The 2016 knives have landed!

Shaggy · Oct 12, 2016

Thanks for the updates, Charlie. I ordered my knife late so I guess I'll be receiving a factory-modded one. Interesting to see which "version" becomes the more popular one in time. Either way, I can't wait to get my hands on the knife. The pictures posted so far are amazing.

mrbear · Oct 12, 2016

Thanks for the update Charlie.

Also our SWAT Team has an opening on it right now for an Breacher. You could use that fingernail instead of a battering ram.

Let us know.

Rockon75 · Oct 12, 2016

Ted01 said:
Yes, that sounds like the "end piece" that I'm referring to.

Touching the spring:

Moved away from the spring:

I have many GECS with catch bits, I don't remember any of the catch bits pivoting. I believe they are "trapped". Those more experienced with catch bit usage, pls chime in.

waynorth · Oct 12, 2016

Looks like it is the backspring that is moving up and down, right??
It is supposed to lift of course, as the blade moves, and it moves away from the catch bit as it lifts. . . . . . . .

Ted01 · Oct 12, 2016

I think the catch bit is actually moving. In both pictures, the blade is partially opened, forcing the backspring away from its position when the knife is either fully closed or fully opened, as it's supposed to do. But as I close the blade, I think the friction of the tang against the catch bit is causing it to rotate around the pin, creating that 1/16" gap between the catch bit and the end of the backspring. When the blade goes to fully closed, the catch bit moves back into its original position flush against the backspring, closing the gap. If I look inside the well of the knife as the blade is just about to close fully, I can see that the backspring pushes up on the other end of the catch bit, forcing the catch bit to rotate back to its original position.

I can feel this movement of the catch bit in the action when I close the blade slowly. Also, if I wiggle the blade back and forth (but always in the partially open position), I can hear a click and also feel it each time the catch bit hits the end of the bladespring, and I can hear and feel it each time when the other end of the catch bit hits the long part of the bladespring on the inside of the knife. It's not a deal breaker for me by any means. I really like this knife and am carrying it around with me every day. I just hadn't seen this action of the catch bit before.

4thpoint · Oct 12, 2016

I suppose adding another spring for the fix would be out of the question?
I would pay for the extra cost.

Vaporstang · Oct 12, 2016

Vaporstang said:
I got mine today. Falls into the category of main blade is fine but the harness blade will not open with the main blade closed. It will open fine (a little stiff) with the main blade open. Both blades have snap with the harness blade better. I have flushed with WD-40 and mineral oil. I will try soapy water later and continue working it. Otherwise I'll wait and see what is decided to do next.

A beautiful and nice sized knife.

UPDATE:

I played with it a little more last night with no change. I left the punch blade partially open overnight. Tonight, when I got home from work, I read Waynorth's edited post and opened and closed both blades several times just to see how they interacted. At first the punch would not budge with the main closed as before. Then one time, Lo and Behold! I could actually move the punch a little bit; it still wouldn't open though. Played with it a few more times and now I can open the punch fairly easily! I do hear something rubbing when I do open it.

I only played with it for a few minutes before this loosened up. Been playing with it for a little more but have to quit - my thumbnail is shot for the night LOL.

AusLoX · Oct 12, 2016

GEC sells "blade keys" with Abalone like the one in my picture on post #123. They also sell cheaper ones with tube popper and bottle opener back that are plain steel. Great little tools

Rockon75 · Oct 12, 2016

Ted-
When I got home from work, I took a close look at mine. It moves, for sure. No if ands or buts. I don't think it matters though. The catch bit has the end pin going through it. Sandwiching the catch bit between the blade and the brass liner. The one side of the catch bit is captured by the end of the back spring while the other end is wedged against the inside of the backspring. Theoretically it should be trapped. When moving from 1/4 open to 3/4 open and going back and forth to these positions, the catch bit is moving. None of my others do this, but I'm not sure it matters. It is just a spacer.............I'm not a cutler, so I don't know if they are supposed to move, not supposed to move, or it just doesn't matter. It is moving though. I don't think it will affect my carrying it in my pocket and using it for what it was intended though

:thumbup:...

Ted01 said:
I think the catch bit is actually moving. In both pictures, the blade is partially opened, forcing the backspring away from its position when the knife is either fully closed or fully opened, as it's supposed to do. But as I close the blade, I think the friction of the tang against the catch bit is causing it to rotate around the pin, creating that 1/16" gap between the catch bit and the end of the backspring. When the blade goes to fully closed, the catch bit moves back into its original position flush against the backspring, closing the gap. If I look inside the well of the knife as the blade is just about to close fully, I can see that the backspring pushes up on the other end of the catch bit, forcing the catch bit to rotate back to its original position.

I can feel this movement of the catch bit in the action when I close the blade slowly. Also, if I wiggle the blade back and forth (but always in the partially open position), I can hear a click and also feel it each time the catch bit hits the end of the bladespring, and I can hear and feel it each time when the other end of the catch bit hits the long part of the bladespring on the inside of the knife. It's not a deal breaker for me by any means. I really like this knife and am carrying it around with me every day. I just hadn't seen this action of the catch bit before.

abbydaddy · Oct 12, 2016

Well, my knife finally came in. I was hoping to be giddy, but my first impression is that this is a knife that is going to stay in the safe.

I was excited that the tracking showed that my knife had finished its five day detour to California. I got home to find my poor knife tube quite squashed. This is not a complaint toward anyone but the USPS, which I normally have fabulous luck with, but it was a little sad to see the tube and labels kinda mangled.

But the knife was pretty. The jigging, grooving, and color are all lovely. Sadly I am one of the people with a sticky punch. The main blade has a pretty weak pull (3-4 by my lights) and not a lot of snap. The punch is pretty stiff, even when the main blade open, and totally immobile when the main blade is closed. The punch also has a lot of trouble closing when the main blade is closed.

I'll give it a while and make up my mind whether or not to send it in to GEC, or to try to work on it more here, but as it is, I can't imagine actually using this knife. It's okay, I didn't buy it to use it, I bought it for the connection with the community, but it is disappointing. Of course it is Yom Kippur and I am fasting and feeling pretty low energy at this point as it is. Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow.

willard0341 · Oct 12, 2016

Good looking knife, whether it be a sebenza or a 1911 there is sometimes some break in period.

My 77 Washington hj took several weeks to break in, i do realize it is not 2 blades on a single spring but the blades were so stiff I could not open them. Now it is one of my favorite knives.

If it sounds like I'm preaching I am haha.

blade rub and weak snap (68 white owl?) May be inherent in this configuration.

I hope there is a forum knife next year

Ted01 · Oct 12, 2016

Rockon -
I agree, it's not a problem for me. Maybe the gap helps prevent the spring from binding on the catch bit when the spring returns to its at-rest position.

zolthar · Oct 13, 2016

waynorth said:
[...]
The knife presented some engineering obstacles, because of our choice of blades, punch, and single-spring configuration. If you have one in front of you, you can follow along with this.
[...]

Thanks for this very educational post Charlie! It made me realise there's still a lot to be learned about the function (besides the looks) of features like swedges and such.

I'll be rereading this post with my bf 2016 knife in hand as soon as it arrives.

Will Power · Oct 13, 2016

willard0341 said:
Good looking knife, whether it be a sebenza or a 1911 there is sometimes some break in period.

My 77 Washington hj took several weeks to break in, i do realize it is not 2 blades on a single spring but the blades were so stiff I could not open them. Now it is one of my favorite knives.

If it sounds like I'm preaching I am haha.

blade rub and weak snap (68 white owl?) May be inherent in this configuration.

I hope there is a forum knife next year

I have 5 White Owls and all have excellent W&T and no rub. Same with my 3 Conductors which are also single-spring so I don't believe this problem to be inherent to GEC single-spring patterns.

Thanks, Will

pmew · Oct 13, 2016

We have touch down in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. A beautiful specimen with no issues whatsoever and a surprising sharp edge!

Many thanks again to GEC, Charlie, Barry, Liam and all the BF members who voted on this pattern and assisted in producing another beautiful forum knife.

Paul

Railsplitter · Oct 13, 2016

willard0341 said:
Good looking knife, whether it be a sebenza or a 1911 there is sometimes some break in period.

My 77 Washington hj took several weeks to break in, i do realize it is not 2 blades on a single spring but the blades were so stiff I could not open them. Now it is one of my favorite knives.

If it sounds like I'm preaching I am haha.

blade rub and weak snap (68 white owl?) May be inherent in this configuration.

I hope there is a forum knife next year

You obviously didn't get one of the defective Drovers. Those of us who did know that the problem is more than just blade rub and weak snap.

I too hope there is a forum knife next year.

abbydaddy · Oct 13, 2016

abbydaddy said:
Well, my knife finally came in. I was hoping to be giddy, but my first impression is that this is a knife that is going to stay in the safe.

I was excited that the tracking showed that my knife had finished its five day detour to California. I got home to find my poor knife tube quite squashed. This is not a complaint toward anyone but the USPS, which I normally have fabulous luck with, but it was a little sad to see the tube and labels kinda mangled.

But the knife was pretty. The jigging, grooving, and color are all lovely. Sadly I am one of the people with a sticky punch. The main blade has a pretty weak pull (3-4 by my lights) and not a lot of snap. The punch is pretty stiff, even when the main blade open, and totally immobile when the main blade is closed. The punch also has a lot of trouble closing when the main blade is closed.

I'll give it a while and make up my mind whether or not to send it in to GEC, or to try to work on it more here, but as it is, I can't imagine actually using this knife. It's okay, I didn't buy it to use it, I bought it for the connection with the community, but it is disappointing. Of course it is Yom Kippur and I am fasting and feeling pretty low energy at this point as it is. Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow.

Update:
After the penetrating oil had several hours to work, and a lot of working the action, the punch works. Additionally the main blade closes more reliably as long as the punch is open. The knife still doesn't really close totally reliably, but today, with food in my belly and some work done on the knife it is better than it was yesterday. The action is still very rough but the gritty seems to be cleared out.

I'm not trying to be a whiner, but I am very disappointed with this knife. It is my first GEC, and it does not leave me wanting another one. There are no gaps between spring and liner, but I would rather have gaps on a knife that worked right. I never expected this year's knife to move last year's out of my pocket for daily carry, but I did hope to want to carry it.

It's still a good looking knife. My daughter seems taken by it. Maybe she will carry it when she gets older.

And I want to add that I also hope there is another forum knife next year.

neal70 · Oct 13, 2016

Do we need to start a thread before all of this years knives are delivered about next years knife?

That is a joke by the by. I'm really hoping mine works when I receive it, it'll be a later shipping one so fingers crossed. Even if it isn't, I think I'll try at home first to remedy the issue. Maybe next years knife could be a clip point canoe,with either a scissors or wharncliffe secondary. Whoops! Gotta stop that! (But try and get that image out of your head now)

Thanks, Neal
Ps-with a bail, definitely love a bail

AusLoX · Oct 13, 2016

Showed a few guys at work and of the 100 or so knives I've shown them over the years they said they like this one the most. That's says something about this pattern. I think it's a real winner. Hasn't left my pocket; fell asleep in the recliner and woke up with it in my lap...sweet knife dreams. Haha.

The Amazing Virginian · Oct 13, 2016

Maybe ordering late (which was not intentional) will work to my benefit here! I am pretty sure mine is still at the factory and therefore will get the rework.

Either way, the knife looks phenomenal and I can't wait to get my grubby hands on mine.