Lets talk GEC!

I can't take any credit, those are GEC's pics of knives they just made. I know lots of people like the yellow bone and it wasn't on any of the schedules I've seen so I'm trying to give everyone a heads up. I do have an elk and micarta one on order though. Those would be my first #42s.
 
I believe those Yellow 42's are a SFO for another dealer so that may be why they didn't appear on the production schedule.
 
Ahh, I was not aware of that :) I know GEC'll sometimes make a short run if they have left over material and thought that might have been the case here.
 
2Dead said:
Ahh, I was not aware of that :) I know GEC'll sometimes make a short run if they have left over material and thought that might have been the case here.
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Guys, there is a short run of 47's in Percheron floating around in very limited numbers. Good luck on the hunt!:D

(I did not receive any):grumpy:

The Smooth Yellow bone GEC 42L's are a SFO club knife for a non BF member dealer, but I think there are a few extras.
 
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Kind of wish GEC did a better job of making all exposed pins flush with the handle. I think it would add to the overall 'classy' presentation of their knives. Some are better than others in this regard... :/

-Brett
 
timberweasel said:
Kind of wish GEC did a better job of making all exposed pins flush with the handle. I think it would add to the overall 'classy' presentation of their knives. Some are better than others in this regard... :/

-Brett
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I know what you mean, I dislike very deep sunk pins with some gaping hole. GEC can be an offender here, CASE and Queen don't usually have this 'feature' to the same extent.
 
timberweasel said:
Kind of wish GEC did a better job of making all exposed pins flush with the handle. I think it would add to the overall 'classy' presentation of their knives. Some are better than others in this regard... :/

-Brett
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Do you have an example? I have not noticed this with smooth handles.

willgoy said:
I know what you mean, I dislike very deep sunk pins with some gaping hole. GEC can be an offender here, CASE and Queen don't usually have this 'feature' to the same extent.
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Do you understand why that is the case?
 
knifeswapper said:
Do you have an example? I have not noticed this with smooth handles.
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I noticed that on a new #72 I received today. Wasn't sure if that was a F&F issue or "feature". You can see it clearly on the front pin in this pic. The same pin is countersunk on both sides of the knife.

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I have the same on my #85 in stag and #15 in ebony, although the #85 is much deeper.

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Despite this "feature" I carry and use both knives without issue. Everything else is excellent.
 
timberweasel said:
Most pronounced on my #85 stag and my micarta #47.

-Brett
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I can envision that on the stag, because we would rather a pin be a little proud than have them run the spinner down into the stag and leave a big circle. They can't buff a pin down in the valleys of a textured surface as the wheel would buff all surrounding texture. And if they spin all the pins down to the surface they cut the circles into the slab.

But I can't envision what you are saying on the micarta; unless you are talking about the backsprings nail - is that what you are talking about..
 
addylo said:
I noticed that on a new #72 I received today. Wasn't sure if that was a F&F issue or "feature". You can see it clearly on the front pin in this pic. The same pin is countersunk on both sides of the knife.
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Fanglekai said:
I have the same on my #85 in stag and #15 in ebony, although the #85 is much deeper.
Despite this "feature" I carry and use both knives without issue. Everything else is excellent.
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This is something I have seen on cover pins for many years and I couldn't figure it out for a long time. When I put my own covers (slabs) on I just cut the pins from bar stock and flattened the back side and then cut the cover side close to the surface and spun it down. But think about how time consuming that would be for a factory trying to put out enough knives to actually be profitable (at minimum wage, I usually had $500 in my knives before I could stand to look at them - then they were $20 knives). Wouldn't it make much more sense to have pre-cut cover pins that were already flattened on the back (liner side) that you could just drop in thru the liner and then spin on the cover side wherever they came to? Sure it would. So all the cover pins are pre-cut to the same length, thus on thicker slabs (or even thicker parts of the slab) they are deeper sunk. But they actually weren't countersunk, they were just spun on the end regardless of where the end came to. But if you look at the slabs from the side, the cover pins all come to the same height - which makes different slab thicknesses have different pin depths. But it makes a guessing game and 5 minutes work of cutting the pins and flattening, into a 2 second job of pulling them out of the tub and dropping them in place. They could custom cut them and add 5 minutes labor back into the knife price, but there is no gain in functionality or structural integrity.
 
Well, all I can say is that it's very variable with GEC and across different handle materials, including Micarta which I assumed is tougher than bone or stag and hence less prone to cracking.

For instance, I've got a number of their stag knives including early ones with really contoured gnarled bark that have beautiful domed pins. But a favourite 73 of mine had two sink holes that I found unsightly when the other pins are domed or flush, so I filled them with brass rod and created faux pins. The Ebony White Owl has nicely flat/flush pins and its stainless bone cousin has excellent pins. The 85 Smooth Bone linerlock has these sink holes as do other 85s but not the original forum Knife which created the pattern, (nickel silver pins and liners make any difference? Can't think so.) The Eureka White Bone I have has two deep holes whereas an early Tidioute Beaver Tail in wonderful thick Almond Bone has four flush pins. Flat wood or acrylic handles sometimes show sunk holes,sometimes not, none of mine have them but I've seen examples with it. So, variable as I say, but take Queen Cutlery's ACSB or WCSB very deep grooved bone, none of mine (10 or more examples?) display deep sink holes and domed pins on the same knife. Can't say I've seen it on Böker, CS or CASE either, but doubtless they do have it, GEC just seems to have it the more so.

I think the argument that none of this effects the use of a knife is fine, but for me at least, an important lure of Traditional knives rests in their aesthetic appeal and uneven pins are something I just don't like, speaking frankly.

Regards to all, Will
 
I don't think it is as variable as you think; I just don't think we pay much attention to the actual reasons it does / does not exist on any given knife. I would contend it is fairly consistent in the implementation, just variable in where the results are noticeable. Case has been doing it for a long time, except they buff their slabs down so hard going to the bolster that they nearly always bring them to the surface - and they very rarely use a top cover pin. Most other makers use equipment to make the non-stag slabs a consistent thickness end to end, which is respective to the pin they will use; thus allowing them to give it a quick surface dome. GEC also seems to dome most all cover pins, whether on the surface or sub. And I doubt anyone would argue that that will keep the cover in place much longer than a cut / buffed pin.

Here are a couple of Case examples dating back over 30 years...
IMG_4565.jpgIMG_4566.jpgIMG_4567.jpg

And an example of Case spinning the cover pins down without sinking...
IMG_4568.jpgIMG_4569.jpg

So, could GEC custom cut every pin and spin it on top of the cover - yes. Could GEC just cut down the slabs to the bolster until the pins surface fully and eliminate all extra cover pins - maybe. At that point would we all agree these were positive moves - very doubtful.
 
My first #42 came in yesterday, good looking and feeling knife. I can see why this would be popular.



With a GEC #72 for comparison.
 
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