I still think GEC ought to make a budget line

Yep. Craftsman carries a good name with it, even if they are not the same company.

I am glad to see that GEC is doing well with this line and wish them continued success.
 
Bill was very hard to convince to come out with an economy line and it took him a lot of time to come to the decision. Even now I think he is rather neutral on the series, but realizes that the demand is there from his current customers and it might even be helping as a "gateway" knife. He has been a part of a bigger factory that has had to make some of these decisions before; and knows more now about which were right / wrong. Bigger is not necessarily better in this business. And I think if he can keep 20-25 employees working 40 hours a week he will count it as an ongoing success.
 
knifeswapper said:
... I think if he can keep 20-25 employees working 40 hours a week he will count it as an ongoing success.
Click to expand...

So will I. :thumbup:

I loved what I saw the day I was at GEC, meeting Mr. Howard and the team of people he's brought together to make these knives (with all that goes into each and every one).

~ P.
 
knifeswapper said:
Bill was very hard to convince to come out with an economy line and it took him a lot of time to come to the decision. Even now I think he is rather neutral on the series, but realizes that the demand is there from his current customers and it might even be helping as a "gateway" knife. He has been a part of a bigger factory that has had to make some of these decisions before; and knows more now about which were right / wrong. Bigger is not necessarily better in this business. And I think if he can keep 20-25 employees working 40 hours a week he will count it as an ongoing success.
Click to expand...

I have no experience with the knife business, save what little custom I provide to satisfy my own wants. I do think you had the right idea with the bullnose, and although I never bought one, I did purchase three of the Hayin Helpers :D

I hope GE is around for a very long time, as I've a few knives to purchase yet before I'm done.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
The knife nut community has been able to support Great Eastern, but will the working man pay for one of these knives? I have heard in the past few years, from the same family members and friends that would buy a $5 flea market junker, and replace it with another when it gave up the ghost a couple months later, that they will buy quality products. Now, how many know a quality knife when they see it?
Click to expand...

Hmmm... been wearing tool bags and blue jeans to do my work in the trades for almost 40 years now. I don't know why these threads talk about "a workingman" as if he is some kind of anachronistic dinosaur, someone that isn't able to speak for themselves, or worse speculate "Now, how many know a quality knife when they see it?" Hopefully, when I need a new knife, you will be around and I can ask you if you would be so kind as to help out a working man that buys $5 flea market junkers.

I don't actually have any of those, but I will put away my CASE, Buck, Bokers, Kershaws, etc. and you can put me right on my selections.

It is sad to see folks that don't make enough money to own a shoe box full of pretty, pretty $125 and up safe queens be looked at as a bunch of simple rubes. Obviously I don't know the same blue collar folks you do, but I will be on the lookout for the boys with those cheap knives. $60 + shipping + tax, works out to about $70 for one of these knives, and for some folks, as difficult as that seems to process, they simply can't afford it. Especially if another knife at a lesser cost will do the same thing for half of that (or less...).

silenthunterstudios said:
That Case sodbuster may not be of as high a quality as the Farm and Field, but will the working man care?
Click to expand...

This one would. However, I don't personally see the value in the GEC knives made for "working men". I dont' see a quantum leap over the CASE workers, the Queen workers, or Bucks. I try to match the tool to the job, and realize that it costs me money, time and effort if it fails. I didn't see a quantum leap forward in the workmanship or design over my CASE soddie. The GEC specimen I studied at the gun show was finished better than my CASE, not nearly as well as my Queen Country Cousin, and the blade on it was only 1095. This working man prefers D2.

Though this will sound foreign coming from a blue collar mind, but I will gladly pay more to get more. I do that with all my tools. My tools make me money and they have to be as reliable as possible. But the value has to be there for me to let go of my hard earned cash.

I don't know, maybe if I had seen the model with the ever handy glow in the dark handles I might have had a different reaction. Even find me an older one marked as a "red neck" knife. Marked as "red neck" certainly has its appeal, but I don't know a working man yet that could resist glow in the dark... it's a powerful draw out in the job site to know that your knife is glowing away in your pocket while you work.

Robert
 
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Wow, I don't see anything inflammatory in what I posted. How was what I posted a dig on: Great Eastern Cutlery, the workingman, small online dealers?

I work in an office, yep. I also get my hands dirty, helping my father and at home. My father is a small business owner, and right now he has it tough. I don't need to hear about how tough it is out there, I know and you obviously didn't read my posts, I did not attack the workingman or demean him/her in any way. I grew up around small businesses. Body shops, mechanics garages, parts stores. I grew up in a farming community, right next to a working cattle farm, one was across the street too. Do I find myself elevated because I have a couple of Great Easterns and Case Bose knives? No. I don't know jack about knives compared to most of the members here. I think that you need to take a look at what I posted. It was not to be inflammatory, it was not meant to be caustic.

My father is busting his butt to keep his business afloat, and I take it as a personal insult when someone tells me that I do not support the working man, or demean them in any way. I want to see Great Eastern succeed. Am I out to "save" the company? Do I know how to "keep them going"? Why would I think that I have knowledge or know how to do this? It doesn't need to be done! I'm just a knife nut, with an addiction to sharp stuff, supporting my favorite company. I just voiced an opinion.
 
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I like that Great eastern cutlery came out with a budget line of knives,as I am still new to great Eastern cutlery used to collect alot of case{still do} but pre 70s since they came out with a line of knives made in china {Tex x}.I would much rather save up for a great eastern their products are awesome even though more expensive they are built better than any newer production knife.silent hunterstudio i dont see anything wrong with your post
 
I have always liked and respect Bob and Robert's posts and perspectives. I want to get that out there. Still scratching my head how I insulted Great Eastern, the working man or small dealers.

Dan

I hope that I don't come off as a cutlery snob, just because I prefer Queen and GEC to Buck and Case. I have a few Buck and Case slipjoints, and I have no visions of self grandeur because GEC and Queen makes up most of my collection. I also think nothing less of my friends and family, for buying flea market junkers. I just wish that they bought quality knives, just like they buy quality tools. Myself, I might get whatevers on sale at Walmart or Home Depot, instead of getting a quality set of tools that will last in the long run. I never thought I was the benchmark for knife collectors either. I do apologize if I offended anyone with my remarks, that was not my intent. I thought I was making valid points, others took them in the opposite of what I meant, and I can see how they could have been misconstrued. My remarks were only meant to promote discussion. I still believe that the everyday end user out there wants a quality tool that will last.
 
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I plan on scoring a GEC soon but I don't think they are the budget type of knife.I see them as in a different category.:)
 
I run in a circle with mainly working class folks. Quite a few of my friends either work in shops or own them. Both got there from the bottom. As far as buying cheap tools the folks I know spends 10's of thousands on their sets. Some will spend a years salary just to have a set... Why? Its their livelyhood. Most of the working class men and women I know buy what they need. They buy what will last.

I have actually found the working class (myself included) will buy better tools, appreciate and even care for them better than most.
 
midnight flyer said:
Hmmm... been wearing tool bags and blue jeans to do my work in the trades for almost 40 years now. I don't know why these threads talk about "a workingman" as if he is some kind of anachronistic dinosaur, someone that isn't able to speak for themselves, or worse speculate "Now, how many know a quality knife when they see it?" Hopefully, when I need a new knife, you will be around and I can ask you if you would be so kind as to help out a working man that buys $5 flea market junkers.

I don't actually have any of those, but I will put away my CASE, Buck, Bokers, Kershaws, etc. and you can put me right on my selections.

It is sad to see folks that don't make enough money to own a shoe box full of pretty, pretty $125 and up safe queens be looked at as a bunch of simple rubes. Obviously I don't know the same blue collar folks you do, but I will be on the lookout for the boys with those cheap knives. $60 + shipping + tax, works out to about $70 for one of these knives, and for some folks, as difficult as that seems to process, they simply can't afford it. Especially if another knife at a lesser cost will do the same thing for half of that (or less...).



This one would. However, I don't personally see the value in the GEC knives made for "working men". I dont' see a quantum leap over the CASE workers, the Queen workers, or Bucks. I try to match the tool to the job, and realize that it costs me money, time and effort if it fails. I didn't see a quantum leap forward in the workmanship or design over my CASE soddie. The GEC specimen I studied at the gun show was finished better than my CASE, not nearly as well as my Queen Country Cousin, and the blade on it was only 1095. This working man prefers D2.

Though this will sound foreign coming from a blue collar mind, but I will gladly pay more to get more. I do that with all my tools. My tools make me money and they have to be as reliable as possible. But the value has to be there for me to let go of my hard earned cash.

I don't know, maybe if I had seen the model with the ever handy glow in the dark handles I might have had a different reaction. Even find me an older one marked as a "red neck" knife. Marked as "red neck" certainly has its appeal, but I don't know a working man yet that could resist glow in the dark... it's a powerful draw out in the job site to know that your knife is glowing away in your pocket while you work.

Robert
Click to expand...

Love your post Robert, but I don't think anyone meant to talk down to the working class. There are plenty of folks that do buy dollar store knives out there. Plenty of folks buy razor knives too, but IMO that IS a better tool for most jobs and I believe that is why working class folks buy them.

Just to correct one part of your writing, the GEC knives are O1 steel (unless you found one in 1095? sincerely correct me if I am wrong :) ). This may not be as favorable to you as D2, but it is not 1095.

I hope you take this the right way, no offense implied.

Have a good one,

Kevin
 
richstag said:
I run in a circle with mainly working class folks. Quite a few of my friends either work in shops or own them. Both got there from the bottom. As far as buying cheap tools the folks I know spends 10's of thousands on their sets. Some will spend a years salary just to have a set... Why? Its their livelyhood. Most of the working class men and women I know buy what they need. They buy what will last.

I have actually found the working class (myself included) will buy better tools, appreciate and even care for them better than most.
Click to expand...

That´s a great post, in general. It also comes down, that craftmen need their tools frequently. Wether it is a drilling machine, chainsaw or a simple pocket knives.

Back to the thread´s topic - I like the Farm & Field line, they are knives that are made that need to be used. No expensive material built in that lineup, but a good value for what you pay. Even great materials.
 
It's nice to bring this topic back to life, since the F&F line has been around for a while, produced a few models, and generally going well.
I never handled a GEC F&F knife, so my opinion is quite lame. Yet, it seems that their choice is bringing good results, which is good news.
I assume "mass production" will never be GEC's thing; I have no idea, but I guess they won't take the risk of making the company much bigger than it is. A limited line of "less expensive" (than their standard) knives makes more sense...and, apparently, is working fine. I do wish that they stayed with O2 and introduced some other handle material (or, other colors of delrin and such)...and I think they will. As for patterns, none of them caught my eye so far, but who knows :rolleyes:

Fausto
:cool:
 
I just ordered my first GEC knife, a #552113, and that is in my budget for right now.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
The knife nut community has been able to support Great Eastern, but will the working man pay for one of these knives? I have heard in the past few years, from the same family members and friends that would buy a $5 flea market junker, and replace it with another when it gave up the ghost a couple months later, that they will buy quality products. Now, how many know a quality knife when they see it?
Click to expand...

OK, let me try to let you know what I saw and how I responded. I left the first sentence in to quote that part of the paragraph exactly so that you could see it was referencing "the working man", and to keep the post in context. I was was confused by the part that you said that in the past few years your people buy $5 knives and replace them every couple of months, but then they would buy quality products. I assumed that since this paragraph was about the working men you knew, you were referencing working men.

So although I highlighted it before in red to make it plain, the burr was (in context and position of your post, verbatim) "Now, how many know a quality knife when they see it?" If you were calling into question only the members of your family and friends that carry cheap knives, I think you should have been more specific. However, in context, questioning how many of us other workingmen might not recognize a quality knife when we see it was too much. Being a "workingman" does not make you devoid of good judgement when assessing knife value.

I have been in the trades a long time, sometimes I have money, sometimes I don't. However, I do recognize quality, do pay for it, and buy as much quality as I can afford. I don't carry junk knives to make my living. Never have. I only know a couple of guys in the trades that do, but we all know those guys. They have no respect for a knife as a tool, and they use it for prying, cutting wire, stabbing things, screw driving, etc. Being a workingman has nothing to do with that mindset.

I read your post more than once or twice before I responded, and took it the same way each time. It seemed pretty plain to me, written in plain language. But... if by some chance I read it wrong after all, then I apologize if I reacted too strongly. I enjoy reading your posts as well, and was surprised at the post. There are a few here that I know to ignore (as some no doubt do me!) and if that post had been from them I would have simply ignored it.

Robert
 
Take the bickering to PMs or email, please. It doesn't belong here.
Thanks
 
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