Lets talk GEC!

sitflyer said:
A few minutes with some sandpaper and that pokey spur can be tamed quite nicely. I've got two GEC's with one armed blades and I like to open them with my thumb in the rounded groove...to each their own, those blades are real slicers when sharpened up.
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Smoothing that spur would help. And I do think that traditional one-hand-open design for a slipjoint is unique/interesting. I just don’t see myself using that blade shape. I can’t imagine it’s slicing abilities are that much better than a spear, clip or spey on the same pattern, and I can see that spur getting in the way of you needed to use the tip of the blade for anything.

Pàdruig said:
I was very disappointed in the pull on the 97s as well - it imparted a large lack of confidence in such a large blade. The 23s are far more satisfying.

I moved my 97 along - my 23 isn't going anywhere.
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Didn’t the clip points on those big #97’s have just a slight recurve to the straight/flat part of the edge? I think that’s one thing that kept me from every trying one. (Although based on what you’re saying about the pull, I’m glad I stayed away.)

tmd_87 said:
Some #15 farm boys!!! That would be a sweet run!
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Yes, please! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I’d love to have a couple more Farm Boys. I’d say a Nifebrite #15 Farm Boy is right at the top of my list of GEC’s I’d like to get my hands on but probably never will. :D

My user:

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My NIT backup:

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btb01 said:
Smoothing that spur would help. And I do think that traditional one-hand-open design for a slipjoint is unique/interesting. I just don’t see myself using that blade shape. I can’t imagine it’s slicing abilities are that much better than a spear, clip or spey on the same pattern, and I can see that spur getting in the way of you needed to use the tip of the blade for anything.



Didn’t the clip points on those big #97’s have just a slight recurve to the straight/flat part of the edge? I think that’s one thing that kept me from every trying one. (Although based on what you’re saying about the pull, I’m glad I stayed away.)



Yes, please! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I’d love to have a couple more Farm Boys. I’d say a Nifebrite #15 Farm Boy is right at the top of my list of GEC’s I’d like to get my hands on but probably never will. :D

My user:

dxj3aXO.jpg


My NIT backup:

xGrBhNT.jpg
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Drooling! I bet with two big blades like that the knife feels way more substantial in hand. Those knives are great!
 
sitflyer said:
I have been away from pocketknives for a few years now, and recently got back into being interested in them. I had settled on carrying a single knife for the longest time and had just lost interest in getting anything new. Upon returning I became enamored by the GEC 97 Coke Bottle pattern, and today my Beavertail 97 arrived...I was very exited about this one as it is a big knife, not very much different than the 23 pattern size wise...but what an utter disappointment this knife was...the pull is totally anemic, to the point where I feel the knife is almost hazardously under sprung for such a large offering... to be a potential hazard to real life usage. I will beat the snot out of this beastly thing treating it as a friction folder, because the spring is so weak that it might as well be a friction folder. This may well be the very last GEC that I ever buy...and I have a boatload of them.

I take no pleasure in this post...
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Send it back. It will only cost you the postage. Most dealers have a 30 day return policy. I felt the same way about almost all of the 97’s I have handled. A few of them have slightly better springs and do fall under the range of barely acceptable, but most do not.
 
I wonder if there’s any #97 fans out there? GEC gets it right so often that it hurts when the miss.
 
I think you'll find there are a number of folks who appreciate the 97 as a well made reproduction of an old pattern. Whilst not averse to using any of my knives I certainly aint buying a 97 to start beating on.
 
I have a few 97's and I think it is a very interesting, well executed pattern.... Just because it is big doesn't mean It's only purpose is to split the winter firewood... There are many tasks that benefit from a long blade without the need for #8 pulls, broken thumbnails and liner locks.... It is a beautiful knife and a great collectable....20200814_094948.jpg
 
HEMI 49 said:
I have a few 97's and I think it is a very interesting, well executed pattern.... Just because it is big doesn't mean It's only purpose is to split the winter firewood... There are many tasks that benefit from a long blade without the need for #8 pulls, broken thumbnails and liner locks.... It is a beautiful knife and a great collectable....View attachment 1398507
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I was about to second this. I have four or five #97s and I enjoy them for what they are, big pretty classic cokebottle pattern knives. No more, no less. These having light pulls aren't an issue for me as I have plenty of knives I'd reach for for "hard use" (that aren't fit to discuss here) before any of my #97s. In fact, I much prefer the easy pulls on those #97s to the gator traps that my #23s are.
 
Travman said:
Send it back. It will only cost you the postage. Most dealers have a 30 day return policy. I felt the same way about almost all of the 97’s I have handled. A few of them have slightly better springs and do fall under the range of barely acceptable, but most do not.
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I already chopped down some tomato plants with it, the blade is stained...at least it can be pinched open with gloves on. Maybe I'll warm up to it.
 
Matt Bernier said:
I'd love a nice big spey, myself. It's one of my most-used blade shapes. When you want to protect something near a cut, or make a cut of controlled depth, there's nothing better.
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My 2-blade Spey main, pen secondary, TC Barlow 15 is one of my favorite knives, and the only 15 I’ve kept so far. It’s wide enough for a good grip, still thin and small enough that it’s not obtrusive in a pocket, and has a fairly unmatched blade combination for just about anything. Spey blades aren’t particularly sexy or photogenic but they’re very practical.
 
HEMI 49 said:
I have a few 97's and I think it is a very interesting, well executed pattern.... Just because it is big doesn't mean It's only purpose is to split the winter firewood... There are many tasks that benefit from a long blade without the need for #8 pulls, broken thumbnails and liner locks.... It is a beautiful knife and a great collectable....View attachment 1398507
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Very nice collection. Thanks for showing it off. I like all of them, but I really love your Tidioute 97. They did a great job with the color and deep grooves of the jigging.

I agree, not all GEC's have to be #8 pulls. But when they go to the extreme on the other side then there will always be some that are too weak. For example, my brother's 97 would barely close unless we pushed it. However, this past Saturday I did buy a Kifer SFO 97 that I was able to handle in person. That example was on the weaker side compared to most other GEC models, but it was definitely acceptable. It would open and close and fall into place with out having to physically push it. It is definitely enjoyable because I don't have to worry about it ever if it closes on a finger.
 
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HEMI 49 said:
I have a few 97's and I think it is a very interesting, well executed pattern.... Just because it is big doesn't mean It's only purpose is to split the winter firewood... There are many tasks that benefit from a long blade without the need for #8 pulls, broken thumbnails and liner locks.... It is a beautiful knife and a great collectable....View attachment 1398507
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Quiet said:
I was about to second this. I have four or five #97s and I enjoy them for what they are, big pretty classic cokebottle pattern knives. No more, no less. These having light pulls aren't an issue for me as I have plenty of knives I'd reach for for "hard use" (that aren't fit to discuss here) before any of my #97s. In fact, I much prefer the easy pulls on those #97s to the gator traps that my #23s are.
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Here is a bit of a thought exercise for you fellas - well... maybe not an exercise but just a different perspective.

Let's remove other knives from the equation (i.e. modern folders, fixed blades, etc.) and the 97 is the one knife available to you that is suitable for large and/or working tasks. Would you still be comfortable in its ability to meet your needs without fear of the blade closing on you? The reason behind a stiffer spring is that it keeps the blade from closing when you do not want it to. Sure, it makes it more difficult to open but it goes both ways - it makes it harder to close as well.

The example that I got was the Northfield with the saber grind and double pulls. Saber grinds on these knives result in a very sturdy blade and the double pulls elicit an assumption that the knife is going to have a stiff action - hence the extra leverage that the forward nail nick would provide. Instead, I had a knife where the action gave me no confidence in its safety as a working knife. It's a long, sturdy blade - one that could get caught up in all sorts of stuff that you might be working on and it would take almost nothing for it to fold on itself. In my mind, that is a significant design flaw.

I hold to my opinion that the weak action on the 97s was a very poor choice on GEC's part. Sure, they are beautiful knives and look great in any collection but, to echo Forrest's sentiments, it is not a knife that I would ever rely on for my heavier tasks - I have more suitable blades for such things and am happy that my choices are not limited to just the 97 pattern.

(Now, I am still inclined to try one of the Tidioutes - a long blade with a full flat grind has lots of merits)
 
Travman said:
Very nice collection. Thanks for showing it off. I like all of them, but I really love your Tidioute 97. They did a great job with the color and deep groves of the jigging.

I agree, not all GEC's have to be #8 pulls. But when they go to the extreme on the other side then there will always be some that are too weak. For example, my brother's 97 would barely close unless we pushed it. However, this past Saturday I did buy a Kifer SFO 97 that I was able to handle in person. That example was on the weaker side compared to most other GEC models, but it was definitely acceptable. It would open and close and fall into place with out having to physically push it. It is definitely enjoyable because I don't have to worry about it ever if it closes on a finger.
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Absolutely unacceptable if they need nudging to close....... Either the spring has lost it's "sprung" or something is binding like a brake......
 
Travman said:
Very nice collection. Thanks for showing it off. I like all of them, but I really love your Tidioute 97. They did a great job with the color and deep groves of the jigging.

I agree, not all GEC's have to be #8 pulls. But when they go to the extreme on the other side then there will always be some that are too weak. For example, my brother's 97 would barely close unless we pushed it. However, this past Saturday I did buy a Kifer SFO 97 that I was able to handle in person. That example was on the weaker side compared to most other GEC models, but it was definitely acceptable. It would open and close and fall into place with out having to physically push it. It is definitely enjoyable because I don't have to worry about it ever if it closes on a finger.
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Travis this isn't really directed at you, but just to add to the conversation. I seem to remember during the 97 release Gary Kifer mentioned that Bill used his large coke bottle collection to base the GEC run on and that the pull was historically correct. This might not mean much if you hate a light pull, but maybe Bill is interested in maintaining some historical authenticity in what he produces.
 
Pàdruig said:
Here is a bit of a thought exercise for you fellas - well... maybe not an exercise but just a different perspective.

Let's remove other knives from the equation (i.e. modern folders, fixed blades, etc.) and the 97 is the one knife available to you that is suitable for large and/or working tasks. Would you still be comfortable in its ability to meet your needs without fear of the blade closing on you? The reason behind a stiffer spring is that it keeps the blade from closing when you do not want it to. Sure, it makes it more difficult to open but it goes both ways - it makes it harder to close as well.

The example that I got was the Northfield with the saber grind and double pulls. Saber grinds on these knives result in a very sturdy blade and the double pulls elicit an assumption that the knife is going to have a stiff action - hence the extra leverage that the forward nail nick would provide. Instead, I had a knife where the action gave me no confidence in its safety as a working knife. It's a long, sturdy blade - one that could get caught up in all sorts of stuff that you might be working on and it would take almost nothing for it to fold on itself. In my mind, that is a significant design flaw.

I hold to my opinion that the weak action on the 97s was a very poor choice on GEC's part. Sure, they are beautiful knives and look great in any collection but, to echo Forrest's sentiments, it is not a knife that I would ever rely on for my heavier tasks - I have more suitable blades for such things and am happy that my choices are not limited to just the 97 pattern.

(Now, I am still inclined to try one of the Tidioutes - a long blade with a full flat grind has lots of merits)
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I am aware that most folks did not like the lighter pulls, and won't argue against their preference. That said, in an actual hard use situation, I wouldn't use ANY slipjoint knife. Or even a folding knife for that matter, if I had a choice! So, I can't really speak to that particular hypothetical situation, wherein I only had one of my #97s available because frankly that wouldn't ever be the actual case. However, in the interest of passing a few moments in discussion, if that were the case, I would say that I'd most likely be fine. I am firmly in the camp of "use the right tool for the job", and if I needed something cut, well the #97 will do that job just fine. I wouldn't cut material that had a possibility of binding with a non-locking knife at all, that's just me.

As for very stiff springs, as is the case with virtually all of my #23s, I don't enjoy that either. Speaking of significant design flaws, I've mentioned before how I didn't enjoy the unsafe feeling of my #23LL model, due to the difficulty in closing the knife to the halfstop with the liner lock disengaged...with my thumb right in the path of travel depressing the lockbar. Not great. Beautiful knives, VERY sharp, but not confidence inspiring in the least for me.

For the record, my Alleghany #97 serves as my personal steak/eating knife when I'm at home, a role it excels at! :D
 
Well I’m holding the #33 I’ve been waiting for. I want you guys to chime in here.
  1. Looks like the blades are right against their respective liners. You can see the oil pool up on the master blade where the tip rests against it.
  2. The pen blade has a nearly obscured nail nick, and you’ll notice that the tip is just short of proud. I will not be filing the kick on this one: looks like the pen blade will have to become a Spey and then a sheepsfoot.
I like the bone, the color, the jigging, the shield, and even the size. I understand not wanting collisions of the blades, but there’s a country mile in there. What do you guys think? Pics to illustrate.

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I think it’s got potential, I’m just wondering if the execution just isn’t there?

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