Lets talk GEC!

cbr1000 said:
He put down a $1000 dollar bet to prove him wrong.
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The applications themselves are $500+ and would require a good deal of modding/coding to make them work with a particular site/checkout system. And even then, it would require one to two keystrokes from a human to complete the checkout process. It would still be leaps and bounds faster than manually checking out though.
 
formationit said:
I have a newbie question so thanks in advance for your patience. I am relatively new to GEC knives but have amassed a good collection over the last year. I do not know much about the dealer network or how they are purchased new but I do know about how they are sold on ebay as that is how I have obtained nearly all of my GEC knives. I want to state that I have absolutely no issue with someone who sells a knife on ebay for more if that is what the market allows. It does not bother me that some GEC's skyrocket on ebay as that tells me that they have value and are in demand and that is fine.

All this being said, I do have a question about something that seems strange. I have personally purchased a recently released in demand GEC knife on ebay only to see the same seller post another knife (same pattern with same or different handle materials) the very next day. This tells me that someone was able to buy multiple knives of a new hot pattern while others could not come close to getting one. I am curious how this happens if anyone knows. Again, I have no issue with how the secondary market for GEC works and I use it regularly. It is just that this issue seems like something that is not quite fair. I don't presume anything and sure don't want to inflame anyone but I am curious.
Thanks.
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Some are dealers and they have several. Others are flippers and will buy from several dealers on their drops. Most dealers have rules in place for buying more than one of a hot item. Either way the seller doesn't want more than one for sale at a time as it will dilute the bidding pool.
 
formationit said:
All this being said, I do have a question about something that seems strange. I have personally purchased a recently released in demand GEC knife on ebay only to see the same seller post another knife (same pattern with same or different handle materials) the very next day. This tells me that someone was able to buy multiple knives of a new hot pattern while others could not come close to getting one. I am curious how this happens if anyone knows. Again, I have no issue with how the secondary market for GEC works and I use it regularly. It is just that this issue seems like something that is not quite fair. I don't presume anything and sure don't want to inflame anyone but I am curious.
Thanks.
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If you bought it there it could be a couple of things. 1) it could be a GEC dealer selling on ebay. There are a few who are selling there now, so they would have multiple to list. 2) it's possible an individual was able to reserve one from two different dealers, got them both in, and are selling them.
 
If I were the owner of GEC I would run four months of 15's.
Four months of 73's
And four months of 47's.
Start the next year with three different patterns that are most popular and continue the cycle. At 120 knives per day, everyone would get one and be happy.
Just my two cents.
 
Markesharp said:
If I were the owner of GEC I would run four months of 15's.
Four months of 73's
And four months of 47's.
Start the next year with three different patterns that are most popular and continue the cycle. At 120 knives per day, everyone would get one and be happy.
Just my two cents.
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Think of all the lost sales though. If everyone who wants a TC 15, 73, and 47 got one, I imagine there would be a lot less people watching the GEC drops like a hawk, waiting for those patterns... And then being tempted and purchasing another pattern either out of impatience, to satiate their urge to buy something, or because GEC released a pattern they didn’t know they wanted.
 
formationit said:
I have a newbie question so thanks in advance for your patience. I am relatively new to GEC knives but have amassed a good collection over the last year. I do not know much about the dealer network or how they are purchased new but I do know about how they are sold on ebay as that is how I have obtained nearly all of my GEC knives. I want to state that I have absolutely no issue with someone who sells a knife on ebay for more if that is what the market allows. It does not bother me that some GEC's skyrocket on ebay as that tells me that they have value and are in demand and that is fine.

All this being said, I do have a question about something that seems strange. I have personally purchased a recently released in demand GEC knife on ebay only to see the same seller post another knife (same pattern with same or different handle materials) the very next day. This tells me that someone was able to buy multiple knives of a new hot pattern while others could not come close to getting one. I am curious how this happens if anyone knows. Again, I have no issue with how the secondary market for GEC works and I use it regularly. It is just that this issue seems like something that is not quite fair. I don't presume anything and sure don't want to inflame anyone but I am curious.
Thanks.
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I suspect the ones posting multiples of the same knife on ebay are most likey GEC dealers. I wish I knew which dealers they were because I would stop my business with them.

Or as we we have discussed, they could be people using purchase bots.
 
Has anyone heard how big the run will be for the 85s and 15s?

Personally I just wish they would perpetually make the Farm and Field line, I could get by with just those. I like the bullet proof no bolster look. At the end of the day they will make what they make and some will get them and some won't, that's life. Its just a pocket knife.

Obtaining the unobtainable is what keeps everyone interested.
 
I think dealers should buy a warehouse and we could enter lotteries to get a GEC. Then the dealer rounds 20 of us at a time up in a room, and tosses in a #35 Calf Pen. Whoever makes it out alive gets the right to buy a GEC for $150.
 
Markesharp said:
If I were the owner of GEC I would run four months of 15's.
Four months of 73's
And four months of 47's.
Start the next year with three different patterns that are most popular and continue the cycle. At 120 knives per day, everyone would get one and be happy.
Just my two cents.
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As much as I love these popular patterns, just three releases a year would be a bit boring. I hate what it has become, but I do like the unknown of whats next. It keeps it interesting.
 
Old Engineer said:
I agree with you folks : You can lead a horse to water , but you have to have a bucket to milk a cow . Now some recent knives . GEC did a very good job on both of these . The Pull on the 23 is around a 7 .


Harry
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Holy cow, I had no idea just how big a #23 was. That pic really puts it in perspective. I’m not sure how I never noticed the 3.75” blade.
 
The availability issue arises every single new run, not every few years!

GEC has been at max capacity for at least 3 years, and demand continues to go up but the factory seems really maxed out around 20k knives per year. A nearly maxed out production line is just about perfect in real life.

I started enjoying GEC knives around 2017, and back then you could go to all the dealer websites and literally pick a pattern and a cover (often the exact knife with each being pictured separately) with complete leisure.

I remember seeing the two blade 14’s from 2016 in many covers at many dealer sites and thinking it would be fun to buy one of those, then getting it and realizing it was a lovely knife so back to the dealer site a week or two later to try the red one or the ebony version.

My very first GEC was a 78 that I bought on a whim as a gift and as soon as I checked it out before wrapping it I was blown away by how cool it was.

And the stag! So many different stag patterns collecting dust, I ordered more old patterns than new runs back in 2017. I faintly recall checking out dozens of stag knives of each pattern on multiple dealer websites before choosing one I wanted- so much fun I should have just bought everything.

The good old days are loooong gone, but GEC has found its sure footing and Bill Howard and the whole team deserve their success. The fact that GEC recovered so quickly from the forced shutdowns tells me Bill H. is a very skilled businessman as well as knife maker. Only 14 long years to be an overnight success!

Collectors usually want one of every knife pattern and every cover, but now you have to accept you may be lucky to get a single copy of a pattern instead of each cover.

I am coping with this by ignoring all micarta knives and all non-GEC branded knives. During 2020 I decided to sell all my micarta knives, and a few other categories to narrow my collection (can’t let the Maher & Grosch knives go).

People that have been GEC fans for years have seen this crazy increase in customer base, and we are spoiled by the reality that you can buy a Buck 110 in 20 variations any day of the week, but a GEC pattern will only come around once every few years and maybe never again.

I don’t think GEC should do anything different. Just keep making your 20k knives and switching up the patterns, covers, pulls, blades, etc. Maybe raise the wholesale price 10 bucks per knife for the coming inflation.

GEC should ignore the complainers and just keep doing it the way they do.

Except they gotta bring back UnXLD shields on stag.

And maybe now we can all finally admit GEC collecting is war.
@onearmedbladenut had an open and sincere honesty about all this that I will miss. I hope he returns soon.

Not to mention some of you are kinda cranky and opinionated, so get off my lawn.

Here is the first GEC I bought for myself - still one of my favorites.
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Old Engineer said:
I agree with you folks : You can lead a horse to water , but you have to have a bucket to milk a cow . Now some recent knives . GEC did a very good job on both of these . The Pull on the 23 is around a 7 .


Harry
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Nice pair, Harry. I was fortunate to be able to land one of those single blade Redtail 23s - should be getting it in tomorrow - it will go nicely with my 2-blade version. Those were the best of the Northfields in the 23 run, in my opinion.

Matt_WY said:
As much as I love these popular patterns, just three releases a year would be a bit boring. I hate what it has become, but I do like the unknown of whats next. It keeps it interesting.
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I absolutely agree.

For instance, I have several GEC 15s - in all sorts of configurations. Though I wouldn't mind getting one from the new run - if I can't manage to, it isn't going to break my heart. If GEC were to run only 15s for several months, they would certainly have to make it interesting. If they are only making one variant, I am only going to be wanting to get one and then I am spending a good chunk of the year paying no mind to GEC and chasing something else.
 
If you look at the blade and handle options on the 15 for example it makes for a large variety.
TC Barlow
Crown Lifter
Electrician (I would live to see another run of these)
Boys knife etc.
They are tooled up for all of the above and the blade patterns and handle materials are endless.
Again just me spitballing.
It's all good.
 
Pàdruig said:
Nice pair, Harry. I was fortunate to be able to land one of those single blade Redtail 23s - should be getting it in tomorrow - it will go nicely with my 2-blade version. Those were the best of the Northfields in the 23 run, in my opinion.
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The Red Tails are very nice and I really like it but ,,,,,,,,, I like the Mesquite more . I am sure you are going to like your's too Dylan . Please post some photos .

Harry
 
Just talked to Bill before he left for the weekend. His intention when he began the end of the sfo's was to transition to a less options / more knives methodology. But 2020 threw many wrenches into the gears. Bone issues, shutdown issues, etc. etc. So, I think the factory's intention is to try and find a good number that will allow dealers to keep product on the shelves much longer thus eliminating the market for flippers. It will also essentially increase the factory margin as there are savings in volume. Obviously 1500 of each variation is great when they are a hot pattern, but will be costly to inventory if not. But that is a problem we can tackle when it comes around.
 
Norcaldude said:
Why would Bill do that when he's already making the knives he wants and selling them as fast he can make them?
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My poor sense of humor. John's post sounded like a resume to me. I don't really presume to know what Bill Howard should do. I don't mind folks speculating about it, though.
 
Fixall said:
Holy cow, I had no idea just how big a #23 was. That pic really puts it in perspective. I’m not sure how I never noticed the 3.75” blade.
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Well , you see it is this way : I do not think that the 23 is so big as the TC is smaller than I will usually carry . Very nice knife though .

Harry
 
Shoot....all you people are GEC newbies. I remember seeing two single blade clip TC barlows sit on Mike's site for days at $75/each. This must have been back in 2013. I have given away/sold most of my knives (before the craziness) to cover medical costs of family and business expenses (I don't regret my decisions as they were the right thing for me at the time). It is near impossible to buy one these days. The only ones I miss are my old ebony singly blade clip 15 and long, pull double blade 15 spear. Those were nice.
 
Old Engineer said:
The Red Tails are very nice and I really like it but ,,,,,,,,, I like the Mesquite more . I am sure you are going to like your's too Dylan . Please post some photos .

Harry
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I do like that one in Mesquite and feel very fortunate to have been able to get in on one of Mike's last GEC SFOs. I feel more compelled to put the Redtails to use though, for whatever reason - maybe it is that classic "Remington" look and feel that they have.

There will certainly be some pictures when it arrives. I am just hoping that this second batch that they just wrapped up is of the same quality as their first batch.
 
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