What do you look for in a Stag handled GEC?

[Will Power]

Wall Street on arrival . Thin panel yet a lot of valley in the centre, note a fine shield inlet too. The pile side is similar in thickness which is to be appreciated.

 

[Will Power]

More thin panel with rugged texture. This wears well and is frequently in use, Conductor in stainless. That Acorn shield is no easy task either

 

[Will Power]

Not very seasonal Here, Popcorn riot on Barehead 83, lot of character lot of grip, but only for fans of the knobbly Smoother 3rd cut styles appeal to others.

I think the OP may now be getting an idea of the fuss about Stag? But like I said earlier, your favourite meal or drinks can leave others cold

I haven't bought a GEC Stag knife since they stopped putting shields on them, I understand the loss factor if they mess it up, but for me at least it's a sign of cutler skill. There are some patterns, Barlow that look best without a shield, but we wait, dream and wonder in expectation that at some date there could be a STAG LAMBFOOT in dark bark no need for a shield there @waynorth we live on dreams

 

[Corso]

Well from the pictures so far it doesn't look like there such a thing as a bad set of Stag scales on a GEC

somewhat odd as I've never considered buying a stag GEC before

 

[Nature Boy]

I think people buy, and show off, what they like. I don’t buy stag unseen anymore because I’ve been disappointed, but I’ve always found someone who liked it.
In terms of the OP’s question, I think the pictures here give a good idea about what people “fuss over.”

 

[black mamba]

Here is an older thread on the same topic. Well worth a look.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/selecting-stag-on-traditionals.1546010/

Here are a couple of newer ones for me with nice stag.

 

[Old Engineer]

Not very seasonal Here, Popcorn riot on Barehead 83, lot of character lot of grip, but only for fans of the knobbly Smoother 3rd cut styles appeal to others.

I think the OP may now be getting an idea of the fuss about Stag? But like I said earlier, your favourite meal or drinks can leave others cold

I haven't bought a GEC Stag knife since they stopped putting shields on them, I understand the loss factor if they mess it up, but for me at least it's a sign of cutler skill. There are some patterns, Barlow that look best without a shield, but we wait, dream and wonder in expectation that at some date there could be a STAG LAMBFOOT in dark bark no need for a shield there @waynorth we live on dreams

I was waiting to see your 83 again Will . Great to see it again my friend as well as all of your other ones .

Harry

 

[Old Engineer]

I think that it is also important for all new Stag owners to note :
If you have and carry a STAG knife with Brass Liners , perspiration WILL EVENTUALLY cause the brass to turn the Stag an UGLY GREEN color . That is why I Always carry mine in a Slip .
Political speech is now over .
Get a Stag that you like , carry it , and enjoy it , but please let me have the first choice .

Harry

 

[jc57]

I don't have many stag handled knives, mainly because I was not willing to pay the price premium for them. If you like the look and feel, and the price is not a concern, they are certainly beautiful knives. Though I have seen some with extremely mis-matched sides that I would not want to own.

This isn't a GEC knife - it was made by Canal Street Cutlery. It is a good example of what I like in stag. Relatively even handle thickness, rich color, not a dramatic difference between the sides.

Just a beauty of a knife, and a joy to own. It is also the second highest price I have ever paid for a pocket knife, at around $120, only beaten out by the Bladeforums Congress Jack from 2013 that was $130.

 

[mrknife]

I prefer fat chunky stag. Nice thick slabs on both sides of the knife, gently polished and contoured to perfection. Of course, stag being a natural product, is not very easy to get uniform evenness. This in itself is where the beauty lies. Of course when possible, I'd like them to match, hence the trimming down of my stag handled knives. One side chunky and one side almost paper thin is too uneven for me. Some of the best stag ive seen are on the 2014 bladeforums stag jack and the runner up Eric's Jack and the reboots for CSC, which I have shared.

 

[joeradza]

As long as it has an even thickness (but not too thick) and is matched nicely, I'm all in.

 

[Will Power]

Bolster deep Stag there Alan Real skill

 

[Will Power]

I was waiting to see your 83 again Will . Great to see it again my friend as well as all of your other ones .

Harry

Most kind of you Harry, much appreciated

Thanks, Will

 

[meako]

Neither gnarly nor smooth ,nicely polished with subtle colour and character...Even thickness on both sides and...its a GEC..

Cheers.

 

[black mamba]

So you say you like thick stag . . . . then here you go!

 

[TheChunk91]

I am not a big fan of stag unless it's really good. I like a lot of texture end to end and thinness. I don't like fat stag. Of course this is a subjective thing.

I don't have a lot of stag knives. I have seen a few of spectacular GEC examples but most of them don't do a lot for me. I have a couple that I would consider pretty decent.


This is pretty decent stag to me. A little chunky but not bad.






This one is pretty decent as well. I think a shield completes the package and I prefer it's presence. I think a shield should be there in most cases unless the stag is really spectacular or the knife is tiny.

 

[TheChunk91]

Not very seasonal Here, Popcorn riot on Barehead 83, lot of character lot of grip, but only for fans of the knobbly Smoother 3rd cut styles appeal to others.

I think the OP may now be getting an idea of the fuss about Stag? But like I said earlier, your favourite meal or drinks can leave others cold

I haven't bought a GEC Stag knife since they stopped putting shields on them, I understand the loss factor if they mess it up, but for me at least it's a sign of cutler skill. There are some patterns, Barlow that look best without a shield, but we wait, dream and wonder in expectation that at some date there could be a STAG LAMBFOOT in dark bark no need for a shield there @waynorth we live on dreams

That is some nice stag.

So you say you like thick stag . . . . then here you go!

View attachment 1272930

Yikes!

 

[lambertiana]

Does everything have to be about GEC? I don't understand this question. Why is it GEC specific?

On that note, this thread could be useful: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/selecting-stag-on-traditionals.1546010/

Poorly fitted stag!! Egad!!View attachment 1272201 View attachment 1272202

The way it should be!!!View attachment 1272206 View attachment 1272207 View attachment 1272208 View attachment 1272209

Charlie has it right. The first thing to turn me off a stag handle is poor cut and fit. If they have much of the bark ground off to fit the stag to the bolsters, I will not buy the knife.

 

[Dr-Mabuse]

Obviously the most important quality of stag to consider is the possession of the stag. The way to judge this is to pick up the knife, in full view of all present and put it in your pocket. If anyone attempts to stop you, the you do not have possession of the stag and therefore it is inferior to the stag that you possess.

I used to have strict precepts about stag. It had to be, dark and gnarly like that 77 there, but what looks best, often doesn’t feel best and vice versa. To me stag’s hand feel is as important as it’s looks. So over time I’ve found that I enjoy almost all of it. Each piece has something to offer. Even polished second cut can be wonderful in it’s way. I do have a favorite though and that my 72, the mark side is both a little polished and a little gnarly, while the pile side is an evenly and mildly ridged piece. Both sides are quite different and yet the thickness is both perfect and perfectly matched. It’s a riot for the hand and eye. I’ve never received more unsolicited offers for a knife than that one. Best of all it’s a lowly store model, so I can show it good time without feeling too bad!

 

[rockgolfer]

A most impressive display Dr-Mabuse !

I would solicit for that 77

I need to work on some stag patina, you have that down to a science sir!