My 2 cents on GEC serial #'s

4

.41Dude

Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
187
Hi everyone. I have noticed the current GEC serial #'s are 1-25

Not sure if this is permanent (I would assume so :eek:)

I have been having much fun matching up serial #'s to birthdays (Thanks to

Mike at collector knives for some of them)

My wifes birthday is December 26th she has been taken care of.

If you have a special day from 26-50 it might be worth looking now while

those GEC serial #'s still exist. (If that sort of thing is fun to you) :D
 
I think limiting the serialized pieces to 25 is a good idea, especially if they make more (say 100+) of the non-serialized knives. This would put the more expensive serialized pieces at a premium in the future. Currently there are several runs where there are 50 serialized knives and only a few (less than 10 and sometimes only 1 or 2) without numbers, making me wonder which will be worth more down the road.

I know that a lot of us don't like all the blade etching, but another suggestion I have is for the PPP (Pattern Production Premiere) knives to be the flagship UN-X-LD line, with all the bells and whistles. These first 25 serialized knives of a pattern, with all the threading, swedging, polishing and premium handle materials would then become the real heirlooms of the GEC stable. They would also be quickly snapped up by the real collectors, who keep closer tabs on the new releases and developments.

Knifeswapper, joe-bob, Dennis and all you other GEC diehards, please chime in.
 
I know why they do all the serial numbers and etching but I'll bet there are a whole bunch of us out there who like me would be much more inclined to look seriously at some of the offerings if they could be obtained without all the hoopla.

A tang stamp and shield would do it up just fine for me. It doesn't have to be totally sterile.
 
Blues said:
I know why they do all the serial numbers and etching but I'll bet there are a whole bunch of us out there who like me would be much more inclined to look seriously at some of the offerings if they could be obtained without all the hoopla.

A tang stamp and shield would do it up just fine for me. It doesn't have to be totally sterile.
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Agreed. None of the etchings and serial numbers etc. do a thing for me. Big, billboard etchings make a handsome knife look cheap, to me. I polish the etchings off all of my GECs. I buy the unserialized versions if I can, but the serial numbers are at least tasteful and unobtrusive. You don't really see them unless you're looking closely. I suspect the serial numbers will wear off eventually, if you carry the knives, especially in a pocket with keys or change. They're not engraved very deeply.
 
Blues said:
I know why they do all the serial numbers and etching but I'll bet there are a whole bunch of us out there who like me would be much more inclined to look seriously at some of the offerings if they could be obtained without all the hoopla.

A tang stamp and shield would do it up just fine for me. It doesn't have to be totally sterile.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
We have been expressing the want for more non serialized issues to the factory for some time. I think the economy put collectors in a little tighter budget which showed up in many more requests from distributors for non serialized variants. Thus, the factory was getting stuck inventorying too many serialized models after initial sales were completed.

I have already told you more than I know; but to clarify the numbers a little.... It is my understanding that in runs with less than 75pcs, they will serialize the first 25. Runs equal/larger than 75pcs, they will serialize the first 50. And the primitive bone and genuine stag (as well as other premium slabs) they will serialize them all. Short runs of less than 25-30 will not be serialized at all.

This gives distributors access to more non serialized models; because in the past they would make a lot of runs with few or none at all.

Mike Latham
CollectorKnives.Net
 
i'm in favor of the tang stamp & do'nt mind the number on the bolster. however all the writing on the blades detracts from knife appearance also i'm in favor or all the shields being unmarked. as most of us realize some unnumbered patterns are super rare. i tend to prefer the northfields with the bells & whistles & was chagrined to receive the abalone mink with glazed blades. this was an expensive knife to receive the tiduote blade finish. however handle material is one of the primal considerations between the 3 divisions.[great eastern--tiduote--& northfield] dennis
 
I'm happy NOT to have serial numbers, but my dealer usually has them rather than the unmarked knives. Blade etches are very tricky things, they have to be tasteful and understated. Böker do some reasonable ones. The GEC ones are alright and disappear from the carbon blades fast, thankfully... I tend to use most of my knives where possible, so the idea of rare serial numbers means not much to me, I'm sceptical about knives as an investment. The investment is time, pleasure and pride of ownership.
 
I also dislike serial numbers and specifically avoid knives with them. But there are others who like serialized knives, therefore it's a good thing that GEC offers both. However, there was one specific instance where I could not find a particular knife without serial number, so I welcome the changes.
 
In some cases they made more with numbers than without numbers. I believe the black acrylic exec whittler had 50 with serials and 47 without, if i remember correctly.

Regards

Robin
 
Blues said:
I know why they do all the serial numbers and etching but I'll bet there are a whole bunch of us out there who like me would be much more inclined to look seriously at some of the offerings if they could be obtained without all the hoopla.

A tang stamp and shield would do it up just fine for me. It doesn't have to be totally sterile.
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Thats a huge +1:thumbup:

I've started to pull the trigger on one of there lockbacks, but the blade marking held me back.
I have some Case knives that have a serial # that are very lightly stamped on the blade. You almost have to look for them.
I just can't imagine why anyone would put a number(or anything) on a bolster though:confused:

BTW- that one big company has had some of there Case knives serialized on the bolster, and I don't care for those either.
 
black mamba said:
I know that a lot of us don't like all the blade etching, but another suggestion I have is for the PPP (Pattern Production Premiere) knives to be the flagship UN-X-LD line, with all the bells and whistles. These first 25 serialized knives of a pattern, with all the threading, swedging, polishing and premium handle materials would then become the real heirlooms of the GEC stable. They would also be quickly snapped up by the real collectors, who keep closer tabs on the new releases and developments.
Click to expand...

With the PPP knives, I think it's important to remember that these are the first knives of that pattern to be made. Just one step past the prototype stage. I would think that putting them out in the simpler, more plain versions would help in working out the production issues and pitfalls before the knives undergo the more labor and time intensive refinements that we see on the later Northfield versions.

Also, I happen to like the blade etchings and the serial numbers, but both can be easily removed if you prefer.

IMHO, GEC has been very receptive/accomodating to their customers wishes. I applaud them for that, and I think all of us have benefited from it. Just look at the amazing variety of bone colors and jigging patterns that have been made available in a few short years. Is any other knife manufacturer doing that?
 
Thanks, Dennis, but let's look at a couple of examples, no?

The #89 Melon Whittler with the spear point blade was only made in the Tidioute version, and it was found that fitting the spear point blade was so difficult (problematic?) that the pattern was changed before the Northfields were made.

The #61 Congress with the spear point blade proved so difficult to make that the planned Northfield versions were never made at all, and the Tidioute version with the spear point blade will never be made again.

Problems do occur/arise as a new pattern is put into production, I think this is a significant reason why the Tidioute models are usually the first ones of a particular pattern to be released. It seems to me it would shorten the learning curve.
 
Blues said:
I know why they do all the serial numbers and etching but I'll bet there are a whole bunch of us out there who like me would be much more inclined to look seriously at some of the offerings if they could be obtained without all the hoopla.

A tang stamp and shield would do it up just fine for me. It doesn't have to be totally sterile.
Click to expand...

Sometime sterile looks good

picture.php


I brasso off the black of the etching so it is only faintly seen after a patina forms

I do not care about the serial #s as all these knives are users
 
The last few GECs I have bought have been un-serialized because; 1. There seems to be less un-serialized models sold, which may eventually make them more valuable than the serialized models, and 2. They are a bit cheaper.

After I take my initial pictures of my GECs when they arrive, I use Flitz and polish the lettering off the blades. A ghost of the lettering remains but it is very faint and only shows up if held in the light just right.

I'd like to see GEC come out with a Stockman with the exact dimensions (both frame length (4") and blade lengths) of the Buck 301 Stockman.
 
neeman said:
Sometime sterile looks good

picture.php
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Actually, "sterile" would mean the knife carries no identifying marks, not even a tang stamp. (A favorite trait amongst some who would fancy themselves top secret operatives and such.)
 
moonwilson said:
Agreed. None of the etchings and serial numbers etc. do a thing for me. Big, billboard etchings make a handsome knife look cheap, to me. I polish the etchings off all of my GECs.
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How do you take off the etchings? There are a few GEC's I wanted but balked at due to the hokey blade etchings.
 
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