Lets talk GEC!

Jeff, I applaud your methodology. When I have had "in vogue" GECs which I wanted to sell, sometimes I have searched the Traditional forum to see which of our members really wanted one and couldn't get one, then sold to them without advertising it at all, just through PMs. Even though I got less money for them than was possible through other channels, I felt better about it, helping the community.
 
Fire Beard said:
Speaking of the 15...anyone else THRILLED with the new run of them in Sheepsfoot? I grabbed one in antique yellow bone and can't wait for it to get here. Such a great pattern.
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Me too, I had the EZ open but didn't care for the shield.
 
Many of the posters in this thread are collectors at heart. Why else would you have 20 or so GEC knives ? If you want to get some of your focus off GEC, start looking at vintage knives. They are where all the GEC patterns come from. USA knife manufacturers were some of the best in the world from around 1890 to 1940 (rough dates) and there are plenty of examples around going right up to as near mint as possible. These knives give every bit as much pleasure as your most loved GEC.
kj
 
Many of us older guys used to carry those old knives, as kids. hand me downs from our granddads and dads. Using them for screw drivers, punches and pry bars. Only to be lost in the woods or the bottom of a junk drawer. My remembrance of "Barlow" knives were cheap promotional hand outs with stamped bolsters and plastic handles with advertising on them. My dad had several he was given by sales people. It wasn't until I started coming to knife forums that I found out they are sought after collectables. :D
 
Thanks guys, wish we didnt have to even think about this subject but it is what it is.


KJ - I will be honest, I own not one good old knife with bone, stag or wood. I love the look of them, done some research but I just cant find what I want. When I have the price is usually ridicules and scares me off because I wont know if I get a fake or not. Not sure if its worth it and it just doesnt seem like a solid idea to spend money on something I am not sure of. With GEC the risk is so minimal that I dont worry and can just have fun with it.

One of these days I will find an old piece to treasure :)
 
black mamba said:
Jeff, I applaud your methodology. When I have had "in vogue" GECs which I wanted to sell, sometimes I have searched the Traditional forum to see which of our members really wanted one and couldn't get one, then sold to them without advertising it at all, just through PMs. Even though I got less money for them than was possible through other channels, I felt better about it, helping the community.
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I wish more people would take your lead Jeff. This is how I got my '14 forum knife and I am very thankful for it. A lot of folks put wants in their sig lines and it pains me when I see someone sell a rare one that is a major want for another.

We are a growing group and things are changing around here. Lately, it just seems different around here and I am not sure yet if its good or bad. I do know I dont feel as compelled to type as much lately and it feels like most the subjects and threads are just repeats lately. Maybe I just have cabin fever lol

I do know that the greater part of this community is top notch and I am proud to be a part of it :thumbup:
 
I want to say thanks to everyone who has commented on this subject. I have greatly benefited from your experience, knowledge, and opinions. It helps me with my perspective. Thanks!
 
rockgolfer said:
Thanks guys, wish we didnt have to even think about this subject but it is what it is.


KJ - I will be honest, I own not one good old knife with bone, stag or wood. I love the look of them, done some research but I just cant find what I want. When I have the price is usually ridicules and scares me off because I wont know if I get a fake or not. Not sure if its worth it and it just doesnt seem like a solid idea to spend money on something I am not sure of. With GEC the risk is so minimal that I dont worry and can just have fun with it.

One of these days I will find an old piece to treasure :)
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This is the very reason I will buy old knives only at shows I'm attending, nothing online at all.
Perry
 
Funny, how I always admired my grandfather and his Barlows as a young kid. We lost him and his last Barlow in 79. But, I never forgot them. As I got older and more nostalgic, I became more on the lookout for Barlows. Occasionally, I'd find one that wasn't complete junk. I stopped looking for a while until I found this forum. I started looking for Barlows again. That was about six months ago. Soon I found out about the Charlows and how hard they were to come by. At that point I still had never bought from the bay. Then I found out about Mike's 77 SFO. I didn't get what I had wanted, but I did get a Barlow. I was stunned at the frenzy. Even more stunned when they started turning up within a couple of days in second hand sales at almost double the price. I held mine and thought of it at as a smart investment, but then it spoke to me. It was art. It had a soul. It was my first GEC and it is special. It's not an investment. It's not stocks to be traded for a profit. It's a Barlow that my granddad would have loved.
I was a Barlow fan long before GEC even existed. Now they are in vogue again, it's made my buying them harder as prices for them climb whether made by GEC, Case, or Schrade. I find this sad as Barlows were designed to be a cheap to reasonably priced working man's knife. Not anymore. I detest the frenzy for second hand profit. This is not what they were meant to be.
 
rockgolfer said:
I wish more people would take your lead Jeff. This is how I got my '14 forum knife and I am very thankful for it. A lot of folks put wants in their sig lines and it pains me when I see someone sell a rare one that is a major want for another.

We are a growing group and things are changing around here. Lately, it just seems different around here and I am not sure yet if its good or bad. I do know I dont feel as compelled to type as much lately and it feels like most the subjects and threads are just repeats lately. Maybe I just have cabin fever lol

I do know that the greater part of this community is top notch and I am proud to be a part of it :thumbup:
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I am no insider here, so maybe it's because of that, but I've had the same feeling lately. I don't have time, with class and other concerns, to keep up with most of the threads (and frankly, I don't know how anyone does). When checking a particular thread every day, heck a couple times a day, is almost necessary to be able to have a chance at procuring a knife at a reasonable price it definitely pushes me out of the market for that knife. Now, I'm not complaining. I've sold knives for more than I would pay for them on here before and am absolutely fine with others doing it. It just simply means that those knives will go elsewhere, when I would have bought one if they were more available at the retail price.

I am still a huge fan of GEC, its products, and its employees, but I am not a fan of the tendencies toward "clubbiness" here, for lack of a better word. I've said this before and it will likely not help my reputation, but it's my view of things.

I also don't believe GEC has some cunning plan to manipulate the market. I think they produce as much product as they can, or are asked to for sfo's, while maintaining their absolutely stellar product quality. The secondary market conditions are a result of a resurgence of interest in traditional knives along with the natural rise in popularity of certain patterns, or certain sfo's, as they age and grow in notoriety.

Specifically with TC #15 Barlows, or as we all know them "Charlows", I rather enjoy carrying and using the 3 I currently own and I'll admit that part of that enjoyment comes from knowing that they are all 3 quite sought after in mint or near mint condition and that by using them I have removed them from the "collector's market". The first traditional I bought for myself was a Charlow in Smooth Ivory Bone with a single sheepfoot blade and I am ever thankful to Mr. Campagna for his bringing together such outstanding knives, one of which introduced me to the great people of this subforum, the great (Pennsylvania proud) organization called Great Eastern Cutlery, and the great knives we call "traditional".
 
A while ago I took quite a pummelling when I started a thread called 'great eastern privatisation' which was a commentary on the SFO production numbers overtaking standard production numbers.

For the record - I love GEC and have an increasing hoard of 25s that keep me happily entertained. This particular pattern has had so many variations of handle material, bolster, blade numbers, blade shapes, blade thickness, barlow, Jack, easy-open, barehead etc etc etc... that I can merrily hunt for years to come :)
 
Hi rockgolfer, you say: " KJ - I will be honest, I own not one good old knife with bone, stag or wood. I love the look of them, done some research but I just cant find what I want. When I have the price is usually ridicules and scares me off because I wont know if I get a fake or not."
Absolutely true. The vintage knife market has a lot of fakes or re-works, but this is part of the fun. I call it "Forensic Knifeology". Vintage knives compile a vast body of knowledge and the learning curve is long and slow, much more than one could learn in one lifetime. This is why after about 55 years of knife collecting (i started at age 13), i still find it interesting because i am still learning.
I now buy most of my vintage knives on ebay. I know what to look for in both knife and seller and so rarely get 'burned' and always return a knife for full refund if it does turn out to be not all original or if condition is not as described. If you are patient you can pick up great old knives, ones that usually bring in say $100, for as low as $10. It's a lotta fun, just as collecting new knives is.
But i accept that my passion for all well made knives, new and vintage, is not the same for every 'knifer'. It is a very broad hobby with room for all of us who love knives.
kj
 
Btmccutcheon - I have thought about this before. How ironic it is that the cheaply made working man's knife is now a highly sought after collectible. I don't dislike the barlows, but they don't interest me nearly as much as other patterns and I usually lean towards the fancy pants models.

ALLHSS - I've noticed the tendency towards clubbiness here too. I'm not a fan of it, but I suppose it's expected to a degree. We were all new to this hobby at some point so there's no reason to exclude newcomers unless they're really being a pill. As I've said before, the only reputation I really care about is my buying/selling one.

In regards to the SFO's overtaking standard production, there isnt much to do other than jump on the wagon or leave it behind. Personally, I hate the feeding frenzy and usually won't participate in it, although I have once. I won't buy knives at inflated prices on the secondary market at all. I've let quite a few pass because of the ridiculous price tags. I have, however, come across some really nice users at very reasonable prices. Typically, if I can't reserve one from a dealer, I'll just let it go.

I can't fault GEC for doing what they do..... making outstanding pieces of cutlery and hopefully making a decent profit. I'll admit that I'm sick of the same patterns that seem to be on repeat (15's and the F&F line) but they are obviously doing well by making them.

Woodrow - I would be willing to bet that GEC will make another 15 in a LP spear. The 15 is their bread and butter!
 
I can't believe there's ever been a better to time to be a GEC knife enthusiast/collector than right now. The variety, quality, price, and availability are amazing! Some patterns like the SFO #15's and #77's are extremely hot; but I'll tell you, there are a lot of us who have been waiting a long time for great sheepsfoot knives, and BAM they all came out in the last month. Look at the latest boy's knives and the Scout EO with sheepsfoot, us sheepies are all a'drool over them, so they are selling (very) fast. Now there are going to be flippers - and there are people who are going to be more "in the know". But that's just part of anything in this world that is desired. To the employees of GEC, to the designers of the SFO's, and to the dealers that support this forum, my hats off to you!!
 
#15 with acrylics covers? Today would have been a great day for a #15 with caplifter and St. Patty's Day acrylic. Sure, they made the #03 bottle opener but I think a #15 would have went well too.

Found a pic of the #03
0311-BOTTLE-OPENERst-pattys-2.png
 
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