Is GEC the only game in town for you?

Case C. said:
Slip joint knives as a impractical outdated dinosaur.
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Let us count the ways this is totally wrong. Case, Victorinox, Opinel, plus others. Each probably sells more knives in a year than any modern mfg. has sold total.
 
That was a continuation of his previous post, which cut off in mid-sentence. If you read them together, it makes sense and is NOT a negative post.
 
Case C. said:
To me GEC is a quality controlled Queen with a GEC stamp and nothing more. I would like to see Bear and Son and Blue Grass and other U. S. Companies go into higher end slip joint knives. I think there's a market for it in lower production better material higher priced knives. Case and Queen have done and others have the ability. I don't want this to seem like an attack on GEC because it's not. This is about getting with better higher end technology product. Look at that Collector Knives Barlow from Lion Steel. That's what I'm talking about and they are only about $100. This is where slip joints need to evolve to and the price is not that much more. It would attract more tactical folder people and people not associating slip joint knives as a impractical outdated dinosaur.
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This is the two posts combined into one. He is saying that makers need to start using more modern material to attract customers who would otherwise not be interested.
 
Norcaldude said:
People that pay that much are people that are serious collectors of GEC knives. That's why they pay that much for some hard to get variants.

The mentality of collecting defies that sort of 'You get more for your money buying this other thing' logic. A hardcore GEC collector isn't collecting whatever custom maker you think is a better deal. They are collecting GEC knives.

I'm surprised this blows your minds so much. You don't collect anything?
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I highly doubt everyone shelling out the big bucks for the northwoods or TC Barlows on the secondary market are 'Hard core collectors'.
 
Thanks. I continued from a post that got cut short. Many people do look at slip joints now as dinosaurs because of what they are being made of. Start making more Lion Steel type slip joints like that Barlow and you will see the whole game changed. GEC is far from a game changer and could adopt some modern change for the better. This is not 1917 it's 2017. Get with better technology and this goes for other companies too. The gimmick of some kind of old nostalgia only carries so far. Should we be making Model T cars and pretend they are viable at today's technology? We need production Porsche's of knives and not necessarily Bentley's. We've settled for Ford's in a market that could produce Porsches at little more cost. Can the U.S. Companies all step up their game on production knives and still keep them reasonable. I say they can but it's a matter of doing. They had to in the car business and other industries. I wish Companies like Benchmade and others would come into the slip joint market and knock every one back. It can be done but doubt it will ever happen and it's a shame. Just my 2 cents worth that turned into a nickels worth. Thanks
 
Canal Street was using better steels and some more exotic handle materials like carbon fiber for a while. At one time I thought that would be their niche market, but I don't think they had a wide enough variety of patterns and handle materials to stay competitive in the traditional market.

Case has at various times used ATS-34 or 154CM steels, and they make knives with G-10 in several colors and carbon fiber.

If Queen would ever get their act together, they could be the modern-steel traditional makers of choice. GEC, by largely ignoring stainless steels, and Case by primarily focusing on changing up handle materials but little else, have both left that niche open. Whether or not it is a large enough niche for anyone to capitalize on is another question.
 
I can appreciate newer knives for practicality, but the traditionals are just so darn pretty...
And, GEC knives are the hot sister of all other production knife makers. (To be scientific)

Mike
 
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What I'm talking about is how you take traditional and put modern technology in it like Lion Steel has done. It's like having a 65 Mustang with a new 700hp twin turbo engine. I think people will respond positively to modern adjustments. I keep going back to car comparisons and how you now can get 600 to 800 hp production vehicles. That was deemed crazy and won't happen 20 years ago and now we have sedans with over 600 hp. Build and they will come !!!
 
While I really like my GEC knives, they are by no means the only game in town. To address the original question in the OP, there are other brands in about the same price range ($100-125) that are just as good if not better. For example, Chambriard makes a very nice line. The styles are not quite the same as most American traditionals, but they are great knives.


If you want a traditional lockback, Moki can't be beat for quality.

And when it comes down to it, Victorinox has very high standards for very consistent quality. They may not be the prettiest, and it's hard to find customized wood scales, but no one can argue that they don't have great walk & talk and very consistent blade grinds. Victorinox is one brand that I can buy sight unseen without any worries about getting a flawed knife.
 
Not the only game in town for me but GEC knives are a large part of my collection and have always been consistently good, never had a bad one but I am not very picky. I love the various handle materials, love how they are not afraid to try a new bone jigging pattern or color even if it sometimes does not come out quite how we expected.
I've tried a few Case, Queen, Shatt&Morgan and will still buy them but I don't feel they have the consistent quality that GEC produces. For example I just picked up a beautiful S&M English Jack, beautifully made knife but came butter knife dull, I can stroke it across my palm and it won't leave a mark. All of my GEC's have at least had a usable edge out of the tube.
Modern steels mean nothing to me, I prefer the standard GEC steel as it takes an edge easy, that fancy steel the S&M has is going to be a real pain getting a usable edge on.
I much prefer the old ways over modern technology, I've spent the last 45 years fixing the latest and greatest cars, its not all its cracked up to be. They may perform better but when it comes time for repairs it is an expensive complex pain.
Another large part of my collection are old knives and GEC does a great job putting their take on the traditional patterns.
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yeah, I don't think GEC gets enough credit for their design improvements. Some of the blades they have done recently have been excellent - such as the clips on the #74 and the #77 barlow.
 
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