What does that weird letter, number on the blade, tube etc. mean?

OLd_gUY

OLd_gUY

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Hi all,
First post here. I recently saw a post on the exchange for a GEC knife for sale which was described as having a "S" etched on the blade. In the writeup for the knife, the seller said the "S" designated the knife as a "Store Model - "S" stamped on tang of blade".
I was under the impression that the "S" designated the knife as a "Blem".
Which is correct or are the meanings one in the same?
I'm wondering because to me a Blem is a knife that is available at a discount while a Store Model, to me, is an excellent example to show off a product at it's best.
 
I believe it S for second.
That is it has a minor cosmetic defect but is functionally sound.
Hang on is it etched? or stamped on the tang ?
Either way theres probably nothing outlandishly wrong with it.
 
its mostly cosmetics. my latest knife was a 35 from collectorsknives also marked an S because of the marks on the ebony. its functionally fine. a 2 stamped on the other hand is a different matter
 
The only S marked knife I own has a very very small "nick" on the mark side. It took quite a while of inspecting it before I found it. Other than that it's perfect and is in fact my favorite.
 
S is for second, the couple that I have the “s” is engraved/scratched onto the blade. I found the ad you are talking about, the seller is using the wrong term but correct description.
 
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I believe “S” stands for Store model which means it has some sort of cosmetic defect and does not carry the GEC warranty. If I’m wrong - someone please correct me.
 
From GEC the "S" is for "Store" knife. This is what they call it, and it's a knife that has imperfections that disqualify it from being considered standard production quality. Something they initially only sold in their store.

TYPICALLY these knives have such minor flaws that other companies do (or did:oops:) distribute as first quality. Chris at GEC has pointed out that such things could be white stag on one side, with cream colored stag on the other, or if there's any space between scales and springs.

Now I have read recently that some of the #46 store knives may be more of "second" quality, but I can't speak to that first hand.
 
Ernie1980 said:
S is for second, the couple that I have the “s” is engraved/scratched onto the blade. I found the ad you are talking about, the seller is using the wrong term but correct description.
Click to expand...
I believe that is correct. I'm asking in case I want to look into buying a knife that is being sold as an "S".
I found this in an ad from an online store:
"This #xx is not considered a “second, but it is not a first quality knife. It is noted as a “blem” quality by an “S” on the tang stamp. However, what Great Eastern considers a “blemish” is purely cosmetic and very minor. Sometimes it’s a very slight gap in the liner and backspring or even if the scales aren’t a perfect match. However, I can’t even find the blemish on this one. These make a great user knife because the cosmetic issue is irrelevant once you’ve carried it for a day. Great Eastern is very specific about these NOT being “seconds”. The blemish is so very minor that they are perfectly useable. Take advantage of the deal if you want one for an EDC!"
Makes sense to me. Thanks to all for the responses.
 
This may be a little off topic, but kind of on topic too.. Can someone tell me what a "B" on the tube top means? I've tried googling the hell out of it to no avail. As an example it says..

Model number / Cocobolo "B"

It's the only time I've ever seen that on a tube top before.
 
McFeeli said:
This may be a little off topic, but kind of on topic too.. Can someone tell me what a "B" on the tube top means? I've tried googling the hell out of it to no avail. As an example it says..

Model number / Cocobolo "B"

It's the only time I've ever seen that on a tube top before.
Click to expand...
This is very likely added by the seller to differentiate this specific knife from the others with the same handles. You would definitely see this more with stag, woods, etc, when you see individual photos of each knife, and not just representative photos of the entire run.
 
M McFeeli , That could be a dealer mark. Some dealers take individual photos and note letters on the tubes that correlate to the photos so that the correct one is sent to the buyer. I've noticed that on a few that I've purchased from dealers who take individual photos, at least. I could be mistaken.

Oops, too slow. :p
 
McFeeli said:
This may be a little off topic, but kind of on topic too.. Can someone tell me what a "B" on the tube top means? I've tried googling the hell out of it to no avail. As an example it says..

Model number / Cocobolo "B"

It's the only time I've ever seen that on a tube top before.
Click to expand...

It's probably the dealer's mark to individually identify the knives. Some dealers photo each knife so that you can see the exact knife that you buy. :thumbsup:

Edit: Haha! You guys are quick!
 
In my experience, a letter is how some sellers label them on their website so knives with highly figured wood or stag can be sold individually rather than just a shot in the dark.
 
Sabercat said:
This is very likely added by the seller to differentiate this specific knife from the others with the same handles. You would definitely see this more with stag, woods, etc, when you see individual photos of each knife, and not just representative photos of the entire run.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot sense. I really couldn't find anything on that anywhere on the Internet or the forums. I didn't think warranted it's own thread, but it's nice to know now, haha. It was a bit of an enigma for me for quite some time. Thanks!

Holy crap, maybe I should have started a thread. It seems I was out of the loop on this one, haha. Thanks again everyone!
 
“S” has always stood for “Store”. .. as mentioned above with slight imperfections..ie..over spun pins, nicks, etc... that can be sold by dealers and at their Great Eastern facility...GEC does not sell seconds to the public...Great Eastern considers seconds differently than other manufacturers
 
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