No Shields

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I'd say it'd be a safe bet that before long (maybe a year or so) the next big feature to go by the wayside on GEC knives will be pinned shields. If installing a shield takes extra time to install, think how much more extra time it takes to install a pinned shield on the rest of GEC's line. Once GEC eliminates pinned shields, the incentive to buy GEC knives will start to wane.
 
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I highly doubt you'll see that happen Ed. I don't think it'll go to that extent.
 
I hope it doesn't go there, but can see it happening.

People can claim whatever they like, but Bill's statement is very clear. The decision to stop putting shields on stag came after he had to work the line for a while. He saw how difficult it was and how much time it was taking and decided that he didn't like the shields enough to justify it. He says that he inspects every stag knife that they put out, which means that he's looked at thousands of stag knives that they put out over the years and didn't have a problem with the shields until he experienced the process. I'm not saying that these are the first knives he's made like this. I have no idea. I just know what the man said and that's that his decision was made after filling in for the person that normally puts shields on the knives.

When this first came up on the other thread we heard about how there's no way that this was happening because of corner cutting. His statement says otherwise. It's also been claimed that the sunken pins aren't a result of cutting corners. There's no reason to believe that in the future they won't start gluing their shields and have people jumping up and down talking about how great glued shields are and how they didn't like the pinned shields anyways.

All this being said, GEC still makes some of the best production knives you can find anywhere. All of this was probably inevitable. There's a reason that all of the other companies have made the compromises that they have. It's required to remain profitable. GEC came out and blew everybody's minds with their fantastic knives and they're coming back down to earth a little bit. It's OK. We don't have to pretend that we don't see it or act like they are infallible. It doesn't mean that their knives aren't good anymore or that they are making some big mistake. They are making decisions to allow them to remain successful. Some of them we'll like and some we won't. It doesn't mean that we aren't fans of the company or the product.
 
Modoc ED said:
I'd say it'd be a safe bet that before long (maybe a year or so) the next big feature to go by the wayside on GEC knives will be pinned shields. If installing a shield takes extra time to install, think how much more extra time it takes to install a pinned shield on the rest of GEC's line. Once GEC eliminates pinned shields, the incentive to buy GEC knives will start to wane.
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This thought crossed my mind as well.
 
Hi Rob, Good to see you and I hope all is well in your corner of the world.
 
Here is what Mr. Howard has to say about the topic:

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I wonder if Northwoods will still have the arrow head shield if they choose to with stag?
 
That's not a GEC brand. Made by GEC but not a GEC brand. The OP referenced GEC. A quick call to the Northwoods vendor could answer your question. I'm sure GEC would produce most SFO requests.
 
155440 said:
I wonder if Northwoods will still have the arrow head shield if they choose to with stag?
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Derek Stated a few pages back that he will be requesting the Northwoods arrow shield on his stag.
 
Cory I'm very much in agreement with you over this one.

The whole IDEA of shields is one of ornamentation, the variety of shields in old catalogues is fascinating and they are a demonstration of special skill plus the desire and ability to offer it. Abolishing them on one material could very well indicate similar intentions on other materials, or glueing. It might be that Tidioute is the plain shieldless range and all knives with shields are SFO only in the future.

A much more satisfying compromise to this sans shield situation for Stag knives would be to charge extra for examples with shields.

Think how many Traditional knives have and do sport shields, it's part of their aesthetic allure. You don't find shields so much on Moderns either.....
 
In my experience in buying GEC knives the past 5 years the stag and acrylic knives are always the last to get moved by the dealers. Stag knives are already sold at a premium and I doubt charging more money for a shield could help move them any faster.

I personally think it was a good move. I don't care for shields on stag knives (or ivory for that matter).
 
I wonder whether the shielded GEC stag will now rise in value as a collectors item some time from now?
 
I like a shield on a traditional knife. Certainly a shield-less stag knife looks great. But to my eye, if the quality is top notch, a shield inlayed into stag is pure eye candy. I love em.
 
Since shield-less stag is evidently well liked I'm curious to see if they'll fly off the shelves now.
 
Pomsbz said:
I wonder whether the shielded GEC stag will now rise in value as a collectors item some time from now?
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With there being so much inventory available, I doubt it. I have one burnt stag GEC knife that does have a shield. I don't find it over intrusive, but I do think that depends on the knife. I look forward to adding a shieldless natural stag to my collection some time this year.
 
Modoc ED said:
I'd say it'd be a safe bet that before long (maybe a year or so) the next big feature to go by the wayside on GEC knives will be pinned shields. If installing a shield takes extra time to install, think how much more extra time it takes to install a pinned shield on the rest of GEC's line. Once GEC eliminates pinned shields, the incentive to buy GEC knives will start to wane.
Click to expand...

How is that a "safe bet"? They are getting rid of the shields on stag knives because Bill thinks they look ugly, not because they are trying to cut corners.
 
The argument that aesthetics is the primary reason for change seems to fly in the face of the very definition of "traditional" knife. A cursory examination of Levine's Fourth Edition reveals that the shield is very much a "fixture" in the history of "traditional" folding knives. The appeal that these knives have in the 21st Century is , at least in some part, their inclusion of a shield which, as has been noted above, is absent on modern designs. The very fact that GEC found it necessary to "explain" their decision at length, would seem to underscore their awareness of the magnitude of the change contemplated. While I do appreciate the lengthy explanation offered, I'm old enough to question whether the move is more based on aesthetics than their financial bottom line. When it is all said and done, GEC is indeed in business to make money!
 
The thing is with their pricing method, they don't set the price until the knives are fully finished and then a cost per knife is calculated and a percentage of profit added on top. So with the shield being left off, the lower cost per knife will presumably be passed on to the consumer. If that is the case, it doesn't seem like the move will have any effect on their bottom line.
 
If you don't like knives without shields, don't buy them. It's as simple as that.

I'm more or less indifferent to shields. I buy knives based more on function than looks. If it doesn't feel good in my hand and doesn't handle to my tastes a shield isn't going to sway me one way or the other.

I've seen far more ugly shields than I have ugly shield-less knives.
 
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