Lets talk GEC!

Well this makes me sad. Please your opinions, my options, an any other solutions. It is only 2 weeks old.
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Camillus said:
I had a similar issue. Possibly the tips they are making are too fine
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So, two out of how many hundreds sold? I think that is a bit of a jump to blame GEC for making the tip to fine.

What were you doing when it happened? I've used mine a fair amount and had no problem.
 
I was whittling a block of pine. I may a deep cut, then was making the stop cut and I heard a snap.
 
Norcaldude said:
So, two out of how many hundreds sold? I think that is a bit of a jump to blame GEC for making the tip to fine.

What were you doing when it happened? I've used mine a fair amount and had no problem.
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These are the only two examples of a tip being damaged that I have seen, so maybe its two out of many thousands!

But, just to throw in a little logic, whether a knife’s tip is too fine isn’t really dependent on how many knives GEC has made that have tips that are not too fine.
 
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Jiki said:
Well this makes me sad. Please your opinions, my options, an any other solutions. It is only 2 weeks old.
GIlKkWL.jpg
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Unpleasant! You were 'lucky' to manage to keep the broken tip ;) Always an inherent problem with a Wharncliffe blade, and the longer it is, the more liable to snap. Too much pressure I'm afraid. I feel it unlikely that GEC will feel the obligation to fix it, you can of course try.
 
Jiki said:
Well this makes me sad. Please your opinions, my options, an any other solutions. It is only 2 weeks old.
GIlKkWL.jpg
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Yeah, that's a bummer. Maybe call GEC and ask what they can do for you. If they can't replace the blade, or you don't want to wait, you could reshape it yourself.
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You can blend the arc back more to mimic the original shape, or give it a slightly stouter tip.
 
Taking a comment about a tip being too fine, without context, is a rabbit hole of discussion. Was the first person to mention saying that the tip was too fine for the work trying to be done with said tip? Were they saying it was too fine to exist on planet Earth? Whittling can be done by anyone, but anyone doing it much with a thin blade (especially wharncliffe) has probably broken a tip at one time or another when the tip catches resistance in a stroke and the whittler doesn't respond fast enough not to allow side torque to the very tip.

GEC makes blades thin the way folks like them. And they have a very consistent heat treat. They don't yet supply a sheet of what each particular blade was made to do and the exact pressure / torque limits at its current thickness, etc. So, at what point is it the buyers responsibility to make a call at what the tool is capable?

Having said that, I am sure the factory will present an acceptable solution to anyone who has broken the tip of their blade off.
 
Thank you all that have responded. I posted here because the wealth of experience in this group and I enjoy learning from all of you. So far I have reached out to the dealer (it is the weekend though), I will contact GEC based on what info the dealer tells me, and finally I am prepared to reshape the blade if I don't like the responses.

Next question without a belt sander, recommendations for reshaping. Course diamond stone or dremmel?
 
I'd send it to someone that could professionally reshape the blade. While I could do it myself, it would not look good.
 
I had a smaller piece of tip break off my 55, their is a thread on it somewhere around here. I think a file is the best tool to use. It's slow and easy to adjust your angle before it's to late. Plus no heat like a power tool to mess with the heat treat integrity.

In my extensive use of the wharncliff blade on construction sites I have found them to be usually pretty sturdy but the slightest torque can give one your result. I shaped mine to still be pointy but slightly steeper giving the tip just a little more backbone and have never had a problem since. I say spend 20 minutes in the garage with a file and get back to carving wood :)
 
Jiki said:
Thank you all that have responded. I posted here because the wealth of experience in this group and I enjoy learning from all of you. So far I have reached out to the dealer (it is the weekend though), I will contact GEC based on what info the dealer tells me, and finally I am prepared to reshape the blade if I don't like the responses.

Next question without a belt sander, recommendations for reshaping. Course diamond stone or dremmel?
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Lowes sells a sanding disk kit for drills. You could use that, just go slow and don't let the blade more than warm. Then move to a file.
Then smooth with a stone, progressing to sand paper.
I wouldn't put the wear on a diamond stone.
 
I've had to reshape a couple of tips. I'd much rather do that than have the manufacturer(cough, cough, arachnid) start putting thick tips on.
 
Dean51 said:
Lowes sells a sanding disk kit for drills. You could use that, just go slow and don't let the blade more than warm. Then move to a file.
Then smooth with a stone, progressing to sand paper.
I wouldn't put the wear on a diamond stone.
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I buy really cheap diamond files at the hardware store to use for rough shaping. You can get a big half round file for about $5. It won't last very long, but it's cheap and saves the good diamond stones for sharpening. Then use a fine jeweler's file or Arkansas or ceramic stone for finishing.
 
rockgolfer said:
I had a smaller piece of tip break off my 55, their is a thread on it somewhere around here. I think a file is the best tool to use. It's slow and easy to adjust your angle before it's to late. Plus no heat like a power tool to mess with the heat treat integrity.
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That's good advice Jeff. A file is a bit more tedious to use but as you said, won't affect the heat treat.

If I knew how to multi-quote, I would have quoted r8shell r8shell tip about the hardware store files. Also good info there.
 
Some good suggestions here...good luck Jiki Jiki . I can remember using the front concrete walk to shape knife blades. Of course I was likely wearing my Davy Crockett hat, and the knives were made from popsicle sticks. :p:D
 
r8shell said:
I buy really cheap diamond files at the hardware store to use for rough shaping. You can get a big half round file for about $5. It won't last very long, but it's cheap and saves the good diamond stones for sharpening. Then use a fine jeweler's file or Arkansas or ceramic stone for finishing.
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That's a good idea. It would be a shame to waste a good sharpening stone trying to remove that much metal.
 
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