Quality vs. Price??

Joined
Dec 25, 2001
Messages
1,139
So I'm looking to make my second purchase this weekend of traditionals. Two websites I look at are New Graham and Knife Collectors. Simply judging from prices, I take it that GEC would be considered top end and possibly Schrade would be lower end?

Or perhaps I should put it this way... does price always equal quality when it comes to Traditional knives?


BTW- I settled on a Gent's pattern. I think I really want a toothpick! Not sure why... but I want one!
 
GEC would be a very nice knife.

I'm not going to speak to the Schrade other than to say I love the old ones before the name was sold, many like the new ones.

There are a great many traditional knives which are pretty inexpensive which are great quality. There are stinkers as well.

Some good ones have been mentioned in a previous post of yours.

Opinel
Svord
Douk Douk
Rough Riders have great build quality, not a fan of the steel (although it is not bad).

And there's more. It's like moderns, there are good inexpensive knives and there are bad inexpensive knives. With the good ones you get a lot for your money.

The very best deal in traditionals is older knives at yard sales, flea markets, etc.. Only great if you enjoy the hunt though.



BTW, welcome home.
 
GEC appears to be tops. Canal Street might be as good, but is all or mostly stainless, which is frowned on by many here. Case makes more knives and sells them cheaper. The jury is out as to whether Queen's new owners have brought their quality up to that of olden times. Boker makes a wide range of knives at a wide range of prices. Schrade has a bad taste because they used to be American and are now Chinese. Rough Riders are also Chinese, but have quite a following here. The Chinese produce a lot of good knives cheaper than it can be done here.

Fancy materials will raise prices, as will hand work and small production runs.
 
I find that Gec knives are pretty consistent in their fit and finish. All of mine but one have been top notch. If I'm in the mood for a tradition, Gec is my choice. The majority of my other slip joints are Case (which I like) and I've found their quality to be all over the map. I'll only buy a Case if i can see it first hand. Sorry, I have no experience with Schrade.
 
I just got into GECs and I have to say, the price is justifiable. Although slipjoints have been around for some time now, even foreign made slip joints have improved their quality. From cheapest I have rough riders, even cheaper pakistani "reindeer" trapper, I have china Boker, china schrade, case, queen, canal street, and GEC. Some of the more experienced folks tell me Queens been around so their equipment for manufacturing is paid off. This allows them to charge less compared to GEC which was started around 2006. Dont get me wrong, I love my queen slim line trappers that are in D2 and one mystery steel. I love them so much, I bought used ones on ebay just so I wouldnt mar up my new ones. I love them more than my case slimlines which I see as somewhat fragile given their slimmer and thinner blade. But again, Ive been told they will not snap like that.
 
GEC would be a very nice knife.

I'm not going to speak to the Schrade other than to say I love the old ones before the name was sold, many like the new ones.

There are a great many traditional knives which are pretty inexpensive which are great quality. There are stinkers as well.

Some good ones have been mentioned in a previous post of yours.

Opinel
Svord
Douk Douk
Rough Riders have great build quality, not a fan of the steel (although it is not bad).

And there's more. It's like moderns, there are good inexpensive knives and there are bad inexpensive knives. With the good ones you get a lot for your money.

The very best deal in traditionals is older knives at yard sales, flea markets, etc.. Only great if you enjoy the hunt though.



BTW, welcome home.

There are some great deals to be found in older traditionalist and for me the search is 99% of the fun. Just look for USA tang stamps.
 
I have visited the knife store in VA; I don't believe they are a GEC dealer unless something has changed recently. I think if it is possible, you should handle some rather than just looking at pictures online.

I have also considered buying a GEC toothpick. There is something about that pattern that has always appealed to me. I think you can't go wrong with a GEC. You pay a bit more, but I think they're worth it. That said, it took me a while to work my way up to buying one "on faith" as I was always a Case guy. I thought they were fairly expensive. So, you see where I'm coming from.

Queen and Shatt & Morgan are usually good. The only real complaint I have had is factory sharpness. Just sharpen them up and all is fine. They are doing better with their QA/QC. It takes time to change people's work habits. I bought a large S&M Gunstock jack (stag) in December and love the knife. It's big and kind of heavy, but for a using knife, I like a good handful in a traditional or in other words something around 4.0" - 4.25" closed length. The large trapper has always been one of my favorites and GEC makes some fine ones.

I prefer to buy Case knives in person so I can handle the exact knife I would be buying. Years ago, I would never have said that, but you read too many comments about them not being quite up to standard, but they still make a good knife. My first "good" knife was a Case Barlow and as a result, I will always have a soft spot for Case knives. I prefer their trapper patterns.

Schrade, Rough Rider, Colt, Frost are the lower end with Frost being the lowest. These are all made in China. That in itself is not a terrible thing for the price point, but you get what you pay for. Rough Rider and Colts tend to be very cost effective (quality vs price). But obviously, Queen, Canal Street, and GEC are typically better quality but at higher prices.

Consider ordering this years traditional forum knife. It will be high quality at a very fair price. There are still some left.
 
Last edited:
GEC makes a very nice Toothpick. Most other manufacturers make them either too big (4.5 to 5 inches) or too small (3 inches) for my tastes. GEC's Toothpicks come in right at 4 inches closed if I'm not mistaken. I like the GEC design better too. Just a very nice version of the Toothpick pattern.

I absolutely love Queen's D2 steel but their Toothpicks are monsters. They do make great knives. Unfortunately, their consistency in doing so is questionable at this time. When you do get a good one it's a remarkable knife.

As I'm sure you already know, both of the dealers you mentioned, among others, will make it right if you are not satisfied with your purchase.

My vote goes to a GEC Toothpick.
 
Your question about quality vs. price is a good one. With Traditional style Custom made folders there is little connection between quality and price. Price with customs is determined by popularity, how many people want a knife made by that knife maker. For example there is a knife maker whose single blade folders can sell for $3000. There are other knife makers whose price for a knife of the same size, pattern and materials is about $700. The quality of the $3000 knife is no better than the quality of the $700 knife but the maker of the $3000 knife is very 'popular', many people would love to own one of his knives.
For Production knives increasing price does not always get you a better knife. Rough Rider knives are very inexpensive ($8 to $20) yet the quality is very good and the consistency is very high (i.e. rarely get a 'bad' one). There are other knives costing 2-3x as much that are of lesser quality.
GEC is in a class by itself: the knives are fairly expensive but well worth the money.
Rather than price, i focus on what i like, what grabs my attention right away because most knives are are quite well made regardless of price.
kj
 
Quote The Enabler: " in the knife world, with a few exceptions, you get what you pay for.

--Derrick"

Ha ! i just posted the exact opposite.
except i agree regarding handle materials: higher price = higher end handle material.
kj
 
For example there is a knife maker whose single blade folders can sell for $3000. There are other knife makers whose price for a knife of the same size, pattern and materials is about $700. The quality of the $3000 knife is no better than the quality of the $700 knife but the maker of the $3000 knife is very 'popular', many people would love to own one of his knives.

There's a reason why the $3k maker's knives commands such a premium. He's the master, the originator. If others offer similar knives of the same size and pattern, it's not only because he has set such a high standard that others try to emulate him, but also because he freely shares his knowledge.

No one makes a better slipjoint. That much is obvious when you note that his customers are composed not only of knife nuts like the type you find here, but also of other skilled makers whose fastidious eyes put all but the most experience collectors to shame.
 
BTW- I settled on a Gent's pattern. I think I really want a toothpick! Not sure why... but I want one!
That's all that really matters, what knives pique your interest. The GEC Toothpick, or Powderhorn is a knife that took me by surprise. I love them! :)


IMG_8982%20950x558_zpsjnxptcmm.jpg



IMG_69961024x675_zps4a8ac042.jpg



IMG_67021800x1151_zps9c049b71.jpg


sorry if this post is in any way enabling... :)
 
well i'm an old guy.
i love hunting the fleas,antique stores, junk shops the interweb...
buy what you like or enjoy.
if i'm on the road for two hours to get to a shop where i find a $2.00 knife, what have i invested? doesn't compute. the chase is a big part of the fun which is priceless.
the knives you use will be the knives you lose.
i digress.
cheap Chinese junk is not really worth anything.
the better Chinese knives are surprisingly good quality wise. i have a few and like them very much.
can't hardly beat American made. i'd like to pick up a G.E.C. 83.
the powderhorns are pretty nice but i don't have one.
buzz
 
Kamagong, i sent you a PM.
"No one makes a better slipjoint" This is not correct anymore. probably was 5 or more years ago.
kj
 
Hey markv: "well i'm an old guy"
me too. i wonder what the percentage is of 'old guys' is in this forum. i think there are a lot of us.
kj
 
Rough riders are great at under $12 to get your feet wet. I've carried one particular one for two years heat treat is excellent.

It was replaced by this Case recently at 3.5 inch closed its my sweet spot for pocket carry.



Buck makes some great edcs like the solitaire or prince. And I personally am in the minority but think gec's are spotty in fit and finish. And if ordering blind I would put canal street cutlery over case and gec. All of the above are easy to sharpen so as a user knife you'll be fine either way and I'm sure you'll pick up a bunch. I have a sweet spot for all knife styles but if I didn't I'd want almost one of each for everything from RR to GEC to the kabar coppersmith series. Also if you like toothpicks check out the European brands and styles like laguiole and lethiers chambriard which is not as popular but really unique. The latter uses a different joint style and sandvik steel.
 
Back
Top