Questions about GEC quality.

Pinemoon said:
I would say blade rub is common on American made multi blade knives. I say that because I have a Japanese made Katz 3-blade stockman with no rub on any blade. This is a knife I've used for about 3-4 years and It's not developed rub in all that time.

By contrast a Case Seahorse Whitler developed rub the second day I had it. A Schatt & Morgan Congress developed rub in the first week or so.
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I don't think that is the case as I have many american made stockmans with no blade rub.
 
I think people read the praise for GEC so much that they get to expecting a perfect knife. GEC still makes them by hand with 100 year old equipment. They do a great job, and better than most that have made slipjoints in the U.S. within the last 40 years - but they are not perfect. But, I agree, one of your issues is by design, the second is really common with most 3 blades, and the last is just a result of buying stag in the blind. But the first thing you need to learn about the good people in the TFFB is that if you are disappointed, they will be disappointed with you; and if you are tickled, they will be tickled with you (sometimes I have seen both with exactly the same knife)....
 
To the OP.

The scratches will never disappear even if you polish and polish them but they will fade somewhat into the patina that will develop and become almost unnoticeable. Use your knife and enjoy it.
 
AndreLinoge said:
I will say that GEC has yet to land any of what I would call "good looking stag".
It reminds me of white tail deer antler more than anything. Pasty, soft and personality-free.

Maybe Schatt and Morgan ruined me on stag in the early 2k era with all the sandy, toasty looking sambar they used. I love that look in stag, GEC hasn't found those deer dealers yet, I reckon.
The blade rub in the 82 can't be helped. The blades are thin, the main will flex when you dig into the nick, and they cheap out on the center liner of their 2 spring designs terribly - further reducing lateral rigidity. What is that, 2x-3x the thickness of an aluminum can? Come on.. 20 years of use on those will have the thing worn thru.
At least they look good at arm's length. That's good enough for 90% of those who buy em. Their bone work and general functional quality is enough for me to own a few tho. I like their Micarta offerings, too.
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Can't agree with you at all about your assessment of GEC stag, on the contrary, they have had some of the best Sambar in recent times. I have no poor examples but I do concede that on the latest Dixie run the stag was pretty lacklustre so I declined to buy. Not inletting shields is another reason I've become less interested in GEC Stag. This below is GEC Stag and I think it's excellent but by no means a fluke.

LiSLvcc.jpg


The Dixie Stock Knife is surely designed a) to be a slim long pattern b) has an unusual blade trio: Turkish Clip, Drop-Point, Wharncliffe all thin blades but I don't know about them flexing when you open them...I'm obviously too weak to do that ;) It's not a thick square ended Stockman, with thick blade stock like the Large CASE for instance, so I don't really understand your assertion that it lacks lateral rigidity and will wear out in 20 years...? I find no rub on my examples but that's a bit of luck. GEC masters the single spring two blade formation very well though, the Skinner is a superb piece of action, same fo most of their other Pen type constructions, impressive tolerances in my estimation.

To the OP ;) If you are unhappy now you will never be happy with the knife, send it back and try again but buy from places with good photos-they are the norm these days not the exception.Your future purchases are certain to be much more pleasing, maybe one of the new patterns that are in the pipeline?:thumbsup:

Regards, Will
 
Will Power said:
This below is GEC Stag and I think it's excellent but by no means a fluke.
LiSLvcc.jpg
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Gorgeous stag! I find that lately, with GEC stag, I'd pass on 4 of every 5 stag pieces on a dealers website, and the remaining 20% are usually sold by the time I get online. That's the way it goes with antler.

As for rub - same goes for quite a few stockman-type knives, or knives that share springs. The Calf Roper below has gaps about the thickness of a piece of paper between the blades, once I engage the nail nick on the clip, there is rub on the sheeps foot. You can see it below. Even being careful it'll rub, but you can see light through the gap when all blades are closed. I was going to trade this knife away but now that it's "defective" I guess I have an excuse to keep it (and use it).
full
 
It's a $150 1095 knife. The stag is luck of the draw, but not blade rub or bad grind. I have a 70 yo Schrade and Remington 3-blade knives, both are well used, still used, and have no blade rub. If it's truly "old school, hand fitted" then the blades should fit and the grind be complete.
 
Thank you for all the responses and advice. I think I was just had unrealistic expectations. It really is a beautiful knife so I think I'm going to keep it and use it. It won't be a work knife but I definitely plan to carry it. Thanks again for all the input and you can expect to see me around here more often.
 
akguy59 said:
Thank you for all the responses and advice. I think I was just had unrealistic expectations. It really is a beautiful knife so I think I'm going to keep it and use it. It won't be a work knife but I definitely plan to carry it. Thanks again for all the input and you can expect to see me around here more often.
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Good attitude to have and I think you will get more enjoyment out of everything when you think that way. Welcome to the Porch:thumbsup:
Mark
 
not too many things in life you can resell for what you paid so easily- some GECs are incredible and some are so so- just sell and try again of you are not thrilled with your specific knife.
 
It's tough buying stag sight unseen. I generally don't do it. There's so much variation. I do know that the stag I see on currently made Case knives looks like it came from the stag trash heap compared to GEC stag.

SV-97 said:
Blade rub is normal, as for the grind: That's by design on the #82's drop-point blade. I think it's there to prevent contact between wharncliffe and drop-point. (It's actually ground at a slight angle inversely to the main bevel)
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The drop point is definitely purposefully ground that way for clearance, and I've seen vintage knives ground that way also.

As for the blade rub, I've had 3 #82 Dixie Stock Knives and all have had blade rub. I think it's pretty common on 2 spring 3 blade knives.

I think the #82 Possum Skinner is a better user knife. I carry it and am keeping my stag Dixie Stock Knife in good condition.
 
Will Power said:
The Dixie Stock Knife is surely designed a) to be a slim long pattern b) has an unusual blade trio: Turkish Clip, Drop-Point, Wharncliffe all thin blades but I don't know about them flexing when you open them...I'm obviously too weak to do that ;) It's not a thick square ended Stockman, with thick blade stock like the Large CASE for instance, so I don't really understand your assertion that it lacks lateral rigidity and will wear out in 20 years...?
Regards, Will
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The center liner is where the thinness is. I was pretty clear on that. Look at your 82 in comparison to a recent 66. I know the 66 had a brass center scale and the 82 has steel (or ns, idk, cant be fcked to look), but the 66 has a substantially thicker center liner. Hell, a Schrade OT61 has the same blade set, but a nice thick center liner. You dont even want to sit that thing next to a Camillus made Western. All the liners side to side in an 82 wouldn't add up to the spine liner in those. Maybe barely, but still.
I like my 82 stockman. I just wish it was framed better.

That stag, while nice and lumpy, isn't doing anything for me. It comes off as over polished and dead looking. I prefer mine to be the sandy, grooved, brown red stuff cut from just above those warty beam roots like that one came from. Good pattern choice, though.
 
Can't say about GEC's stag, haven't got any. I guess there's some luck to it.

As for blade rub, I have a 66 stockman that doesn't rub at all, therefor my 73 jack does because the springs are so strong (which I like). I've had some issues with GEC but generally I'm a fan of their work. I don't expect them to reach perfection but sometimes they're not that far from it. That's why they get a lot of praise and sometimes this creates unrealistic expectations. I think that's why the disappointment is even bigger when you get the occassional stinker ...
 
ISKRA said:
Can't say about GEC's stag, haven't got any. I guess there's some luck to it.

As for blade rub, I have a 66 stockman that doesn't rub at all, therefor my 73 jack does because the springs are so strong (which I like). I've had some issues with GEC but generally I'm a fan of their work. I don't expect them to reach perfection but sometimes they're not that far from it. That's why they get a lot of praise and sometimes this creates unrealistic expectations. I think that's why the disappointment is even bigger when you get the occassional stinker ...
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Your 66 most likely has no blade rub/scratches because the 66 has an extra liner thereby making the only krinked bade the sheepfoot blade.

IgieBPU.jpg
 
Is this a new development? Or have they always done that with their stockman models?
 
kamagong said:
Is this a new development? Or have they always done that with their stockman models?
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Ya know Christian I'm not sure. I believe the 66 was the first knife they did this on and I don't know if they have continued it.
 
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