Lets talk GEC!

In my view this discussion has become way off track, burdened by personal bias and rather silly judgements. Collectors are not unethical or immoral. If someone has something and you don’t, and that bothers you, the issue is yours not the other person’s.

People are not “what they think”. We are only affected by their actions, not their thoughts. Otherwise we would be like North Korea and subject to thought crimes. To know who I am solely by what I think you’d have to be a mind reader. Silly.

I suspect that “rising” above consumerism is a comforting thought but given that one has to be a consumer of goods, high tech internet-dependent goods at that, to even post such a statement indicates an unrealistic understanding of consumers and business. Buy one knife and you support an entire network of people who designed, made, distributed, advertised and sold it. Buy two and you have doubled that support.

To disparage collectors is in my view to display an unseemly self righteousness.
 
I think of myself as an "accumulator" of knives. I used to search endlessly for that "perfect knife". Now I've at least gotten honest enough with myself, that I've altered this search to the "perfect 10 knives". :p:p:p

Where it gets weird is my level of attachment to these knives. I love them all except for......... the ones I never plan to use. This is why I don't call myself a collector. If I acquire a museum quality piece, that shouldn't be carried for the sake of history, I really don't want to keep the knife. It means pretty much nothing to me after I've had an hour to handle and examine it. I want the knives that I can use without fear of judgement by more serious collectors, or judgement by myself for ruining a piece of cutlery history.

The money means little to me. I'll happily carry a knife that cost me $200.00 (high for my wallet) or an eBay used knife for $12.00. Figure it like this. My favorite carry right now is an old Swiss Army Knife I got from auction for almost nothing. I spent 5 months earlier this year, carrying an old Camillus that I got for less than $20.00.

So I do buy a lot of GEC's. Nothing they've made is really what I would call "cutlery history". They're okay in my book to carry and use as I see fit, and they make such interesting and beautiful patterns!!!! I don't buy as many GEC's as I used to though. The lack of stainless options is the biggest sticking point, and the mechanical look of the majority of their jigging is starting to leave me luke warm. I will also admit that the more recent issues with lack of walk and talk also have me looking elsewhere. I feel like I'm almost done with GEC for now, as long as they keep heading in this same direction. But we'll see.
 
SnailOffTheTrail said:
...I would like to believe I lean towards minimalism and that I have risen above consumerism...

Enter this passion for knives in general and even worse, that GEC addiction I developed lately. This collides with and defies everything that I would like to believe I am. And so, not to loose my face, I had to convince myself, that every next knife, I want to buy, is something I really need, that there is a practical purpose for it. I would protest to being called a collector, as that would imply, that I hoard more than I need, more than is reasonable and thus that image of myself i hold is fraud. Deeds speak much more louder than words, after all.

I stopped fooling myself since, but I still haven't worked out how this all falls together.
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My name is Peter and I have a problem...
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One of the very frustrating things about our humanity is the appeal towards rationality because sociology studies have indicated that we're much less rational than we like to believe we are. Isn't that always how it goes? we find something we take pride in and we rarely actually live up to the standards we believe we achieve. I believe religion has showed me this the best- I happen to be Christian and I'm sure my Christian brothers and sisters know the frustration of constantly trying to be the person we believe we ought to be.

I believe that ethical dilemmas are what separates "man" (used here cautiously out of respect for possible female members) from beast. Your dilemma is a perfect example! Want vs. need is a classic human dilemma. Embrace it and wrestle with it because it's just proof that you belong to the highest cognitively functioning group of people on this planet; the knife owner.

My name is Dan and my dilemma is spending money on GEC's or saving for my Son's College Fund.
 
JohnDF said:
I like Great Eastern Cutlery knives too... Especially those with ebony handles. :)
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I see your ebony and raise you ivory bone. :D
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Kiteman72 said:
Lyle's Legendary Lick Creek 14 SFO.

The Best Knife from last year's 14 run.
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I agree. I don't get too stressed about GECs because I just don't spend much effort chasing down SFOs. Their regular production knives are good enough for me and my budget. That Lick Creek was an exception. I know it's about want vs. need sometimes, but I very much wanted it. :)
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I know I was thrilled to be able to get one, that's for sure! :thumbsup:

Remember the days when the "cover" of the GEC website changed almost every day?
I think the fact that there are fewer GEC patterns to collect (yet overall, more GEC knives) has changed the way many of us buy/collect and even use them.
 
PythonDR said:
The user/accumulator/collector discussion is interesting....
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black mamba said:
User, accumulator, collector or horder, whatever . . . I'm all of those. ...
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SnailOffTheTrail said:
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My name is Peter and I have a problem...
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I'm not a GEC customer, but this fascinating discussion of "labels" seems independent of GEC, so I'll jump in (a little late, as usual). All the labels at least partially describe me, but I think there's another label that is even more appropriate to my knife-buying situation: addict. :eek::rolleyes:

- GT
 
Hey folks, this thread has taken an off topic turn to a discussion regarding "accumulating vs collecting". Let's discuss the knives, please, GEC in particular. Let's get this thread back on topic.
The lounge would be a better place for the off-topic discussion.
 
I only have 5 GECS at the moment but I don't even own a large Stockman in anything, mostly medium stockmans and I so want a large stockman sooooo,I should be having a large Stockman by GEC in the mail soon.I ordered it 3 days ago. Still no word yet on shipping so my anxiousness is peaking to a higher level.
 
Ripcord 82 said:
I'll fold!
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All these knives fold! :p
Ripcord 82 said:
I only have 5 GECS at the moment but I don't even own a large Stockman in anything, mostly medium stockmans and I so want a large stockman sooooo,I should be having a large Stockman by GEC in the mail soon.I ordered it 3 days ago. Still no word yet on shipping so my anxiousness is peaking to a higher level.
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Dixie Stockman? Those look nice. What covers did you go with?
 
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