Greco Knives - Last Call.

What a bummer!
I really like his designs and they are quite affordable.

Wade,
I have a companion he made that is .25" A2 tool steel.
Looks tough as a railroad spike and Im sure it is.
Its so pretty Ive never had the heart to use it much.
Now I doubt if I will.

Greco's knives are unique enough that he deserves to have his designs picked up by a production company.
Perhaps he can work out a joint venture so that we can continue to use his knives....
 
Just off the phone with him,

bought a companion, two Whisper CT's and two dangling drop points, this will go with my 10" tanto from him.

I wish him well.
 
Greco knives look like great designs. What kind of steel is 8670. How does it compare to more familiar steels like 440C or D2?
 
That's very sad news. I have always been a fan of Mr. Greco's designs and his prices were consistently amazing. :(
 
Nuke_Spook,

That 8670 is a European carbon steel. I think there has been some discussion of it previously so you might find out more about it if you do a search. It should be a good steel. Carbon steels are nearly always good. It is the cheap stainless steels you have watch out for. Most of the steel criticism I have seen here is directed at 420, 420J2, Aus6, 440A, etc. About the only carbon steels I have seen criticized is 1075, whatever is used by Sheffield to make the Iraeli Army Knife, and the carbon steel in cheap Indian imports.
 
That does suck. I just met him at a show in Chicago this past September, sure is a nice guy, real easy to talk to. Cool knives, too.
 
WadeF : My Hatch-it and Falcon folder are 8670, and my Dangler Caper is 52100. I believe his most often used steel is 8670.
 
Very sorry that we will be losing the artistry of one of the best. I've owned two Greco folders and they were as tough as they come...even challenged my Sebenza. I think that the saddest part of the entire post is that he will be selling off all of his tools...it's like selling a piece of one's soul!
Matt
 
John has always made excellent knives. I always wondered why he stopped forging his blades back during his no-telephone days; But, it never occurred to me that he may have been fighting something like this. I hope he finds a way to say with us. Perhaps he will find a worthy apprentice, who he can train to work the machinery, while he devotes himself to the creative side.

n2s
 
Yeah, Mr. Greco does make great stuff. The MST that I got (and I'll end up selling cause i'm strapped for cash) was a very tough blade. I don't even know what the heck did my friend do to get the edge to be impacted, but a couple of strokes on a stone and it was fixed. 8670 doesn't seem to rust terribly.
Great stuff, you guys who still want to sample Mr. Greco's knives shouldn't miss the opportunity!
 
My first non production knife was a Greco. Gift from Dad. It's a thing of beauty and utility. Great in hand and holds a wicked edge. I hope to purchase one or two more before Mr. Greco closes shop. He seems to have a big following. Dad is a fan too. I know he will be missed in the knife community.
 
I just got off the phone with him . I bought the falcon and whisper folders . I also picked up the folder service kit . I will have them by friday :) It was a honor to talk with him .He is a very nice person . I wish I could have bought more . Maybe next week .
 
Had a long talk with John reference his "Life Altering" condition. He is bearing up well and has a good plan for the future. His last knife that he will make is his "Scagel type" knives. Got my hands on one of them yesterday and it is very nice! Blade is out of 8670 (they use 8670 to make saws that cut other steels, it is very tought). Blade is 6 inches long with plenty of belly. The spine of the blade has "reverse belly" and has a swedge cut the entire length of the blade, starts about 1/4 inch from the top of the blade. Should be a real cutter. The handle on mine has an aluminum guard, then aluminum spacers and alternating lighter and darker leather washers, a thicker (1/8 inch) aluminum spacer and on the butt a 2 1/2 inch piece of beautiful Hondurian Rosewood. Handles are going to be available with either wood, stag or bone. Knife is light, balances well and feels good in your hand. John certainly picked a winner for his last knife!
 
He'll be missed:(

Hopefully he'll stay in touch through the forum, he can still impart knowledge, and live vicariously throuh those he educates.
 
I would love to have a companion or MST but I am dirt poor right now.I hope there is still some in a couple weeks.
 
Just talked to Mr. Greco to see what he had in stock.
I found out that my dad was looking for a Xmas gift for me and thought that this would be good.
If you were to choose what would you prefer,the MST or the Companion?
 
Ive wanted a whisper since I first saw one.

Could someone please post a picture of the Scagel blade ??
That sounds very interesting.
 
I spoke with John last week and he is a really nice guy. Ordered one of his Whisper folders and got it yesterday. It opens fairly easy and smoothly, the frame lock is easy to use.Basically there is negligible blade play. The handle is a little narrow but not too bad. You may want to radius the handles edges a bit though. It came sharp enough to shave a little bit of hair off my arm (the blade not the handle edges). I also got the service kit for $10.00. The included sheath can be carried either vertical or horizontal.

I really like this knife, it's solid, lighter than my Shrade LB7, carries in my back pocket nicely. I asked John about a pocket clip, he said it's a pocket knife ...... no clip.

What it is not:
Fast to deploy or glamorous. This is not a drawer queen, it's not a fashion statement, it's not the latest and greatest design or materials. It's not meant to slice cheese or fillet your fish.

What it is:
Heavy duty, heavy use, simple no frills folder. Thick stuff like cardboard, radiator hose, carpet, rope, oak trees. The blade is thick enough to do a little prying if you have to. You will have full confidence in the frame lock. I would be really surprised if you could break this knife with normal to heavy use. It's also meant to be serviceable by the owner, meant to be taken apart and put back together. Reminds me of my 1956 Allis Chalmers Model CA tractor ...... solid.


I hacked through some blackberry vines and cardboard with it, the sharpness did not change (in my opinion). I haven't really had time to do much else. I'm not an expert on knives, I'm a simple end user. All I care about is bang for my dollar and feeling good about my purchase.
IMHO, if you want something unique, solid for heavy use the Whisper folder would be a good choice. The Falcon folder is exactly the same except for the shape of the handle (scales).

For $75.00 + $15.00 insured shipping + $10.00 service kit I think it's a decent deal. Your also getting it from a real nice guy who will no longer be making them.

My humble opinions,
Mike
 
ub812,

I had the same dilemma and chose the MST, but in retrospect I would now choose the Companion (same knife but w/o choil and extended butt). As a user, that is. B/c the companion is ig and sturdy enough for everything but chopping. The MST is bigger but doesn't do much better as a chopper. The extra size isn't much practical benefit except as a fighting knife, and neither would be my fisrt choice for that purpose - although you sure could defend yourself with an MST no problem.
 
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