Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

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.
Ivoryman
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Ivoryman »

gsmith, love that Calf Roper, should have known it was formerly a KJ piece because of the museum quality. KJ, as always, out of the park. Sweet ones all around on this beautiful page, wow.
Visited the annual OKCA knife show and picked up a couple GECs in Eugene, Oregon. Rained and rained, maybe that's why the U of O mascot is a duck. Wild ride and great show. Nice people, great knives, beautiful scenery, all around a treat for the day. Bought these from the great Charlie Compagna himself, and he was so cool he even offered to sign the tubes on this absolutely beautiful TC Barlow with incredible Soup Bone scales and cool little TC etch. What a treat hanging out with Charlie and Gunstock Jack's Barry. And thanks for the knives guys, happy as a clam I am. Also saw a guy there selling ivory tusks. Most of these pictured are Walrus. I thought they banned the sale of Elephant ivory. Apparently it's not being enforced as I saw more than one E. Ivory piece being sold and one of these tusks is Elephant. They weren't even trying to hide it. Beautiful stuff though.
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carvin don
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by carvin don »

Those are some fine looking knives, Ivoryman ... Charlie is good people. That's a handsome looking Farmer Jack you've got there too! I need to get out more ... nice haul and thanks for the pics.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by jerryd6818 »

Good to 'see' you Don. You've been conspicuously missing for a good while. I hope you will hang around for a while.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by kootenay joe »

Interesting about the open selling of ivory. Online dealers no longer use the word 'ivory' in the description of ivory handled knives. Maybe this degree of concern that an ivory handled knife could be confiscated is not necessary ?
kj
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by JohnR »

Received my 77 barlow today, what a gorgeous knife.
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DM11
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by DM11 »

Good score John. It's a beauty!
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by doglegg »

JohnR wrote:Received my 77 barlow today, what a gorgeous knife.
Good lookin knife.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Tsar Bomba »

I'm pretty happy today. :D
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The ironwood is everything I'd hoped for. ::ds::

The camel bone seems to take the elderberry dye in a way that accentuates the red, plus with that uneven absorption camel bone is famous for, the knife does a good job approximating what Case was doing with the smooth rose bone knives of the early '80s. John's example is almost a cross between this and a red Appaloosa. I dig it. ::tu::

The Schrade has some slight wobble on the secondary blade -- first GEC I've encountered with this flaw -- and I'm considering seeking a replacement, though the dealer did warn in the listing that it was one of GEC's early "learning attempts". I realize the knife spent 11 years in a box but I'm kind of OCD about these things. Maybe I'll just contact GEC and see if they'll tighten it up some for me... ::shrug:: It might be too nice to return.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Ivoryman »

Beauties both you guys. That red jumps out. Sweet pattern and styling too. Congrats both of you.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by kootenay joe »

I have had a few of the Fire & Ice in both sizes. None had any blade play. These were made either towards end of 2006 or very early 2007 (my opinion, open for correction). All were pretty well 'right on' in all aspects. Pull is stiff but nowhere near being a nail breaker. Those who like stiffer springs would likely judge these as 'just right'.
If i had your knife with 'slight play', i would pad it and give it a 'slight squeeze' in my 'slight vise'.
This has worked for me but since i really don't know what i am doing, i am not recommending it.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by m0nk »

Ok, we're starting to see the 77 SFO pics we've been waiting for! Thanks for sharing, and you've got some nice hardware there, gents. Very unique, surely to be enjoyed for years to come. Congrats.

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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by robbobus »

77 ironwood
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Tsar Bomba »

Very nice! ::tu:: I suspect it'll be a long while before I see an Ironwood 77 I don't fall in love with. 8)

I wonder where all the smooth rose bone (err, Elderberry Camel Bone :lol: ) knives went to. ::paranoid:: Hoping the pump-and-dumpers didn't fixate on that variation to ruin the secondary market for normal collectors or users. These knives should be seen out and about.

I'm still waiting to see the first 77 scroll by on the AAPK store banner so I can find out what the "pump" is gonna be on this run. ::barf::
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by robbobus »

Was a nice day yesterday. I briefly held the 77 Unicornwood, err Ironwood but traded it off. A fantastic knife, the new owner will be proud and completed the set for him.
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This next one is not going anywhere. For me, its a just rigt knife. Excellent size for my xl hands, nice walk and talk, around a 6 pull, and the stag. Wonderful job. Slight swell at the butt end, good character and fairly narrow as I like.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by gsmith7158 »

Robobus ,I guess you saw that stag 43 go for $430 on Ebay today.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by robbobus »

Yes I did. I wouldn't pay anywhere near that much myself. However, if someone contacts me with a similar offer they will still be looking. I am that way with most of my collection. That make me Gollum I wonder?
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by gsmith7158 »

robbobus wrote:Yes I did. I wouldn't pay anywhere near that much myself. However, if someone contacts me with a similar offer they will still be looking. I am that way with most of my collection. That make me Gollum I wonder?
I have one on the way that I traded for. It's not going anywhere either. Gollum we shall be. :D
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Ivoryman »

35 Churchill for a knife liking girl
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by kootenay joe »

I like that Churchill and i am not a girl.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by gsmith7158 »

This one came in today. The receiving end of a swap I made with Kj. Some bodacious stag on this 43. ::super_happy::
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by m0nk »

Wow, Greg, I'm not really a stag guy, but that's some nice stag! KJ must be a very generous man indeed! Did he throw in that leather lanyard or did you tie that on just to dress up the knife for the photo?
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by kootenay joe »

Greg, great pictures. I'm glad you are pleased with it.
I am very happy with the Schrade-Walden BONE 863 with "Kon Kav" etch that i received in trade. The saber ground clip blade and bone handle make this the BEST of all 863 versions.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by gsmith7158 »

m0nk wrote:Wow, Greg, I'm not really a stag guy, but that's some nice stag! KJ must be a very generous man indeed! Did he throw in that leather lanyard or did you tie that on just to dress up the knife for the photo?
Thanks m0nk! Yeah that's just some leather I had laying around. :D
kootenay joe wrote:Greg, great pictures. I'm glad you are pleased with it.
I am very happy with the Schrade-Walden BONE 863 with "Kon Kav" etch that i received in trade. The saber ground clip blade and bone handle make this the BEST of all 863 versions.
kj
Oh looks like that swap worked out well for all involved. I'm very happy as well. ::handshake::
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Greg

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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Gunstock Jack »

Really excellent stag on your 43 Greg; probably the best I've seen. The stag 43's were in short supply so congrats on your acquisition! ::tu::

I got a couple of these really unique small fixed blades to try out, but they don't come with a sheath so I suppose kitchen duty or leather craft might be more appropriate for the model H20018.
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Re: Mail Call, Post Your New GECs.

Post by Tsar Bomba »

Received another 43 in orange camel bone this morning. This knife was intended to be a safe queen. For only the second time with a GEC knife, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I got the knife in hand.

The knife is the first mainline GEC (non-SFO/rebrand) that I've ever handled with blade play. There is a slight but definitely noticeable wobble when the knife is opened. What is doubly-vexing is that the owner of the dealership, with whom I've communicated before, hand-wrote a note on the receipt indicating that he himself checked the mechanics and handle of the knife (which is beautiful, easily as nice as the one I personally picked out). I don't like to think of people as dishonest especially when they go above and beyond, but I can see no way anyone could physically inspect the open knife and not realize that the blade pivot isn't solid.

Even more perplexing, given how recently these knives were finished, there are also spots of corrosion within the nail nick. It's almost as if the polishing process just sorta glossed over one side of the blade and never managed to clean up the nick itself, which seems almost rough and unfinished inside (which, as you know, is a great way for carbon steel to start rusting and corroding).

This knife will not work as a safe queen. I have already contacted the dealer but their site now shows "out of stock" (when I bought it, there were 2 left) and I suspect they do not have any knives held back for replacements. No direct response today; I'm hoping to hear back tomorrow so I know what my options are.

What I am coming to see is that the level of GEC's QC does appear to be slipping as its production totals increase year after year. In the last year we've had complaints about weak/lazy snap, gritty pivots, uneven grinds and in a couple cases poorly-hafted handles. These are all complaints normally levelled at the midline mass-manufacturers, Queen and Case most prominently coming to mind. It might be time to start a letter-writing campaign to protest the "quantity over quality" direction where I perceive GEC is going.

I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I really don't feel like taking a bath on the secondary market just to unload it, but I absolutely want to make one of the 43s an EDC.
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