Lets talk GEC!

gunstockjack said:
I hope you all had a great holiday!

GEC announced this morning that beginning in 2016, all stag knives will be sans shield regardless of classification. So whether natural or burnt, they will all look similar to the old "genuine" stag knives that had no shield.

Good or bad????? :thumbup: :) :thumbdn: :mad:
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Ehh, I've been thinking about this a bit. I don't buy many of the new releases in stag these days, but have more 'n a few of their earlier stuff in burnt stag, genuine stag (no shields), & natural stag. On the whole, I think I'll miss the shields and it will probably make me pass right over choosing a stag handled knife even more so than I already do from GEC. I recently got 2 nice ones in stag and it made me think of this thread. I can't easily put into words why I want the shields and think they look better w' them than w'out, but to my eye they just do. That said, I like the UN-X-LD shield but would love to see more variety from them.
 
I'm going to miss the shields on stag, but like biglmbass said, they could use more variety.

They used to do stag in stainless with the acorn shield, which was awesome, and I would like to see more 440C stainless from them in general. I think the reason some of the stainless isn't so popular is that some of the patterns its used on are a bit specialized. The fish knife, bird knife and equestrian knife spring to mind.
 
I'd like more 440C from GEC as well. AFAIK, they haven't made a 440C jack yet. All the 2 bladed knives with the pivot at the same end have had 2 full size blades instead of a full size and a pen. The pen knives/springs on GEC's jacks typically are a thinner stock than the main blade. It's ever so slight but there is a difference between a #48 Trapper and a #48 Jack.
 
Cory Hess said:
I may be missing something, but all of the stag pictures I see of the 47s are sans shield. There are some pictures of the jigged bone that look like the shield might not be recessed, but it's hard to tell because of the angles and distances of the pictures.
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You are correct. The image I was looking at showed a group of knives at a distance. After your post I took a closer look and it is jig bone. Normally obvious distinction between jig and stag but image quality tricked me. Thanks for the correction and sorry for the confusion.
 
Skimming the last little bit of this thread...

Personally, I cant imagine finding vault with the nuance and variety that comes with natural materials, not to mention the craftsmanship involved in finishing. These are the things that drew me to traditionals in the first place.

Also, now I am off to find a squirrel etched acorn shield!
 
2Dead said:
I'd like more 440C from GEC as well. AFAIK, they haven't made a 440C jack yet. All the 2 bladed knives with the pivot at the same end have had 2 full size blades instead of a full size and a pen. The pen knives/springs on GEC's jacks typically are a thinner stock than the main blade. It's ever so slight but there is a difference between a #48 Trapper and a #48 Jack.
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GEC has my money if they made a single blade 48 big clip in SS!
 
I bet a SFO with 440C and an acorn shield would go over pretty well, depending on pattern. A stainless 38 would be sweet, or some kind of 15.
 
Haven't seen any pictures here for a while so I figured I'd post my two most recent GEC's..... I had to get a standard production 77 while they are still available and the 72 came from another member here. Gotta love that autumn gold jigging!



 
I was fortunate to spend a morning at GEC over the holidays... I asked Bill what was on the horizon for 2016, and though I won't give it away, he took me into his office and showed me one of the most incredible vintage knives I've ever seen. The smile on my face could not have been bigger, and when I asked if he was making a run of these, his smile couldn't have been bigger. Save your money boys, it's gonna be a very good- if expensive- year! :) I cannot wait!
 
roseskunk said:
I was fortunate to spend a morning at GEC over the holidays... I asked Bill what was on the horizon for 2016, and though I won't give it away, he took me into his office and showed me one of the most incredible vintage knives I've ever seen. The smile on my face could not have been bigger, and when I asked if he was making a run of these, his smile couldn't have been bigger. Save your money boys, it's gonna be a very good- if expensive- year! :) I cannot wait!
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Are you really going to say you saw "one of the most incredible vintage knives" and then not share what it was? :confused:
 
roseskunk said:
I was fortunate to spend a morning at GEC over the holidays... I asked Bill what was on the horizon for 2016, and though I won't give it away, he took me into his office and showed me one of the most incredible vintage knives I've ever seen. The smile on my face could not have been bigger, and when I asked if he was making a run of these, his smile couldn't have been bigger. Save your money boys, it's gonna be a very good- if expensive- year! :) I cannot wait!
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Could it be the Boy Scout knife?
 
roseskunk said:
I was fortunate to spend a morning at GEC over the holidays... I asked Bill what was on the horizon for 2016, and though I won't give it away, he took me into his office and showed me one of the most incredible vintage knives I've ever seen. The smile on my face could not have been bigger, and when I asked if he was making a run of these, his smile couldn't have been bigger. Save your money boys, it's gonna be a very good- if expensive- year! :) I cannot wait!
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Bill's phone is going to be ringing off the hook Monday morning. You may as well let it out and save Bill the aggravation (or just kept quiet about it. )
 
roseskunk, please permit me to remind you of the one Newly written Bi-Law, and I quote, :eek: "Any member who volunteers to reveal certain information is expected to at the request of any other fellow member, reveal with full dis-closer any and all pertinent information to which he may be privy." :D Inquiring minds want to know.:)
 
redsparrow said:
roseskunk, please permit me to remind you of the one Newly written Bi-Law, and I quote, :eek: "Any member who volunteers to reveal certain information is expected to at the request of any other fellow member, reveal with full dis-closer any and all pertinent information to which he may be privy." :D Inquiring minds want to know.:)
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Exactly Or it will be GEC Card revoked pending moral and sanity enquiries...chaired by the Un Traditional Knife Activities Committee..:D:D:eek:

I'm nominating a Tip Bolster 4 blade Senator with entirely sunk-joints:thumbup:
 
OK, I know that this comes up pretty regularly, and I know that the people that talk to GEC regularly come on and say that nothing has changed, but something has changed with the way GEC is sharpening their knives at the factory. Every single GEC I've bought new has needed a reprofiling out of the tube. Then, this last fall I got one of the latest 77 barlows and a quick stropping was all it took to cleanly shave my arm. Yesterday I got a 21 in O.O. from their last run and had the same experience, a couple swipes on the strop and it was ready to drop in the pocket.

The 77 was put up for a couple months before I used it at all. Christmas Day was the first time it actually cut anything for me. Since then I've had it in my pocket every day and it's seen a good amount of work. It still hasn't needed to be sharpened. I just strop it now and again and it's still shaving hair cleanly. I'm very impressed with it.

Like I said, I know that our dealer friends are going to come on and say that nothing has changed at the factory. Maybe I got lucky twice in a row. I don't know. I don't mind putting an edge on a new knife when I first get it, but it's nice to not have to.

These are also the two best knives I've gotten from GEC F&F wise. They are shockingly well made, even for a GEC. I'm glad to see that even when they're already at the top of their game GEC is still pushing themselves to make a better product.
 
Cory Hess said:
OK, I know that this comes up pretty regularly, and I know that the people that talk to GEC regularly come on and say that nothing has changed, but something has changed with the way GEC is sharpening their knives at the factory. Every single GEC I've bought new has needed a reprofiling out of the tube. Then, this last fall I got one of the latest 77 barlows and a quick stropping was all it took to cleanly shave my arm. Yesterday I got a 21 in O.O. from their last run and had the same experience, a couple swipes on the strop and it was ready to drop in the pocket.

The 77 was put up for a couple months before I used it at all. Christmas Day was the first time it actually cut anything for me. Since then I've had it in my pocket every day and it's seen a good amount of work. It still hasn't needed to be sharpened. I just strop it now and again and it's still shaving hair cleanly. I'm very impressed with it.

Like I said, I know that our dealer friends are going to come on and say that nothing has changed at the factory. Maybe I got lucky twice in a row. I don't know. I don't mind putting an edge on a new knife when I first get it, but it's nice to not have to.

These are also the two best knives I've gotten from GEC F&F wise. They are shockingly well made, even for a GEC. I'm glad to see that even when they're already at the top of their game GEC is still pushing themselves to make a better product.
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No, they made a definite effort in bettering their edges. At least that's what I was told by the owners at the factory.
 
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