Lets talk GEC!

Viper84 said:
I welcome the toenail clipper. I love the uniqueness.
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I'm kind of on the fence. I was expecting and looking forward to the traditional configuration as I don't currently have one in my collection. I had a couple older case's that I traded off due to lame blade action. I was surprised to see this revision, but I think it's pretty innovative and unique, and I actually like the single sheepfoot. There will be more standard toenail's in time.
 
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Great Eastern can build a top notch knife. My 77 Barlow compares favorably with this Jess Horn custom. Jess was one of the best at hafting Stag, and the 77 is just as well done. I really appreciate the thinness of the Stag on both these knives. Of course, much credit needs to go to Mike Latham, knifeswapper knifeswapper , for providing the factory with top notch Stag.

We are fortunate to be collecting while GEC is performing at this level. Some day in the future, this will be remembered as a golden era. Bill Howard is a master cutler. Get them while you can, because this will not last forever.
 
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Pollack said:
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I'm not sure if it is a crack, but it does concern me a bit. I tried to put some light on it by the pin at the top. Thanks!

Best regards,
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Pollack said:
IMG-0111.jpg


I'm not sure if it is a crack, but it does concern me a bit. I tried to put some light on it by the pin at the top. Thanks!

Best regards,
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I looked up GEC's warranty on Tuesday and I gave them a call. It probably isn't a crack, but I was also curious to see the response from GEC. If it happened to get worse, I thought it would be better to start the warranty process closer to the purchase date. They inquired where I purchased it from and I assume if you are not the original owner from a certified GEC dealer they may not willing to help. I did purchase it from a certified dealer and I mentioned it to them and I also said I wasn't sure if it was a crack or a deep grain. They asked if I could send in a picture and I did. I got a prompt reply and they asked if I could forward a couple other pictures and I also did so. That was Tuesday and I have not heard anything since then. We'll see how it goes.....

Best regards,
 
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So for the hard GEC users, does taking the blade to the strop straighten a rolled edge or is a honing rod the only way to straighten out an edge?
 
AZCoyote said:
So for the hard GEC users, does taking the blade to the strop straighten a rolled edge or is a honing rod the only way to straighten out an edge?
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With the blades being 1095 or 440C (not especially tough steels), and the blades normally being fairly thin, I don't often use my GEC's too hard. That being said, I just sharpen out edge rolls the same way I would a chip.
 
AZCoyote said:
So for the hard GEC users, does taking the blade to the strop straighten a rolled edge or is a honing rod the only way to straighten out an edge?
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I would think it will depend on what you mean by rolled edge. You have any pictures?

Honing and stropping basically does same thing, it helps re-align the blade edge without removing any metal (material). Honing would likely achieve the result faster than stropping in this case. You can of course 'sharpen' a knife by honing or stropping but that would be like using a plier to tighten a nut (instead of a wrench), not the right tool for the job.

If the edge is truly rolled, you'll end up 'grinding' that rolled edge off of the blade using a honing rod, basically removing the metal that's been rolled. In this scenario, you'll likely end up with a micro 'cut out' of an edge like a 'chip' once you've ran it over a honing steel too many times.

You'll likely need to 'sharpen' the edge to get the rolled edge off the blade properly.

If the knife has been used to cut often but no damage has been done like being rolled or chipped, honing or a stropping should be able to bring that edge back to speed with few strokes.
 
AZCoyote said:
So for the hard GEC users, does taking the blade to the strop straighten a rolled edge or is a honing rod the only way to straighten out an edge?
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I have but don't often put my GECs to hard use. My preference is one of the Case small hard Arkansas stones and a strop. I do put an initial edge of 15 degrees per side but after that the stone and strop keep things cutting very nicely. I find that the rod takes away from the angle of the edge to fast, but that could be just me.
 
AZCoyote said:
So for the hard GEC users, does taking the blade to the strop straighten a rolled edge or is a honing rod the only way to straighten out an edge?
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I'm not a hard user, but I've used a dead smooth sharpening steel very successfully.... I also use dead smooth steels for forming the rolled edge on cabinet scrapers used in cabinet making.....

I have less experience with strops but have had good success also.....

To me the steel is a better way to move metal.... The strop is more of a polishing operation.... IMO... YMMV.....
 
I appreciate the quick responses, I may have over stated the hard use aspect. In my mind I was thinking more typical use like cutting up a few stakes on a ceramic plate which must roll the edge to some degree. Your responses definitely answered the question, pretty much a honing rod and strop serve the same purpose.

I hear of guys carrying a pocket knife for a year, never hitting the stone, and only stopping the blade to keep a good edge. So it sounds like I need to be making more use of my strop.
 
HEMI 49 said:
I'm not a hard user, but I've used a dead smooth sharpening steel very successfully.... I also use dead smooth steels for forming the rolled edge on cabinet scrapers used in cabinet making.....

I have less experience with strops but have had good success also.....

To me the steel is a better way to move metal.... The strop is more of a polishing operation.... IMO... YMMV.....
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This was kinda the heart of my question
I wasn't sure if the strop is only polishing and knocking off the burr from sharpening or if I can straighten out an edge as well. From the responses it seems that it really depends on how rolled the edge is. For typical usage and slight rolls the strop will do the job but for more serious rolls you need some steel to move the edge.
 
AZCoyote said:
This was kinda the heart of my question
I wasn't sure if the strop is only polishing and knocking off the burr from sharpening or if I can straighten out an edge as well. From the responses it seems that it really depends on how rolled the edge is. For typical usage and slight rolls the strop will do the job but for more serious rolls you need some steel to move the edge.
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If you're cutting steaks and such a 20 degree edge is plenty sharp. Plus you will not roll your edge nearly as much.
 
AZCoyote said:
This was kinda the heart of my question
I wasn't sure if the strop is only polishing and knocking off the burr from sharpening or if I can straighten out an edge as well. From the responses it seems that it really depends on how rolled the edge is. For typical usage and slight rolls the strop will do the job but for more serious rolls you need some steel to move the edge.
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When I would re-form the wire edge on cabinet scrapers, the dead smooth steel would move metal beautifully..... it also work hardens the metal, so it brings it up a few points on the Rockwell scale......
 
AZCoyote said:
I appreciate the quick responses, I may have over stated the hard use aspect. In my mind I was thinking more typical use like cutting up a few stakes on a ceramic plate which must roll the edge to some degree. Your responses definitely answered the question, pretty much a honing rod and strop serve the same purpose.

I hear of guys carrying a pocket knife for a year, never hitting the stone, and only stopping the blade to keep a good edge. So it sounds like I need to be making more use of my strop.
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I rarely use anything other than a strop with some black & green compound on my traditionals. Unless they came with a bad grind to begin with that needs to be corrected, in which case I'll throw them on the KME to make it right. Stropping frequently, and staying ahead of the knife getting dull, works really well in my experience, esp. with carbon steels.
 
ive touched up some of my gecs users and carriers that have suffered from blade rap but thats about it. a few passes on the lansky crock sticks and then the hone sticks and the edge came back. That said, i dont abuse my knives, but Im certainly careful with them. have different blade steel for different cutting tasks.
 
euroken said:
Honing and stropping basically does same thing, it helps re-align the blade edge without removing any metal (material). Honing would likely achieve the result faster than stropping in this case. You can of course 'sharpen' a knife by honing or stropping but that would be like using a plier to tighten a nut (instead of a wrench), not the right tool for the job.

If the edge is truly rolled, you'll end up 'grinding' that rolled edge off of the blade using a honing rod, basically removing the metal that's been rolled. In this scenario, you'll likely end up with a micro 'cut out' of an edge like a 'chip' once you've ran it over a honing steel too many times.

You'll likely need to 'sharpen' the edge to get the rolled edge off the blade properly.

If the knife has been used to cut often but no damage has been done like being rolled or chipped, honing or a stropping should be able to bring that edge back to speed with few strokes.
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Man, that is one of the most clear descriptions of what is sharpening and what is honing I've seen. Absolutely clear, and clears some things up for me too. If you don't mind, may I ask what are the principal differences between steel "steel" and its ceramic equivalent in terms of use?
 
stagmeister said:
What are we fighting over? If it's the bull buster, I'm out. If it's the 36's, I already have my reservations.:) I asked Joan Mae today if they were going to follow with NF 36's, and she said Bill hasn't decided yet, so we may or may not have more varieties to contemplate.
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#36 Elephant ivory with Ebony shield rendezvous knife....I'm sure is more than just a dream. Lol.
 
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