Lets talk GEC!

Hi guys. And suppose some gals too. I love these GEC's. I've accumulated quite a few since I found my first one about 3 years ago. I plan on keeping them for a few years and maybe pass some to grandkids when they come along, and probably sell off the others to give me something to play with when I retire. Just looking for some opinions. Do you think they will still increase in value, or at least hold their value? I know, I wish we all knew the answer to that, but I did say opinion. ;) Thanks for any input.
 
I thought we hit the bubble top awhile back and it looks like I was wrong so don’t listen to me :D
 
Angry Angus said:
Hi guys. And suppose some gals too. I love these GEC's. I've accumulated quite a few since I found my first one about 3 years ago. I plan on keeping them for a few years and maybe pass some to grandkids when they come along, and probably sell off the others to give me something to play with when I retire. Just looking for some opinions. Do you think they will still increase in value, or at least hold their value? I know, I wish we all knew the answer to that, but I did say opinion. ;) Thanks for any input.
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It might be difficult for me to adequately respond to this as I do not look at knives as investments. I collect and use knives for my personal enjoyment and though I enjoy gifting knives to folks, I don't collect so that I might have something to pass down to my kids and beyond either. I am building a magnificent library and teaching my kids the importance of literacy - that is what I hope to pass on to them. The knives I couldn't care less about after I'm gone - they are purely for my enjoyment. If my kids take a keen interest in them somewhere down the line, I will be thrilled to death to balloon their modest collections at that time.

My advice, for whatever it is worth, is to buy the knives you like, enjoy the heck out of them, gift them, pass them on, etc. If you are seeking investment advice though, I am not so sure I have all that much to give other than that GEC knives have proven to maintain and exceed their value over the years and there isn't any sign of that going away any time soon.
 
Angry Angus said:
Hi guys. And suppose some gals too. I love these GEC's. I've accumulated quite a few since I found my first one about 3 years ago. I plan on keeping them for a few years and maybe pass some to grandkids when they come along, and probably sell off the others to give me something to play with when I retire. Just looking for some opinions. Do you think they will still increase in value, or at least hold their value? I know, I wish we all knew the answer to that, but I did say opinion. ;) Thanks for any input.
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If you know you will be selling some of your GEC's in the future then the best advice I can give is to not pay secondary market prices for them. Buy them brand new when they are released and the prices are reasonable.

It's impossible to accurately predict what the market will do in the future. If it takes a fall you'll be much less affected if you didn't overpay in the first place.
 
Interesting observations. Although they look good, I found all of those stainless 15s too light, especially the wood and acrylic versions. I favour the chunkier feel of the 15 barlows or the heavier handled bone versions. Funny how a subtle difference in weight can impact your impressions.

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Angry Angus said:
Do you think they will still increase in value, or at least hold their value?
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Good question- tough to know the collective mind of the general knife purchasing community, but you can take samples of the population and infer.

I, for one, am a little disenchanted with GECs at the moment because the prices are being driven up by most distributors. This feels as artificial to me as the secondary market. To me, once the pricing is no longer even loosely connected to a service or materials I’m no longer interested. When I first bought my Churchill in 2017 I felt like I was buying a pricey knife, but it was a treat to myself. The knife justified the cost when it got here, and I bought 10 more GECs since then. At the +$30 that these are fetching places now I don’t think I would have bought that Churchill 3 years ago.

So when you ask if they will get more valuable? To me they won’t gain anything but sentimental value.

At some point I would rather toss a SAK in my pocket- a man’s got to know his limitations. I’m very much in the minority though, as people are still clamoring with wads of their hard-earned money to spend the higher prices on a 1095 GEC.

Im waiting to find out what happens when the “just passing through” slip joint buyers change the trend.
 
EngrSorenson said:
Good question- tough to know the collective mind of the general knife purchasing community, but you can take samples of the population and infer.

I, for one, am a little disenchanted with GECs at the moment because the prices are being driven up by most distributors. This feels as artificial to me as the secondary market. To me, once the pricing is no longer even loosely connected to a service or materials I’m no longer interested. When I first bought my Churchill in 2017 I felt like I was buying a pricey knife, but it was a treat to myself. The knife justified the cost when it got here, and I bought 10 more GECs since then. At the +$30 that these are fetching places now I don’t think I would have bought that Churchill 3 years ago.

So when you ask if they will get more valuable? To me they won’t gain anything but sentimental value.

At some point I would rather toss a SAK in my pocket- a man’s got to know his limitations. I’m very much in the minority though, as people are still clamoring with wads of their hard-earned money to spend the higher prices on a 1095 GEC.

Im waiting to find out what happens when the “just passing through” slip joint buyers change the trend.
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You’re not alone. My interest in GEC has been primarily about obtaining those patterns I grew up with in order to use them. I have no interest in collecting or flipping, I just want to buy and use without waiting years and paying exorbitant prices on the secondary market to get them.
At this point I watch GEC closely but don’t hold my breath. I’ve found peace enjoying the three GEC knives I do own and otherwise getting my fix elsewhere. Case has been putting out some very good knives, though still missing some of my favorite old time patterns.
 
EngrSorenson said:
Good question- tough to know the collective mind of the general knife purchasing community, but you can take samples of the population and infer.

I, for one, am a little disenchanted with GECs at the moment because the prices are being driven up by most distributors. This feels as artificial to me as the secondary market. To me, once the pricing is no longer even loosely connected to a service or materials I’m no longer interested. When I first bought my Churchill in 2017 I felt like I was buying a pricey knife, but it was a treat to myself. The knife justified the cost when it got here, and I bought 10 more GECs since then. At the +$30 that these are fetching places now I don’t think I would have bought that Churchill 3 years ago.

So when you ask if they will get more valuable? To me they won’t gain anything but sentimental value.

At some point I would rather toss a SAK in my pocket- a man’s got to know his limitations. I’m very much in the minority though, as people are still clamoring with wads of their hard-earned money to spend the higher prices on a 1095 GEC.

Im waiting to find out what happens when the “just passing through” slip joint buyers change the trend.
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URYoYqL.jpg

Pricing really is never connected to a service or materials. That is a personal decision weather the pricing then is of value to you.
Scarcity of supply and abundance of demand is driving the current market. The +$30 is probably still below equilibrium. While above your determination of value.

Knife content.

ADBAPiU.jpg
 
Angry Angus said:
Hi guys. And suppose some gals too. I love these GEC's. I've accumulated quite a few since I found my first one about 3 years ago. I plan on keeping them for a few years and maybe pass some to grandkids when they come along, and probably sell off the others to give me something to play with when I retire. Just looking for some opinions. Do you think they will still increase in value, or at least hold their value? I know, I wish we all knew the answer to that, but I did say opinion. ;) Thanks for any input.
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After having dealt with antiques and collectables for many years, I have come to the realization that everything is disposable, like a popsicle. Especially pocket knives. You could make much more by dealing in used lawnmowers.
Like you I really like my 9 GEC knives. But they will all end up in a garage sale or landfill.
 
H2O2HI said:
After having dealt with antiques and collectables for many years, I have come to the realization that everything is disposable, like a popsicle. Especially pocket knives. You could make much more by dealing in used lawnmowers.
Like you I really like my 9 GEC knives. But they will all end up in a garage sale or landfill.
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I would like to send you the address to my "landfill"... ;)
 
On a serious note, I was driving my wife and daughter around this weekend doing some shopping for the holidays. I parked my truck way out in the middle of a parking lot in order to avoid all the people while my wife shopped. I got out of my truck and my stag #74 fell out of my shorts pocket and hit the asphalt. Got a little ding on the bolster. Is there a way to polish this up to make it look better? It has a very minor ding on the bolster, but just enough to piss me off. This knife is a user, so either way it is not a huge deal. Anyone have any tips for me? Much appreciated!!
 
Jiki said:
Pricing really is never connected to a service or materials. That is a personal decision weather the pricing then is of value to you.
Scarcity of supply and abundance of demand is driving the current market. The +$30 is probably still below equilibrium.
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Yeah, I understand what economics is Jiki. :D Seems like you’re a man of enterprise?

My point is that GEC’s price to dealers hasn’t changed- we know folks are able to sell them at the newly dubbed “minimum suggested price” (or whatever GEC changed the verbiage to) which is in line with previous expectation.

Two ways to look at it:
1) GEC’s are worth X to me. Anything below X is reasonable. Fine!
2) I know I’m getting shafted +$30 by a distributor because they know they can charge more for a product they didn’t make.

GEC as a maker charges some cost to distributors, which is reflective of the cost of production. A distributor makes some money on it for advertising and moving the pieces around; also fine.

If someone could show me how that money was going to the woman drilling the scales, or the guy hafting at the belt sander, that’d be a little different.

Anyway, GEC’s are fine knives, and all this argument about cost is selfish of me, merely because I’m bitter that I can’t justify spending family man dollars on what I wish I could.

Maybe I should apply to be a dealer, and only deal to myself? o_O:D
 
mcc850 said:
On a serious note, I was driving my wife and daughter around this weekend doing some shopping for the holidays. I parked my truck way out in the middle of a parking lot in order to avoid all the people while my wife shopped. I got out of my truck and my stag #74 fell out of my shorts pocket and hit the asphalt. Got a little ding on the bolster. Is there a way to polish this up to make it look better? It has a very minor ding on the bolster, but just enough to piss me off. This knife is a user, so either way it is not a huge deal. Anyone have any tips for me? Much appreciated!!
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Working in a warehouse with cement floors all my knives have this bolster “feature”. If it doesn’t interfere with the action of the knife I’d leave it be. If it’s uncomfortable or has any rough spots bulging from the bolster you can file them down and buff out with fine sandpaper.
Or you can drop it on the other bolster and call them “pinched” :rolleyes:
 
mcc850 said:
On a serious note, I was driving my wife and daughter around this weekend doing some shopping for the holidays. I parked my truck way out in the middle of a parking lot in order to avoid all the people while my wife shopped. I got out of my truck and my stag #74 fell out of my shorts pocket and hit the asphalt. Got a little ding on the bolster. Is there a way to polish this up to make it look better? It has a very minor ding on the bolster, but just enough to piss me off. This knife is a user, so either way it is not a huge deal. Anyone have any tips for me? Much appreciated!!
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sorry to hear that! User or not, it can still make a bad day (enter Jiki with comment about how frivolous knives are :D).

Depending on how rough it is in your skin, I might take sand paper to it, and work down to 15000 grit, and polish it after that. Otherwise it’s a trophy ding from that time you went for a ride with your wife and daughter.
 
EngrSorenson said:
sorry to hear that! User or not, it can still make a bad day (enter Jiki with comment about how frivolous knives are :D)
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Hmm, I have always said it's your knife do what you wish with it.

EngrSorenson said:
Anyway, GEC’s are fine knives, and all this argument about cost is selfish of me, merely because I’m bitter that I can’t justify spending family man dollars on what I wish I could.
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Milk and bread come before excess and luxury. If more people understood that, well that's not a knife discussion, let's just say that is a responsible and admirable decision.

Knife content.
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mcc850 said:
On a serious note, I was driving my wife and daughter around this weekend doing some shopping for the holidays. I parked my truck way out in the middle of a parking lot in order to avoid all the people while my wife shopped. I got out of my truck and my stag #74 fell out of my shorts pocket and hit the asphalt. Got a little ding on the bolster. Is there a way to polish this up to make it look better? It has a very minor ding on the bolster, but just enough to piss me off. This knife is a user, so either way it is not a huge deal. Anyone have any tips for me? Much appreciated!!
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Did the same with my 2011 Forum Knife, also a GEC. Was wishing that garages had earth floors at the time...:D Fixed it very well with fine grade paper and then a good buffing with loaded leather strop, good job it landed on the bolster tip and not on the scale slab :eek:
 
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