Running of the Bull Mooses -- Can I get your opinion?

sitflyer said:
I had a real hankering for an 81 stockman, and alas, Unobtanium, so I settled for a moose with the Appaloosa bone, I love it. It has two really different blades that compliment each other nicely, but like you, one will suffice for use. I bought the knife to see how well the 81 feels in pocket and hand, and my hunt for the stockman will definitely go on ;)
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Not to increase your desire for the hard to find #81 stockman, well maybe a little ;), but I got one of them in Oil Sucker Rod at the 2014 (I think) Rendezvous and it is the nicest made GEC I've ever seen I think. I gave it to my dad.
 
dyavorsky said:
Hey friends

I've picked up my 4 favorite handle materials for the 2017 GEC 81 Bull Mooses. I'm wondering if I should go for the whole set and get the other 4, or if I should sell what I've got (plenty of other things to fund).

Can I get your opinion? Thanks!



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I can't really comment on whether you should go for the set or not, but I can at least relate my love for last year's 81 run. I only have one, the natural micarta, but it's easily my favorite GEC of last year. There's so much blade packed into such a small and light package!!! As far as blade length goes, I think the spear and clips are the same length as those on the 54 Big Jack, but the 81 accomplishes it all with far more grace and finesse, and a lot less weight in the pocket. If it had been a stainless run, I would have bought 3, as the clip/spear combination works really well for me when outdoors, especially at this size. I also love the fact that the pulls are far lighter than the bear trap pulls of the 54, and that there are no half stops. I personally consider excessively hard pulls and half stops to be valid safety concerns, and generally steer clear of them when playing outdoors.

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L.H.S said:
Not to increase your desire for the hard to find #81 stockman, well maybe a little ;), but I got one of them in Oil Sucker Rod at the 2014 (I think) Rendezvous and it is the nicest made GEC I've ever seen I think. I gave it to my dad.
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I've decided to stop looking for one now, after carrying the moose for a few days. This model ticks a lot of boxes for me.
 
Buzzbait said:
I can't really comment on whether you should go for the set or not, but I can at least relate my love for last year's 81 run. I only have one, the natural micarta, but it's easily my favorite GEC of last year. There's so much blade packed into such a small and light package!!! As far as blade length goes, I think the spear and clips are the same length as those on the 54 Big Jack, but the 81 accomplishes it all with far more grace and finesse, and a lot less weight in the pocket. If it had been a stainless run, I would have bought 3, as the clip/spear combination works really well for me when outdoors, especially at this size. I also love the fact that the pulls are far lighter than the bear trap pulls of the 54, and that there are no half stops. I personally consider excessively hard pulls and half stops to be valid safety concerns, and generally steer clear of them when playing outdoors.

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Well said, this one is one of the finest built knives I have had the pleasure to carry in a while now, the pulls and closing snap are gentle but crisp. The knife rides really well in the pocket yet still offers a decent grip. Having two full blades allows me to rest my fingertips on side of the closed blade and use the back of my thigh to close the open blade without looking in total confidence.
 
Heirphoto said:
Red linen 81 inbound. Tough choice between ebony, or red or natural micarta.
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Good show!!!! The 81 Bull Moose is an interesting knife. I think it runs under the radar a lot more than most GEC's. The full clip/spear blade combination isn't what most people are looking for in a everyday carry knife, and the blades are probably a little longer than most people want from an EDC knife also. No half stops to get your attention. The cover options seem to have less wow factor, and are maybe more utility oriented. The end result is a really, really well executed knife that strikes a unique chord with more seasoned outdoorsmen. It's one of the few traditionals that I've handled in the last 10 or 15 years, that I can easily see cleaning trout as well as small game, and also being used to carve feather sticks and hot dog skewers. It's just the right amount of knife to get things done, without being too much that you don't want to haul it around through the woods.

I used to carry a muskrat for my outdoors knife, which is somewhat similar. But the blade combo on the Bull Moose is much nicer than a muskrat, IMHO.
 
Buzzbait, I figured it is large enough ti fit my big hands and has 2 different blades, one can be daily edc food prep at work the other for any other task and both being full size. A lighter pull is easier on my aching finger joints and of course..... it comes in red.
 
I like the Moose & have a few . I'm fairly new to this side of things [ traditional ] although always had SAK in pocket and Buck folder
If a particular pattern ' speaks' to me I try it out and buy a back up or 2 or 3 . Have not thought about entire run .. But why not ?

I don't look at these things as investments or sell for a profit [ usually it's a loss ! ] As a matter of fact I have seen a few sales that are obvious quick
flips for profit and I'll not take part as a matter of principle

Haven't figured out a way to collect , I'm just an accumulator.. Buy almost as a necessity as it's impossible to see most things in a store .
So buy it , try it [ some times just open & close it ] save it or sell it

Leaning on collecting a few patterns of the same cover, but just call me " Willy - Nilly" for now ;)
 
You have shown some nice pictures of your Bull Mooses . You obviously like the looks of the pattern and want the rest of the set , that would be O.K. but I think you are looking for somebody to say Go Ahead but really don't want to . Personally I think there are many nice patterns out there that I still want to try out and have . I have found that there really are a lot of patterns that make pretty good Users . I have one of the Bull Moose in Appaloosa and it is a quality built knife , but I never carry it and will keep it to have that pattern in my Accumulation . I think you should get some other patterns to try out with your money . There are a lot of other nice ones out there . You are young and need to find that there are many COOL knives out there as well as your 81's . You are living in a time when some outstanding knives are being made . Take advantage of it while you can .

Harry
 
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