My first GEC - my butter knife is sharper

[VANCE]

Learn to sharpen knives or dont buy them. I have to sharpen EVERY knife i get regardless of manufacturer. Its easy and necessary

thats pretty harsh.....i guess the expectation of a cutting tool coming ready to go...is outside the realm of possibility

 

[akadave2]

thats pretty harsh.....i guess the expectation of a cutting tool coming ready to go...is outside the realm of possibility

They never come ready to go for my standards. Might as well just get to where you want it and move on. Besides...what happens when it gets dull? Throw it away!? Its almost as bad as owning a gun and not know very well how to use it.

 

[VANCE]

i agree....but there should be some resonable expectation of buying a knife & having it come with an edge on it..

 

[roninelh]

It seems that GEC does like pretty looking little edges on their knives. They seem to prize that over razor edge, which is good for the collector and they probably figure that if your a user you know how to sharpen a knife. It's something that I actually like about GEC. I've had knives from modern companies that pride themselves on pocket razors and many of the edges were thin and ugly.

GEC puts the initial geometry on the blades and if you want to thin it out or whatever you can. Typically "knife people" buy GEC and we know knives. Could kershaw get away with this..... No, because they sell to users who typically judge the quality of a knife solely based on out of box sharpness. I'm not saying the OP is that person, and it's not unreasonable to want a sharp knife, but as others have stated.... there is a whole lot more to like about a brand like GEC.

 

[VANCE]

my last gec was perfect...it just could not cut paper

 

[VANCE]

It seems that GEC does like pretty looking little edges on their knives. They seem to prize that over razor edge, which is good for the collector and they probably figure that if your a user you know how to sharpen a knife. It's something that I actually like about GEC. I've had knives from modern companies that pride themselves on pocket razors and many of the edges were thin and ugly.

GEC puts the initial geometry on the blades and if you want to thin it out or whatever you can. Typically "knife people" buy GEC and we know knives. Could kershaw get away with this..... No, because they sell to users who typically judge the quality of a knife solely based on out of box sharpness. I'm not saying the OP is that person, and it's not unreasonable to want a sharp knife, but as others have stated.... there is a whole lot more to like about a brand like GEC.

to quote myself..

my last gec came with a dull edge.....after 10mins it was the way it should have come...atleast for me

im not complaning just the facts.....it was dull..i sharpened it to the way i like it

 

[akadave2]

I have had GECs all over the place from dull to nearly what I wanted. But in every case the geometry was a little too obtuse. I usually put a 15 degree on either side and then micro-bevel at 20 degrees and ohhh mamma!

 

[roninelh]

It's an issue GEC could probably work on. I get what everyone is saying, a company like GEC that takes feedback from customers so well could probably improve their final edges a bit. It just doesn't bother me enough to come on the forum and call them butter knife edges.

 

[kdstrick]

They never come ready to go for my standards. Might as well just get to where you want it and move on. Besides...what happens when it gets dull? Throw it away!? Its almost as bad as owning a gun and not know very well how to use it.

I hear what you're sayin...


If I'm going to carry a knife I will put my own edge on it and depending on it's intended use, I will change the bevel angle and choose between a polished or aggressive edge. V-edge or convex with or without a microbevel. It just depends...

Very few factory edges are optimized to my standards. But I am a tinkerer by nature. A tweek here, a tweek there and I'm happy.... enjoying the entire process. I suppose I'm easily entertained.

Now... I do realize that others are not like me so to each his own in this regard. Folks are right to expect a knife with a good factory edge. But just like every other manufactured good, there will be the occasional lemon.

All that being said, I will reiterate that learning how to sharpen knives will help a fellow to realize much more from his blades in a similar way that reloading does for a rifleman. It is a skill worth learning.

.

 

[Django.cj]

I've never received a dull knife from GEC, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I agree with others here that I'm rarely happy with the edge I get from a factory knife, but that doesn't excuse a dull blade. Sadly a bad one does happen occasionally, but thankfully it's something easily remedied. I don't think your problem is indicative of a greater issue, just one which slipped through QA.

 

[Liberando]

Nuggetz, your expectations are not unreasonable. A knife of that price range should arrive razor sharp.

 

[galactorrhea]

Honestly, I think it's a bit ridiculous how people come rushing to say "no problem; just sharpen it yourself/you should know how anyways."

I've become pretty competent in sharpening, but that is beside the point -- a knife should not be shipped out dull under any circumstances. There is a difference between a knife with a subpar factory edge and a dull knife. My first GEC was like the OPs... it was like a butter knife. It had literally NO edge, which is a bit of a pain to sharpen... 1095 or not. I don't have anything but stones, so I know they can sharpen it much quicker than I can.

That said, mine was an older one and I'm aware they've improved. I'm not knocking the company -- I think they put out fantastic product at a reasonable price point. I just don't agree with the sentiment being thrown around here that it is acceptable for cutlers to ship out knives without edges (not talking about edges that are merely beneath one's standards).

 

[Fanglekai]

I don't think it's too much to expect that a knife should come sharp from the factory.
This has got nothing to do with " you're going to have to sharpen it sooner or later"

Every Kershaw or Rough Rider I've gotten has been razor sharp. We know what RR's cost.
If a company can't send out a $150 knife sharp I'll pass.

Rationalize it all you want but imo that's ridiculous you don't get a sharp knife.

I've had half a dozen Rough Rider knives and none were even close to what I consider sharp. The only company that has even gotten close isn't a traditional one so I won't mention them here. GEC, Case, Queen, and most of the non-traditional companies don't ship out what I consider a sharp edge. My standard is slicing newsprint easily. None of my traditionals were even close to that level out of the box. Victorinox probably comes the closest because their bevels are even.

If you know what sharp is, then just about any knife will not seem sharp out of box, outside of customs or a few select companies. I would love for knives to all ship sharp, but I quit expecting it a long time ago.

 

[B.F.U]

I had the exact same experience and resulting attitude. I didn't read the rest of the thread, but don't worry if you are getting negativity. Some will say it shouldn't be a problem to put an edge on it, well you shouldn't have to.

HOWEVER, and this is the important part, they will make it right. I did try to sharpen mine and got it a bit scuffed up, but when it came back it was brand new looking and super sharp. I thought the particular model was sold out and not in production, but it almost seemed like a new knife. AND they didn't charge me a dime, not even return shipping. Give Ms. Tucker a call and she will make sure it is righted.

 

[Jack Black]

I suppose if this thing was scary sharp from the factory I would have fell in love with it but honestly this left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm sure if will affect my future purchases from GEC.

That's a shame because GEC produce some great knives. You're right to be disappointed, a dull knife gives the impression that the company do sloppy work and that nobody bothered to check the knife before it left the factory. The apologists, and others that are in simply in denial (a tiny number) about this issue, really don't do GEC any favours in my opinion. Most customers expect a reasonably sharp knife (I understand GEC's standard is "paper-cutting sharp") out of the box, and there's no reason that a knife company shouldn't be able to provide that. Somebody at GEC has the job of sharpening their knives, so why do they frequently not do their job?

I do think that GEC have got better in this respect however, (it's an issue that gets raised less here than in the past, and the GEC knives I've had myself have been better), and it could be that your knife is older stock that's been sitting at the dealers for a while. I also have to say that if I was a dealer, I'd be checking the edges myself prior to shipping.

GEC is hit and miss on their sharpening. Most people just sharpen them up and put them in their pocket.

:thumbup: The 1095 steel they use really does sharpen up nicely, and easily. I know you're disappointed nuggetz, as you have every right to be, but I think you'll find that your knife will take a great edge with just a little bit of work

 

[midnight flyer]

If you will be let down every time you open a tube and the knife is not scary sharp; just walk away now. A quick search, just on this forum, will find at least a half dozen threads where the factory edge is discussed as wanting by those that love a razor sharp knife from the factory. Those that like their own edge or have no use for pocket razors seem content.

Send it back and forget you ever heard about GEC :thumbup:

I have to say, when I first read it and saw who posted it I died laughing. Not a stretch at all in my head to hear Mike saying that.

But after thinking about it, he's probably right. Folks buy objects with all kinds of expectations, some reasonable and some not. The fans of GEC and the fans of Queen (like me) have been cured of buying a traditionally styled cutting instrument with expectations of a usable edge from certain manufacturers. Until I started buying knives again a few years ago after a about a 15 year hiatus, I had never purchased knife that didn't come sharp. When I got my first Queen, I was pleased. Needed some work, but they did an OK job on the grinds, so a good sharpening was all it took. Not so on the next three. I began to read BF more to find out what was going on with my dull knives.

Reading this forum, it is widely held that a purchaser should have no expectations of a blade's immediate readiness for use, nor do they have the right to expect a sharp blade. Folklore has progressed the point that the manufacturer's are actually leaving dull edges and poor grinds as a favor to the purchasers as they know they will put the edge on the knife they want after purchase anyway. I was really surprised how deeply that thought is held here, and now has progressed to the feeling of if you won't sharpen a factory fresh knife, you shouldn't even own one.

(That being besides the fact OP, you criticized a favorite brand... oops... )

Others are right, and they have given good advice to help manage your expectations. I own more than a dozen Kershaws, some expensive and some inexpensive. Some made in America and some made elsewhere. But all came with edges ready to slice paper, regardless of cost. Shaving sharp? Nope. But I shave with my razor, not with my knife so I don't seem to need mine as sharp as most here do.

You will find Spyderco has a good batting average on the sharpness front, too. I have bought two Rough Riders in my life, and both came really sharp. Nope, once again, not shaving sharp.

My last Kabar actually came shaving sharp, one of the Mel Pardue models.

In the last 4 years or so I bought 5 new Ontarios. All sharp, good bevels, but only one was a shaver (the RAT 1). I bought a Buck Nighthawk on sale, and it was wicked sharp.

So there are knives out there that can meet your expectation and manufacturers share your sentiments. I just don't think it is GEC. Nor is it one of my favorites, Queen (dangit!). That being said, it should be easy enough for you to find what you want at a significantly less price point.

Robert

 

[gmarthur]

If i received a new knife from a dealer that was dull my first thought would not be - "Wow! That's awful nice of them to let me decide how sharp I want to make my brand new knife."

Personally I believe it is sloppy and indicative of poor craftsmanship. If you are going to spend the time and effort to build a knife and pay attention to all the little details like gaps in liners and blade clearance to eliminate rubbing how can you not also ensure that your product is ready to do what it is made for out of the box (or tube in this case) - which is cut stuff.

This is not a knock specifically against GEC but in general. I think if people started to return dull knives to the dealers they got them from and ask for their money back it would not take too long for the dealers to let the manufacturers know what level is required if they want them to continue their relationship. It's hard to run a business when your products are routinely being returned and money is given back to the customer. If people accept this no change will ever happen.

I agree everyone should be proficient in sharpening their knives. As someone who is into the older vintage side of this hobby I get great pleasure in finding an old gem and spending time oiling and honing an old user back into working shape. I don't take the same pleasure in doing the same to a brand new knife that should be ready to work.

In my mind it just comes down to the fact that if you want to call yourself a knife company or a cutler then the products should leave the factory sharp - else all your selling is pocket jewelry. The only jewelry I ever carry or wear is a wedding band.

I hope this post didn't come out harsh as that was not the intent. Just my thoughts,
Greg

 

[Bigfattyt]

GEC's edges can be great or so so.

The great part? Their thin 1095 blades are so easy to sharpen, it literally takes me minutes.

Hopefully you can overcome your bad taste, and sharpen the sucker.



Now, that said, I have received many production knives from different makers, and had much better edges. From shaving sharp, to wait a second, did I just loose the whole pad off my pinky finger................yup, sliced my whole finger print off, and barely noticed until the blood started pouring!

So, it is not impossible, and there are a lot of companies that are doing it, some way less money.




I will still enjoy my GEC's!

 

[Bloefield]

I've had half a dozen Rough Rider knives and none were even close to what I consider sharp. The only company that has even gotten close isn't a traditional one so I won't mention them here. GEC, Case, Queen, and most of the non-traditional companies don't ship out what I consider a sharp edge. My standard is slicing newsprint easily. None of my traditionals were even close to that level out of the box. Victorinox probably comes the closest because their bevels are even.

If you know what sharp is, then just about any knife will not seem sharp out of box, outside of customs or a few select companies. I would love for knives to all ship sharp, but I quit expecting it a long time ago.

I guess I just don't know what "sharp" is. Apparrently I have a different standard.
That being said I feel sorry for the op because he is dissapointed with his dull knife.

He's been offered sharpening advice, told to send it back and forget about GEC and a myriad of other somewhat demeaning responses veiled or otherwise.
No problem for me. I'll take the "forget about Gec" approach regrettfully though, as I had been planning on purchasing a knife or two from them.

 

[Old Hunter]

How the hell am I supposed to sharpen this thing?

For oddly shaped blades I like the kit from Lansky Sharpeners - also works well when you get the occasional blade that has a bevel on one edge and is flat on the other - allows you to establish an angle you can work with. I buy lots of older knives, had both a Hammer shell and a USA Old Timer that had blades with no edges in the past few months. A little time with the Lanksy had them perfectly sharp in short order. Good Luck getting it the way you want it! If you search these Blade Forum dealers I am sure one or more stock Lansky. OH