Poll: When did you get your first GEC?

[VentureDan]

I've been cogitating over the burst in popularity of GECs that has made them so difficult to get / insanely expensive, and was wondering when you got your first GEC? Curious if the majority of GEC enthusiasts here learned about them in the last year or two.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

I put 2019 even though my actual first was a gift from a gracious forum member, my first and only direct purchase from a dealer was in 2019. I bought a 21 Bullbuster in orange delrin, honestly can't remember the dealer. But there was several in stock at the time and I believe my total purchase and shipping was 68 bucks. Because we all like pics here's one from as it was straight from the tube.

 

[Railsplitter]

Mine was a 2009 #25 Easy Open that I bought in 2009 or 2010.

 

[Old Engineer]

In 2015 I bought Five or Six 77 Barlows and a couple Stag 73 s . I now have a few more than that .

Harry

 

[VentureDan]

In 2015 I bought Five or Six 77 Barlows and a couple Stag 73 s . I now have a few more than that .

Harry

Crazy - any recollection of how much you paid for a 77 barlow?

 

[VentureDan]

I put 2019 even though my actual first was a gift from a gracious forum member, my first and only direct purchase from a dealer was in 2019. I bought a 21 Bullbuster in orange delrin, honestly can't remember the dealer. But there was several in stock at the time and I believe my total purchase and shipping was 68 bucks. Because we all like pics here's one from as it was straight from the tube. View attachment 1646611

Yeah, 2019 is right on, the spirit of my question is when YOU got interested enough to get your own (versus getting it as a gift).

 

[nickycat]

Still waiting for my first GEC...

 

[BrotherJim]

Another vote for "2015 or earlier"
I honestly can't remember which GEC was the first ... might be a #73 ... or #65
#15 Boy's Knife ... single blade clip point was the first I really wanted, but think I purchased a couple others before lucking into the 15

 

[Stelth]

I don't remember the year. My first GEC is a 25 e-z open that I purchased from collector knives. It was so long ago there were many models available online for months.


My other GEC is a Tuna Valley cattle knife I bought from the now defunct Space Coast cutlery.

 

[sbh06]

2019 for me, which was also the year I got more interested in traditionals in general, and was largely associated with my change in careers.

 

[1894Gunsmoke]

My first was in 2013. Found a new in tube 2006 Sheffield Tobacco Bone 73 Trapper for 45.00 at a local antique store! At the time I just knew a little about GEC, but enough to know it was a good knife at a steal of a price.

 

[Rookie82]

I got mine in 2007, although I didn't actually get the knife in hand until 2008. It was the NKCA Youth knife, and you had to prepay and order ahead of time. They only made 500, on the 73 pattern with smooth white bone, single blade. Cost in 2007 was $48.00.

 

[huntnfishin]

Mine was a 33 in ebony around ‘13 I’m gonna guess. Used for 40 bones on the exchange. Carried that for years. Then a year or two later I got another one as a backup for like 70 but it was a number 7 in ebony (1 of 25) with a coping secondary. Used to alternate them as my edc rotation of two!

 

[Jack Black]

I received my first GEC from Duncan Campbellclanman , in 2012 I think. It was the 2011 Traditional Forum Knife that I was carrying this week, and Duncan took it out of his pocket (his favourite knife) to send to me I bought my first GEC not long after that, it was a #66 Serpentine Jack in Valley Green Jigged Bone, which I still love

 

[mrknife]

ah the ole steel bug

 

[Old Engineer]

Crazy - any recollection of how much you paid for a 77 barlow?

My memory is not as good as it used to be but I think it was around $75 or $80 for the Barlows and the Stag 73 s was around $115 .

 

[Jon0385]

My first. I bought this in store back in 2015.

 

[GE Jr]

November of 2015, a 77 Yankee Jack from CK.

 

[Nature Boy]

I had been eyeing them for years, but finally bought my first GEC just before my first child was born in 2012 - an Elk 48, just chillin’ there, individually photographed, at the dealer...
At the time, I thought it might be my last knife ever!
GEC 488112

 

[Elgatodeacero]

I don’t remember what year it was, 2016 or 2017, I think.

But, I do remember being able to go to almost every GEC dealers website and pick the actual knife I wanted. Every new knife pattern from GEC would be lovingly photographed by the dealer, and you could scroll through 20 stag or 50 wood covers, look at the front and back, check handle width, and make the purchase with zero stress.

And the knives would usually sit for weeks, and there were always a few older models from previous runs that were orphaned, just sitting and waiting for someone to take them home.