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I don't believe they are a forum subscriber. But, it shipped with the knife.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Lets talk GEC!
- Thread starter rockgolfer
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I don't believe they are a forum subscriber. But, it shipped with the knife.
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I was looking through the pattern archive on GEC's website and Googling images of the knives from Bladeforums and I noticed something...
The coolest variation of the patterns aren't listed at all on the GEC website!! ...and Pertinux has them all!!I'm not sure if they were SFOs either. Some of them may have been just small production runs.
Why... thank you.
The odd and serendipitous-if-it-happens-to-you thing being, the knives you've pictured were afterthoughts, put together from pieces left over from regular runs. The shield on the #66 was called simply the "short run shield" for a good long time, before GEC formalized it as the Fleur-de-lis (though all bets are off as to how they spell it
). if I'm not mistaken, a very small number of Calf Ropers were run with this shield using covers left over from 'standard run' #66s, including Charlie's Harness Jacks. Barry (Gunstock Jack) has a green-bone-covered Calf Roper with the same shield that is, if possible, even finer.The caplifter-Scout was similarly put together from leftovers and offered at last year's Rendezvous, along with a host of other one-offs (seven-offs?). I think this conglomerate pattern's success has taken most everyone by surprise, not least GEC. Lightning in a bottle, as t'were.
The fleur-de-lis is possibly my favorite favorite of all GEC shields, and I am not convinced I'd grow jaded to it were it offered more regularly. That said, I also like some of their others very much, including the UN-X-LD ones in their various incarnations (extra points for the Stamped Bolsters on the #25 barlows) and the TIDIOUTE shield that does not have TIDIOUTE stamped on it, and of course the Haycorn....
Ironically, the shield they most often use on their "premium" knives, the cloud/keyhole, is my least favorite. (It's fine, it works, but....)
Go figure.
~ P.
kootenay joe
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Which is the Fleur de Lys shield ?
kj
kj
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It's on red knife ( 66 calf roper) with licorice on last page
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Thank you for the background on the knives, P. As I said in another discussion, you always show impeccable taste in knives. The crest on the American Whittler #38 was also nice. I think sometimes something as small as a shield can make a big difference on whether a particular knife sells right away or sits in stock. I hope they'll use the fleur-de-lis and crest shields more often. I also hope they make my favorite shield (bodice) and the knife that goes with it (sowbelly). They have used the shield on the left for a few knives and hopefully they'll make more knives with that shield. Queen has also used that shield. To my knowledge, the shield on the right has not been used by any modern knife company and it's my favorite. My grail GEC knife would be an exact reproduction of the Remington sowbelly with that shield.
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There was a forum discussion about it a few years back and people called it a "barbie", "bodice" or "sowbelly shield". I've used those names ever since. I don't know if they are correct.
Here are a couple more photos of the Remington shield.
Should the good folks at GEC see this discussion and have an interest in making a sowbelly, it may be difficult to find a nice example of the Remington for a pattern. They are rare and hard to find. And there are a lot of fakes of these valuable knives. But I just so happen to have a few photos. Here's one of my favorite patterns though I would prefer a sheep foot blade instead of the spey.
And here's one with almost completely full blades! A rarity! This image gives some perspective of the original blade shapes and dimensions. The closed length is 3 3/4 inches which is a nice intermediate between the Calf Roper and the Dixie Stockman.
When Remington used a punch, they used an acorn shield instead of a bodice. A stainless steel GEC sowbelly with a punch would be a wonderful homage to the old Remington knives! I'd suggest swapping out the spey blade for a sheepfoot. A straight edge, an edge with some belly, and a punch would be a nice combination. There are so many great variations of these patterns... 2-blade, 3-blade, 5-blade, whittler, etc..
Here are a couple more photos of the Remington shield.
Should the good folks at GEC see this discussion and have an interest in making a sowbelly, it may be difficult to find a nice example of the Remington for a pattern. They are rare and hard to find. And there are a lot of fakes of these valuable knives. But I just so happen to have a few photos.
Here's one of my favorite patterns though I would prefer a sheep foot blade instead of the spey. 
And here's one with almost completely full blades! A rarity! This image gives some perspective of the original blade shapes and dimensions. The closed length is 3 3/4 inches which is a nice intermediate between the Calf Roper and the Dixie Stockman.
When Remington used a punch, they used an acorn shield instead of a bodice. A stainless steel GEC sowbelly with a punch would be a wonderful homage to the old Remington knives! I'd suggest swapping out the spey blade for a sheepfoot. A straight edge, an edge with some belly, and a punch would be a nice combination. There are so many great variations of these patterns... 2-blade, 3-blade, 5-blade, whittler, etc..
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When Remington used a punch, they used an acorn shield instead of a bodice. A stainless steel GEC sowbelly with a punch would be a wonderful homage to the old Remington knives! I'd suggest swapping out the spey blade for a sheepfoot. A straight edge, an edge with some belly, and a punch would be a nice combination. There are so many great variations of these patterns... 2-blade, 3-blade, 5-blade, whittler, etc..
The combination shown would be perfect for me! I don't like heavily clipped blades as so many do; this one is nicely proportioned, plus I like a spey and a sheepsfoot in the same knife. I'd buy one.
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I'm a big fan of the smooth handle with the Tidioute shield.
And I like the way the diamond looks on my ebony Radio Jack.
But I'm afraid I won't see my beloved Tidioute shield again, at least not on smooth handles.
"Due to the buffing process for a smooth handle if the shield had printing on it the print would end up being buffed off. Only jigged bone handles in the Tidioute brand would have a stamped shield."
-email from Chris at GEC regarding future production...
But never say never with GEC. Some of the Scouts and Beer Scouts this summer are due to have smooth handles and printed shields. So maybe I'll see the Tidioute shield again.
And I like the way the diamond looks on my ebony Radio Jack.
But I'm afraid I won't see my beloved Tidioute shield again, at least not on smooth handles.
"Due to the buffing process for a smooth handle if the shield had printing on it the print would end up being buffed off. Only jigged bone handles in the Tidioute brand would have a stamped shield."
-email from Chris at GEC regarding future production...
But never say never with GEC. Some of the Scouts and Beer Scouts this summer are due to have smooth handles and printed shields. So maybe I'll see the Tidioute shield again.
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Very true Scott! Looking forward to seeing and holding a few of the Beer Scouts at the end of the summer. Maybe they figured it all out, how to get a printed shield on a smooth handle. But maybe Bill was just refering to the ebony wood when he said that about the polishing process. GEC's been putting printed shields on smooth handles for several years now! That's what I think anyhow.
DEFINITELY not the prettiest knife ever... But I'll probably get one. Pithole is something that I grew up hearing about from my dad, and it's important to me that I get these commemorative pieces.The #28 is an admitted dog.... Even though I love my ivory version, this one is just....... :barf:
If either of you could pm me with info on how to reserve or order these I would be incalculably grateful.
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draggat
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If this knife might have some sort of value for you, don't let me stop you! It doesn't change my opinion that this is one of the most unattractive knives that GEC has ever produced. It just doesn't look right without the NS boot.
I haven't inquired as to where these will be available. My suggestion is to send an email to Chris at GEC and ask her, then work your way down the dealer list. I doubt these will be very popular. They look more like a gift shop item to me.
On a side note, looks like the Ben Hogans will have a bolster and a barehead. I'll be picking up a couple of the NF versions.
Thanks a lot, message received!
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wouldn't say that it's more or less attractive than their other shadow patterns like the Farm & Field tools. My guess is that making the knife a shadow pattern reduced costs and provided more room for the advertisement. And I think it's neat that the knife is made locally. It's not a pattern that I want (neither is the Ben Hogan) but I might want one if I were local or buying souvenirs. I'm sure that it's much higher quality than most of the knives sold in souvenir shops.