How about Canal Street knives?

Easyrider

Easyrider

Joined
Jan 31, 2000
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Everyone seems to be talking about Great Eastern Cutlery lately and I wonder how Canal Street knives stack up against them

Where is the love for Canal Street knives or are GEC that much better of a product?
 
Here is a thread I started quite a while ago.http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1060209-Lets-See-Your-Canal-Street-Cutlery-Pics!!

They make a great knife but are very limited so far on the actual patterns they manufacture. I only have one so far but it is an excellent knife & I wouldn't be afraid to buy another. Actually I have another one coming that should be here Thursday. :). GEC is my favorite just because of all the patterns they produce & I prefer 1095 steel. Both great companies that make very small runs of knives.

 
Canal Street makes superb quality knives, though not as many patterns as GEC. I don't have any Great Eastern knives, but from reviews I've read on them Canal Street seems like they may have a better fit and finish. I've talked to the owner of CS before, super nice guy, and they also make the Kabar dog head knives just fyi.
 
Easyrider said:
Everyone seems to be talking about Great Eastern Cutlery lately and I wonder how Canal Street knives stack up against them

Where is the love for Canal Street knives or are GEC that much better of a product?
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GEC is that much better of a product. No question about it IMO.

Bobloblaw89 said:
Canal Street makes superb quality knives, though not as many patterns as GEC. I don't have any Great Eastern knives, but from reviews I've read on them Canal Street seems like they may have a better fit and finish. I've talked to the owner of CS before, super nice guy, and they also make the Kabar dog head knives just fyi.
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Can you please point me in the direction of all these reviews comparing CSC to GEC and having the CSC knife come out ahead in fit and finish?thanks. From my experience CSC isn't really in the same league as GEC when it comes to fit and finish.
 
joeymoey said:
GEC is that much better of a product. No question about it IMO.



Can you please point me in the direction of all these reviews comparing CSC to GEC and having the CSC knife come out ahead in fit and finish?thanks. From my experience CSC isn't really in the same league as GEC when it comes to fit and finish.
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I own a few GECs and 1 Canal street. It's great, super smooth, has really nice bone scales. The only flaws are the blades are slightly off center and the backspring isn't perfectly flush when the spey is open. This is being picky.

I will purchase more from both companies.
 
CSC makes a great knife, but not GEC great...come on :)
They're pretty, but they don't have the workhorse attitude of a GEC.
 
I recently traded for a CSC pinch lockback. It doesn't have the bomb proof stout feel of some of my GEC's but the fit and finish is definitely very good. I would say as good as GEC, just with a different feel.

Jim
 
IIRC, Canal Street is doing a lot of subcontract work. The popular KaBar Coppersmith Barlows are made by Canal Street, as are a lot of the other current traditional pocket knives offered by KaBar. So while knives made with the CSC label don't get a lot of air time, Canal Street actually does make some popular knives.

The other reason CSC is not as popular here on this forum is because of the major emphasis folks here have on knives made with carbon steel blades. The knives CSC markets under their own emblem are stainless.
 
As said, CSC makes "pretty" knives. I have a couple that are indeed good-looking blades. The finish on the steel is superior to GEC, as in much more highly polished, with sharper edges, out of the box. This is of course in my limited experience. I do notice they tend to be a little looser in construction, though. Not as tight in the liners, with some visible light through them. I've also seen it posted by a rep for CSC that this is intentional for smoother walk and talk. I can see this in the Kabar-branded Copper-smith large lock-back.

I, myself am pleased with the CSC knives I've gotten. I hold them to the same degree of awe as the GEC's I own. (at present, 3 of each) My only real complaint is the glued shields, as opposed to GEC's pinned. Really not that big a deal, but I have had to re-glue one.
 
They, CS, offer D2 blades and their own stainless. The quality is there, no question.

However, they don't have such a big range of patterns as GEC, not so many handle options either apart from their short-runs. Nor do they have a variety of shields, it's all one coin style I think. Their Barlows have engraved rather than stamped bolster it appears. My major concern is that the CS knives I've had are very softly sprung, almost weak and I don't favour that. Of course, many people do prefer lighter springs. GEC have robust springs generally, sometimes too much so I will admit as I have a 73 that's an impossible tyrrant even for me. It's annoying. You wont encounter that problem with CS though!
 
Like most traditionals other than GEC, if you can hand pick one then you can't go wrong with Canal Street. I've had several different of their patterns, which have all been fine, but the softer springs don't appeal to me, either. You can soften a "too hard" set, but you can't "strengthen up" ones that are too soft.
 
I handled some of their earlier models and I agree that the springs were much to soft and I like a little bit softer spring much like a 68 White Owl. I've only handled 2 of their more recent knives and have another one that will be here tomorrow but those 2 that I have handled that were made within the last year actually had a very nice pull on them. I would say around a 5 on the main and a 6 on the secondary pen blade. I think maybe they have addressed the soft spring issue? I did not know about them gluing in their shields though and that is a bit disappointing especially at their price point. I do remember reading somewhere that the reason they don't stamp the bolsters on their Barlows is because they are actually using stainless steel for the bolsters and backsprings on these knives and the tooling they have can't stamp the stainless or something along those lines. The bolsters on their Barlows would look so good with a nice deep stamp like the TC Barlows have though!
 
Of the ones I have handled in recent months, the springs seem too soft. The knives have good fit an finish. I view them as boutique knives for the most part. The Kabar coppersmith knife series is expensive, but I am interested in the barlow and am interested in the CSC Barlow with the photograph.

I don't see "superior" fit and finish as compared to GEC. I see about equal fit and finish.
 
I also only have one, a Half Moon Trapper in artillery (olive green) canvas micarta. Blade is centered, pull is about a 4, very similar to something like a Buck 302. Fit and finish are every bit as good as my GECs.
 
I own many and they are on par with GEC and Queen and actually put a decent edge on their knives. They do have softer pulls but I prefer that. I carry my D2 pinch more often than not.

I just wish they would come out with a serpentine jack.
 
All of the Canal Street Cutlery knives I've purchased recently have been excellent. :thumbup:
 
I was just looking for the Kabar Coppersmith Barlow and the Canal Street Barlow. Was ready to buy at least one until I realized the closed length is 3.25" versus 3.5". You see, I actually prefer 4"+ slip joints.... have to ask myself why I want these?? Collect... length doesn't matter. Use... it matters to me.
 
These pictures are taken with a 3.5" GEC 76 outlaw jack & the last picture is with a 25 Little Jack at 3" & a 15 Boys Knife at 3.5". As you can see there isn't much difference at all.



 
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