Lets talk GEC!

Yep! I'm another one that thinks *things* changed in 2016.

Up until the early spring of 2016 most dealers had a healthy back inventory of GEC's available (Northwoods too! :eek:).

Then *POOF* all gone! :confused::confused::confused:

It's been a bloodbath ever since trying to reserve and/or buy new knives (especially SFO's).

Coincidentally, that's around the same time production numbers started to increase.

Luckily, I'm more "cut stuff" than collector, but I do miss the good ole' days! :p

Happy & Healthy New Year 2 Everyone!

- Del
 
Buzzbait Buzzbait i think the best years were 2013-2015. Really great runs in 2015 though, I’m still trying to find my way back into one of the 77 spear barlows. It was my first GEC, I shouldn’t have let it go!
 
I agree Buzzbait Buzzbait , Also 2015 was so far the last run of the graceful svelte and springy 71 Bullnose. Now they seem overly thick, boxy and stiff....but I still like them!
 
Ramrodmb said:
Looking over the production totals for 2015 just now and wow, what a lot of different, great knives put out that year in many different materials!:thumbsup:
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I think the total materials offered peaked in 2011 at 174...has been slowly declining since then. I just don't think it is cost effective for GEC to offer that many materials with today's demands.

2015 - 89 unique patterns - 126 unique materials
2016 - 62 unique patterns - 103 unique materials
2017 - 57 unique patterns - 89 unique materials
 
Buzzbait Buzzbait I think it would be hard to emulate those years as they produced a lot of new patterns some of which shine in my knife temple. For instance, the magnificent run of 38s both SFO Farmer's Jacks and 3 blade Whittlers, just superb F&F and prices a deal lower than current production ;) Also the Stainless 15s (still yearning for a Spear version though...)

I do think the huge runs of 5000 knives for patterns next year could be questionable...there are still a lot of patterns GEC hasn't got its head round yet e.g. Proper sized Norfolk with good long Master blade, decent Sleeveboard a Small Stockman, Serp Penknife plus others. I really would like them to be able to invest money in new up to date tooling that CAN handle stainless in meaningful runs as well. This is actually the first new year that they are producing nothing that interests me at all, but one of their many strengths is quirky unpredictability- you never know what they might suddenly produce without warning and that's exciting!:cool: This year ended well for me with the 82 Dixie run and I was worried I couldn't get any of them, fortunately not.

Regards, Will

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These range from 2014 to 2018. I think the quality is very consistent. In fact, they are all just about perfect, including the 2018 TC. GEC is growing, and that is a good thing. Bill Howard has to make the best business decisions he can. Judging from his record so far, I think he will do just fine. We may not have as many knives to pick from, but I am certain we will have some excellent ones coming our way.

( Buzzbait Buzzbait , you sure were singing the praises of your 2018 Ironwood 77 a few months ago. Did y’all have a falling out?)
 
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Leslie Tomville Leslie Tomville - you captured what I wanted to say earlier but couldn’t put in words.

I’ve been disappointed with a few of my 2018 knives but I’ve also been really excited for some too.

Great pic of some nice knives!
 
I think demand has increased to the point where they just can’t do what they used to with smaller runs and more variation. I collect primarily from those years, but I’m just happy those folks are making knives.
 
Buzzbait said:
Is it just me or did GEC seem to hit their zenith between 2015 and 2016? It seemed like almost every run in that period was amazing. They had that big run of Huckleberry Boys Knive's. There was that first incredible run of Beer Scouts and soda scouts. We had 2 or 3 runs of stainless knives. The somewhat controversial Zulu spears appeared. The spear point Northfield Barlow's were some of the most perfectly manufactured knives I've ever held from GEC. There was even the crazy Texas Camp Knife run, as well as the gorgeous 85 EO Bullet Jacks. And don't forget the first run of TC Ancient Barlows. Every knife I held seemed to have perfect walk and talk. No glaringly soft pulls. Lots of really cool looking jigging and impressive dye jobs. There were lots of other runs too, that I just wasn't able to lay a financial finger on. We were assaulted with so many different breathtaking knives.

I still love GEC dearly, but I can't help feel that they've lost a step the last year or two. Much of the jigging has lost its artistry. Cover materials have become standardized and a bit repetitive. Pulls have become less than favorable on many runs. No stainless. I'm not saying that it's all bad. There have been some excellent runs the last couple years. But it feels as though some of the magic has been lost.

I don't know. Maybe the increased production has dulled the short run fun a bit, or perhaps I'm just looking at those years through rose colored collector's glasses. What do you think?

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In terms of the 2017 knives, I agree. But GEC bought new equipment and hired new staff, and had to figure everything out. I noticed with the 77 barlows this year that something started to change. I've owned some 14s and 85s, and now a 44 and the quality on all three of those recent patterns - the fit a d finish, the pulls, the blade sharpening, has been on par with the 2013 TCs, and everything I've had prior to late/mid 2016 manufacture.

I think they're coming back strong, and will get back to the quality and inspiration with which the company originally set sail. It has to be disconcerting to not be able to produce what your customer base demands, and frustrating to try and keep up with things when your star staff are all retiring at the same time that demand is increasing.

I don't like the pattern quite as much, but this cocobolo 44 I just received is every bit as finely finished as my 77 Washington Jack.
 
Here's an example of three knives I was able to add/find in 2018 :D

Patience does pay off... ;):eek:;)

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and after nearly four years of "tc barlow" failure(s), I was finally able to reserve one! ;)

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So yes, all in all it was a great (yet expensive! o_O) year for me.

Hopefully 2019 will bring a few more pattern runs from the "good ole' days" that I missed out on!

- Del

Shameless Hint: the #92 Eureka Jack :D:D:D

 
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Leslie Tomville said:
( Buzzbait Buzzbait , you sure were singing the praises of your 2018 Ironwood 77 a few months ago. Did y’all have a falling out?)
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No, not at all. The ironwood Barlow remains one of my favorite all-time traditionals. The blend of sizes and shapes on the two blades are pretty much perfection in my eyes, as is the size of the knife in comparison to most Barlows. The knife is functionally extraordinary, and ever so beautiful to my eyes.

But if I’m honest with myself, this last 77 run was not as nice as the previous two runs, from a fit and finish perspective. My ironwood covers are somewhat misshaped. A bunch of people were less than loving the unexpectedly pink elderberry camel bone. And 4 of the 5 77’s I’ve handled from this year’s run had some issues with walk and talk on the sheepsfoot secondary. GEC also decided, tragically for me, that there would be no more canvas micarta on Northfields, which I shall never forgive them for.

GEC is still the best in the game right now. I just feel like some of the little things have been lost recently. Pull strengths are all over the board. Little things make it through production. Fewer cover options. Less artistic jigging. No stainless at all. When it comes to pull strength, I’m actually more comfortable buying Case knives now, which I thought I’d never say. The pull strength on the 43 run was all over the place. The Dixie Stockman run, and a number of other runs, have definitely had weaker pulls than I’d ultimately prefer. I just don’t remember this stuff happening a few years ago.

Fortunately for me, the worth of a knife is far more than a sum of its parts. Of the 8 Northfield Barlows to go through my hands over the last few years, my ironwood is probably the most technically flawed. Yet it also happens to be the one that speaks to me the most. My micarta 43 is also an absolutely amazing knife as well. I just worry that GEC is traveling down a road that offers more product of a lesser quality than it has in the past.
 
This is the first year I've sold more GEC knives than I've bought. The only one with a slighter weaker snap was the secondary on my 35 ebony. The Yellow Rose was as clean and crisp as any from past years. I'll echo what others have said as to fewer cover choices and larger runs but I don't see how they can be avoided as GEC transitions from a startup niche manufacturer to one with a wider audience unless they expand in a way we haven't seen yet. In the meantime here's one that seems to get referenced quite a bit, a 15 pattern in elk and stainless.IMG_7210-1024x737.JPG
 
Buzzbait said:
No, not at all. The ironwood Barlow remains one of my favorite all-time traditionals. The blend of sizes and shapes on the two blades are pretty much perfection in my eyes, as is the size of the knife in comparison to most Barlows. The knife is functionally extraordinary, and ever so beautiful to my eyes.

But if I’m honest with myself, this last 77 run was not as nice as the previous two runs, from a fit and finish perspective. My ironwood covers are somewhat misshaped. A bunch of people were less than loving the unexpectedly pink elderberry camel bone. And 4 of the 5 77’s I’ve handled from this year’s run had some issues with walk and talk on the sheepsfoot secondary. GEC also decided, tragically for me, that there would be no more canvas micarta on Northfields, which I shall never forgive them for.

GEC is still the best in the game right now. I just feel like some of the little things have been lost recently. Pull strengths are all over the board. Little things make it through production. Fewer cover options. Less artistic jigging. No stainless at all. When it comes to pull strength, I’m actually more comfortable buying Case knives now, which I thought I’d never say. The pull strength on the 43 run was all over the place. The Dixie Stockman run, and a number of other runs, have definitely had weaker pulls than I’d ultimately prefer. I just don’t remember this stuff happening a few years ago.

Fortunately for me, the worth of a knife is far more than a sum of its parts. Of the 8 Northfield Barlows to go through my hands over the last few years, my ironwood is probably the most technically flawed. Yet it also happens to be the one that speaks to me the most. My micarta 43 is also an absolutely amazing knife as well. I just worry that GEC is traveling down a road that offers more product of a lesser quality than it has in the past.
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“No stainless at all” is a little misleading, given that they did do a stainless run a couple months ago, albeit a short one.
 
Very true Colin, Stropping Young Lad Stropping Young Lad . In addition, my understanding is that the Elderberry Barlow was as effort to capture a certain color, but the experiment did not go as expected. It was a collaboration between Collector Knives and GEC. On the one hand Buzzbait Buzzbait complains that GEC is offering fewer cover options, but, on the other hand, he criticizes them for missing the mark on a very creative attempt.

Pull strength, like color, is also highly subjective. It is not very productive to discuss things that are just personal preferences. In any event, there are good reasons to lighten pull strength on a Stockman where the three blades are in close proximity. That is typical of many manufactures.

I love Case, and have a lot of their knives, but Case is not GEC. Buzz, you are a tough person to please. You always seem to see the glass half empty. Nothing on this Earth is perfect. You can always nitpick, but that does not bring much enjoyment.
 
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I don’t get the impression that Buzzbait Buzzbait is being overly critical, so much as he is comparing GEC to its own standards set in earlier runs. If anything I’d say that’s probably what GEC has been doing to have been producing the quality it has been for as long as it has been. If you don’t keep high standards then you won’t produce high quality.

I haven’t been around long enough to compare but it seems fair to do that, especially since it isn’t apples and oranges.

I think traumkommode traumkommode is right about the mid year change at GEC making a difference. The run of 14s seemed pretty flawless if you exclude the Cripple Creek shield failure on a few. The 99s and 85s also seemed to be well done. The earlier 43s had some weaker pulls but were a nice pattern and had good fit and finish. The biggest difference seems to be the size of runs and limited options, which is consistent with higher demand and limited expansion of equipment and workforce. To stay at market demand and keep the quality you either have to add highly skilled workers or produce higher volumes of a pattern to keep efficiency up, I’d wager.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
Very true Colin, Stropping Young Lad Stropping Young Lad . In addition, my understanding is that the Elderberry Barlow was as effort to capture a certain color, but the experiment did not go as expected. It was a collaboration between Collector Knives and GEC. On the one hand Buzzbait Buzzbait complains that GEC is offering fewer cover options, but, on the other hand, he criticizes them for missing the mark on a very creative attempt.

Pull strength, like color, is also highly subjective. It is not very productive to discuss things that are just personal preferences. In any event, there are good reasons to lighten pull strength on a Stockman where the three blades are in close proximity. That is typical of many manufactures.

I love Case, and have a lot of their knives, but Case is not GEC. Buzz, you are a tough person to please. You always seem to see the glass half empty. Nothing on this Earth is perfect. You can always nitpick, but that does not bring much enjoyment.
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I’m sorry you feel that I’m complaining too much. I just got done highly praising pretty much every single GEC knife that I bought in a two year span, and I’ve rather lavishly heralded many of the knives I’ve purchased this year.

But if I feel that a knife misses the mark in the some way, I’ll be honest about it. Nobody gains here from the hive mind attitude, pretending that every GEC knife is a miracle. It certainly doesn’t help GEC, if they don’t know that customers are dissatisfied, and it doesn’t help customers reading these forums, who might assume the Dixie Stockman they buy will have great pull on all three blades.

I understand what you meant by GEC making a creative attempt with the camel bone. But what I was getting at was that GEC used to be more successful in their creative endeavors. It’s entirely possible that with increased production, they now have less time to devote to ensuring their successes.

I would disagree that “it is not productive to discuss things that are just personal preferences”. It’s actually 99% of what we discuss here. If we were to stop discussing our viewpoints and likes and dislikes, there would be precious little left to say. How we feel about knives is why we’re here after all.

No, Case is no GEC. Not by a long shot. But you have to give credit where credit is due. When it comes to walk and talk, from what I’ve purchased in the last two years, Case is doing it more consistently than GEC right now.
 
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