I have the GEC.
I have the Case.
I have an Eye Brand.
How are you going to use the knife? For a knife I plan to work hard ALL DAY and not worry how it carries, I'd choose the GEC. It has the fattest, most comfortable handle that I can really lean on all day long without discomfort. The 01 steel sharpens easily but keeps its edge a LONG time. Not D2 long, but it's the steel of choice for Randall knives so that should tell you something.
On the other end of the spectrum, if I expected to CARRY the knife throughout a typical day, I'd want the Eye Brand (1095 steel). The handle is slimmest so it carries very flat and easy, and the blade itself is slim--it is a slicing demon. Carl (Jackknife) recommended it years ago and I've never regretted purchasing it. The 1095 sharpens easily and the heat treat on mine makes it keep the edge a long time. It's the cheapest and most likely not to be perfect, fit and finish, but it is a great slicer.
I don't have the Country Cousin, but I do have nearly 10 Queen knives in D2. It will likely come dull and with a really obtuse angle. I typically spend an hour or so working new Queen knives. I use diamond stones to sharpen to a very acute angle, then have years of nothing more than touching up on the Spyderco Sharpmaker to keep them that way. You invest a lot of time up front for easier maintenance down the road, and D2 is one of my favorite steels. You won't get the "off taste" of no-patina carbon steel, and you also won't get the patina, but D2 is really good stuff. I sharpen down to less than 15 degrees per side, then touch up on the 15 degree setting of the Sharpmaker.
You listed no bad knives above, yet each is optimized in a slightly different direction. Choose the strengths based on intended use.
I have the Case.
I have an Eye Brand.
How are you going to use the knife? For a knife I plan to work hard ALL DAY and not worry how it carries, I'd choose the GEC. It has the fattest, most comfortable handle that I can really lean on all day long without discomfort. The 01 steel sharpens easily but keeps its edge a LONG time. Not D2 long, but it's the steel of choice for Randall knives so that should tell you something.
On the other end of the spectrum, if I expected to CARRY the knife throughout a typical day, I'd want the Eye Brand (1095 steel). The handle is slimmest so it carries very flat and easy, and the blade itself is slim--it is a slicing demon. Carl (Jackknife) recommended it years ago and I've never regretted purchasing it. The 1095 sharpens easily and the heat treat on mine makes it keep the edge a long time. It's the cheapest and most likely not to be perfect, fit and finish, but it is a great slicer.
I don't have the Country Cousin, but I do have nearly 10 Queen knives in D2. It will likely come dull and with a really obtuse angle. I typically spend an hour or so working new Queen knives. I use diamond stones to sharpen to a very acute angle, then have years of nothing more than touching up on the Spyderco Sharpmaker to keep them that way. You invest a lot of time up front for easier maintenance down the road, and D2 is one of my favorite steels. You won't get the "off taste" of no-patina carbon steel, and you also won't get the patina, but D2 is really good stuff. I sharpen down to less than 15 degrees per side, then touch up on the 15 degree setting of the Sharpmaker.
You listed no bad knives above, yet each is optimized in a slightly different direction. Choose the strengths based on intended use.
