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

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

Post by jon_slider »

GEC is going strong, but since the AAPK decision not to allow img codes, I think there has been a large drop in postings here.
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Robert
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Robert »

I find it easier to post pictures now,I just cant post what I had stored on photo bucket but if they on computer that al gore invented they will post........... ::tu::
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Pen & Toothpick
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Pen & Toothpick »

I think that it is true that the cost has always been high, for a great knife. But as collectors, we all know that the most coveted knives will be the 2007, 2008 & 2009's. This was not really part of the poll, so I think the poll is flawed. I do think there was a post about increasing run sizes to lower cost, this could be the answer to a sustainable future. Love these knives, but honestly I have very few after 2010 runs.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by jerryd6818 »

Robert wrote:I find it easier to post pictures now,I just cant post what I had stored on photo bucket but if they on computer that al gore invented they will post........... ::tu::
Robert, what do you do, delete them from your computer after you send them to Photo Bucket?
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Robert
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Robert »

jerryd6818 wrote:
Robert wrote:I find it easier to post pictures now,I just cant post what I had stored on photo bucket but if they on computer that al gore invented they will post........... ::tu::
Robert, what do you do, delete them from your computer after you send them to Photo Bucket?
I got new computer while back even though I saved em all on a file,I dont want to put them all back on
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by nordic320 »

After read though all of the comments on this subject I have to say that I haven’t found any significant problems with any of my GEC knives. I have over 550 and the number is increasing every month. Initially I liked the fact that they were a new company and tat the knives were made in the USA. Two big plusses for me as the stuff coming from the Orient was/is of dismal quality. The third plus came when I found the quality of the GEC knife was second to none. High quality and US made. Just like the old days, and keeping Americans working in our own country to boot.

I don’t collect all the patterns, but concentrate on eight different patterns. I do have a display of serial number 02s of different patterns and handle material. Once again I haven’t run across any significant quality issues.

Yes, they aren’t cheep, but who would want to have an EDC that would be so remarkably inferior to a GEC. As a collector, I want to collect what I’m going to be proud to display. And a high quality American made pocket knife just fits the bill perfectly for me.

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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by big monk »

nordic320 wrote:After read though all of the comments on this subject I have to say that I haven’t found any significant problems with any of my GEC knives. I have over 550 and the number is increasing every month. Initially I liked the fact that they were a new company and tat the knives were made in the USA. Two big plusses for me as the stuff coming from the Orient was/is of dismal quality. The third plus came when I found the quality of the GEC knife was second to none. High quality and US made. Just like the old days, and keeping Americans working in our own country to boot.

I don’t collect all the patterns, but concentrate on eight different patterns. I do have a display of serial number 02s of different patterns and handle material. Once again I haven’t run across any significant quality issues.

Yes, they aren’t cheep, but who would want to have an EDC that would be so remarkably inferior to a GEC. As a collector, I want to collect what I’m going to be proud to display. And a high quality American made pocket knife just fits the bill perfectly for me.

Bill
Well said,Bill !!!!!!____________ GEC's are the best production pocket knives being made today ____ USA made / USA Price ***** ::tu:: ::tu::

PS (Good to see ya' posting on here,my friend** :) )
I'm not young enough,____to know everything !!!!!!!!!!!!

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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by oldblinddog »

nordic320 wrote:After read though all of the comments on this subject I have to say that I haven’t found any significant problems with any of my GEC knives. I have over 550 and the number is increasing every month. Initially I liked the fact that they were a new company and tat the knives were made in the USA. Two big plusses for me as the stuff coming from the Orient was/is of dismal quality. The third plus came when I found the quality of the GEC knife was second to none. High quality and US made. Just like the old days, and keeping Americans working in our own country to boot.

I don’t collect all the patterns, but concentrate on eight different patterns. I do have a display of serial number 02s of different patterns and handle material. Once again I haven’t run across any significant quality issues.

Yes, they aren’t cheep, but who would want to have an EDC that would be so remarkably inferior to a GEC. As a collector, I want to collect what I’m going to be proud to display. And a high quality American made pocket knife just fits the bill perfectly for me.

Bill
I'm glad you have had such good luck with so many GEC knives. I, on the other hand, have only five GEC knives and two of them are what I would classify as bad. One has no snap what so ever and the other's blade is so wobbly that even my wife spotted it...from a distance! (And her idea of a GOOD knife is one that costs less than 10 bucks from Walmart.) The other three are fantastic knives but a 40% reject rate is far from acceptable.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by paulsvintage »

I will stay on the GEC bandwagon . Great traditional pocketknives. But I'm definitely slowing down
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Jeffrey »

I love all of my GEC's but it get pricey so I usually buy a few a year. GEC's I think are so nice that when I pick up knives from other companies I appreciate what GEC is doing. I only EDC one of my GEC's which is the micarta Conductor. I hope the company gets more popular and stronger! ::tu::
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

My first GEC...and THIS somehow passed their quality control? I love the American Curly Maple scales...absolutely stunning...but...What is up with the fit of the acorn shield? Is it just me or does that look like a sloppy job? (To any of you who followed my recent thread regarding the rehandle/shield debacle on the Case Knife Collector's Forum, you'll understand my sensitivity to proper shield application). I mean, come on, seriously? I can actually see one of the pins and it looks like the shape of the hole was totally mis-cut and the shield was just slapped in there anyway. VERY disappointing! Also, when the sheepfoot/wharncliffe blade is closed, it sticks up just enough so that the tip can be felt when I run my finger along the side of the knife...that just doesn't seem right to me at all. And the California Clip blade rides so low in the closed position that it is nearly impossible to open, even with the use of a knife pick/opening tool...and there's even an EZ open cut-out in the scale. Overall, I would have to say that I am NOT impressed.

In the second photo you can compare the GEC Furtaker Trapper, a Northwoods Hawthorn, and a Case XX Wharncliffe Mini Trapper. Guess which one was the most expensive? (Wrong, the Northwoods Hawthorn--$124). Guess which one is by far the highest quality overall? (The Northwoods Hawthorn--my personal opinion). Guess which one is the best value for the money? (The Case XX Mini Trapper--$68).

My friend had just purchased a new GEC Viper and talked so highly of it that I thought I should look into possibly adding GEC to my collecting repertoire. I already knew that Northwoods was affiliated with GEC and since I was supremely impressed by the Hawthorn I thought it was a pretty safe bet that I couldn't go wrong with a GEC. When I started to look around, however, the prices were a more than a little offputting (I'm a long time Case XX collector...so... ::smirk:: ).
For this GEC Furtaker Trapper I paid $87 on eBay and thought I had gotten a real steal. But when I actually got it, I was NOT impressed by the quality. Since I'm new to GEC's, I don't know how to date this knife, but according to the seller I bought it from, it's a 2010 model. And, if I'm not mistaken, the steel is 440c...not one of my favorites because it just doesn't seem to take that razor, shaving-sharp edge like the 1095 or Case's TruSharp Surgical Stainless.

Any thoughts...GEC collectors?

Cheers & Aloha,
~Q~
Attachments
P9250689.JPG
GEC Furtaker Trapper, Northwoods Hawthorn, Case XX Mini Trapper
GEC Furtaker Trapper, Northwoods Hawthorn, Case XX Mini Trapper
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.
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~Q~
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Jeffrey »

If I am going to buy a GEC I always buy from a registered dealer.
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by QTCut5 »

And why is that? Does a registered dealer sell a higher quality of GEC knife than someone who bought one and then sold it on eBay? I don't understand your reasoning other than so that you can return it easier if you end up getting a dud like mine...but, since GEC stands behind the quality of their products, I really can't see the difference who or where you get one of their knives from. Perhaps I'm missing something? If so, please enlighten me.

~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 jerryd6818 »

QT -- Great Easterns are easy to date. I pulled the following from the GEC web site.

http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/poc ... ber-chart/

Tang Number Chart

Main Blade Identity

0.Wharncliffe
1. Regular Clip
2. Regular Spear
3. Sheep Foot
4. Spey
5. Drop Point/Skinner
6. Sabre Clip
7. Sabre Spear
8. Muskrat Clip
9. Cotton Sampler

For Example: if the Tang Stamp reads 735208

# 73 = Pattern number

5 = the main blade (Drop point/Skinner)

2 = the knife has 2 blades

08 = it was made in 2008
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Re: Why Has GEC Knives Fallen Off the Cliff?

Post by Gunstock Jack »

QTCut5 wrote:And why is that? Does a registered dealer sell a higher quality of GEC knife than someone who bought one and then sold it on eBay? I don't understand your reasoning other than so that you can return it easier if you end up getting a dud like mine...but, since GEC stands behind the quality of their products, I really can't see the difference who or where you get one of their knives from. Perhaps I'm missing something? If so, please enlighten me.

~Q~
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.

As far as 440C not taking a shaving sharp edge, that is a load of BS.

'Nuff said.
Barry

Great Eastern Cutlery distributor: http://www.gunstockjacksknives.com
Contact me: info@gunstockjacksknives.com
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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~
Attachments
Protruding tip when closed...BAD!
Protruding tip when closed...BAD!
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 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:
2014gecFolders.jpg
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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::
PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS!
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