I love you GEC, but why do you hate my pockets?

S

SubSpace

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May 26, 2011
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Just spent a good thirty minutes sanding down the sharp tangs and swedge of my latest GEC. Now please don't get me wrong...I've seen how these knives are made and I firmly believe that the hundred dollar price points are reasonable for an American made knife of this quality in this day and age. But most of mine come sharper closed than open! And while 30 mins of work with a Spyderco ceramic rod to get it where it won't slice my pockets open is not a lot of work in the grand scheme of things, I can't help but think someone in that factory could go one extra step and round some things off. The swedge on my clip blade boy's knife actually cut my hand when I was using the pen blade. I've eroded it down, but now it's all scuffed and scratchy looking. I know it will get like that anyway with use, but--

Sorry for the rant. I still love you, GEC. I will continue to buy knives from you. But maybe start including a band-aid in with the wax paper...
 
Try wearing it in the watch pocket of your jeans. Easier to pull out by the bolster, and less room to move around in the pocket.
 
Same here. Just received a Boys Knife in Cocobolo and it is a bit sharp around the swedge. I've gotten a few GEC like this. I just knock it down with a stone.
 
I usually use a pocket slip sheath from KSF. Rides very nicely and smoothly in the pocket, not matter what pattern I'm carrying. And it keeps my knives from getting beat up by keys, change, ett. that might be in the same pocket.
 
I have about 15 GEC knives and I have yet to experience what the OP is talking about.
 
SubSpace said:
Just spent a good thirty minutes sanding down the sharp tangs and swedge of my latest GEC.
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I do the same, and agree completely GEC should spend a moment polishing the spine and swedges so they are not sharp. In fact, I just mailed them my Charlow and asked them to fix the blade wobble damage that I created by polishing the swedge back and forth on leather, with the blade closed. I also mentioned that they have developed a reputation for sharp spines and swedges, and included a link to this discussion. Hopefully somebody will add a step to production.

It takes me a lot more than 30 minutes to get rid of all the sharp edges on my GEC's spines. And after that it is no longer polished. I dont own any power buffers, I do it by hand with 1500 grit, and leather..

I just bought a $20 Boker Barlow, and it has none of the sharp spines or swedges my GECs come with.

fwiw, I do have and use a pocket slip, if I dont dedicate a pocket to my knife, but my issue is with how the knife feels in the hand, closed, when Im playing with it like a worry stone. Sharp when closed is just not right (for me) :-)
 
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I've had a couple. But it's easy to knock the edge off without getting to the rounded, over polished look of tumble polished knives.

I prefer sharp, just not razor sharp.
 
I've never experienced anything like the OP, with any of my GEC knives.

Then again, my hands are made from blocks of hickory, wrapped in buffalo hide... so.... Not much will cut them, short of a sharpened edge.
 
This is one of the main reasons that of the half dozen or so GEC knives I used to own, only one stayed around longer than a few weeks. It was the 65 Ben Hogan that was not a pocket carry knife. I try not to say never, but I think the boys knife I recently bought (and sold less than a week later) was my last GEC purchase.
 
I recently brought this issue up in another thread, and yep all my GEC's get the filing/smoothing treatment. I actually like the process though, I see it as personalizing the knife making it mine. In the other thread there were a few responses that were pretty adamant about NOT altering the knife, so there's obviously a faction out there that prefers the sharp corners, so I think it's good that GEC leaves them that way to give you the option. I've never spent 30 minutes "breaking one in" though, more like 15 minutes. YMMV.

~Jim
 
I've had some that had had hot spots, could've been sanded down before they left the factory. Nothing as bad as what the OP is talking about though.
 
Yeah, I have three GEC's and no such problems, but the KSF pocket slip or a nice belt sheath can eliminate the pocket problem... however, a sharp back edge/ swedge when in hand is a different matter. I really love my GEC's--a #76 stag Outlaw Jack, and 2 # 42's--one lock back w/ jigged copperhead bone and a trapper with cocobolo and that nice cloud shaped shield. Hard to decide which to carry! OP, sorry to hear about your bad experience with them; which models were they, other than the Boy's knife?
 
haven't had this problem yet, am glad they have nice crisp edges on their swedges though, Case's over tumbled swedges are overdone.
 
> over tumbled swedges are overdone.

maybe some pictures will help
I dont find the spines or swedges overdone on this unused Boker, they feel just right to my delicate hands. The pictured Charlow has already had the spine and swedge filed down and refinished with 1500 grit. I did not need to do anything to the Boker to make the blade spines pleasant to run my fingers over.

757A36D9-289A-491D-B49F-EE3427314EE5-2445-0000035F8C0DF228_zps059c3cf4.jpg


Do any of these blades look "over tumbled"?

E8A00907-5011-4654-BA42-5EBAF6FE5068-2445-0000036242F4EC90_zpsdb46606b.jpg


maybe post a photo of what you mean by overtumbled, it may just be a matter of personal taste, not sure till I see what you mean

at the other end of the spectrum, is too sharp. My GEC's spines, could peel a carrot and the swedge notch could easily cut a groove in a table top, or finger. While Im at it, I consider the blade spine joint where it meets the backspring, on my GEC's too sharp, I knock those down too. It might just be me who wants to play with my closed knife like a worry stone. So Im constantly feeling any smooth or sharp spots. I went over the entire closed knife, on both my ebony and bone Charlows, with 1500 grit, and like the feel of them even better now. The ebony in particular, feels even more buttery and smooth than it did to begin with, which was awesome from the start. I Love the Ebony on my Charlow!

7922B9CB-1FF8-4D37-9154-AB64AF9E14AC-2445-000001FC85B833B9_zps73d28afe.jpg
 
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I own a GEC Conductor, White Owl, 2 Boy's Knives, Half Congress, Maverick, Calf Roper, Bullet Jack, and five Pembertons. Of those, only the EZ Pocket Maverick (the fact they call it Easy Pocket almost points to the fact that others aren't) and the Calf Roper required no rounding of sharp edges on my part. The Boys Knives and Conductor were the worst offenders. I cut my finger open the first time I reached into my pocket for the Conductor.
 
I've had my #15 Boy's Knife with Rust Red Jigged Bone and Single Clip Blade in my pocket every day since I got it. Now everything is nice and smooth. The swedge is smooth. The jigging is smooth. The Tang is smooth. Breakin it in the old fashioned way. The way my Pap did.
 
SubSpace said:
I own a GEC Conductor, White Owl, 2 Boy's Knives, Half Congress, Maverick, Calf Roper, Bullet Jack, and five Pembertons. Of those, only the EZ Pocket Maverick (the fact they call it Easy Pocket almost points to the fact that others aren't) and the Calf Roper required no rounding of sharp edges on my part. The Boys Knives and Conductor were the worst offenders. I cut my finger open the first time I reached into my pocket for the Conductor.
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The name "EZ Pocket" I don't think implies any such thing. The pattern is inspired from the classic Robeson "Pocket-Eze". Hence the similar name.
 
SubSpace said:
I own a GEC Conductor, White Owl, 2 Boy's Knives, Half Congress, Maverick, Calf Roper, Bullet Jack, and five Pembertons. Of those, only the EZ Pocket Maverick (the fact they call it Easy Pocket almost points to the fact that others aren't) and the Calf Roper required no rounding of sharp edges on my part. The Boys Knives and Conductor were the worst offenders. I cut my finger open the first time I reached into my pocket for the Conductor.
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What did you cut your finger on? I mean what part of the knife?
 
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