Lets talk GEC!

So I take about a 9 month break from traditional knives and now this happens....

wow. Seems like GEC is tired of making fast and easy money!

I’m leaning towards the whole “keep it simple stupid” mind set. More patterns, less choices... prob more hot dog shields.

I don’t see Covid having anything to do with this but I’m prob wrong.

The reason why I decided last winter to take a break was the constant pain in the a$$ To get a GEC or SFO before the profiteers scooped them all up. I was tired of the game. I just wanted the nice knives- I didn’t care how rare they were.
Now this won’t be a problem. But now I prob won’t want much of what they put out.

the secondary market prices right now are absolutely insane. You can commission a custom for the price of these northwoods or TC Barlow or NF Barlow.

now I’m off to my corner, to give me self a swift kick in the nuts for selling most of my northwoods and other desirables last winter....
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


.... and I thought no more beer scouts was the worst thing to come out of GEC...
 
Pàdruig said:
I get your point - I think. But quite honestly, there are plenty of us who use knives that otherwise have good value to collectors. Sure, there is always going to be folks who will go to their local store, pick up a cheap knife, use it 'til it breaks, and then wash, rinse, repeat. GEC is not the knife brand for these folks - not because a GEC brand knife won't hold up to the abuse but because a GEC knife will appeal to the sort who appreciates a fine tool and takes care of it accordingly.

It is the difference between the philosophy of an old co-worker of mine and my own. He would go to the discount store and buy a 5 pack of screwdrivers on the cheap - use them until they broke or got lost - wash, rinse, repeat. I bought a single screwdriver - a finely made quality tool. More expensive, yes - but almost 20 years later and I still have that same screwdriver.

I don't carry and use cheap knives - I carry and use finely made knives (predominately made by GEC), including (gasp!) SFOs. But I also use a knife for what it is intended for and I take good care of my tools. My point being: I don't fit the collector mold as you have described it - I absolutely care if my knife functions as intended and I certainly have no qualms making the investment in a finely made tool.

With GEC's recent decision, is the lack of interesting SFOs disappointing? Absolutely. But if they continue to make interesting patterns and maintain their level of quality, I will continue to support them by not only buying their knives, but using them as well.
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Sure..... There are many like you... But I think if a ratio analysis was conducted you'd see that collecting purchases outweigh user purchases.... Sure, there are amalgamations of purpose...... Like the guy that buys a new Corvette and drives it to work at the construction site.... But more Corvettes spend their life pampered and in a garage.... That is what I'm trying to convey.....
 
HEMI 49 said:
Sure..... There are many like you... But I think if a ratio analysis was conducted you'd see that collecting purchases outweigh user purchases.... Sure, there are amalgamations of purpose...... Like the guy that buys a new Corvette and drives it to work at the construction site.... But more Corvettes spend their life pampered and in a garage.... That is what I'm trying to convey.....
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I have a drawer of GEC users, I have a cabinet of GEC collectibles. I don't buy GEC's to use anymore, and the GEC's I do buy are routinely from KSF, Charlie, or Collector Knives SFO's.
 
cbr1000 said:
Correct, you got it.

If I recall correctly, in recent years GEC has produced a greater quantity of SFO's vs their house brands.

I assume this means they will stop making the fixed blades for Bark River too? - I'm not up to date with GEC fixed blades, maybe they don't make them for Bark River anymore?
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I think you may mean Hess? Bark River cuts and grinds their own blanks, doesn't even use the same heat treater. Hess knives are indeed GEC blanks.
 
Unless there are underlying circumstances such as financial or personnel problems that we know nothing about, I think GEC will be fine.

Here a smattering of GEC manufactured knives look fine to me. No SFO knives - just nicely crafted, simply covered, knives. Any of these should satisfy any member of the knife herd.

O1FDfKG.jpg
 
I'm afraid we'll see 3000 or 5000 piece runs of the same handle material. Hope I'm wrong. I've heard Bill say before that his intent is not to make collectible knives. He makes tools for people to use. If knife lovers happen to collect them, than so be it.
 
Modoc ED said:
Unless there are underlying circumstances such as financial or personnel problems that we know nothing about, I think GEC will be fine.

Here a smattering of GEC manufactured knives look fine to me. No SFO knives - just nicely crafted, simply covered, knives. Any of these should satisfy any member of the knife herd.

O1FDfKG.jpg
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They make that run tomorrow? I'm in!:D
 
Why is everyone assuming GEC is gonna make big runs of ugly knives?

Who’s to say they won’t make smaller runs of gorgeous knives?

I mean...they made the SFO’s that everyone loves. Who’s to say they won’t make the same high quality knives with high quality materials...but under the GEC label?
 
Ron Sabbagh said:
Why is everyone assuming GEC is gonna make big runs of ugly knives?

Who’s to say they won’t make smaller runs of gorgeous knives?

I mean...they made the SFO’s that everyone loves. Who’s to say they won’t make the same high quality knives with high quality materials...but under the GEC label?
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I hope you’re right.

And some “regular” GEC knives I like. But they often lack the little details that make the SFOs stand out. I would love it if they licensed or otherwise used the existing SFO designs in place of their own and made 5000 copies (if that’s what they want to do.) The outside dealers just seem to have a better grasp of what’s a likely to sell, attractive knife. Consider how the 86 “Black Jack” just screams “neat old jackknife” with its ebony covers and big, traditional shield. Contrast this with the silly wrench shield or the tortoiseshell acrylic versions that are still languishing on dealers’ shelves. Not that they’re bad knives, it just feels like they’re almost deliberately calculated to be nice enough to be appreciated for quality, but yet not attractive enough to sell fast.
 
I really don't think GEC will go under because they don't produce SFO's. Is everyone going to start buying Case knives instead of GEC because their next run only has two handle options? I kinda doubt that. On that note, unless we want to see GEC go the way of Queen and Canal Street, we better be buying them anyway....
 
Being up in Canada I got left out of a lot of SFOs because some of the GEC dealers would not ship outside of the USA. No problem. I understand why add the complication if you can sell everything anyways.

Now if GEC starts producing some blue camel bone or other similar items in larger quantities through all their distributors I may actually acquire some.

All is well as I have many of their standard yet terrific Tidioute or Northfields and enjoy them. I managed to purchase a couple GECs along the way also.

Like most here I would also like to see more GEC stainless.

Hopefully we will find a balance that can please most as we sure know we cannot please everyone.

,,,Mike in Canada​
 
gaj999 said:
They left the door open to doing SFOs in the future. Right now, things are a bit unsettled. Why not just assume there's a good reason for doing this right now and relax? What happens, happens, and things will turn out fine in the end.
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:thumbsup:
 
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