Lets talk GEC!

JohnDF said:
I know this is the GEC thread, but I think the point of the Buck 110 being a turning point is a valid one. I saw the change happen growing up. Most of us carried a small stockman or other type of common traditional knife. Then the 110 craze hit and everybody had a snap sheath on their belt and they started to refer to their knife as a weapon. I'm happy GEC sticks to the more traditional patterns that we recognize as tools. See, I brought it back around to GEC again. :D
Click to expand...

I remember that shift as well. I bought my first 110 in 1973 a week or so before my 13th birthday. I had been carrying scout knives and once I had that “Folding Hunter” those old fashioned pocket knives were thrown into a tool or tackle box. I still have that 110 today (and the original paperwork that I failed to mail in).
 
Buzzbait said:
I’d go as far as to say that if carbon steel didn’t develop such a lovely patina, probably nobody here would prefer it. For the size knives that were taking about, any perceived increase in toughness from carbon steel is a moot point. And with the edge thicknesses were speaking of, there’s almost no difference in ease of sharpening. Stainless easily gets the nod in abrasion resistance.

But the allure of patina is great. Carbon steel knives tend to look more and more beautiful as we use them over time. Stainless is much the opposite. I happily use carbon steel throughout the winter, and enjoy taking my well-patinated pictures. But come summer, carbon steel is just so much work and risk.
Click to expand...
What work and risk? I’ve been carrying a cap lifter for years and the only maintenence I do is oil it every now and then! I live in Virginia and it’s quite humid here, never had a spot of rust on it.
 
Buzzbait said:
I’d go as far as to say that if carbon steel didn’t develop such a lovely patina, probably nobody here would prefer it. For the size knives that were taking about, any perceived increase in toughness from carbon steel is a moot point. And with the edge thicknesses were speaking of, there’s almost no difference in ease of sharpening. Stainless easily gets the nod in abrasion resistance.

But the allure of patina is great. Carbon steel knives tend to look more and more beautiful as we use them over time. Stainless is much the opposite. I happily use carbon steel throughout the winter, and enjoy taking my well-patinated pictures. But come summer, carbon steel is just so much work and risk.
Click to expand...
What work and risk? I’ve been carrying a cap lifter for years and the only maintenence I do is oil it every now and then! I live in Virginia and it’s quite humid here, never had a spot of rust on it.
 
joeradza said:
Typical old school archaeological thinking. If it looks different it must be a different tool. Instead of looking at it from a user perspective. A knife cuts. And as an archaeologist to tell the users (us) that the Buck 110 is not traditional is the height of academic elitism.
Click to expand...

Never said any such thing about being a new tool or having a different use. In your attempt to be clever you failed to read carefully. What I indicated was that the 110 was a drastic departure (in design) from what had come before and marked a change in what constituted a pocket knife (where stainless steel had no such impact to that perception). To flesh out a bit more (no pun intended) because of the 110s incredible popularity it was quickly copied by every major knife manufacturer. Slip joints were replaced by these larger locking folders (battleship curve stuff, go read Deetz). By the late 1970s you could buy thumb studs to attach to your 110. There were also sheaths that automatically opened the blade as you drew the knife. This ability to quickly open a big locking folding knife led to the numerous one handed lock blades we see today....and why today classic slip joint pocket knives (to avoid the term traditional here) represent a relatively small niche in the marketplace (save for the SAK which is a whole other story).
 
Markeologist Markeologist
I'm not sure the James Deetz reference works but rereading your explanation makes sense. As I mentioned before I'm a contrarian that tends to question everything. I believe our discipline has a tendency to be too smart for it's own good. I don't know what the hell that has to do with our hobby but it's all good.
 
Any guesses/predictions on what the rendezvous knives might be?


qEwxBQT.jpg
 
Stratkat said:
What work and risk? I’ve been carrying a cap lifter for years and the only maintenence I do is oil it every now and then! I live in Virginia and it’s quite humid here, never had a spot of rust on it.
Click to expand...

No doubt, but carbon requires constant use and maintenance.

My Beer Scout has lived on a nail in the kitchen, the atmosphere is usually very dry in winter 15% humidity. I use it to slice fruits and open bottles and it has certainly developed both black spotty patina AND rust plus brass bleed. The bone has not stood up too well to use either, having cracks etc but that's another matter. My carbon knives-a majority of my collection-need to be actively used every day or else stored away very carefully otherwise corrosion can take hold very soon. For this reason, I would like to have more knives in stainless, where possible.

Thanks, Will
 
Pinemoon said:
There is room for both steels in our traditional community.
I wish folks would simply allow each their rightful place. In my mind excluding or deriding either amounts to a form of "knife racism."
Click to expand...

So is it racism if someone doesn’t like machetes?
 
H2O2HI said:
So is it racism if someone doesn’t like machetes?
Click to expand...
That doesn't reflect my message.
If one were to argue that machetes have no place in the knife community, then yes, it would be knife racism.

Deriding stainless and saying it has no place in our traditional community is a from of racism. At least in my mind :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top