Did I say single bladed knives? Maybe I meant to say single blades of knives.
What I should have said is that it keeps the buying of knives down (at least in recent releases). Mr. Knife only seems to buy single bladed knives.
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Has Great Eastern Cutlery peaked in popularity?
- Thread starter Elgatodeacero
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What I should have said is that it keeps the buying of knives down (at least in recent releases). Mr. Knife only seems to buy single bladed knives.
That's about where I am, although I like to try the newer patterns that come out, and it is nice to be able to give folks a second shot at buying at a reasonable price if I move those along.
I used to have a $150 max spending ceiling for buying GECs on the secondary. That has proven almost unattainable because dealer prices have increased. I've now made two purchases of GECs for $200 and I'm beginning to question whether I need to step back and revisit my buying approach.
Speaking of grails, I've been wanting a Washington Jack for a long time and just lucked out since one of those two $200 GEC purchases was one I made today--and a harness jack is the version I'd want most if given the choice--what a stroke of luck! I still kick myself sometimes for selling my #35 Churchill--the other $200 purchase was for the recent Texdel camp knives as a consolation. See how my mind begins to justify these decisions. . .
small world!!! $200 is about the max I've ever spent on a gec and that was a very special one at that. Most recently an sfo was also dropped at that $200 price point and having bought that, I have realized perhaps its time to step back. $200 is the ceiling id considered the max I'd ever spend, so perhaps it is time to just enjoy my collection.
For good or for ill I've sold far more GECs than I've retained, and it has been a real pleasure to appreciate them before moving them along. When I originally started getting into slip joints I thought of reselling them as a way to earn a little money on the side, but the longer I was a member of Bladeforums and saw how much more important the tradition of knife collecting and the relationship with people was, I decided to abandon ever trying to scalp anyone on a knife. I don't really get bothered by folks selling older and rare pieces for a small profit, but the wheeling and dealing at multiple exponents of MSRP has always given me a bad taste.
sf fanatic
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Agreed. I don’t sell a lot of knives on the exchange anymore but when I do sell a popular GEC at cost plus shipping I always note in my post that I will give preference to Porch regulars and will only sell to paid members. I figure if you can afford a couple of cups of coffee from Starbucks how much of a burden is a $15 Basic Forum membership?
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People used to say (they basically wished) that if the dealers raised their prices then the secondary market will die down, flippers will disappear and it will be easier to get CECs.
So, now, following that request/desire/excuse, many dealers are selling at what the secondary market would have charged, the flippers and secondary market are even higher on popular models and GECs are just as hard to get.
Thus all that "movement" for higher dealer prices achieved was to make GECs even more expensive, desirable and harder to obtain, I think.
So, now, following that request/desire/excuse, many dealers are selling at what the secondary market would have charged, the flippers and secondary market are even higher on popular models and GECs are just as hard to get.
Thus all that "movement" for higher dealer prices achieved was to make GECs even more expensive, desirable and harder to obtain, I think.
i suppose that's one of of the dilemmas for folks with the rarer old stock. selling it for what they got it for would just be leaving money on the table. Especially since so many of the new folks are looking for the "old" stuff and others just looking to scrounge up trade bait or to dump on ebay. i've just gotten sick of all of it lately these last few years. mostly packed away my gecs at this point except one or two.
It is a weird confluence of collectors, users, and money-makers. I always use my GECs and find no enjoyment in having a knife sit in storage, but some guys get a thrill from getting every example of a pattern from a run, and then there are those just trying to capitalize on the scarcity of the market. None of these three really help one another out since collectors prefer unused, users prefer not to pay out the nose, and money-makers get more from something pristine and often have to pay a premium to pry a rare knife from a collector.
But it is always the quality and fun that keep me into GECs, and if you can stomach the rest there’s still enjoyable moments to have and share.
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There was a time where I thought it impossible for me to lose my enthusiasm for GEC's products but frankly, this year, I've derived far more enjoyment from the Case knives I've acquired than the GEC ones. I think, for the most part, it largely has to do with the conversations surrounding them being more negative than positive these days. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was last year's Forum Knife discussion - not only did it bring out the very worst in us all that took part, but it also shined a very negative light on GEC enthusiasts in general. As such, I want little part of such negative perceptions, misplaced or otherwise. It simply isn't good for the soul (or one's blood pressure).
I do think there is a considerable glut of GEC knives out there these days. We hear fairly often from new folks who have discovered GEC recently and within days have acquired multiple knives. I have even had folks reach out to me in the past for guidance and due to their own acumen, persistence, and such, have collections that rival my own and they achieved that in a fraction of the time it has taken me. The point being, it isn't particularly hard to get a GEC right now (barring the limited releases, of course).
I am proud of my collection but I do think that any additions to it going forward are going to be far more modest than they have been in recent years. I am finding that the same pocket knife sticks with me for several weeks at a time and I haven't felt too motivated to switch it out more frequently.
I do think there is a considerable glut of GEC knives out there these days. We hear fairly often from new folks who have discovered GEC recently and within days have acquired multiple knives. I have even had folks reach out to me in the past for guidance and due to their own acumen, persistence, and such, have collections that rival my own and they achieved that in a fraction of the time it has taken me. The point being, it isn't particularly hard to get a GEC right now (barring the limited releases, of course).
I am proud of my collection but I do think that any additions to it going forward are going to be far more modest than they have been in recent years. I am finding that the same pocket knife sticks with me for several weeks at a time and I haven't felt too motivated to switch it out more frequently.
I just had to have and handle the Bayou trapper and bided my time, got one from NZ. I don't buy many knives these days but that one really caught my fancy. It's kind of funny but once I got it in hand, there is no urge to carry and use it, just an object to be admired and fondled. I gave up on drops quite a while back and disabled all notifications from dealers. I am in no way negative regarding the whole GEC phenomena. I wish good fortune to Bill and all of his employees. The comradery and friendships formed when I first learned about this brand over in the Trad. forum are more valuable to me than any of the knives. They are just things made by the hands of the men and women who work at the factory on old machines.
My GEC buying days were 2013 - 2016. They were easy enough to come by when I first became interested in them.
Mid to late 2016 seems about when it became a scramble to place your order within minutes of getting a notification from your dealer of choice, after having signed up for their early reservation system. Before that, except for SFOs, you could wait until dealers had stock for general release patterns, and in some cases pick your exact knife from individual photos, depending on the dealer.
Back then, I bought a few like-new or lightly used models from the Exchange forum here on BF, for below the original sale price.
They are nice knives, no question, but I don't get why they command such high prices. I guess a lot of people have more disposable income than me and really want one. I think it is like
mrknife
mentioned - they have become Veblen goods to show off for one's followers on social media.
Edit: I did end up with 14 of them, all told. Haven't sold one yet.
Mid to late 2016 seems about when it became a scramble to place your order within minutes of getting a notification from your dealer of choice, after having signed up for their early reservation system. Before that, except for SFOs, you could wait until dealers had stock for general release patterns, and in some cases pick your exact knife from individual photos, depending on the dealer.
Back then, I bought a few like-new or lightly used models from the Exchange forum here on BF, for below the original sale price.
They are nice knives, no question, but I don't get why they command such high prices. I guess a lot of people have more disposable income than me and really want one. I think it is like
mrknife
mentioned - they have become Veblen goods to show off for one's followers on social media.Edit: I did end up with 14 of them, all told. Haven't sold one yet.
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My GEC buying days were 2013 - 2016. They were easy enough to come by when I first became interested in them.
Mid to late 2016 seems about when it became a scramble to place your order within minutes of getting a notification from your dealer of choice, after having signed up for their early reservation system. Before that, except for SFOs, you could wait until dealers had stock for general release patterns, and in some cases pick your exact knife from individual photos, depending on the dealer.
Back then, I bought a few like-new or lightly used models from the Exchange forum here on BF, for below the original sale price.
They are nice knives, no question, but I don't get why they command such high prices. I guess a lot of people have more disposable income than me and really want one. I think it is like
Edit: I did end up with 14 of them, all told. Haven't sold one yet.
same, take the pony jack for example. It was a model I had considered and recommended to me but not one high up on the list. I eventually managed once people started letting them go for the next release of the week and even ended up with a special deleted pony jack that was an offer I wouldnt decline. Some people get FOMO bad. See it worse in the facebook groups than here, not that it doesn't happen. They just have to have the newest release and end up with a few of em some how they just need to recoup their money on
My biggest gripe of late is however those who grab as many as they can to force trades. I don't care if people end up with like two, because that used to be my buying plan. If I liked it enough, I'd buy two, one to use and one to store away just in case I lost the user. But to end up with like 4 or 5 of the same knife of a regular release? Must really love it.
Ah! The original release of the Pony Jack was my first GEC purchase when it new. Such a well-made, pretty little knife! Way too nice to use and mess up!
Which is why it is still unused.I assume that in the back of my head is the little voice saying "That GEC can be sold for more than you paid for it, use something else".
I later bought a #12 Powderhorn Jack off the Exchange here, previously carried and used and with some patina. Polished up to look like new (minus the blade etch), sharpened to better than new, and one that I regularly carry. My use of a previously used knife does not change the value of it at all. So I have no problems carrying it. Someone else put the first "dent" in that new car.
There have been other times where I told myself "OK, no matter how pretty it is, THIS next GEC knife is going to become your EDC." And then it doesn't. So I stopped buying them because of that, not because of anything else. If I am not going to use them, might as well not buy them.
Ah! The original release of the Pony Jack was my first GEC purchase when it new. Such a well-made, pretty little knife! Way too nice to use and mess up!
I assume that in the back of my head is the little voice saying "That GEC can be sold for more than you paid for it, use something else".
I later bought a #12 Powderhorn Jack off the Exchange here, previously carried and used and with some patina. Polished up to look like new (minus the blade etch), sharpened to better than new, and one that I regularly carry. My use of a previously used knife does not change the value of it at all. So I have no problems carrying it. Someone else put the first "dent" in that new car.
There have been other times where I told myself "OK, no matter how pretty it is, THIS next GEC knife is going to become your EDC." And then it doesn't. So I stopped buying them because of that, not because of anything else. If I am not going to use them, might as well not buy them.
yup which has led me to the conclusion of S knives or users
tinfoil hat timmy
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I never saw the appeal really. There was a point where I wondered what all the Fuss was about.
after my first i traded it away after about 3 days and wont go out of my way to get another one.
after my first i traded it away after about 3 days and wont go out of my way to get another one.
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Way early on I bought an ebony powderhorn when they sat on dealer shelves. I t wound up being in my pocket for the better part of five or six years. It wasn't planned, it just happened. Still is one o9f my favorite knives I have ever carried.Ah! The original release of the Pony Jack was my first GEC purchase when it new. Such a well-made, pretty little knife! Way too nice to use and mess up!
I assume that in the back of my head is the little voice saying "That GEC can be sold for more than you paid for it, use something else".
I later bought a #12 Powderhorn Jack off the Exchange here, previously carried and used and with some patina. Polished up to look like new (minus the blade etch), sharpened to better than new, and one that I regularly carry. My use of a previously used knife does not change the value of it at all. So I have no problems carrying it. Someone else put the first "dent" in that new car.
There have been other times where I told myself "OK, no matter how pretty it is, THIS next GEC knife is going to become your EDC." And then it doesn't. So I stopped buying them because of that, not because of anything else. If I am not going to use them, might as well not buy them.
tinfoil hat timmy
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I had a beer and sausage in my hand for about 3 days then moved it along. thanks for the reminder. I'll edit my original post
Haha, I was gonna tell you to periodically dig through the exchange. Sometimes there’s some good deals found floating around on pages 3-6.
The Remington bullet knives from last year are a very nice representation of an old pattern done right and seem to pop up often for retail or lower.