Lets talk GEC!

LastRodeo said:
I think about the annual thread about the next Bladeforums knife and shudder at the thought of GEC collecting data from customers to determine future runs. :D
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I’m thinking about the extra units I could sell and how quick I could get a return. Hire a person for $10 hr to take notes part time. That’s ruffly 12k a year, however, selling every knife - almost - immediately could garner 5 times that. Think of SFOs selling before they’re made and Northwoods selling 500 in 7-10 minutes. That selling a knife a second. Maybe I’m too much of a capitalist.
 
johnny twoshoes said:
I’m confused, which knives have the two different brands on them? I haven’t been keeping up with all the new models.

I like the attempt by GEC to listen to their fan base with the new stamp. I personally like the carbon stamp, but like everything else it’s going to be opinion based.
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GEC makes several knives for companies under their brand name, but In GEC’s name there’s Tidioute, Northfield, and GEC Acorn.
 
HST said:
GEC makes several knives for companies under their brand name, but In GEC’s name there’s Tidioute, Northfield, and GEC Acorn.
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I was aware of that, I thought you were saying they use Tidioute blades on Northfield knives, or vice versa.

With all the SFOs that go on I struggle to pay attention to everything.
 
johnny twoshoes johnny twoshoes There are both branded blades on a single trim. All this year’s #66 are that way and the first to come to mind. When I brought it up, others out that have been into GEC way longer than I, stated it was common practice on multi-bladed knives.
 
HST HST , I still don't get what you are saying, both branded blades on a single trim?? What does that mean?
$10 an hour? 12k a year? Is this 'assistant' 12 years old? lol


No offense meant, I'm just cornfused
 
Allow me to demonstrate what I think HST is saying with some crappy at the desk photos. Note the tang stamps:
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Not aware of any that say both Northfield and Tidioute though.
 
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Its a Great Eastern Cutlery, Northfield.
Every knife they make in carbon is stamped TIW- Titusville Iron Works.
..................................EDIT:^was^.
 
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I don't know where they get steel, could even be a variety of sources, but I believe that Titusville IW no longer exists. Don't even think it made steel per se when it did exist, just "worked" it. It is merely what GEC's building used to be a part of. And if I am not mistaken, they have ceased using the TIW stamp entirely, hence the debate about "CKC" and "CARBON"

For my part I do think the TIW never made much sense, just overly nostalgic over a piece of real estate. To me, "PHT" would have made more sense as a nod to where the blades were hardened. So I am glad to see TIW go. Neither CKC nor CARBON do it for me either though. I do agree that either the steel type, or the "USA" like on the Northwoods makes the most sense. Anyone who bought one and initially concluded that 1095 is a pattern or serial number would realize they are wrong in short order, like when they buy their second knife. And we all know that if you buy one GEC, there will likely be a second.

But really, I don't see why there is a need to replace it with anything. It could just be gone.
 
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The Great Eastern Cutlery stamp has always been used regardless of the the “brand” associated with each knife. Tidioute, Northfield and Great Eastern are all lines of knives from one company, Great Eastern Cutlery. They utilize the company stamp on multi blades knives such as the #66 stockman and #81 stockman, I assume a few others as well.

I don’t see how adding the stamp to the blade would be considered cheap when it’s adding man hours to stamp the blade. It would be cheaper to not have any stamp in lue of losing the TIW stamp that had originally been on the knives.

It’s a matter of opinion at this point wether it is TIW, CKC, or Carbon stamped on the blades. It really doesn’t have an affect outside of esthetics.

Also, if I’m not mistaken the building was Cyclop’s steel works prior to GEC taking over.
 
3-1-1 3-1-1 Hopefully you conveyed it better.

IMO, it seems ‘silly’ to have separate trims and have those trims on blades of one specific trim. I don’t care if GEC owns it all, there’s different trims at GEC and mixing blade tang trims - my words - looks cheap and lazy. It’s why I won’t bother anymore with multi-blade knives from GEC. There’s a difference in trims and their price across the board.

Let’s look at it like this, at the Dollar Store, most knives are labeled “Stainless Steel.” OK, what kind of stainless? (Just an example) At GEC the blades will read “Carbon.” OK, what kind of Carbon? Seems senseless to not list the steel, for ‘high-end’ cutlery. I wouldn’t buy a knife that I didn’t know about with “Stainless Steel” on it instead of what type...
 
There's no mixing of 'blade tang trims' so it's not a question of being cheap or lazy. This company has not been around that long so it's really not so difficult to follow their marking or stamping system, if you take the time.

TIW does not stand for Tidioute, it's Titusville Iron Works, all 1095 blades were formerly stamped either TIW or Titusville Iron Works in full depending on tang size. This applies to both Tidioute and Northfield lines. My 25 Northfield Barlow in Stag is stamped mark side Northfield UNXLD Made in USA pile side Titusville Iron works in full. Likewise, an 81 is stamped Northfield (in script) and TIW this is not some cheap labour saving or recycling of 'lower' Tidioute blades on the same frame. The carbon blades are all TIW or Titusville Iron works in full. This was changed recently to CKC -somebody suggested that there was some copyright issue on Titusville Iron Works but I can't find evidence. Titusville is their address after all. Now they've opted for plain Carbon stamping, not as visually interesting , they may soon change this too.

Formerly, stainless knives were stamped GEC USA and Cyclops on the pile side, carrying an acorn and squirrel etch on the blades and an Acorn shield. The Cyclops stamp has also been retired.
 
My only Cy Clops stamp from a 2012 #89 .
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Will Power said:
There's no mixing of 'blade tang trims' so it's not a question of being cheap or lazy. This company has not been around that long so it's really not so difficult to follow their marking or stamping system, if you take the time.

TIW does not stand for Tidioute, it's Titusville Iron Works, all 1095 blades were formerly stamped either TIW or Titusville Iron Works in full depending on tang size. This applies to both Tidioute and Northfield lines. My 25 Northfield Barlow in Stag is stamped mark side Northfield UNXLD Made in USA pile side Titusville Iron works in full. Likewise, an 81 is stamped Northfield (in script) and TIW this is not some cheap labour saving or recycling of 'lower' Tidioute blades on the same frame. The carbon blades are all TIW or Titusville Iron works in full. This was changed recently to CKC -somebody suggested that there was some copyright issue on Titusville Iron Works but I can't find evidence. Titusville is their address after all. Now they've opted for plain Carbon stamping, not as visually interesting , they may soon change this too.

Formerly, stainless knives were stamped GEC USA and Cyclops on the pile side, carrying an acorn and squirrel etch on the blades and an Acorn shield. The Cyclops stamp has also been retired.
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This has been my understanding. Speaking solely for myself, tang stamps are way down on my list of deal-breakers.
 
r8shell said:
This has been my understanding. Speaking solely for myself, tang stamps are way down on my list of deal-breakers.
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I couldn't agree more. I was going to come up with some succinctly worded post to convey my feelings (or lack thereof) on the matter but have not had the time.

As long as the stamp is well crafted/placed, I am not of a mind to condemn what they use or not use. My levels of nerdery have not reached quite that high yet. Perhaps when I become more of a collector and less a user I might begin to pay a lot more attention to tang stamps and at that point, I might actually have something more to say about it.
 
HST said:
GEC makes several knives for companies under their brand name, but In GEC’s name there’s Tidioute, Northfield, and GEC Acorn.
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I for one am extremely happy that my Northfields are stamped Northfield on a blade tang . I can not afford to collect everything , so I have decided to mostly collect just Northfield . I am sorry you do not like it , but it is what it is .

Harry
 
Sir,that stamp is quite rare,but really elegant and classical,just works for me(^_-)
What is the stamp on the other side?Northfield UN-X-LD?

IMO,if GEC quits stamping TIW on the tang,I would rather see them stamp nothing than CKC or Carbon,that's foolish......
Will Power said:
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