I still think GEC ought to make a budget line

quattromori said:
I really hope Gmountain was referring to the OP and the actual cost of GEC knives (meaning in the US).
There is no doubt that, for European knife users, it's awful to be asked almost the double of the US price.
The fact is not is the knife is worth it or not. I may decide that, let's say, 160/180 usd (in euros) are an acceptable price for a GEC. But, when you know that you can buy the same knife in the US for 80/90 usd, and that you can ship a box of anything for less than 10 usd, then things change, and we get the upsetting feeling of being stolen from. :(
Fausto
:cool:
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Hit the nail right on the head. From what I understand with the fit/finish/materials they use the original prices seem like budget prices to me already. So I don't really see an advantage to a "budget line".
 
GEC prices are totally worth it considering the service you get. If you have a problem with the knife you just need to mail it in with a note. The repairs/sharpening is free and they ship it back to you via Fedex at no charge.
 
I think I agree with those who have said "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Sure it would be nice to buy a Delrin handled GEC with current quality for 40 bucks, but it isn't really feasible.
 
Coonskinner said:
I think I agree with those who have said "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Sure it would be nice to buy a Delrin handled GEC with current quality for 40 bucks, but it isn't really feasible.
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I hope they would take that as a challenge.
$40 flat would be pretty tough to get to I'm sure, especially with more than one blade, but I paid $47.95 for my Black Bullnose (plus shipping, just like a Case knife) and that was a limited run.
Just a few years ago who would have thought they could have pull that off?

Personally I don't think an economy line would interfere with their current business model, but I think their marketing would have to change to sell the quantity needed to sustain such a line. I would love to see some $40-$50 Great Eastern offerings in the knife case at my local Ace Hardware alongside the Case:), Bear and Sons :grumpy:, Victorinox:), and imported garbage:grumpy:. I suspect other folks would too.

Now do they want to try and get in the business of making thousands of knives in a run instead of hundreds? Who knows.
 
I have just recently discovered GEC. They are making pocket knives closer to the 'old ones' than anyone else. And doing a very good job. I don't think GEC should add another line or do anything different.
 
Don Hanson III said:
I have just recently discovered GEC. They are making pocket knives closer to the 'old ones' than anyone else. And doing a very good job. I don't think GEC should add another line or do anything different.
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You're in the knife business, and you just recently discovered them? Why did it take so long?

I'm not trying to be flippant or disrespectful at all. But to me, it seems that if a well-made* line of lower-priced** "worker" knives were out there, each guy who buys and totes one can become something of a brand ambassador for GEC, spreading the gospel. With enough brand ambassadors out there, you might reach more potential buyers. More profit for the company, meaning more jobs for knife makers. More guys carrying quality knives. I don't see a down side.

The trick -- and I have all the confidence in the world that GEC will pull this off -- is to not let the "entry level" line of knives affect the quality of your higher-end stuff. If Case can make their yella CV line as well as the TB collaborations, I don't see why GEC can't do this.

-- Mark


* Not crap. Not outsourced.
** I did not say cheap.
 
It's funny what a year (and a $48 dollar "Sodbuster") can do for a guys opinion. This is from page 2 of this very thread posted almost exactly a year ago:

FLymon said:
...

Personally I would like to see GEC keep on doing what it's doing, and Case and Queen figure out how (or make the investment) to get more consistent quality at their price point.
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I still agree with that last part though.
 
I'm new to this board...and to these knives.
I just came back from the UP and stopped at Rapid River Knifeworks and picked up a great folding pocket knife. The shop is run (and all knives made in house) by some guys who used to work at Marble Arms in Gladstone Michigan before they started having their stuff made in China. The website shows a small part of their "line" ... most of the stuff is only 1 or 2 pieces and are sold before they can post them.
Now that I found this place my mind is spinning with what I want to get next. I think GEC has some very nice stuff at a reasonable price point - I may order on today.
One day a Chris Reeve or Fletcher will be on my hip or in my pocket.

Doug - Derby CT
 
mnblade said:
You're in the knife business, and you just recently discovered them? Why did it take so long?

I'm not trying to be flippant or disrespectful at all. But to me, it seems that if a well-made* line of lower-priced** "worker" knives were out there, each guy who buys and totes one can become something of a brand ambassador for GEC, spreading the gospel. With enough brand ambassadors out there, you might reach more potential buyers. More profit for the company, meaning more jobs for knife makers. More guys carrying quality knives. I don't see a down side.

The trick -- and I have all the confidence in the world that GEC will pull this off -- is to not let the "entry level" line of knives affect the quality of your higher-end stuff. If Case can make their yella CV line as well as the TB collaborations, I don't see why GEC can't do this.

-- Mark


* Not crap. Not outsourced.
** I did not say cheap.
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Yeah, I know I'm a bit slow.;) Heard about GEC years ago, but just lately 'really' took a close look and bought one. I'm in a different area of the knife business... Seriously, most of these GEC knives look like they came out of the 30s' and 40s'. Now that is very cool!

Maybe GEC doesn't want to get as large as Case? Maybe they just want to focus on what they do best?

It's not easy to do high quality, high volume and cheap...
 
What with the finalized sale of Queen to Ken Daniels with the possible result being Queen Knife quality of old, GEC will be faced with stiffer competition than they are now. As a result, GEC just might not go too far down the economy line road. I know that I, for one, will go back to buying Queen knives if Daniels can get their quality control under control. Of course I'll still buy GEC as I do now but less of them.
 
GEC and a bugdet line...

That would be ok for people that will discover this kind of knives at a renomated manufacturer. But GEC needs to be careful, I think. If they make their budget line as good as their regular series - why to buy these? If they make their regular series like their bugdet line - why to buy these? I hope this buget line will have no influence on their high-quality-level.

That´s what happened already sometimes in economy history... making a budget line with lower prices and lower quality the regular series could go downwards to the lower level (at a higher price).

I don´t talk about the used materials. Stag, bone, wood, delrin, acrylic etc - I think about the QC.

But we´ll see in future, what they make and how they make it.
 
We need to define the phase 'budget line'. Same as we're getting now, just less $$$ ?
Or pay less for less knife (either materials or finish) ?

I vote for the status quo and look forward to losing most of my weekend to scanning knives for the other thread :)

That said I still want some Elk on the Northfield line OR a GEC w/ Elk and 1095.
 
mnblade said:
GEC ought to go the same route, launching a line of simple delrin-handled knives in the <$50 range. I'm just talking about 2 or 3 of the more common patterns, along the lines of the 72 mini lockback and a mini trapper and trapper. The idea isn't to create the next Old Timer and sell tens of thousands every year to guys all over the U.S. Instead, the idea would be to lure in a smaller but very loyal customer base that would likely be as susceptible to GEC addiction as most of you guys here are. :)
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In reading this thread (specifically the part where Groove wrote "My only experience with GEC is my Bullnose and I love it" and this one (where whetrock wrote "Farm & Field is for real, and seems to be doing quite well") I have to say, I think this mnblade guy was on to something! :p GEC's Farm and Field line seems to be doing quite well in the sales department, and I don't hear any complaints about their quality. So have any of you skeptics changed your mind?

-- Mark
 
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The GEC Farm & Field Line IS doing quite well. And they are solid,well made work knives. Also they have made,and will make several very traditional patterns in this line,ie: the Bullnose,Hawkbill and coming soon a two blade Fish Knife with Clip Blade and Scaler/Hook Disgorger Blade with caplifter. These knives are all that could be hoped for from a Top of the Line American Manufacturer: quality construction,materials,traditional patterns and reasonable cost! A Winner all the way around!
 
I think mnblade nailed it with this bit...

Instead, the idea would be to lure in a smaller but very loyal customer base that would likely be as susceptible to GEC addiction as most of you guys here are.
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The new Farm & Field lockback is hitting retail at around $60.

Buck has just rereleased the Duke 500 with Rosewood Dymonwood scales and it's expected to retail at around $50. The classic Buck 112 with brass bolsters and dymonwood scales sells for less than $45 and the Ecolite 112 (which has Paperstone scales) sells for under $30. These knives are all made in the US.

The criticism that I made of the GEC F&F knives was not that they wouldn't sell. I think mnblade utterly nailed it. There is a small buy very loyal GEC following who would, will and is buying GECs that they feel better about putting to hard use. That's a win/win for both GEC and it's fans. But this falls short of GEC producing a made in the US knife targeted to laborers. It would hard or impossible to argue that a GEC F&F lockback is going to stand up any better to hard use than a Buck Ecolite 112. By and large, most people will find both adequate and then we'll hear from a small but vocal minority that has some issues and that will be followed by "Buck/GEC took care of me" posts. Call it a wash. But you can get 2 Ecolits for the price of a single F&F. Heck, you can get the classic 112 or 500 for less than the GEC. It's just economy of scale kicking in.

I think the harshest way I put it earlier is that the F&F knives aren't really work knives. They're more homages to work knives. I stand by that. The Buck 112 and the Case Sodbuster are what I would consider real work knives sold at prices that make sense to most working people.
 
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