Should this go back to gec?

T

TheAmateur

Joined
May 20, 2012
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I recently bought this #73 off a forum member. He told me that it didnt have any side to side movement but upon further inspection I found side to side movement and gapping both of which are worse than that found on my case texas jack which I consider to be a lower quality slipjoint. Should this go back to gec or should I try fixing it? If you think I should try to fix it myself how should I do so? And will it void my warranty? The gapping is pretty major, and the bladeplay is moderate at the least and makes the knife feel very weak and cheap.

Here is a video showing the major gapping, notice that it even extends through half of the bolster on the right side!

[video]http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/bladesftw/media/E52B3B73-2616-463B-9033-216A5845C578-15990-000008857A80A39D_zpsdcb3466d.mp4.html[/video]

Any advice is appreciated,
Anthony
 
Wow that is pretty bad.....but I don't know what they will do at the factory except for maybe send you a new knife. I know play makes it feel weak, but does the blade hold firmly? If you did not pay too much for it and the knife is not a safety issue it could be reduced to glove or tool box duty.
I personally couldn't carry that daily, the poor craftsmanship would bother me too much!
 
Yea, its really bugging me. With shipping to canada I payed $122, I cant let this be a glovebox knife, it was going to be my first gec and new traditional edc....It was also quite dull, I tried reprofiling it on my sharpmaker to a 30 degree inclusive but I just stopped after one side, I realized I need diamond stones to do it. I think I will have to get it reprofiled by someone else but these issues need to be addressed first. Im not sure if gec will send me a new one now, I also ate 2 oranges with it and started the patina... The blade still holds firmly but side to side play and gapping like this on a $122 slipjoint (I think $150 retail) is unacceptable to me. I wouldnt have paid so much if the seller would have highlighted these issues. I saw a thread on here about a way to fix blade play, but I wanted to see what people had to say before I did anything.
 
Wow...the gaps are way over the top. I would not accept that knife. I'd talk to the seller to explore a refund. Any Case or GEC that I have owned had NOTHING like what I saw on that vid.

Peter
 
It's probably gonna be pricey and time consuming to ship it back, but from what others have reported GEC really stands behind their knives. Doesn't look like a first time home repair would be wise to me, I would recommend that you contact GEC and maybe even link the video to your email to them. Good luck, and let us know how this works out for you. It looks like a great knife that may very be well worth the extra effort to get fixed.
 
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The decision whether to send it to GEC or fix it yourself can only be made by you (although Id send it back if i was in your position); but with that being said, i feel your pain and it sucks you received a knife in that shape. I was once in the exact same position and it really is a bummer. Its a shame because those are some nice covers and that knife has great potential for being a perfect user :grumpy:
 
Thanks for the responses, It definitely is a bummer and I hate dealing with cs...The seller stated that it was nib (which I believe) but he also stated that there was no side to side wiggle and didnt mention gapping.
I also love the stag on this, its even got a nice texture.
I think for it to get fixed it will have to go back to gec because I may be wrong but just from eyeing it the tang looks a bit thinner than the back spring. And im not sure if its like this on most 73's, but when in the half stop the backspring is 1mm lower than the frame and when open the blade is 1mm lower than the back spring...I think thats just more of the lemon juice.
 
I think it should go back. I had the privelidge of talking face to face with the owner. He is a very helpful and kind person and im sure he'll make things right
 
You should contact GEC customer service describe your issue and decide together what to do. I have no doubt GEC will ask you to send the knife over to them and that eventually you'll get either fixed or new knife. That's what I would do.
Good luck and please post updates.
Mike
 
I would definitely contact GEC. You'll be much happier with a knife without those gaps. Shipping is expensive, but I imagine they'll pay for return shipping. I suggest giving them a call, maybe sending a link to your video in an email and asking what they suggest.
 
hmmm-the stag don't maketh knife it seems .back to GEC with that one.if it was mine.ordinary.
 
I'd be willing to bet that knife never left the GEC Factory that way. Did you buy it from an Authorized Distributor? Looks to me like somebody all ready tried to "fix" it. I've handled hundreds and hundreds of GEC knives and never seen one like that.
 
Well that gap is larger than the one I live with under the spey on my #23. Your action depends on your desire to keep that fantastic looking stag. If you want to keep it, send it to GEC and ask them to squeeze it together. If you're not worried about that specific stag handle, then return it to the seller. Either way let us know how it turns out.
 
Just a word of advise. Make sure a knife has the fit and finish you desire before you start sharpening and cutting fruit. Then you could just send it back to the seller and reverse the transaction. The problem is that even though you are being straight up, it is easy for any seller to now state that so much has changed with the knife that the gaps were not there when he sent it.

Also, I am certain that their is no tolerance issue with the tang/backspring that you mention and not having perfect alignment of backspring in half open is not an issue.

You can send it back to GEC. I would say there is a good chance that they are going to conclude that something has happened to that knife to cause the open backspring after it left the factory. Knowing their support, they will still do all they can to resolve it for you.

But any time you receive a knife, look it over immediately for any issues that rub you the wrong way. Before you go about "making it your own".
 
Those gaps are chronic, more than shoddy.

Frankly, the seller ought to have mentioned the existence of gaps in the first place, if i'd received a knife in that state I would've felt insulted. Looks like "you didn't ask so I didn't say" Not acceptable. Yes we all have personal definitions of gaps but nobody could accept those fissures, if I hold a knife up to the light and I see no discernible gaps or very tiny then it's OK. (and I have glaucoma both eyes..) Those are huge, which does make Bob's statement all the more valid, it could be somebody has been tampering with that knife, can't see that being let out of the factory.

I would NOT try a self-fix here it will only worsen the situation, nor could I put that in my pocket and smile! You should return it to the seller as unsatisfactory, if he refuses, then you should write to GEC and attach your video, I feel convinced they will be aghast.
 
Send it to GEC or try to return it to seller if possible. GEC makes some nice stuff but I am beginning to think that they are turning it out to quick or there is too much hype about there stuff.
 
This knife is a MINIMUM 1 1/2 years old. It is not a recent release from GEC. There is no telling what it's been through in that time. As I said before,I think some body has "worked on" this knife. Look at the Spring Pin. Gec has a Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship and Materials. This does not mean they are responsible for any possible thing that could happen,or be done to,one of their knives "For Evermore". This knife should go directly back to seller for a Full Refund.
 
thanks for the advice guys, I let the seller know about these issues I found and Im going to contact gec today...we'll see what happens
 
I would send it back to the seller unless I really liked it or if the seller gave me a problem about it. If I really liked it, I would definitely send it in to GEC. I have done this before and the knife returned flawless. In fact, I might be sending in another one for a tightening service again sometime soon.
 
It was also quite dull, I tried reprofiling it on my sharpmaker to a 30 degree inclusive but I just stopped after one side...
Click to expand...

If you were going to return it to the seller, you shouldn't have messed with it. But you should absolutely contact the seller and relay your displeasure about the knife's condition not being disclosed accurately.

At this point I would sent it back to GEC and see if they can repair it.
 
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