Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

GEC specializes in highly collectable and premium quality usable pocket knives. The company's USA manufactured knives have quickly proven to be a big hit with both collectors and users who seek quality American craftsmanship.

Why Has The Interest and Postings fallen So Sharply

Poll ended at Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:22 am

GEC Has changed direction since their initial offerings.
3
5%
GEC No longer creates what I thinks are Original Patterns.
1
2%
GEC Prices Have increased to more than I can afford.
17
29%
GEC knives seem to have saturated the market, decreasing my original purchase.
3
5%
GEC knives on Ebay seem to drive values into the toilet.
2
3%
GEC Product quality has fallen compared to their original product offering in 2007.
2
3%
GEC Products although Superior, I cannot afford the heavy ticket price vs, other products offered.
7
12%
Gec Has fallen in the direction of WR Case & Sons, Offering almost every pattern,Handle,and color under the sun.
2
3%
GEC Knives are really nice, I love them... Just cannot afford to collect like I once did.
16
28%
GEC Like many new companies are moving to quickly for profit rather than satisfying the customer with what they want.
5
9%
 
Total votes: 58

WillClinger
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by WillClinger »

In my limited experience, GEC quality has been hit or miss. Some GEC-made knives are outstanding, but two of the eight I've purchased had issues at least as severe as yours. You should expect the lemons to show up on eBay more often than the marvels.

You can't fix the acorn and you probably can't do much about the low-riding clip, but the high-riding sheepsfoot can be fixed by careful filing of its kick.

GEC's 440c will take and hold a sharp edge, but isn't as easy to sharpen as 1095 or 420hc. Three of the GECs I've purchased came with uselessly blunt round edges, as though the final edging had been completely skipped. Each required about 200 strokes on my waterstones before its edge could compete with the typical factory edge of a Buck 300-series slipjoint.

Will
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by IMBand »

QTCut5 wrote:For this GEC Furtaker Trapper I paid $87 on eBay.....
Can you post a link to the completed auction please....?

Is this it...?.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Eastern-F ... 7675.l2557

The pictures CLEARLY show the way that the shield fits. If you couldn't see that or thought that you were 'getting a steal' on a perfect knife.....you have a long ways to go as a knife collector imo. Seller posted very good pictures of the knife and asked potential buyers to look closely at them. To purchase this knife and then come here and post that you are unhappy is ridiculous. GEC has more hand operations than most knife makers and there will always be one or two that aren't perfect. Maybe stick to collecting Case knives as your failure rate is zero.

IM
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

Hey there IM...no reason to get personal and insulting. I actually just finished a rather lengthy post explaining my error, but for some reason it failed to post and was mysteriously lost. So, to quickly sum it up...The problem was due to 1) my own naivete in my eagerness to jump on what appeared to be a great deal on a high quality knife (based on the often faulty assumption that you generally get what you pay for as well as the testimonial of my friend re his new GEC Viper), and 2) the reputation of the seller (from whom I have purchased hundreds of knives over the years) who listed it as "NEW" which it obviously is, but he never said it was "Mint Condition". So, you are correct, I made a bad judgement. As for my eyesight...I foolishly thought (hoped) the shield issue was due to a weird light/shadow thing or perhaps dark spots in the wood grain, again, based on what I believed to be the reputation of GEC for producing quality knives. It just never occurred to me that they would release a knife of this quality...but, I also realize that it does sometimes happen...Apparently, I was stupid to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe the testimonials of others. As a "lowly" Case collector, I guess I have been extremely lucky in that with over 500 Case knives in my collection, never once have I received one that was as flawed as this one GEC. (And Case is a much larger company so statistically speaking, has a much higher chance of letting a few duds slip by quality control than a small company like GEC).

However, that being said...My original question was more to the point of "Is this normal for a GEC knife or is this one I got an anomaly?" This being my first GEC, and thinking of adding GEC to my collecting repertoire, I was wondering if any GEC collectors had had a similar experience and if it's something I should consider before making any further investments. I certainly wouldn't want to feel that everytime I purchased a new GEC it was going to be a "crap shoot" regardless of the source I got it from. And, by the way, there was no photo showing the protruding tip on the sheepsfoot blade when closed...so, in the interest of FULL disclosure...I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Thank you Will & Jerry for your helpful, courteous and knowledgeable advice and insights. That's the kind of response I've come to expect from most AAPK members.

Cheers & Aloha,

~Q~
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Protruding tip when closed...BAD!
Protruding tip when closed...BAD!
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

WillClinger wrote:In my limited experience, GEC quality has been hit or miss. Some GEC-made knives are outstanding, but two of the eight I've purchased had issues at least as severe as yours.
Hmm, 2 out of 8...Wow! That certainly does not sound like the kind of success ratio that will do much to support the long-term survival of a company that is at all concerned about its reputation.

Gunstock Jack wrote: Ebay is a crap shoot in that you never really know what to expect, whether buying OR selling. Instead of complaining about the product, why don't you just return the item if you don't like it? What, the guy won't take the knife back and return your money? Any reputable dealer would without a whimper.

Crap shoot - and you lost this time as someone pawned off a less-than-perfect knife on you.
Jack, I have no doubt that the seller would take it back and return my money if I so requested (he has a stellar reputation on eBay and in the knife community). But, you clearly missed the point of my query, which was regarding the quality that can be expected from GEC as compared to other knives (such as the two I presented for consideration). So far, the most helpful answer came from Will (see above). So, unless any GEC collectors care to come to the defense of GEC with better supporting stats than a 25% failure rate (I don't care how many "hand processes" they utilize in manufacturing a knife...if they can't consistently produce a high quality product for the prices they charge), the company isn't likely to last long enough to make collecting their knives a good investment anyway (unless other fools like me continue to buy them regardless).

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
Ramrod

Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Ramrod »

After your experience with the shield on the shell knife, I would have thought you would have noticed the shield on the ebay knife, clearly shown in the pics . ::shrug::
Since you are asking for numbers, I will oblige you that and hold my other opinions.
I have approximately 100 GEC's. I can only recall 3, maybe 4, that I have had that came to me less than perfect. 2- with exposed tip, 1 or 2 with minor blade rub marks.
Mark
ps- any GEC with an acorn shield has a blade of 440C.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by IMBand »

Numbers.......almost 300 GEC knives in my current collection and have owned and sold at least another 150.
1 returned to GEC for them to improve closing snap, done quickly and effectively under warranty.
1 returned to a Dealer because the CrossCut saw shield had a tiny blemish along one of the saws teeth.
I find it interesting that you have 500 Case knives with a ZERO percent return and that you are looking to other manufacturers at all. My comment on hand operations means that a machine can more consistently duplicate results than a human can......it was not offered as an excuse for your poorly inlet shield. I would have expected that knife to have and 'S' or '2' stamped on it as a factory second. I still think that the flaw around the shield was blatantly obvious in the eBay listing and for you to post it in this thread is kind of 'troll-ish'. I doubt that there is another collector with more than 50 knives that would have mistaken the shields poor fit for 'a lighting issue'. You do realize that the Hawthorne is built by GEC as well......so technically your Furtaker is your second GEC built knife.

IM
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by WillClinger »

QTCut5 wrote: So far, the most helpful answer came from Will (see above). So, unless any GEC collectors care to come to the defense of GEC with better supporting stats than a 25% failure rate (I don't care how many "hand processes" they utilize in manufacturing a knife...if they can't consistently produce a high quality product for the prices they charge), the company isn't likely to last long enough to make collecting their knives a good investment anyway (unless other fools like me continue to buy them regardless).
I didn't say two of the eight I've purchased were "failures". I said two of the eight had issues at least as severe as yours.

Your acorn shield has a cosmetic defect that detracts from your enjoyment of the knife but does not affect its function; one of the GECs I purchased had multiple cosmetic defects of that order. The high-riding blade is a functional defect; my Tidioute had the same problem, but that took only a few minutes for me to fix, and you could do the same. The low-riding clip blade is the most serious functional defect because it makes that blade harder for you to use, but it sounds to me as though that's no more of a problem than the notoriously heavy pulls found on many GEC-made knives.

GEC is hardly the only manufacturer whose knives are not always perfect. I no longer buy GECs as gifts, but that's mostly because I don't want to risk choosing between giving someone a pristine knife with a uselessly dull blade and giving them a knife that is no longer in as-new condition (because I've put a useful edge on it). When GEC makes a knife that appeals to me, I may buy it—but I'll buy it from a trusted dealer who would let me return it or exchange it.

I said two of the eight GECs I've bought had issues as serious as yours. In both cases, I decided they weren't quite bad enough to return to the dealer. I spiffed them up as best I could and gave them away, although I had purchased them for my own use. A third GEC was so lovely I decided to keep it for myself (despite its minor functional defect) and purchased another just like it for the intended recipient; the one I gave away was perfect.

The four I kept for myself:
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by IMBand »

~Q~......I edited my post to remove any comment that you may have taken as insulting or personal. We can agree 100% that the knife should never have left the GEC factory that way, if it did. Buy from Dealers in the future, most GEC Dealers probably would have culled that knife and never listed it for sale.

Having said that I know the seller that you got it from and he is more than honest, I would deal with him any day.

IM
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

Ramrod wrote:After your experience with the shield on the shell knife, I would have thought you would have noticed the shield on the ebay knife, clearly shown in the pics
Mr. Ramrod, I would think that most knife collectors would know the difference between paying someone to rehandle a knife with original shield replacement, and buying a brand-new knife with an original, factory-installed shield. But, since you don't seem to, allow me to explain the difference as I see it: When I paid a guy to replace the shield on the rehandled knife, he said, No problem," and gladly took my money. Then, when it became clear that he couldn't do what he promised and was paid for, he ignored my repeated requests to forget the shield and just give me a refund. In the case of this GEC knife, it came from the factory this way...it was brand new and this is the original, factory-installed shield. Being that this is my first experience with GEC, I was merely questioning the quality of their knives since it seemed appropriate to this particular thread (did you happen to read the title of this thread, by any chance?). Furthermore, as I have already admitted, in my eagerness and desire to believe that GEC was in fact a quality company producing a quality product, I allowed myself to be "blinded" to the obvious problem with the shield on this Furtaker Trapper, and convinced myself that it surely must be due to some other rational explanation. In other words, I feel I gave GEC the benefit of a HUGE (and obvious) doubt, and it turned out that, in this particular instance at any rate, I was wrong to do so. Clearly, my enthusiasm and naivete overshadowed my better judgement. In my disappointment, I turned to you, my AAPK "brothers" to find out if my experience was a unique, isolated incident or if it was perhaps indicative of the decline of GEC knives as the title of this thread suggests. I was not "trashing" the seller, nor did I ever suggest that I was hoodwinked, or tricked in any way (and if you feel I did, then that's due to your own misreading). I would think that if you had bothered to read and understand my post, you could have clearly realized that...but apparently, I was wrong on that assumption as well. I'm not sure why a few of you felt the need to jump down my throat when all I was trying to do was share an experience and compare different knives...I mean, seriously, isn't that exactly what AAPK is all about (or am I wrong about that belief as well)? Apparently, I touched a very sensitive nerve with my audacious, unprecedented and completely erroneous suggestion that GEC knives are not the very best knives ever made in the history of the world, beyond criticism...if so, I'm sorry, but I don't think they are, by a long shot. Certainly they are better than some, but they're far from being the unassailable and unquestioned cutlery masters that some of you apparently believe them to be. So, lighten up and try to engage in a civil discussion, which often entails listening to honest criticism of your own beliefs without attacking the integrity or intelligence of the critic, however uninformed you believe him to be. Is that too much to ask?

'Nuff said!

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Jeffrey »

Some people treat knives like they are Museum pieces. GEC builds a quality knife, just like anything if you put a microscope on it more than likely you will find imperfections. ::facepalm::
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

IMBand wrote:I find it interesting that you have 500 Case knives with a ZERO percent return and that you are looking to other manufacturers at all.
Well, if you find that so interesting, then this will probably blow your mind:

Not only do I have hundreds of Case knives, I also have many other brands in my collection such as Lone Wolf, Benchmade, Boker, AG Russell, Koji Hara, Hubertus, Pro-Tech, Spyderco, SOG, Kershaw, Gerber, CRKT, Timberland, Al Mar, Ka-Bar, Hen & Rooster (to name a few), and that's just the production knives. I won't bother to list all the names of the custom made knives in my collection...wouldn't want to sound boastful or anything! ::sotb::

And I just added a gorgeous and well-crafted Northwoods Hawthorn, which, in my opinion is not "technically" a GEC knife because it was made in the Northwoods facility in Gladston, MI not at the GEC plant in Titusville, PA...so, as far as I'm concerned, it qualifies as a totally different brand despite being made "under contract" for GEC.

As you can see, my steel brothers, I LOVE KNIVES! I love collecting, trading, swapping, discussing, showing and giving them as gifts. And I'm always interested in discovering new brands to add to my collection. Based on your helpful replies, I do believe that GEC knives are high quality...I think I must have just gotten unlucky with my first purchase. I'm willing to give them another chance.

Thanks for all your input.

Cheers & Aloha,

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by IMBand »

QTCut5 wrote:And I just added a gorgeous and well-crafted Northwoods Hawthorn, which, in my opinion is not "technically" a GEC knife because it was made in the Northwoods facility in Gladston, MI not at the GEC plant in Titusville
Watch the video on this page please......Derek clearly states that the Hawthorne is built by GEC.
It is a GEC #48 single blade trapper with the 'new style' Northwoods grinds.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/hawthorne/?sort=alphaasc

IM
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

Yup...my bad. Thanks for setting me straight. Now that I know that, I'm even more surprised that GEC let that Furtaker out the door in that condition, and they only made 24 of them...I wonder how the other 23 turned out? My Northwoods Hawthorn is one of the best knives in it's class that I've ever owned, so if it's representative of true GEC quality, then I am definitely interested in adding some more to my collection.
Jeffrey wrote:Some people treat knives like they are Museum pieces. GEC builds a quality knife, just like anything if you put a microscope on it more than likely you will find imperfections. ::facepalm::
Uh, yeah...that's why some of us collect knives...or did you think that I actually used every one of my hundreds of knives for EDC?

~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
Ramrod

Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Ramrod »

QTCut5 wrote:
IMBand wrote:I find it interesting that you have 500 Case knives with a ZERO percent return and that you are looking to other manufacturers at all.
Well, if you find that so interesting, then this will probably blow your mind:

Not only do I have hundreds of Case knives, I also have many other brands in my collection such as Lone Wolf, Benchmade, Boker, AG Russell, Koji Hara, Hubertus, Pro-Tech, Spyderco, SOG, Kershaw, Gerber, CRKT, Timberland, Al Mar, Ka-Bar, Hen & Rooster (to name a few), and that's just the production knives. I won't bother to list all the names of the custom made knives in my collection...wouldn't want to sound boastful or anything! ::sotb::

And I just added a gorgeous and well-crafted Northwoods Hawthorn, which, in my opinion is not "technically" a GEC knife because it was made in the Northwoods facility in Gladston, MI not at the GEC plant in Titusville, PA...so, as far as I'm concerned, it qualifies as a totally different brand despite being made "under contract" for GEC.As you can see, my steel brothers, I LOVE KNIVES! I love collecting, trading, swapping, discussing, showing and giving them as gifts. And I'm always interested in discovering new brands to add to my collection. Based on your helpful replies, I do believe that GEC knives are high quality...I think I must have just gotten unlucky with my first purchase. I'm willing to give them another chance.

Thanks for all your input.

Cheers & Aloha,

~Q~
Seems you have it backwards..
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Mark
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

Yup...like I already said, "My bad" which is another way of saying, "Oops, I made a mistake." Just because I love knives and own a ton of them obviously does not make me infallible on everything having to do with knives. I'm willing to admit when I've made a mistake, learn something new and move on. Hopefully, you can too.

I apologize to all who misunderstood the original intent of my initial posting on this thread.

Just to be clear: I was NEVER complaining about the eBay transaction or the seller.

Thank you to all of you who understood what it was I was seeking for your honest, candid and helpful insights and responses.

Cheers & Aloha,
~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by knifeswapper »

Do you have a picture of the end of the tube (with numbers)?

I have bought a lot of knives off eBay. But it finally got to where I was always trying to read what they DID NOT say in the description. It seemed like people were using it to pass off culls. Obviously, if this knife left GEC as a first quality, it shouldn't have. But that is probably why it went on the auction block.

There has not been a knife come thru my hands that I could not find something to gripe about if I looked hard enough. And all hand made knives will have an issue here and there. But the percentage of GEC knives I set aside (to cull in some other market) is substantially lower than any other brand of traditional I trade.

If tips riding high bother you and you don't want to remedy them yourself - don't buy GEC's. If a little play in lockbacks bothers you - don't buy GEC lockbacks. If stiff backsprings bother you - don't buy GEC's. That is not to say that every one has these issues; but it doesn't take much investigative work to find out they are somewhat common.

But if you buy from a GEC distributor and put in the order notes something you simply cannot stand or want looked at - they will. Also, most have a very liberal return policy. eBay, or any other secondary market, is fine for buying knives. And there is a high rate of success there. But you are generally buying a specific knife and not from an inventory of the same variant that can be used to get you one that fits your specific request. GEC has been a booming success based on the knives they were making years ago - and they have only gotten better.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

THANK YOU, KNIFESWAPPER! That's the levelheaded, straightforward, impersonal, informational, educational kind of response I was hoping for in the first place. Funny thing is, after reading your post, I realized, "Hmm, that makes a lot of sense, I wonder why I didn't think of that myself before even bothering to post on AAPK?" And I think the answer is that I actually did think that already, but I was seeking support or validation from someone in the knife community with more knowledge and experience with GEC than myself, i.e., trying to do a little "investigative work" (as you call it) about a brand I knew very little about except for this one knife I bought on eBay, and I wanted to know if my experience would be considered "normal" or "typical" for GEC knives in general or if it were more of a unique, isolated, or infrequent occurrence...and you answered my question perfectly, rationally and without prejudice. Thank you.

I do have the original tube with the numbers on the end cap, and there is no indication that it is anything other than first quality. Truth is, even with the small defects in this Furtaker Trapper I have, I still like the knife quite a bit. I can tell it is solid and made of high quality materials. I have never suggested, and have no intention of returning it for a refund. Everyday I play around with it, I like and appreciate it more and more. I can't wait to start collecting more GEC knives (I already have enough Case knives to last a few lifetimes!)

It's always a pleasure to learn from a wise and noble teacher.

Cheers & Aloha,
~Q~
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


~Q~
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by habitant400 »

After reading the last two pages regarding the quality of the maple GEC, I have a few comments. I'm a collector with about 200 GEC/Tidioute/Northfield knives. I also have many Case knives.

Average case knives have shields attached with epoxy. All GEC/Tidioute/Northfield knife shields are pinned to the liner, which to me represents a leap in quality that would make me overlook some fit and finish concerns.

The shield placement on a number of my Case knives has concerned me to point where I have warmed up the handles to soften the epoxy so I can improve on Case's work by adjusting the fit and finish.

Northwoods used to be a stand alone company, but it has been purchased by Knivesshipfree and the knives are made by Great Eastern Cutlery. Great Eastern Cutlery doesn't contract out work.

Most Great Eastern Cutlery knives I have seen are about as close to perfect as one should reasonably expect from a 100 dollar pocket tool. I say "reasonably" because perfection from a custom maker can cost many times more. Some of the variation you get in a Great Eastern Cutlery product is the result of these knives being handmade, which to my mind only enhances their collectability.

I would say if you want a Great Eastern Cutlery knife get one now because it almost seems like the company's existence must be a labor of love. Some of the Special Factory Order knives have come very close to the level of workmanship I would associate with custom produced knives.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Dornblaser »

I have a good number of GEC knives. Over the last year I have lost interest in this brand. The nice scales are few and far between. The knives now tend to be mostly large or chunky. What happened to smaller, single spring knives? And, please, no more #15 Barlows. Bails? And, why was there never a #48 Wharnie Trapper when folks have been asking for one for years? Most disturbing is all the SFO knives and then their GEC derivatives. SFOs seem to be the way for GEC to pay the bills and not have to exercise any creativity. I suggest that SFOs have killed the GEC that we all used to love. They have certainly reduced the websites that carry their knives down to those order SFOs. I used to look forward to checking the GEC website often to see what was coming. Now, meh.

Disgusted and disappointed,
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Dornblaser »

Post-Script: look at the drop off in posts and interest in this sub-forum over the last year or so.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by IMBand »

I think they still do an extra fine job.....many improvements over the years, and some things that don't appeal to everyone. Their pattern list is getting pretty diverse and quality is top shelf. I don't chase too many SFOs but to be honest, the time they spend on them helps my knife budget recover.......

IM
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Jeffrey »

They are still the best production knife made! I remember years ago when this forum was constant with pics, comments and new threads but anymore it seems like a ghost town. I still buy GEC knives over any other because of quality and nice the folks are at GEC. ::tu::
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Classic Case »

This forum used to be much busier than it is now, that is true. GEC was a new company, something new is always going to garner more interest, simply because its new. A slowdown of the forum was inevitable in my opinion. But do I think GEC has fallen off a cliff? No. IMO they make the best knife for me.
They have certainly reduced the websites that carry their knives down to those order SFOs.
That is NOT true,..they have many more dealers than they used to. You may have to go to a certain site to get a certain SFO, but for a standard issue knife that is not the case. I agree with the "enough with the #15 models". That horse has got to be dead by now.
As for GEC's way of doing business,.. they built their business in the midst of bad economic times, and they are still here, so I guess they are doing something right. ::shrug::
Chris - I'd give my right arm to be ambidexterous.
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jerryd6818
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by jerryd6818 »

Let me say up front, I think GEC makes a good knife. I have nothing against the hardware.

That said, since the #48 Wharncliffe Trapper they haven't made a single pattern that got my juices flowing and put that certain light in my eyes. The #82 Dixie Stock Knife tickled my fancy a little but so far not enough to shell out the bucks for one.

On the whole, GEC has made very few patterns that please my eye and it shows in my pile. I'm not in a position to collect GEC's just because they're GEC's so I have to be very selective what I buy. Plus, the prices seem to have gone up or maybe that's just my imagination.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

Since I last posted on this thread several months ago I sold the problematic Furtaker Trapper and I have added a couple other GEC knives to my collection. My first experience with GEC was not positive; however, I have since come to realize that GEC can build an excellent, high-quality knife if they want to; just look at the Northwoods knives that they manufacture for KSF--top shelf all the way. My only complaint with the GEC lines (Tidioute, Northfield, UN-X-LD) is one that many people have mentioned, i.e., they have a tendency to be nailbreakers...especially the smaller frames. What I don't understand, though, is why Northwoods knives are so much more consistent in walk-and-talk than GEC when (I assume) they're all made at the same place by the same people? Is it intentional and if so, why would they choose to do that? For the record, all the GEC knives I own are smooth openers with perfect spring tension. I really have no use for a folder that I can't open regardless of any other positive qualities it may have.

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