Is GEC the only game in town for you?

[Woodrow F Call]

Good thread... I own several (gecs) and enjoy all of them. I like the comment about the rose color glasses, you may be right sir.
Since I spend more time looking at my carry knife than using it, it brings me great joy to see a centered blade, small gaps (if any) and really close tolerances between handle and bolster.
I will keep paying (overpaying) for gec as long as the fit and finish stays high (subjective).
Enjoy the hobby and the knife in your pocket

My rose colored glasses comment was really about how "perfect" GEC seems to be many folks.

I've owned quite a few GEC knives and have found uncentered blades, gaps in liners/springs, uneven machining, dull edges, bear trap action, scratches in a new polished blade.... I've got a beagle that has been at GEC since December waiting on a cracked bone cover.

I've had knives from GEC with all of those issues. I've had some that were near perfect. They do generally make a better fit and finished knife than the others. And when they aren't perfect, it is usually to a lower degree than others might be.

My point really is, we put GEC on a pedestal and talk about how awesome and perfect they are, but I don't see them that way.

I'm not bashing GEC, they make a great production knife. I just think because of their limited availability and popularity we tend to see them through rose colored glasses and give them a little more of a pass when compared to the other knife companies that make a great knife too.

 

[kamagong]

Claims of perfection by GEC fans are ridiculous. No knife made by men's hands has ever been perfect. Not even by Tony Bose on his most inspired day.

Why use the term? Is excellence not enough?

 

[Henry Beige]

I have one GEC, the last forum knife, and I will try to buy this one. The Drover has gotten a bit of carry, but not a lot. I have several case knives, mostly stockman and peanuts. The yellow peanut and the CV stockmen get a lot of use. Then there are quite a few RRs, but I have really only carried a couple of them.

GEC is mostly too rich for my blood, and I can fill my shelf with pretty, shiny things for ten bucks a crack.

 

[rdave]

GEC produces an excellent quality knife...It is worth your time and money to find and buy currently released GEC knives from GEC dealers at original prices, and/or sign up/pay for a reserve knife from a GEC dealer.

In the long run you will have a good knife at a fair price.

 

[cbr1000]

My rose colored glasses comment was really about how "perfect" GEC seems to be many folks.

I've owned quite a few GEC knives and have found uncentered blades, gaps in liners/springs, uneven machining, dull edges, bear trap action, scratches in a new polished blade.... I've got a beagle that has been at GEC since December waiting on a cracked bone cover.

I've had knives from GEC with all of those issues. I've had some that were near perfect. They do generally make a better fit and finished knife than the others. And when they aren't perfect, it is usually to a lower degree than others might be.

My point really is, we put GEC on a pedestal and talk about how awesome and perfect they are, but I don't see them that way.

I'm not bashing GEC, they make a great production knife. I just think because of their limited availability and popularity we tend to see them through rose colored glasses and give them a little more of a pass when compared to the other knife companies that make a great knife too.

I have yet to receive a perfect GEC. Every time I see "perfect fit and finish" usually in reference to just receiving a knife and posting images, it has always struck me a bit odd.

 

[george65]

I don't have any GECs.

I wanted to get one a while back, but every one I checked out was too hard to open. the dealer even offered to give me a "knife pick", but I don't really want a knife that I have to have a special tool to open it with.

I hear the newer ones have softer springs, so I might check some out at blade show in ATL.

personally, I'd much rather have a nice old knife than a "new" knife trying to look like an old knife.

 

[Rookie82]

I have a few GEC, a few Queen, a handful of older pre 1970 Case, and a lot of Tuna Valley (made by Queen or by GEC). I agree with what others have stated, that often GEC prices are comparable to custom knives, which makes them less appealing. I agree GEC has very good consistent quality, but what I don't understand is why folks want to pay $200 for a pristine perfect GEC knife, just to carry around and cut boxes and fruit with, when you can get a pretty nicely made Queen or Case for $60-$80 that does the job just fine.

If you are buying for a collection, that's another story. But it seems most folks here EDC their knives, so it's not like they are going to hold/increase in value after you have used/sharpened it a lot. To me it's like saying you only buy Cadillac because their quality is that much more better than a Buick, even though it cost another $20,000 more.

No disrespect meant to anyone. I like that everyone has their own thoughts and their own collections, which is why this forum is so interesting.

 

[black mamba]

GEC is at the top, but definitely not the only game in town. I have many traditionals by Case and Queen, and quite a few German made knives from Bulldog, Fight'n Rooster, Boker and Robt. Klaas. I buy a great many second hand knives from viewing pictures only, and am very, very rarely disappointed. I have Case knives from the '80s through today and all are at least good, some very good. Queen/S&M knives from the '90s until the mid 2000s are very high quality. The Solingen brands listed above are usually the equal of GEC from the '70s through the mid '90s. Schrade USA made knives (2004 and earlier) are very well made and not expensive. As long as you are not unrealistic about the quality of production pocket knives, it's not hard to be satisfied by brands other than GEC.

 

[oldtymer]

GEC makes a fine product, no argument there. That said their consistency is spotty.
As Woodruff & others have commented several models have had poor blade grinds, scratches on blades & bolsters,
unacceptable ridiculous strong pulls, all on knives that were brand new & left the factory to dealers.
I've had a few that I sold not long after buying for those reasons.
I have a few pre 1980 Case knives that are as good as any knife GEC has produced and they are not flukes
as many members here have posted pictures of theirs from that era.
The loss of Canal Street & the QC issues with Queen lately has narrowed down our choices considerably.
Out of 15 GEC knives that I have purchased,all brand new from dealers, I kept 3; the 2014 Forum knife,
22 Magnum, & my stainless 33 which I have posted in Stag Sat. a few times.
There are several good knives available from Boker, Wright& Sons, & others.You just have to spend some
time to track them down.

 

[joeradza]

I'd say half my knives are from GEC, a quarter from Case and the rest are assorted makers. I'm sure there are problems here and there that could be discussed ad infinitum. I've heard nothing but bad things about Case and Queen's QC. However, I guess I'm just lucky because for a sub $75 pocket knife I've been satisfied with what I received. As far as the criticism of GEC knives as to pricing and availability I think I smell jealousy. I've never paid more than $120 for any knife and consistently a lot less. I've only been buying for about 2 years so it's not as if I've been in from the beginning. A great deal of my knives have been bought on the exchange here at more than fair prices. If you must have a specific knife "right now," then pay up and quit complaining.

 

[supratentorial]

I like GEC but they are not "the only game in town". Of course, if the only answer for you is GEC than maybe you should buy a GEC. But I'd encourage you to learn as much as you can about knives from all brands. I think the more that you learn about knives (manufacturing, history, the people making them), the more you will appreciate them.

Someone mentioned centering. I think it is mostly carry over from modern knives. Traditional knives are not made the same way. And GEC knives are not centered because of exact tolerances. The tangs are annealed and the blades are knocked until they are bent to center. I think way too much importance is attributed to it. And even GEC seems to be satisfied with close to center, not dead center.

One thing that gives some perspective is that before Schrade closed, you could buy an 8OT with 1095 steel for about $20. Comparable GEC knives cost about 5 times as much retail. I don't think they are overpriced. But functionally they are actually pretty close to a Schrade. And Schrade was driven out of business making knives that are functionally pretty close to what GEC makes today. GEC certainly has better looking covers than Schrade's sawcut delrin. And GEC is much more consistent (of course, they also make far less knives). But Schrade made good knives.

I hope that GEC and Case and Queen continue to operate for many years. I'll continue to be supportive and not diminish one or the other. I enjoy knives from all of them.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

It is a bit myopic to think GEC is the only game in town. I like them, and a couple of years ago I thought I may no longer need to buy custom slipjoints because GEC makes knives of such excellent quality. The explosion in popularity has made it very difficult to get their knives though, so much so that I find it a hassle.

If GEC's knives were more readily available, they might well be my default choice. But for the prices they command in the secondary market or even with rebranded knives? No thanks, I'll spend a little more and buy a custom. As good as GECs are I've never had one in my hand that is as well made as one of my customs. And I don't even have anything from the masters like Tony Bose or Ken Erickson.

Alternatively I also look at older knives from other manufacturers. GEC may make the best production knives currently, but that hasn't always been the case. There are plenty of great knives out there if you know how to look, and you might as well make the effort since GECs themselves require a fair bit of effort to acquire. For example, here is one that is better and more beautiful than any whittler GEC has ever made.

Expand your horizons. There's a lot of interesting knives out there. Or as the Bard said -

That's where this whole collectin' and tradin' with friends thing started. The porch isn't an internet/forum thing, back in the day the good ol' boys sat on their stoops and porches whittlin' and swappin' fish stories and old knives.

Charlie might have a pattern I want but it's got some flaws. He's willin' to trade for a less desirable knife in better condition so he could trade for something else he wants.

There are so many excellent examples of "Vintage Knives" out there and most are well below the $100 mark and in better condition F&F wise than a brand new knife by the few big name companies.

I have old Schrade Walden's, LF&Cs and Camillus that I'd match against any GEC s, not that I'm knockin' GEC, I love all my GECs I'm just sayin' there is ton of vintage knives out there the caveat bein' to just know what you're buyin' and from who and educate yourself before plunkin' down huge sums of cash for that Remington Bullet knife.

 

[joeradza]

Well said Ted.

 

[Jfowler]

You can nit pick any knife from any maker some maybe more than others but buy what makes you happy ! You can get a good knife from most all the major brands like case , queen , gec , etc. The way I look at it is you only live once , if you see a knife you like and can afford it , buy it . However my wife doesn't understand my way of thinking lol.

 

[supratentorial]

It is a bit myopic to think GEC is the only game in town. I like them, and a couple of years ago I thought I may no longer need to buy custom slipjoints because GEC makes knives of such excellent quality. The explosion in popularity has made it very difficult to get their knives though, so much so that I find it a hassle.

If GEC's knives were more readily available, they might well be my default choice. But for the prices they command in the secondary market or even with rebranded knives? No thanks, I'll spend a little more and buy a custom. As good as GECs are I've never had one in my hand that is as well made as one of my customs. And I don't even have anything from the masters like Tony Bose or Ken Erickson.

Alternatively I also look at older knives from other manufacturers. GEC may make the best production knives currently, but that hasn't always been the case. There are plenty of great knives out there if you know how to look, and you might as well make the effort since GECs themselves require a fair bit of effort to acquire. For example, here is one that is better and more beautiful than any whittler GEC has ever made.

Expand your horizons. There's a lot of interesting knives out there. Or as the Bard said -

My own perspective is a bit a different though we both seem to come to similar conclusions and appreciate custom knives. Custom and production knives are made very differently and to me that's a major difference. But for me, the biggest difference by far is that a custom knife is someone's art. In that respect, a production knife could never replace a custom. Somewhat similarly, you wouldn't say that you no longer care about your wife's cookies because the ones at Starbucks are just as good ...unless your wife isn't a good cook... and you want to sleep on the couch. I think you and I come to the same conclusion and appreciate custom knvies. And I'm not arguing against your post. Just wanted to emphasize those distinctions between customs and production knives.

 

[sticktodrum]

For me, GEC isn't the only, but it's the most.

Long ago, my first traditional was a KaBar coppersmith small lockback. It was terrible for a bunch of reasons. Then the GEC I tried was much better, and it's what I went to when I came back to traditionals.

As of now, I've got 5 GECs and 1 Queen. GEC are relatively easy to get if I follow the production schedule and this subforum, at least so far. I've been happy with every GEC I've bought so far except for one Cap Lifter that was way too tight and had too much of the blade sharpened away from the factory. Apart from that, each one hasn't seemed off in any way.

The great thing with non-GEC though, is that you can actually find a Barlow...

 

[supratentorial]

...The great thing with non-GEC though, is that you can actually find a Barlow...

Keep your eye out for the forum knife. It's a barlow made by GEC!

 

[Ice Tigre]

They're the last game in town for me.
I refuse to pay even retail prices let alone secondary market prices for GEC knives. The one GEC I own is below their average in quality, but I don't take that as a measure against them.... Anyone is allowed a mistake or two.

I just can't see any gain, from what I've seen of what others here have, in they're average output, there's not enough quality gain in them over Case, Queen etc. to justify they're prices. Just not worth it IMHO.

 

[cchu518]

I find the crazy 300 percent markups for some GEC models egregious. The practice of buying three and marking up two to resell to get the one for free is rather unsavory to me. This is a case of the emperor having no clothes, BUT on this note the hobby is a free market right, so who am I to say. I'd rather get a custom anyway for those prices.

The other thing is I try to pick Knives that I like to use and carry. I am keeping it that simple so far as the hobby is concerned. And with that GEC is not the only game in town in terms of user knives.

 

[Wurrwulf]

I've sold off or traded most of my GECs. There are a couple I plan to keep forever, but after handling dozens of them, I realized I was mostly buying them because they were the hot new thing here. I'm perfectly happy with my Case, Buck, and SAK knives, but it is very nice to pull my Black Chery TC 14 or Ebony 83 out of my pocket to ogle from time to time.