Lets talk GEC!

I have had a couple of GECs with Frankki's same "crooked blade" issue, including a 77 barlow that is way worse. I'm still trying to figure out how the blade manages to fall in the well without hitting the liners. I agree with Pomsbz, with no chance to inspect the knife before purchase, it's disappointing to unwrap a knife with a crooked blade. Single blade knives seem to be a little more prone to this than doubles IME.

Most of my GECs have no "issues" minor or otherwise.
 
Pomsbz said:
My personal view is that the position GEC has established based on their quality should ensure knives which are a cut above those of companies at the lower end of the market. A blade off to one side, a blade which is not fully ground or hitting the spring and blunting itself are issues with what is the primary task of the tool. Cutting. There should not need to be compromise in this most basic knife task. Especially in these days where the chances to check F&F before purchase are almost zero.
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They are generally better in F&F, I don't think that's changed. I think expectations have. I agree with you that if the knife doesn't function properly e.g. blunts own edge, is a serious problem that should be addressed by the manufacturer and in my experience GEC will take care of you. It's unfortunate that some serious problems slip through but it is a reality of all makers. The poor edge grinding is a problem that I think gets swept under the rug, which is a shame. I feel like a knife without a decent edge is unfinished and I shouldn't have to remove much material just to get it to cut. This seems to be improving but still. As for the little gaps here and there, blades that aren't centered but don't hit liners, blades that rub each other in a way that leaves marks but don't hit edges and such are non-issues to me. These are the handmade products and this comes with the territory.
 
Dr-Mabuse said:
They are generally better in F&F, I don't think that's changed. I think expectations have. I agree with you that if the knife doesn't function properly e.g. blunts own edge, is a serious problem that should be addressed by the manufacturer and in my experience GEC will take care of you. It's unfortunate that some serious problems slip through but it is a reality of all makers. The poor edge grinding is a problem that I think gets swept under the rug, which is a shame. I feel like a knife without a decent edge is unfinished and I shouldn't have to remove much material just to get it to cut. This seems to be improving but still. As for the little gaps here and there, blades that aren't centered but don't hit liners, blades that rub each other in a way that leaves marks but don't hit edges and such are non-issues to me. These are the handmade products and this comes with the territory.
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I wasn't referring to a blade being centred when closed, that's not a necessary item for function, I just find that cutting a straight line with a blade which is not centred to the handle is a royal pain. Ditto with sharpening. Bit like driving a car which pulls to the left and you are having to constantly correct.
 
Pomsbz said:
My personal view is that the position GEC has established based on their quality should ensure knives which are a cut above those of companies at the lower end of the market. A blade off to one side, a blade which is not fully ground or hitting the spring and blunting itself are issues with what is the primary task of the tool. Cutting. There should not need to be compromise in this most basic knife task. Especially in these days where the chances to check F&F before purchase are almost zero.
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Agreed and well put. I am a big fan of GEC but crooked blades are certainly unacceptable. For the most part they produce a top notch knife but any time you add the human element to production you will get individual interpretation of things (un-perfectness).

I got an esquire in stag, the best stag I could find, and the blade was horribly bent. I returned it because it was unacceptable and by that time, all the other good stag was gone. Was I upset, you bet but I moved on. Fact is, we will always find mistakes and the companies we buy from will either listen to our free feedback or ignore us. I think we all know what happens to companies that ignore their customers.
 
cbr1000 said:
Does anyone know if the "Black Cherry Sawcut bone" is the same as the "Sawcut Dark Red Ragg bone"?

It doesn't seem like it's the same, but the Black Cherry isn't on the production schedule so maybe it is?

Thanks

GEC-ILLUSTRATED.png
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I've asked about this supposed "ragg bone" multiple times, and never gotten a response. It seems everyone has either forgotten it, or it's such a minor and unexciting result that it's not worth talking about. I see some minor inconsistencies on the edges of some of the sawcuts pictured, but nothing I see as worthy of a name. As a matter of fact, I have a 77 red sawcut barlow that for the last couple of years I called "flawed", but is apparently now "ragg bone" based on what I've seen.

But I'm the only one making any noise about it, so I guess everyone else is just excited to have these knives at all.
 
Tstaut I agree with you! I was interested too but I don't think they pulled this off. Not sure why. But it's so GEC to be idiosyncratic. The fact they invent a name for something unusual and then do something ordinary. Or produce a limited run of stainless 15's and a mountain of navy knives and hawk bills. I think it's cool but it sure is wacky. Guess we count our lucky stars we aren't dealers, having to make a living.
 
tstaut said:
I've asked about this supposed "ragg bone" multiple times, and never gotten a response. It seems everyone has either forgotten it, or it's such a minor and unexciting result that it's not worth talking about. I see some minor inconsistencies on the edges of some of the sawcuts pictured, but nothing I see as worthy of a name. As a matter of fact, I have a 77 red sawcut barlow that for the last couple of years I called "flawed", but is apparently now "ragg bone" based on what I've seen.

But I'm the only one making any noise about it, so I guess everyone else is just excited to have these knives at all.
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Charlie posed about changing name from dark red to black cherry . Not sure about the ragg bone , perhaps it didnt turn out as expected. Doesn't appear to be very raggy
 
AFAIK the "ragg bone" variants exist and are shipping. Each finish appears to have a "ragg bone" version and a normal version. I'm actually curious to see if any of them will pop up with what most collectors will consider "severe" deformities. Anyone who has seen the direction to which my own Barlow collecting veers can guess which ones I'd favor. :D
 
TsarBomba said:
AFAIK the "ragg bone" variants exist and are shipping. Each finish appears to have a "ragg bone" version and a normal version. I'm actually curious to see if any of them will pop up with what most collectors will consider "severe" deformities. Anyone who has seen the direction to which my own Barlow collecting veers can guess which ones I'd favor. :D
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Here's one labeled as "ragg" where I can't find anything to speak of. Not that GEC has never mislabeled anything on their site of course...

ragg%3F.jpg
 
Odd. I haven't checked the blog out since Charlie announced that the TCs were shipping. That sure does look like a standard sawcut (pretty as all get-out, though).

Oh well. Ragg or not, I just want one.
 
So far only the one blade spears are being made.
I wonder if they will finish up the other single blade SFO 14's first.
on this size would like the addition of the pen blade. True enough the "Ragg bone" so far looks like a "darker" sawcut. But I like it , like it, yes I do.
 
I ordered a regg bone and have been wondering the same thing. I was thinking of something different then what's pitchered above but like alot of people im just happy I was able to reserve a #14 Barlow at all :D
 
Kiteman72 said:
I have had a couple of GECs with Frankki's same "crooked blade" issue, including a 77 barlow that is way worse. I'm still trying to figure out how the blade manages to fall in the well without hitting the liners. I agree with Pomsbz, with no chance to inspect the knife before purchase, it's disappointing to unwrap a knife with a crooked blade. Single blade knives seem to be a little more prone to this than doubles IME.

Most of my GECs have no "issues" minor or otherwise.
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I had the same issue with the blade being centered when closed, but at an angle when open, with a cocobolo #73. It turned out it was a small step/burr on the flat part of the back-spring cut-out, where the blade rests against the end of the back-spring. Once filed down to an even plane with diamond files, the blade was able to straighten and still locks up tightly. Too bad I put a nice gash in the bolster with the file in the process.
 
swaybacksteve said:
So far only the one blade spears are being made.
I wonder if they will finish up the other single blade SFO 14's first.
on this size would like the addition of the pen blade. True enough the "Ragg bone" so far looks like a "darker" sawcut. But I like it , like it, yes I do.
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They listed both single and double blade models as "just finished" and included a few pictures of the spear/ pen combo. They didn't include every model but I wouldn't be surprised if they are all done or very close.





Today's cover does indeed have the copperhead ragg bone title so hopefully that clears up some confusion and questions about ragg bone. I think every variation pictured so far looks great :thumbup:

 
StoneBeard said:
Today's cover does indeed have the copperhead ragg bone title so hopefully that clears up some confusion and questions about ragg bone. I think every variation pictured so far looks great :thumbup:
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Doesn't clear up my question, which is, "How is that any different from regular sawcut bone?"
 
tstaut said:
Doesn't clear up my question, which is, "How is that any different from regular sawcut bone?"[/QUOTE

I couldn't say if or how it is different. In reference to clearing up I was only referring to the fact that they are calling that bone the ragg bone. Apologies if that was confusing as some folks in a few different threads were wondering if GEC had posted ragg bone in the gallery picture accidentally, on the wrong picture or as a typo.
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Fair enough StoneBeard I didn't mean to come off as unappreciative of your post. I think I'll just let the whole thing drop now anyway... after all, it's a beautiful knife whether the bone is sawcut, ragg, or anything else you want to call it!
 
If you compare it to the other sawcut pics it looks like the cuts are deeper in the ragg bone and a tiny bit less regular. I think they both look pretty sweet.

Edit: Then again, the lighting is different for these two pics so who knows.


14-Black-Cherry-Sawcut-Bone-2-Blade.jpg


14-Copperhead-Jig-Bone.jpg
 
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