I'm getting more and more skeptical of GEC knives.

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I think expectations have something to do with that impression but seeing the quantity of GEC knives around other threads like today's carry or the traditional sunday picture, you can say for sure that issues are not by any means the norm, just the exception.
besides you should keep in mind that our standard as knife nuts are pretty high for saying the less.
Mateo
 
rockgolfer said:
I would say just buy one. See for yourself. I have owned over 10 and have not had a single issue. On the otherhand I have owned 3 case knives of recent vintage and was only happy with one. I pass on Case now because of that ratio.
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Same, it seems the complaints are they expect a custom knife for the money...when they dont get that, the pedestal they put them up on disappoints them.
 
I think many people read the many positive remarks about gec when they have just dipped their feet into traditional waters. They come to make these knives more than what they are and are quickly underwhelmed when the knife does not meet some unreal expectation. They are nice knives but they are by no means perfect. They have a cool traditional feel that some people might not like. I personally love gec knives but I find quite a few people are buying them on hype not the merits of the knives that make up gec. They are traditional knives made traditionally with a little new age spin on patterns. Without a greater feel of what traditional knives are I think many just don't feel it when they unwrap their knives from those special little tubes.

Honestly if you don't feel impressed by what you read I'd skip out on them. Maybe one day you can have a chance to feel one in real or you maybe you will have a pattern that will sing to you. Then I think they are worth a try. Skip the hype and buy what sings to your traditional side :)
 
True that RB. I will say that one had a small gap in tje spring/liner area, one had blade rub, one had a little misgrind on the corner by the cover ever so slightly if you really looked for it. Sure they are not "perfect" but a heck of a lot better then the other offerings I have sampled from the other guys. If I want flawless, or close too, ill go custom. Was every single GEC knife I have had the privelage to own rock solid and field ready? Would I trust any and I mean any of them to hold up to what a knife should do? Without a doubt!
 
My GEC's are some of the finest production traditional knives I own - they are very well made.

In addition, the folks seem like fun and they keep us in the loop about knives (via their web site), and they seem to take a genuine interest in OUR interests.

How many manufacturers have made a custom knife pattern just for this forum?

I say buy one and love it.

best

mqqn
 
I had a very early one that was a disappointment but I have three more recent ones that are all pretty flawless. I honestly don't know how their reputation for customer service is, but if they stand behind their product (I assume they do) I don't think you can go too far wrong.
 
I have to go along with AKC and answer your questions Yes, yes, and yes.

Of course we all have opinions on GEC knives. I'm still in the testing phase. These are the GEC knives I keep in a box on my desk. I have many more out in my shop. When I get through testing, I'll be able to give more definitive answers to your questions.

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I've seen a few (very few) problems with some GEC knives but nothing to keep me from buying and testing.

Oh, the second knife from the left in the second picture is a SOG Stingray - so, you see I do have an open mind when it comes to brands other than GEC.
 
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I've got Rockgolfer's GEC 66 "Roper" in my pocket right now ... it's my EDC (6 out of 7 days/week). With a solid patina on all three blades there is some blade rub evident. Couldn't care less. Inch for inch it's a top notch tool and holds an edge as good as I'll ever need (or likely use). GECs are not for everyone - but if they are, you'll end up with one or two (or 8 :D)
 
Glad to hear its treating you well Scott. I think you know I enjoy the 53 I got from you. Best trade I have ever done :thumbup:

Oh ya, all my knives have blade rub! They get it from use! Rubins Racin :D
 
I've bought two, a White Owl and a Boy's Knife, and the fit and finish has been as perfect as any knife I've ever purchased. I thought the spring was a bit strong to be marketed as a young person's knife, but that's a marketing/design issue, not really related to quality. In short, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

Am I nuts?
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I dunno.

Am I just seeing things?
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It is possible that the amount of attention devoted to a quality issues is amplified on online forums. People may nit-pick just to have something to say, people may repeat something they read from someone else, and of course people undoubtedly do have serious issues from time to time with any brand or style of knife.

Am I just too cheap?
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I also have very high standards for a knife that costs as much as a GEC. In my experience, they're worth the price. If I had received one of their flawed knives I would think otherwise.

If you're balking due to price, no big deal. I suggest looking at German-made Boker Knives, visiting a large Case dealer where you can inspect the knives in person, or check out the new imported AG Russell pocketknives (I don't own one myself, but they get excellent reviews).
 
I only have 9 of them at the present time. Had two others that I traded off for 2 of the ones I have. Traded just to try different models.
A couple of them where hard to open and I really had to work with them to adjust them to my liking.
Other than that, great knives, no complaints.
 
mqqn said:
My GEC's are some of the finest production traditional knives I own - they are very well made.

In addition, the folks seem like fun and they keep us in the loop about knives (via their web site), and they seem to take a genuine interest in OUR interests.

How many manufacturers have made a custom knife pattern just for this forum?

I say buy one and love it.

best

mqqn
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Absolutely. The 2 knives they've made for this forum have been very well received. No, not everybody liked theirs-that's inevitable-but the QC complaints must've been the lowest for any of this forum's knives. They also make knives for other clubs & forums, I hear. The knives that Charlie Campagna 'Waynorth' has been involved with are outstandingly finished, hype that aint!

Is there a more consistent Traditional manufacturer at the moment? I don't find one, but, I'd like to.....:D

My suggestion to the OP is look at the patterns, think carefully about which one YOU like, disregard all the praise, hoo-hah and negative comments and buy that pattern with the handles you most favour. Then you will know. Try some yourself and see.:thumbup:

Regards, Will
 
I have three all bought sight unseen, all three are perfect in my eyes, even the one stamped with a "S" marked for store knife meaning there is a slight defect and I paid 50% of the original price and have yet to figure out what the flaw is? I have never been dissapointed with a GEC purchase.

Pete
 
I have owned over 100 GECs and handled many more at shows.

Their materials are of the highest quality, from their great heat-treatment of both their 1095 and 440C blades to the finest stag in the industry. Bone, wood and acrylics are all equally fine with lots of variety to choose from.

Fit and finish are also of the highest quality. Springs, liners and scales rarely show any light between them, nicks are nice and straight and blades usually lie nice and centered. They just have an undeniably "ole-timey" solid feel to them.

If there has been any area where they fall short of the best, it has been their designs and grinds. Both have improved over the 5 years of manufacture. Their tendency toward bulky rather than slender patterns is well chronicled, as was their underblading on several older patterns. These have been improved. For the most part their knives now come sharp, and pulls are more to the consumers liking, showing their willingness to listen and provide what the customer wants.

Find a pattern that appeals to you and try one. They're the safest bet in the industry, buying sight-unseen.
 
Only a limited number of GEC's are available here, and like other knives, they're more expensive than in the US, but I definitely plan to acquire a few.
 
I have purchased nearly 2 dozen GECs sight unseen and I've never had a problem big enough to return any of them.
A few gaps here and there, but never any blade rub or blade wobble.
I own examples from queen/s&m, old and new case, boker, etc. and none come close to GEC quality.
Buy with confidence and GEC will take care of you if you aren't satisfied.
 
I've had better luck with GEC than the other traditional manufacturers. That's why I have 10 times more GECs than those from other traditional manufacturers. All the different manufacturers have their different quirks. Some may not bother me but do others (ie GEC's sharp tangs don't bother me as much as Case's rounded tangs). I also think you hear more about GEC because they are the newer company that people are trying out and posting their findings. The quirks for other companies I think are already pretty well known and aren't mentioned as much. Or maybe they're now preferred due to years of use?

I also think some of their patterns are better made than others. If you have a particular pattern in mind then I'm sure we all would share our experiences. I guess you should also list what quirks don't work for you. Picking up one of the patterns they don't make as well (imho) or tend to have those quirks you can't stand could sour you on an otherwise great company (also imho).
 
I would suggest checking out some local knife shows or gun shows to see if you can locate some GEC's to fondle bfore buying anything sight unseen. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You can also look for a GEC Distributor that has a "No Questions Asked" Return Policy. I think many of them do.
 
I was skeptical until I bought one. I can't think of a single GEC distributor that doesn't offer a money back return policy. Hard to beat that. Worst case is you spend around $5-6 bucks retuning a knife you don't like.
 
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