Whoopee - GEC website shows #77 BLADE FORUM 2014 CLUB KNIFE is in production

oh man! The stag is looking awesome! These sure are moving right along :D

GEDC1891_zpsd37d1711.jpg
 
Daniel Dorn said:
All Hail the 2014 Committee and volunteers! :D A monumental task, for sure.

I'm trying to imagine the GEC folks sitting around a pile of stag pieces trying to make matching pairs. That would be a fun, but tedious job.
Click to expand...

It is tedious, Daniel. GEC is doing a lot of extraordinary work for us, to make this a special and affordable knife.
This deal may never be repeated!
Thanks GEC, Barry, John Lloyd, the moderators here who greased the wheels, and next on the list; Liamstrain! (just waiting for his label!!)
 
waynorth said:
It is tedious, Daniel. GEC is doing a lot of extraordinary work for us, to make this a special and affordable knife.
This deal may never be repeated!
Thanks GEC, Barry, John Lloyd, the moderators here who greased the wheels, and next on the list; Liamstrain! (just waiting for his label!!)
Click to expand...

2015: Bone, single spear, equal end, between 3 and 3.5 inches.... or a Peanut..... or a equal end cattle knife. :D
 
I was in Pittsburgh for a meeting and decided to take the 2 hour drive up to GEC. When I got there I was greeted by Christine Tucker. Christine told me that the crew was going to lunch, but I could check out the knife store (where I ended up buying 6 knives). I took this panorama shot of the entrance, where a history of their knives are on display, and it overlooks the factory floor.

PanoramaGEC_zps5fbb7dc2.jpg


Bill Howard came out to see me as well, and I asked about the Blade Forums 2014 Knife, and it just so happens that was the exact knife they were finishing up. Christine grabbed me a finished one and let me handle it. I have to say it is a stunning knife. The stag is unbelievable, and it is a very slim but solid work of art.

I left for a while and went to Queen Cutlery, which is in a very nice old building, but no factory tours and very few knives in their store. I did, however, buy a stag handled Canoe pattern knife.

I returned to GEC for my tour, and Bill Howard gave me the tour himself. He showed me the whole process, and patiently answered the million questions I asked him. One of the questions was if he could confirm the rumors that he oversaw the production of the Winchester reproductions that Bluegrass Cutlery marketed, and he confirmed that he did (except for the later ones with the Delrin handles) and they were indeed made by Queen while he was there, as well as the Case Classics (except a few models made by Case). I took my favorite wichester knife out of my pocket and he confirmed overseeing the production of my knife, and even recalled all the stamps they had to get for the blades. This is the one I am talking about:

WinchesterStag3904S_zpsd89c3960.jpg


As we moved through the factory, he took me to the assembly room, and they were busy assembling the Blade Forum 2014 knife, and I got to watch them put one together, and move it through the whole process, all the way to final polish, sharpening (and they are sharpening these to a super fine razor edge) and blade etching. They told me they are going to ship the first batch this coming Friday!

It was really a treat to see this particular knife being made, and they are super nice people. I will be going back again.
 
Last edited:
Wow, that is awesome! So cool Thst you got to see them putting these together, I'm excited to hear they have some finished up and will be sending the first ones out soon. It's about to get real exciting!!!
 
Woodrow F Call said:
2015: Bone, single spear, equal end, between 3 and 3.5 inches.... or a Peanut..... or a equal end cattle knife. :D
Click to expand...

You've seen the Northwoods Indian River Jack? only 1/4" longer than you indicate above, but bone, single spear, equal end, and in a premium 154CM steel to boot!
 
dma1965

Thanks for the update! It's exciting to get Bill's tour, isn't it? I was there for the rendezvous, and his enthusiasm for making traditional knives is infectious.
 
RobbW said:
You've seen the Northwoods Indian River Jack? only 1/4" longer than you indicate above, but bone, single spear, equal end, and in a premium 154CM steel to boot!
Click to expand...

May be my next knife....... I really like the idea, but carbon steel and jigged bone would really make me happy..... still may order one as my next purchase.
 
dma1965

Thanks for the update! It's exciting to get Bill's tour, isn't it? I was there for the rendezvous, and his enthusiasm for making traditional knives is infectious.
 
RobbW said:
dma1965

Thanks for the update! It's exciting to get Bill's tour, isn't it? I was there for the rendezvous, and his enthusiasm for making traditional knives is infectious.
Click to expand...

It really is. What is the most amazing thing about him is that he does not see his knives as being the pinnacle of production knives so much as he sees them as just being "good knives". He simply believes that knives should be made this way, and he will not make them any other way. He told me they only finish about 60 knives a day on average, and I can see why when I see all the painstaking handwork that goes into each and every knife. He told me they simply cannot find skilled cutlery professionals anymore.

I told him I only hope that people like us will keep buying them so he can stay in business, because if they ever stop making knives, that will truly be the end of high quality production folders.
 
Liam just sent me the final label!!
Thanks for the great work, Liam!!

StagJack_V5_zps6a372d82.jpg
 
Nice work Liam!

Thanks again to Charlie, Barry, Liam, the folks at GEC and everyone else that had a hand in creating this amazing forum knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top