All About Pocket Knives

kootenay joe wrote:Big Monk, your explanation of Ken D. having a fcolleew special GEC knives made for friends, dealers etc is the info needed to understand the GEC 'oddities' which often are the best examples made.
I have an ivory 72 from Caleb and i concur 100%: absolute top notch workmanship and person too.
Question: is a GEC re-handled in ivory as valuable as the same knife handled in ivory by GEC ?
I think the cutlers who re-handle should mark the knife in a way that indicates not all original.
I predict that we will start to see #36 & #46 patterns re-handled in ivory being sold as 'all original' for prices as high as $1000.
kj

In the early years,GEC would make a few knives with an odd / new handle material,just to see if they liked it* Some went on to be production runs, while others, were never made again -- the first Primitive Bone run,was just some old cattle bones,someone found in a trash pile*** Turns out to be a great "discovery"" __ The "Red Elk" experiment on the 72 pattern,went sorta bad ( lost about half of the handle material, because of cracking / splitting, during drying process ) they were going to make 50pcs. with Wharncliff blade ( only 26pcs.made) & 50 pcs.with clip blade ( only 23 pcs. made ) -- one & only time they dyed the Elk slabs*** __ when / if you find one of these for sale,it will cost ya' $$$$$

A) from my experience, the re-handled knives do not fetch the $$ that a factory knife will bring, but do sell for top dollar$$
B) Muskrat Man does mark his knives on the liners ""I believe"" ,so as to not take away from the knives beauty*
C) I don't think you will see re-handled knives passed off as "factory"" because of the COA signatures & Tubes -- another thing, **all** of GEC's production numbers are listed on their web.site now, ( even the SFO's & short runs ) -- collectors that will pay the big bucks$$$,will want the knife in pristine condition & all the factory signatures & packaging ( I would**)

for awhile,we tried to keep an up-dated list of the knives made for other venders,dealers, clubs, ect. but I;m sure it needs up-dating now**
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=26974

Red Elk photos below

I have those red elk knives in that picture. I cannot remember if I bought them off of you Monk or someone else but I have had them for a while now.

I had a cocobolo 2011 #46 prototype. I got it off Roger Cunningham who supplied the knives that the #46s are based on. Unfortunately it was pawned along with several other of my knives,but not by me. I believe it was sold on eBay . I also had two primitive bones pawned, which may have been sold on AAPK.

I still have this 2011 bark ivory one of, a gift from a good friend.

Wow X 3 !!!
Lyle i covet your knife ! Looks like a #46, correct ? or is it a #36 ?
Is the "good friend" a fellow who lives in Canada ?
kj

It’s a 2011 #46 Whaler Roland, and yes I have some good friends in Canada.

Lyle,
That is one SWEET hunk of Ivory! I would love to see a picture, from the top, of your 2011 knife so we can see how thick the Ivory is, if you get a chance. Sorry about the pawned knives. I hope you ultimately got some satisfaction from that situation.
Larry

While we wait for Lyle to post here is a #46 also from 2011, one of 5 with elephant ivory (the 2011 'Bark' ivory is one of one). A well hafted folding knife does not have thick handle slabs. They are slender and thinned from underside so top surface of antler or tusk can go bolster to bolster. This is best seen with vintage Sheffield folding knives.
Showing it with a #36 from 2009 just for a helpful comparison of size & shape. You can see the ivory pieces on this knife are slender. What is important is that the edges be nicely 'rounded' all along edge where meeting the liners. This has been very nicely done on this knife. Rounding is needed for a natural in hand fit. The "bark" pieces are usually thicker but don't need to be. I hope Lyle will post a top-down view of his.
kj

Thanks for posting yours, kj. That is what I was curious about.

BTW, I should have first said "absolutely fantastic knives"!!

Just saw the question. I’ll try to get a top view. The handles are not thick. I expect Bill did a lot of the ivory work, but not sure.

Just saw the question. I’ll try to get a top view. The handles are not thick. I expect Bill did a lot of the ivory work, but not sure.