Lets talk GEC!

[Camillus]

there is a bail and an endcap on my older Camillus knife. I think it looks slightly better than the bare end version, and it certainly has a nice feel in hand and in the pocket. This bail is more solid due to being pinned in place and is more traditional U shaped profile with a flat inner side.

 

[onejim]

So how about long pull?

 

[Buzzbait]

If memory serves, it was a bit more complicated than that. The Crown Lifters were an open order, meaning the dealers got pretty much what they ordered. And most dealers ordered a ton because they knew they would sale consistently over time - which they have. But the Beer Scouts were more of an allocated basis. No doubt they were the more popular of the two, but I wouldn't send any Crown Lifters back to GEC if they asked for them.

Interesting. Would you say that the current vendor inventory of Crown Lifters is preventing new runs of Beer Scouts.

 

[Buzzbait]

the bail is more solid due to being pinned in place

I love pinned on bails, just for the fact that they don’t tend to flop all over the place. I hate it when the bail flops into the blade path as I’m closing the knife. It gives bails a bad name.

 

[knifeswapper]

Interesting. Would you say that the current vendor inventory of Crown Lifters is preventing new runs of Beer Scouts.

No, I think they figure a 2 month run every few years is enough.

 

[mrknife]

cant wait to see that chain! loving that the 15s are up again

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

They are pretty big knives. I suppose some people carry them as users but I suspect most are for collectors.

Here is a picture of a 45, which I believe is the same as a 46.

I know @L.H.S carries one... He uses it as a spatula when he cooks breakfast.

 

[spyderg]

Interesting. Would you say that the current vendor inventory of Crown Lifters is preventing new runs of Beer Scouts.

Just wish they weren’t all easy open. I’m ok with my knifebrite eo beerscout but would jump on a non eo clip point/caplifter. I read something about a #14 clip in the works, definitely would throw money at a clip #14 with lifter!

 

[btb01]

46 Whaler is muscle bone? Oooooh yeah

Where did those Whalers come from,what a great surprise! Muscle bone Lumberjacks from the 2016 Rendezvous.View attachment 863759

Is that what muscle bone looks like? I had no idea, so I went with the Desert Ironwood. (Honestly, other than sheer curiosity, I'm not sure why I want/need a #46; everything about it seems a little ridiculous, but hey, it's a chance to check out one of the more unusual patterns GEC makes without paying insane secondary market prices, so why not.)

What I'd really like to see GEC do again is the #36 Sunfish. There's something about that knife (particularly in Tidioute trim with Ebony covers) that I really like, even though it seems just about as impractical as the #46

It's funny how the Beer Scouts sold so quickly, yet the Crown Lifters are a total dud. I know why I went for the Beer Scouts; because I'm a freak for bails. But most people seem to treat bails like the plague, yet the Crown Lifters remain on shelves.

I really don't think that GEC should judge the viability of a run of Beer Scouts by the sale of Crown Lifters. Do a new run of Beer Scouts, and change the blade shape to a clip or a spear. Offer some good non-acrylic cover options, and they'll sell like hotcakes. Make them in stainless, and people will be crawling over each other to get to them.

That's the biggest thing I'm hoping for with the next run of Beer Scouts -- a different blade shape. Spear or clip would be great. Heck, I think it'd be kinda cool with a spey.

It's the 'Beer Scout Knife' shields, I think. Beer is pretty popular right now. Not just for drinking, but people have beer as a hobby or something. People incorporate beer into their self identity. I think a lot of beer scouts got bought up by people to give as gifts.

I'm pretty sure you hit the nail on the head. I've given away several as gifts to friends and family members who are "beer enthusiasts."

we need some more beer scouts!

As you can see with a comparison to this Camillus, the spear point would look awesome.

As would an end cap. I really like the extra weight you get.

And in stainless of course (perhaps wishful thinking, but so important for a knife that is regularly gifted to non-knife people who don't know how to care for carbon steel).

And finally, in some traditional jigged bone!! Where has that traditional jigging gone that GEC used recently?!? I am tired of buying a traditional knife with jigging that looks like the the flooring of a Chinese pickup truck.

Love that jigged bone Beer Scout. Is that one of the orange ones (I don't remember what they called the color -- Golden Ale?) from this last that you dyed? Looks good.

Bails prohibit endcaps and I don't expect they will do them both ways - so I am going to say bare.

I hope you're right. I've got #15 Boys Knives with sheepsfoot blades, clips, speys, and even had one of those one-armed openers (before I gave it to a friend), but I've never had one with a spear. Part of the reason is that I haven't gone out of my way to get one, because I don't really like the end cap on that pattern for some reason.

 

[Kiteman72]

I am freakin' thrilled to hear of the new Boy's Knives with chains and bails!

I'm very curious if we'll see "Beer Scout" style bails or "Navy Knife" style bails??

 

[HFinn]

What I love so much about traditionals is the variety of purpose driven blade shapes, both within a company, and between companies. Just about anyone can find the perfect knife for their needs.

I still have a question conserning the moose pattern, if you don't mind. Does having the blades at opposing ends make them easier to open? The nail nicks after all are on different sides. This is one feature that might help me make my decision. On the American Jack they are on the same side and it looks a little cramped. On one video the owner had lovered the kick on the small blade to get more room for the nick on the main blade.

Also I found out that the moose does not have a half stop that the Jack has? How do you people rate the pulls on these two knives? I have half stop on some knives and I'm not sure if I like the feature. Yes, it gives a feeling of safety but somehow I like a strong smooth pull and good final snap more.

 

[Camillus]

Those points are valid but imo these two knives differ more in size and function. The 81 is more like the 54 - big and chunky and built for hard tasks, whereas the 78 is more of a medium size pocket knife for edc use. It is an excellent size for all round tasks.

I like the snappy feel of the 78 much more than than the lazy soft action of the 81. The 81s have almost no talk and aren't anywhere near as satisfying to open as the 78s.

The Tidioutes are generally easier to open than the Northfields, due to the forward location of the nail nick, and that would be the same for both knives. The two blade 78 Northfield does suffer from a cramped opening area.

 

[HFinn]

Those points are valid but imo these two knives differ more in size and function. The 81 is more like the 54 - big and chunky and built for hard tasks, whereas the 78 is more of a medium size pocket knife for edc use. It is an excellent size for all round tasks.

I like the snappy feel of the 78 much more than than the lazy soft action of the 81. The 81s have almost no talk and aren't anywhere near as satisfying to open as the 78s.

The Tidioutes are generally easier to open than the Northfields, due to the forward location of the nail nick, and that would be the same for both knives. The two blade 78 Northfield does suffer from a cramped opening area.

Thank's for info. So the Moose is smoother, almost to the point of being lazy but larger, Jack is snappier and easier to carry, an edc-knife? Well, this is a hard choise.

 

[Matt Bernier]

I still have a question conserning the moose pattern, if you don't mind. Does having the blades at opposing ends make them easier to open? The nail nicks after all are on different sides. This is one feature that might help me make my decision. On the American Jack they are on the same side and it looks a little cramped. On one video the owner had lovered the kick on the small blade to get more room for the nick on the main blade.

Also I found out that the moose does not have a half stop that the Jack has? How do you people rate the pulls on these two knives? I have half stop on some knives and I'm not sure if I like the feature. Yes, it gives a feeling of safety but somehow I like a strong smooth pull and good final snap more.

The knife isn't any easier to open than any of my same-side knives are. The biggest feature for me is the lack of half stops, and the light pulls. I have thin, flexible nails. Not brittle; FLEXIBLE. Half stops introduce a snapping action to the opening of the knife that makes them a nuisance to me. The light pulls mean I can open the knife easily even if my nails are a day or two too long, or even with gloves on. I can open the knife safely even with oily or wet hands, which isn't true of any other nail nick knife I own. With the others, if my hands and the knife aren't bone dry, I may as well be holding a knife glued shut with epoxy. I actually bought this because of its resemblance to my favorite vintage Schrade, which I love, but cannot open dependably.

I've never bought the idea of a half stop as a safety feature. I have to close the knife to 17 degrees before it will start to shut. There's absolutely no way I wouldn't notice. But I HAVE accidentally bumped a knife enough to almost make it close to half stop, and if I had, instead of staying at, say, 150 degrees, it would have snapped to 90, cutting my finger.

Furthermore, half stops make a knife impossible for me to close safely one handed, turning one smooth action into two snappy steps. Not what I like when at the top of a ladder holding a roll of filter plastic in one hand.

I've heard complaints of lazy opening and closing snap on some 81 knives, but mine is quite snappy and satisfying, despite being light.

 

[HFinn]

The knife isn't any easier to open than any of my same-side knives are. The biggest feature for me is the lack of half stops, and the light pulls. I have thin, flexible nails. Not brittle; FLEXIBLE. Half stops introduce a snapping action to the opening of the knife that makes them a nuisance to me. The light pulls mean I can open the knife easily even if my nails are a day or two too long, or even with gloves on. I can open the knife safely even with oily or wet hands, which isn't true of any other nail nick knife I own. With the others, if my hands and the knife aren't bone dry, I may as well be holding a knife glued shut with epoxy. I actually bought this because of its resemblance to my favorite vintage Schrade, which I love, but cannot open dependably.

I've never bought the idea of a half stop as a safety feature. I have to close the knife to 17 degrees before it will start to shut. There's absolutely no way I wouldn't notice. But I HAVE accidentally bumped a knife enough to almost make it close to half stop, and if I had, instead of staying at, say, 150 degrees, it would have snapped to 90, cutting my finger.

Furthermore, half stops make a knife impossible for me to close safely one handed, turning one smooth action into two snappy steps. Not what I like when at the top of a ladder holding a roll of filter plastic in one hand.

I've heard complaints of lazy opening and closing snap on some 81 knives, but mine is quite snappy and satisfying, despite being light.

So the action on these knives is not constant, there are variations? Interesting. If I look at another knife brand, Victorinox, the action in any knife they make is incredibly similar. There are some variations according to model, but every knife of certain model is the same.

Choises, choises. This is incredibly difficult to decide.

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

What I'd really like to see GEC do again is the #36 Sunfish. There's something about that knife (particularly in Tidioute trim with Ebony covers) that I really like, even though it seems just about as impractical as the #46

I’m sure they’ll get there. I’ve had a 36 and have handled the Whaler. The 36 is still silly, but was more practical. I actually carried mine a few times. The 46 is taller in the blade, and the back end of the tang really protrudes a lot when the main is closed, which is probably the biggest reason I feel the sunfish is more practical.

Regardless, I just want a whaler because they make me smile.

 

[Matt Bernier]

I’m sure they’ll get there. I’ve had a 36 and have handled the Whaler. The 36 is still silly, but was more practical. I actually carried mine a few times. The 46 is taller in the blade, and the back end of the tang really protrudes a lot when the main is closed, which is probably the biggest reason I feel the sunfish is more practical.

Regardless, I just want a whaler because they make me smile.

I wanna see someone on instagram use the 46 for its original purpose; cutting thick rope, using a soft mallet to drive the blade down for a clean, straight cut.

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

I wanna see someone on instagram use the 46 for its original purpose; cutting thick rope, using a soft mallet to drive the blade down for a clean, straight cut.

I’ll commit to being that person on Instagram.

 

[Matt Bernier]

So the action on these knives is not constant, there are variations? Interesting. If I look at another knife brand, Victorinox, the action in any knife they make is incredibly similar. There are some variations according to model, but every knife of certain model is the same.

Choises, choises. This is incredibly difficult to decide.

You've had much better experience of Victorinox than I've had.

But yes, there's a tiny variation within a GEC model, and different models will have very different characters to them. Sort of like families, and then members of those families.

 

[Matt Bernier]

I’ll commit to being that person on Instagram.

My hero.