Lets talk GEC!

I was so happy to hear about the 38s, because every time I see one of these I cringe with envy.

I also found out about these early from a friend who is a member of OKCA. They were announced earlier in the OKCA catalog and have been hiding in the club knife pages of the website. I dig the fluted bolsters.

 

Nice! Even better is that if GEC can make a knife for OKCA surely they can make us one for our 2021 forum knife!

 

I agree, this year is starting out great - 15's, 38's, 85's... what a line-up ! If 77's show up on the production schedule, and maybe a Northwoods run brought back from the dead, I will be in GEC dream land lol.

 

I hope Coca-Cola is kinder than the Boy Scouts! Otherwise, this might be the first and last run of these 85 Caplifter beauties in this particular configuration. They might go the way of the Scout and Beer Scout knives.

Correct @JohnDF ! No words at all this time. I hope they don’t blow it on the etch! I am mostly joking, but, unfortunately, all it takes is a letter from a lawyer to cause big problems for little companies. It is just much easier for them to capitulate as GEC did with the Scouts and Beer Scouts. Who can blame them?

 

I don't see Coke's name on the knife.

 

Hate to be a party pooper, but there won't be any more SFOs from GEC. Every one who had an SFO got a bit of a "one last round", and this ought to be OKCA's. These will be out in the spring, too, by the time we typically just get our approval to even start doing debates about frames and blades and slabs and all of that for a club knife.

Having said all that, I hope someone will come along and correct me and say that we'd still be eligible for a 500-count club knife on whatever frame GEC is planning to run towards the end of the year.

 

The last seven weeks or so were a whirlwind for me and my collection, with the 47s and then the 15s, and a couple other sales/trades. I don’t anticipate going after any of the 85s or 38s, and am looking forward to a bit of a break to re-evaluate my collecting vs my using “needs”!

 

That didn't stop the Boyscouts.

 

So is this upcoming #38 going to be divergent split spring, as in the case of a Grinling? Or parallel split spring, al la the #62 Pocket Carver, or the Case Seahorse whittler?

Looking at the blade length of the main wharncliffe, I'm guessing parallel split spring.
That would take some of the shine off for me. I have a couple Case Seahorse Whittlers which would be almost identical.

 

Would you mind explaining the difference between parallel and divergent split springs for me? Also why do you prefer one over the other?

 

My little collection of GEC gems

 

@CelloDan

you got to get a GEC clip point!

beautiful collection

 

Interesting prim bone, Dylan, my guess would be they found some 2006 stamped blades and used them up in 2007. Not too unusual for them to be left out of the production totals, lots of examples of that.

 

Split back Whittlers have two springs, one for each secondary blade, separated by a thin wedge. The wedge terminates as the springs come together to support the main blade. Parallel springs do the same job, they just aren't wedged apart. It's easier to make a parallel springs knife. I suspect that this Whittler will be a parallel springs knife, but I don't mind because the 38 frame is about as comfortable and usable in the hand as it gets. It ought to be like the Northwoods Willamette but with an additional (3rd blade).

 

Splitback or divergent Springs are spilt by a precisely made wedge on the end with two blades. The main blade rides on the opposite end where both springs meet.


The parallel springs of the pocket carver are spilt by a precisely made bit of metal. It barely pushes the springs apart yet each of these smaller blades still rides on a single spring. And the main blade rides on the opposite end of both springs. Similar yet different. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks, that explained it well

 

Thank you both for the information! Exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thank you
Yes , a clip is definitely next .

 

Because their name was on the knife.

 

Did you all know that the term "splitspring whittler" first referred to a whittler configuration that had a spring split partway (all one piece), so that the smaller secondaries could each ride on half of the spring at one end??
That is why I tend to prefer the term "wedged spring" whittler for the more modern day whittlers with that wedge between those two separate springs!