Lets talk GEC!

I would also hazard to guess that the SFO determined the setup for the whole run of whittlers. Especially since the whittler wasn't part of the original drawings of the 13s.
 
kpfeifle said:
Does anybody have any ideas as to what's coming down the pike after the 13's are done?
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guess... 48's with a Northwoods Hawthorne run and then 54's down the road aways... but that's just a guess. They routinely change their posted plans so there's no way to know for sure. The only time anything they make is set in stone is when it's in my hands.
 
Txjohn said:
^^ first time I heard anything about a 54 run . Details?
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I don't have any 54 details other than I saw post about it, but no specifics. tsaut is right, probably 48, 38, then who knows... I'm hoping we see NF barlows again this year. I've got used to them coming but nothings for sure with GEC. I'm really really hoping for another run of Washington Jacks. I was hoping for Washington Jacks last year and they never came :(
 
Am I the only one that would like to see a crocus finish as standard on northfield's? That was one of the ways manufacturers of old signaled that the knife was a premium offering and it would be most suitable (and nostalgic) on northfield's.
 
archertl said:
They kind of lost me with having two pen blades on a 3 blade whittler. I would much rather have a main blade, pen and coping blades. I guess I'll wait for the possible future reissue of the 38 whittler.
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Agree too, but I bought one. Also, much more to the point. I reserved a speaker and a whip.

Why did buy a whittler? Because it was there and someone will buy it if I decide I don't like it. It's a nice piece and a lot of guys will want them.

I would like to see a 38 whittler with proper blades. A keeper!!
 
TheChunk91 said:
Am I the only one that would like to see a crocus finish as standard on northfield's? That was one of the ways manufacturers of old signaled that the knife was a premium offering and it would be most suitable (and nostalgic) on northfield's.
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I'm not sure what your talking about (happens to me at times..). The Northfields almost always have a mirror finish that doesn't show the grind lines. Can you explain more, sounds like a learning opportunity for me.
 
cbr1000 said:
I'm not sure what your talking about (happens to me at times..). The Northfields almost always have a mirror finish that doesn't show the grind lines. Can you explain more, sounds like a learning opportunity for me.
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It's a mirror finish on the front side of the main blade only, the rest of the blades and back side of the main blade are glazed (glazed is essentially the same as gec's satin finish)
 
TheChunk91 said:
Am I the only one that would like to see a crocus finish as standard on northfield's? That was one of the ways manufacturers of old signaled that the knife was a premium offering and it would be most suitable (and nostalgic) on northfield's.
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Yes, very much so. Actually, I would just like to see more full satin finished choices on the Northfield's.
 
I think a crocus finish is the best of both worlds, it's fancy and very presentable on the the most attractive part of the knife, but the rest is more utilitarian and practical.
 
Had a look through the hoard and found some tang stamp years. The first one, 2006 has lost its second blade with the year on it(Glenn's mod thanks)but it's my first GEC and a stainless one too. Time flies when you're enjoying yourself :D:eek:

IMG_4443.jpg
 
TheChunk91 said:
Am I the only one that would like to see a crocus finish as standard on northfield's? That was one of the ways manufacturers of old signaled that the knife was a premium offering and it would be most suitable (and nostalgic) on northfield's.
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TheChunk91 said:
It's a mirror finish on the front side of the main blade only, the rest of the blades and back side of the main blade are glazed (glazed is essentially the same as gec's satin finish)
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Not true. What you describe is PMS... No, I'm not joking. Polished mark side. It was a matter of saving money, the opposite of a premium. It was cheaper to just put a high polish on one side instead of both. See my recent PDF upload in the Old knives thread.

Quotes from Tariff Act of 1921:

Mr. Divine "...there are knives with special finish of... full crocus polished blades..."
Mr. Kastor: "...I also manufacture a cheaper knife known as the P.M.S. It has polished marked sides..."

Nature Boy said:
Like Canal Street Cutlery used to do.
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I think they did do polished mark side on some blades.

No manufacturer uses a walrus hide today. ;) Here's a description of crocus and glazed:

bernard_levine said:
Glazing is done on a wooden wheel covered in walrus hide (skived, not butted), coated with either tallow and emery (English) or hide glue and emery (European).
It produces coarse parallel lines.

Crocus polish is the same as mirror polish (German: black polish). Crocus of iron is powdered iron oxide (rust), so-called because it looks like saffron, crocus pollen.
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The Northfield 38 Whittler came with glazed blades, I'm sure there were others. Some of my Northfields have/had a good mirror finish but I think this Queen QCCC has a more brilliant appearance, in the days of non Walrus hide buffers, a demi-crocus perhaps ?;):cool:

IMG_2226.jpg
 
Thank you, guys. Hope it helped.

Blades are no longer forged and it is the stock removal that now forms the majority of the parallel lines, instead of emory stuck on a walrus hide. I think both Tidioute and Northfield are technically polished. I don't think the Tidioute knives are left as ground--they get a bit of polishing but not a mirror finish. The Northfield knives are usually (with some exceptions?) polished to a mirror finish.

The finish on the Tidioutes is fine with me. A mirror finish can be nice also though. Having a choice is nice. Runs of knives with polished mark sides could be fun also.

What's much more important to me is the grind and taper of the blade rather than the finish. The finish is just cosmetic. They do a really nice grind on large blades. The grind on small blades is average. The taper is good on the large clips and sheepfoots but could be improved a bit on the spears.
 
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