waynorth
Dealer / Materials Provider
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2005
- Messages
- 33,447
Because I am planning to have some American Walnut applied to the next run of TC Barlows, as handles, I thought I should have a look at some knives similarly "dressed"!
To that end, I called GEC to find out if they had such a thing in stock. The only knives they had in Walnut, were a couple of sets of last year's Rendevous specials, the Missouri Trader and Missouri Trapper.
Pretty fancy gear for a Barlow type guy, but I ordered a set - purely for research purposes you understand
- and they arrived today.
Well, I certainly was not disappointed. The wood has some of the subtle variegation of Macassar, but has its own distinct hue. No question it is American Walnut; I have built a few things out of it. It machines and finishes nicely.
Not quite as hard as the Ebonies and Rosewoods, it is usually stabilized for knife handles to enhance durability.
But to get to the point of my thread - I was looking these knives over, and they are something else!! The blades lie perfectly centered in their recesses. The walk and talk is great on all three blades; gentler on the locker of course, but when locked,
the Trader is like granite!!
Every GEC I have sharpened has performed very well. It says a lot for the quality and treatment of the steel they use. Every once in a while I "nitpick" a knife, my name for going over it with a fine tooth comb. A custom maker would have to have some serious experience to make knives like these two!! No "nits" worth mentioning!! I have seen flaws on customs that do not exist here!
So the question here is, how can knives as nice as these, be produced for around $100 each?? Hard to believe!!
I am willing to be lenient for a production knife, certainly more so than for a $1000 custom!! But there is nothing to forgive. The mirror polish is not perfect on the blades, but these knives were made to work! And if the steel treatment is true to form, work they will!
Get a load of these knives;
To that end, I called GEC to find out if they had such a thing in stock. The only knives they had in Walnut, were a couple of sets of last year's Rendevous specials, the Missouri Trader and Missouri Trapper.
Pretty fancy gear for a Barlow type guy, but I ordered a set - purely for research purposes you understand
- and they arrived today.Well, I certainly was not disappointed. The wood has some of the subtle variegation of Macassar, but has its own distinct hue. No question it is American Walnut; I have built a few things out of it. It machines and finishes nicely.
Not quite as hard as the Ebonies and Rosewoods, it is usually stabilized for knife handles to enhance durability.
But to get to the point of my thread - I was looking these knives over, and they are something else!! The blades lie perfectly centered in their recesses. The walk and talk is great on all three blades; gentler on the locker of course, but when locked,
the Trader is like granite!!
Every GEC I have sharpened has performed very well. It says a lot for the quality and treatment of the steel they use. Every once in a while I "nitpick" a knife, my name for going over it with a fine tooth comb. A custom maker would have to have some serious experience to make knives like these two!! No "nits" worth mentioning!! I have seen flaws on customs that do not exist here!
So the question here is, how can knives as nice as these, be produced for around $100 each?? Hard to believe!!
I am willing to be lenient for a production knife, certainly more so than for a $1000 custom!! But there is nothing to forgive. The mirror polish is not perfect on the blades, but these knives were made to work! And if the steel treatment is true to form, work they will!
Get a load of these knives;
