Poll: When did you get your first GEC?

What year did you get your first GEC?

  • Total voters
    228
I'm pretty sure it was this one.
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Elgatodeacero said:
I’m not sure. I can say that back in 2016 or so when I got my first GEC I was blown away by the quality. The first one I bought was a gift for someone, and once I had it in hand I ordered another and another, and now my family knows that when I interrupt breakfast or whatever I am in the middle of, or give vague excuses why I can’t do something for another 15 minutes, I am probably “trying to buy one of those knives”.

I have a recollection that GEC was blowing up right around the time they did more than a dozen SFO’s on the 14 pattern, and people were losing their minds trying to get them all or to get the ones they liked. Maybe 2018?

My sense is that GEC has always had the capability to make about 20,000 knives per year maximum, and once their quality and style became widely known there are so many people who want one, but GEC can still only make about 20k per year. Divide that by 6-8 or 10 patterns/variations and there really are not many knives available.

But truly, what kind of weirdo would buy dozens and dozens of old man slip joints.........? Makes no sense.
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Fair enough, the math makes sense. It's strange there are so many of us weirdos out there :)
 
EngrSorenson said:
I found myself back into the knife buying game after I’d resumed whittling in 2016/2017. I went back to Case, my old stand by, and after several bad experiences I found Great Eastern Cutlery in later 2017/early 2018.

Knowing nothing about the brand, I lurked through these forums, which began my love affair with GEC and Blade Forums.

By March 2018 I’d received my first GEC.

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Any pictures of your whittling you can share? I know it's outside of slipjoint discussions technically, but I'd be curious.
 
I eyeballed them a while but finally got the 82 dixie in 2018. I then realized what the hype was about. They are very nice and im quite fond of them. Ive gotten several since then but im not in the leagues with some collectors, I have mainly dealer drops of knives that werent too popular, released between then and now. I dont have a TC or anything like that, but I do use mine and I really like what I have. I am going to play the long game on this and maybe the popularity will die down someday and some great ones can be had at reasonable cost. Maybe other knife makers will hit the scene and boost the available knives on the market. Either way someday I hope to add a few more to the collection.
 
VentureDan said:
How does the cap lifter work on the 2016? I have one from the most recent run and the cap lifter is difficult to use, so much so that I put the knife aside.
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By “most recent run,” are you referring to caplifters, or beer scouts? The caplifters on the #85 are not as good as the caplifters on the #15, in my opinion.
 
Bought my first before 2015. It was a 23 with ebony covers and end caps. Paid all of $70, and that’s about what they should go for IMO. Thing was a real nail breaker. I moved it as part of a trade to Charlie Mike for a custom.

He made a killer rayskin slip for the knife and had a giveaway which Bigfattyt Bigfattyt won. Believe he still has it.
 
AntDog said:
Bought my first before 2015. It was a 23 with ebony covers and end caps. Paid all of $70, and that’s about what they should go for IMO. Thing was a real nail breaker. I moved it as part of a trade to Charlie Mike for a custom.

He made a killer rayskin slip for the knife and had a giveaway which Bigfattyt Bigfattyt won. Believe he still has it.
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Ah! Cool! I heard the second half of that story, but not the first. That’s a well traveled knife. I sincerely regret not getting to know Charlie Mike.
VentureDan said:
Any pictures of your whittling you can share? I know it's outside of slipjoint discussions technically, but I'd be curious.
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Sure- there are better whittlers and more legitimate carvers out there ( Jiki Jiki ) but it’s a fun way to use these tools.

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In 2013 during PA deer season, my father uncle and I visited Case, Queen and some no-name knife company called GEC. After walking in off the street, Miss Chris greeted us as we looked at the knife displays. She asked if we wanted a tour. Just the three of us! It was great. We had just left the Queen plant and we couldn't get a tour, just looked through the showroom. While being guided through the plant, a man with an oil stained hat and glasses kept popping in to listen to the tour. I thought who is this guy? After the tour, Chris invited us into company store and the same guy popped in. Not as a salesman but sort of looking over our shoulder and as we looked over the recent releases from that era. My uncle picked a honey jigged bone 76 outlaw jack, my father and I picked different branded 53 TK Cuban pens. Still perhaps my favorite. Bill was sort of seeing what caught our eye, answered our questions and at the end introduced himself. We didn't know who owed the company, so we just thought he worked there. We had no idea he owed it, lol. He was doing a little market research that day. My first and still one of, if not, my favorite.....

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2009 tractor green bone 73.
Which I later traded for a 72 that became my favorite but I still wish I had that 73.
 
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